11 things to watch for in the Falcons’ preseason opener

It’s been over seven months since the Atlanta Falcons last played an actual football game, but the drought ends Friday when they take on the Detroit Lions in their preseason opener.

With new faces on both sides of the ball and several positions still up for grabs, this matchup has slightly more intrigue than your typical preseason game. Here are 11 things to watch for on Friday.

Starters to play?

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Both the Lions and Falcons will reportedly play all of their starters, which is unusual for the first preseason game. When you consider where these two franchises are in their rebuilding processes, though, it makes some sense. Neither team is a Super Bowl contender, and both have more roster questions than answers. Still, I’d expect to see very little of Kyle Pitts, A.J. Terrell and other key players.

London debuts in Detroit

(Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Drake London will likely enter the season as Atlanta’s No. 1 wide receiver, but the rookie was listed as the seventh receiver on the team’s unofficial depth chart. As we learned last season, Arthur Smith likes to make rookies earn their playing time, and this is clearly another example of that. London had 88 catches for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns last season for USC in just eight games. If he can stay healthy this season, he could be the team’s second consecutive rookie to crack 1,000 receiving yards.

Feleipe Franks playing tight end

(AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Franks has survived for a full season by being a versatile athlete. Originally signed out of Arkansas as an undrafted free agent in 2021, Franks has been getting reps at tight end as well as serving as the team’s third quarterback. With great size (6-foot-6) and speed (4.59 seconds in the 40-yard dash), Franks could be a potentially good fit at tight end. He made several plays throughout the first two weeks of camp. Keep your on the Falcons’ utility man Friday and see if he can make more plays like this.

New inside linebackers

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Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees recently said he didn’t understand why the Titans let LB Rashaan Evans walk in free agency, but Atlanta is happy to have the former first-round pick on the roster. Evans is joined by veteran Nick Kwiatkoski and rookie Troy Andersen. While Evans and Mykal Walker are currently projected to start, this is a competition fans should be watching closely. Plus, Deion Jones is still on the PUP list.

Return of Super Mario-ta

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Marcus Mariota and Arthur Smith weren’t exactly a match made in heaven when they first worked together in Tennessee. Now that some time has passed, the two are ready to give it another shot. Mariota, the second overall pick in 2015, was billed as someone with Hall-of-Fame potential. After falling out of favor with the Titans, Mariota backed up Raiders QB Derek Carr for the past two seasons. Finally, the former Heisman Trophy winner gets another shot, and it just so happens to be with Smith.

Smith vs. Campbell: Round 2

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Smith and Campbell are both second-year coaches, and that’s about where their similarities end. Smith’s personality is like a more human version of Bill Belichick, while Campbell wears his heart on his sleeve like the great Dick Vermeil. There are multiple ways to have success in the NFL, but it seems like the media is buying into Detroit more so than Atlanta this season, despite the Falcons winning more games last season. We’ll see who gets the last laugh on Friday (kind of).

Pass protection

(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Matt Ryan may have enjoyed his time in Atlanta but his body took an absolute beating behind a bad offensive line. Ryan’s lack of mobility didn’t help things, although even someone as elusive as Michael Vick would have had a tough time back there. The Falcons brought in Elijah Wilkinson, who started the last two weeks at left guard over last year’s starter, Jalen Mayfield. Center Matt Hennessy, another starting lineman from 2021, has been splitting reps with Drew Dalman. Can this group do a better job protecting the QB?

RB competition: Who's No. 2

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Damien Williams, Avery Williams, Qadree Ollison and Tyler Allgeier are each fighting to be the No. 2 RB on the team behind Cordarrelle Patterson. Fans are most excited about Allgeier, but this battle should be fun to watch play out over the preseason. Damien Williams has the most experience. Avery Williams has the least experience but is the primary kick/punt returner. Meanwhile, Ollison looked good in limited opportunities last season and has been patiently waiting for his chance.

New pass-rush crew

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The Falcons have tried to find a pass-rusher for years now with very little success. This time, the team signed former Georgia Bulldogs OLB Lorenzo Carter and drafted Penn State’s Arnold Ebiketie in the second round. Atlanta grabbed another edge rusher in the third round, selecting Western Kentucky standout DeAngelo Malone. These new additions join second-year EDGE Ade Ogundeji. Could this finally be the year for Atlanta’s pass rush to rise up?

New-look secondary

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The Falcons’ secondary was among the team’s weakest units in 2021, but despite some ugly moments, there were a few bright spots. Cornerback A.J. Terrell established himself as one of the best defensive backs in the league and Isaiah Oliver had some success playing nickel. After adding more depth and signing former Pro Bowl CB Casey Hayward, this secondary could go from a weakness to a strength in 2022.

Rookie QB Desmond Ridder

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Ridder may be a ways behind Marcus Mariota for the starting job, but we haven’t got to see either player in game action yet. Preseason football tends to be an ugly mess, especially the first game, but few things more fun than getting to see a rookie QB make his debut. Ridder was a winner at Cincinnati and the Falcons were lucky to have him fall into their laps in the third round. Ridder should get a good amount of playing time during Friday’s game.

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Story originally appeared on Falcons Wire