Preseason Update, Notes: Falcons 'Look Really Good' in Joint Practice vs Dolphins

Be it practice notes and quotes from players and coaches or anything else in between, here's a rundown of the Atlanta Falcons' top storylines from this week's joint practices with the Miami Dolphins.

There's a new feeling in the air surrounding the Atlanta Falcons, who are fresh off consecutive 7-10 seasons but boast one of the NFL's most expensive free agency classes.

For some, it's optimism - in the case of Falcons coach Arthur Smith, it's the idea that his group "feels like a real team" for the first time in his three-year tenure.

As such, there's lots of excitement surrounding Atlanta's prospects for this fall ... and the first glimpse of this year's team has only added to it.

The Falcons spent the past two days competing in joint practices against the Miami Dolphins in South Beach prior to Friday night's preseason opener at Hard Rock Stadium.

By all accounts, the early returns were positive, with Atlanta flashing on both sides of the ball and drawing rave reviews, a stark contrast from last year's practices with the New York Jets.

So, what happened in Miami and what's still to come? Here are some of the top storylines ...

TUA PRAISES FALCONS DEFENSE

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had an up-and-down week against Atlanta's defense, with the secondary in particular shining.

At various points in the week, cornerback A.J. Terrell and safety Jaylinn Hawkins intercepted Tagovailoa, while nickel Dee Alford frequently made positive plays.

Atlanta's defensive line was also stout - defensive tackles Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata consistently flashed, but the edge defenders stole the show, with Arnold Ebiketie, Bud Dupree and Zach Harrison continuing their strong training camps with positive reps in both one-on-ones and team drills.

The result of a quality two days of work for the Falcons' defense was praise from Tagovailoa, set to enter his fourth professional season in Miami.

"I've got to give them credit," Tagovailoa said. "They look really good. They're executing, defensive wise, for the most part. Just got to give them props."

WILL FALCONS PLAY STARTERS IN PRESEASON OPENER?

The answer, per Smith, is to be determined, as the staff will meet Thursday after and reach a final decision. Atlanta's starters will play at some point in the preseason, Smith confirmed, it's just a matter of when.

For the Falcons' coaching staff, the biggest question at hand is whether to put higher volume in the earlier or later portion of the preseason, as in whether they'd prefer to play veterans early and players on the roster bubble later, or vice versa.

With two practices against Miami in the rearview mirror, Atlanta's veterans just received a solid tune-up ... but there's still more to learn prior to kicking off Week 1 on Sept. 10.

"That's the one thing you can't simulate - the consequences of holding onto the ball too long," Smith said. "You find out what's a real sack, what's a real pressure, and what isn't, and you need to feel that, I believe, before you go out for a real game."

Will the Falcons' starters "feel that" on Friday night? The answer should be in soon enough ...

FALCONS TO 'PUSH' PITTS NEXT WEEK

It's been a different offseason for star tight end Kyle Pitts, who's spent a vast majority of the summer rehabbing from the torn MCL he suffered in Week 11 of last season, and while the 22-year-old has been an active participant in training camp, he's not fully back.

Smith has been complimentary of Pitts' progress throughout camp and there's little doubt surrounding his status entering the season, but there are still more steps for the former Pro Bowler to make.

For instance, Pitts hasn't spent much time on the ground yet - he's been involved in 11-on-11s and has looked healthy in his individual reps, but he's yet to be fully immersed to the physicality element that Smith wants his to embody.

It's important to recognize that Pitts is doing more and more each day, and he's yet to experience setbacks in his recovery. Now, he's entering an important phase, as the Falcons will take his return to play plan up a level, which is a big step in his evaluation process.

"There's some other things you need to see, (and) we've kept him out of certain things," Smith said. "Done a lot more of the passing game. You've got to ramp up everything - we'll push him a little bit more next week."

THE RISE OF RIDDER

Naturally, much has been made about the spring and summer of Falcons starting quarterback Desmond Ridder, who's gained full respect and confidence from both his teammates and coaches for his command, leadership, maturity and track record of success dating back to college.

But there comes a time when words must meet action - and Ridder, after inconsistent efforts in Flowery Branch, had a promising showing against the Dolphins, impressing with his ball placement and tossing several touchdowns.

Smith recently said Ridder has improved in a variety of areas, and his recent play suggests exactly that. Now, the aim becomes continuing this surge once the regular season begins ... but as things stand, Atlanta's third-year coach is quite pleased with where his young signal caller stands.

"Des has done a good job," Smith said. "I think his decision making's been pretty damn good (and) I think his technique's certainly improving, and that's the name of the game."

The Falcons and Dolphins are set to kickoff at 7 p.m. EST on Friday night.

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