Falcon Report

Falcons WATCH: Defense, Special Teams Wake Up in 4th Quarter vs. Dolphins

The Atlanta Falcons defense is popping off in the fourth quarter against the Miami Dolphins.

Jeremy Brener

In this story:

The Atlanta Falcons had only scored six points throughout most of their preseason affair with the Miami Dolphins Friday night, but the defense and special teams exploded in the final minutes of the game.

Cornerback Dee Alford returned a punt 79 yards to go up 13-3. Here's a look at the play:

Last year, Alford was on the fringe of the roster but made the team and impressed with a great preseason. Now, he's putting an exclamation point on his tape with the ability to turn punt returns into points.

But the Falcons defense was ready to take their impressive night and turn it into points as well. Just two plays into Miami's ensuing drive, Breon Borders picked off Dolphins quarterback Skylar Thompson and took it back to the house for six more points.

Here's a look at Borders' interception ...

Borders is fighting alongside Alford and others for one of the final spots in the cornerback room. But plays like this certainly help his case. The touchdown made it 19-3 Falcons with just a few minutes to play.

Even though the next drive didn't result in a score, second-year linebacker Arnold Ebiketie was able to strip-sack Thompson and force a fumble, giving the Falcons yet another turnover.

The Falcons lead 19-3 with two minutes remaining in the game.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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