Tua Tagovailoa’s Falcons preseason debut Friday showed that he and the rest of Atlanta’s offense have some work to do.
Granted, it was a brief outing, with Tagovailoa playing only two series with the starters in Atlanta against the Denver Broncos, and it wasn’t the full lineup. Running back Bijan Robinson and right tackle Jawaan Taylor both sat out, and Drake London played only a few snaps.
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But even against a good Denver defense that fielded some of its starting unit, the Falcons showed little of the firepower they’re hoping for in the regular season, with their three main playmakers back.
On Tagovailoa’s first series, the Falcons went three-and-out. He dropped a shotgun snap that hit him squarely in the hands, leading to a sack, and Atlanta punted one play later.
The second series wasn’t much better. The Broncos were getting pressure often, with Tagovailoa having to throw multiple passes away. He was hit hard on third down, which might have led head coach Kevin Stefanski to say no mas.
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Tagovailoa finished his outing 3-for-5 passing for 22 yards. He targeted tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. on four of his five passes, often under duress.
With Michael Penix Jr. still out with injury, Cooper Rush replaced Tagovailoa and promptly was picked on his second pass attempt of the game.
It’s hard to judge the Falcons’ offensive performance in a vacuum Friday. The biggest eyesore was the pressure the offensive line surrendered, with Michael Jerrell replacing Taylor. The blocking wasn’t great.
They’ll want to get that ironed out before the next preseason game, and certainly prior to Week 1 against the Steelers. Tagovailoa needs all the clean pockets he can get if he wants to fend off Penix this whole season.
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