Falcons Preseason 2012: Dunta Robinson Enjoying Rare Healthy Preseason

Cornerback Dunta Robinson's third preseason with the Atlanta Falcons is so far his healthiest to date. And even though he's third on a depth chart for a defense that looks to deploy three cornerbacks more often than not, Robinson tells AtlantaFalcons.com he is enjoying the health and is optimistic for a good season:

"This is my first time making it through camp healthy," Robinson said. "It helps because it allows you to go out and not miss those snaps during the preseason. That’s what you need to be ready for the regular season. I’m excited about making it through and I think it’s going to be a great year for me individually."

Through the first two preseason games, Robinson has four tackles and a pass defense. Asante Samuel and Brent Grimes appear to be the two starting cornerbacks, but new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan looks to use the nickel package as a base this season, assuring Robinson will see plenty of playing time.

The Falcons travel to play the Miami Dolphins on Friday.

For more on the Atlanta Falcons, visit The Falcoholic and SB Nation Atlanta. Also be sure to check out our NFL hub and our YouTube channel.

Akeem Dent Injury: Falcons Middle Linebacker Cleared To Return To Practice

Akeem Dent has been cleared to return to contact practice following his exit in an exhibition loss against the Baltimore Ravens with a concussion.

The frontrunner for the Atlanta Falcon's middle linebacker starting spot sat out last week's exhibition loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, in accordance with the league's concussion protocol program. The team is hoping that Dent will be able to make it through contact drills and be ready to play in the exhibition game against the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 24.

#Falcons middle linebacker Akeem Dent has been cleared to return to contact practice. Will play Friday vs. Dolphins.

— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@AJCFalcons) August 19, 2012

Dent had a strong rookie showing last year, gathering 20 tackles in 16 games played. Dent had two tackles in the game against the Ravens before exiting with injury.

For more on the Atlanta Falcons, visit The Falcoholic and SB Nation Atlanta.

Falcons Injury Report: Darrin Walls Hurt, Backups On Concussion Watch

Three Atlanta Falcons join the injury report.

Falcons Preseason 2012: Dirk Koetter Has No Concerns About Atlanta's Running Game

Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter doesn't think the team forgot how to run the football overnight. Despite not seeing much from the Falcons in the running game through these first couple of preseason game, Koetter is confident that a healthy Michael Turner will run the ball just fine this season.

What he doesn't want to do is get players injured, ramming the up the middle in games that are meaningless in terms of competition and more valuable in evaluation. In fact, Koetter says he never worries about the running game in the preseason:

"I just don't see why you want to plow it up in there and get your backs beat up. We know that Michael Turner can run the football.

"We are trying to get guys evaluated. I don't think we forgot how to run the ball overnight."

For more on the Atlanta Falcons, visit The Falcoholic and SB Nation Atlanta. Also be sure to check out our NFL hub and our YouTube channel.

Falcons Preseason 2012: Dominique Davis Could Win No. 2 QB Spot

Undrafted rookie Dominique Davis appears to be the leading candidate for the Falcons' No. 2 quarterback position due to his preseason play so far and the sub-par showings from veterans Chris Redman and John Parker Wilson.

Falcons head coach Mike Smith made it clear with this quote to the Atlanta Journal Constitution on Saturday that the best player, despite experience, will be awarded the spot:

"Whoever the best backup guy is, whether if he's a 10-year vet or a rookie, is going to be our backup quarterback. I think you have to go out there and let the play on the field [decide]. ... It's a matter of who plays the best."

Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said he thought Redman and Wilson played better in their second game than the first, but Davis has been consistent through both outings.

For more on the Atlanta Falcons, visit The Falcoholic and SB Nation Atlanta. Also be sure to check out our NFL hub and our YouTube channel.

Falcons Reach Injury Settlement With Wideout Michael Calvin

Michael Calvin, an undrafted free agent wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons, was waived by the organization earlier today after reaching an injury settlement, as reported by the official Falcons website.

Calvin was picked up by the Falcons largely due to his speed, having run a 4.32 40-yard dash at the Cal pro day earlier this year in Berkeley. Had he worked out at the official NFL scouting combine, that time would have been the fastest of all players this past year, regardless of position.

During his years at Cal, Calvin played in 37 games, starting 10 and amassing 42 receptions for 528 yards and one touchdown.

Calvin's injury is reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a nondescript "leg injury," a term that signifies almost nothing more than him being simply too banged up to make the final 52-man roster for Atlanta.

NFLDraftScout.com does have his injury listed more specifically as a "knee injury," which, for any football player, is a tough thing to overcome. According to his official profile at CalBears.com, this is not the first knee injury Calvin has sustained.

For more on the Atlanta Falcons, visit The Falcoholic and SB Nation Atlanta. Also be sure to check out our NFL hub and our YouTube channel.

2012 Falcons Preseason: Jacquizz Rodgers Has Confidence Of Mike Smith

Atlanta Falcons running back Jacquizz Rodgers should see an expanded role in the offense and special teams this season, and head coach Mike Smith feels he could handle even more than that, as told to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

"Quizz is someone that we feel is a three down back. He can come in a do the things that a three-down back does. He’s is not just a change of pace back."

Rodgers led the team in rushing during the Falcons' 24-19 preseason loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, carrying four times for 24 yards, 16 of which came on one carry. He also looked good on special teams (where the Falcons are looking to replace Pro Bowl returner Eric Weems) with 57 yards on three returns.

Undrafted free agent -- and Jacquizz's older brother -- James Rodgers also got a look at return duties, picking up 18 yards on his lone return.

For more on the Atlanta Falcons, visit The Falcoholic and SB Nation Atlanta. Also be sure to check out our NFL hub and our YouTube channel.

2012 Falcons Preseason: Mike Nolan Defense Shows Versatility In Providing Pressure

Mike Nolan's defense is all about pressure. The Falcons want to get pressure in a variety of ways, whether it be from their front seven in the pass rush, or their versatile defensive backs. This is the kind of in-your-face scheme that makes every defensive player a threat at the line of scrimmage.

Just take the numbers, for example. Atlanta had two tackles for losses by DBs in their loss to the Bengals on Thursday. The other three came from defensive ends and a linebacker. But that's five tackles for loss, with all of them spread out between positions. Even Dunta Robinson had a tackle for a loss as part of his stat line.

Check out safety Chris Hope's take on all of this:

"We have depth at safety and that's a good thing." Hope said. "We have guys that can play, run and tackle and cover. When you have that, you have an opportunity to do a lot of things up front. When you have that, you can pretty much bring blitzes from all over since you have safeties that can do multiple things. ...

"We have physical corners. Dunta has been playing well for us, tackling well and playing physical. When you have DBs that aren't afraid to come in and make tackles, you can bring pressure from pretty much everywhere. I think that's what is bringing versatility to coach Nolan's play calling."

Read more on the Falcons at The Falcoholic and SB Nation Atlanta.

Falcons Preseason 2012: Lousaka Polite Pushing Mike Cox At Fullback

No three words define preseason football like "fullback position battle", and Atlanta has one on their hands

After rookie Bradie Ewing suffered a season-ending knee injury in the team's preseason opener, the Falcons brought in veteran Lousaka Polite to push Mike Cox for the starting job. Polite, who has bounced around the league with occasional starting gigs since 2004, isn't getting starters reps -- yet -- but caught a touchdown pass from Matt Ryan Thursday night against Cincinnati, one of his two receptions on the evening. He's now inching closer to Cox's starting role.

"I’ve been around long enough to know that you can’t make the final decision, all you can do is put it on tape and do your best and appreciate every rep you get," Polite said. "When you sit out for a while like I have, when you get another chance, you want to cherish it. I don’t really think about the decision making, I think about playing football."

Cox won't exactly give up the spot easily: the fullback is playing in familiar territory -- he went to Georgia Tech -- and started down the stretch last year. Cox also had a reception for seven yards against the Bengals.

For now, Polite will be less concerned with taking Cox's job and more concerned with making the Falcons' roster, as life as a second-string fullback isn't always easy.

For more on the Falcons, check out The Falcoholic.

Bengals Vs. Falcons: Asante Samuel 'Relaxed' On TD Pass, Other Post-Game Quotes

Falcons fans might have been thrilled to get Asante Samuel from the Eagles for nothing more than a seventh-round pick. They also might have been a little bit disappointed to see the Bengals' A.J. Green work the veteran cornerback for a 50-yard touchdown in the team's preseason loss to Cincinnati. His response to the touchdown is a little bit surprising:

"It was third-and-long, so it was time to put the ball up," Samuel said

"We were going at it," Samuel said. "I relaxed on the deep ball a little bit, and he got over on top of me."

That's comforting from the perspective that he didn't get beaten on his best effort, but a little bit worrisome that he wasn't on top of his game in an obvious passing situation. Head Coach Mike Smith didn't seem too concerned, though.

"Listen, Asante has played very effective football for a long, long time," Smith said. "It was a well executed play by the offense."

Smith wasn't terribly disappointed by the loss, during which the majority of his first-stringers played well.

"Every time that we go out, we want to win football games," Smith said. "There is no doubt about that. But our number one goal in the [exhibition] season is to get to the first game [of the regular season] as healthy as possible. We’re going to out there and play our tails off to try to win the ball game, but first and foremost we are looking at trying to install our scheme and keep players healthy."

Matt Ryan, who completed his first 11 passes of the game and finished 18 for 21, thought he performed his job well.

"I'm just trying to make good decisions and be accurate with the football," Ryan said. "We have really talented wide receivers and tight ends. My job is to try to get them the ball in a good spot to make a play with.

For more on the Falcons, check out The Falcoholic.

Bengals Vs. Falcons: Falcons Blogger Reaction

The big take from the Atlanta Falcons' 24-19 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals last night was that, while the starters did great, it's unclear whether the Falcons have the necessary depth needed to make a deep run in the playoffs this year.

In his recap of the game last night, Dave Choate of The Falcoholic was excited with how Matt Ryan looked against a pretty good Bengals defense.

Matt Ryan is going to be a monster this season. With the offensive line barely protecting him, he nonetheless threw lasers all over the field, completing 18 of 21 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown. His supporting cast is going to get a lot of justifiable hype, but it's Ryan who makes the whole thing tick.

And as good as Ryan looked throwing the ball, Atlanta's wide receivers and tight ends looked just as good.

First team receivers and tight ends looked nice. Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez and Julio Jones each grabbed at least three passes and each put up at least 40 yards. Things were humming along nicely.

But as well as Ryan played, Choate was unimpressed with backups Chris Redman and John Parker Wilson.

The backup quarterback situation can't possibly be as bad as it looked last night, but this is the second straight week where Redman and John Parker Wilson have airmailed throws, panicked in the pocket and failed to see open receivers. I don't think the Falcons can take the fact that they're one injury away from a guy who can barely throw the ball over his own linemen lightly.

Beyond the depth at quarterback, the entire second team is a big question mark if injuries start to pile up this year.

The depth, however, remains a legitimate concern. The backups are simply going to have to play better, because there will be situations in the regular season where by injury or fatigue the reserves are going to come in. If they're getting scorched by third string wide receivers and quarterbacks, that's not just alarming. It's a friggin' klaxon going off three inches from our collective ears.

So to recap,

Final Word: Yaystarters.

Stick with this StoryStream for more from the Atlanta Falcons preseason. For complete Falcons news and analysis, check out The Falcoholic.

Bengals Vs. Falcons: Depth Issues Continue to Plague Atlanta

If there's one thing to take away from last night's game against Cincinnati it's that the Falcons remain consistent. Typically consistency runs concurrently with reliability, and reliability wins football games. Unfortunately 'consistent' for the Falcons this preseason had meant the first team looking as dangerous as expected, and the depth looking worse than we thought.

It wasn't that they played terribly, per se– they just looked lackluster. There were some standout performers like Dominique Davis who keeps making a stronger, and stronger case why he deserves to be in the QB discussion, and depth WR LaMark Brown paired extremely well with the aforementioned Davis.

The concern, much as it was last week was the pass rush. John Abraham was busy, and got fairly consistent pressure, but other than that there was very little to make like difficult for Cincinnati. Ultimately, only Peria Jerry registered a sack, and at this point Mike Nolan has to be aware that his defensive unit aren't getting the pressure he needs on a regular basis.

Some will be concerned about Asante Samuel's over aggressiveness, which allowed the long TD to A.J. Green, but really this is just how Samuel plays. For all the ball-hawking, and amazing INTs you take the good with the bad, and play's like last night's is the bad.

If you're one to keep the glass half-full, then pay attention to Matt Ryan, who is looking great this preseason. Against the Bengals he completed 86% of his passes, and was slinging the ball all over the field. Ryan was in command, in charge, and relaxed. Provided the Falcons' 1st team offense can stay healthy they'll be in for success.

This preseason is all about evaluating talent, installing new systems, and solidifying the nucleus– to that end the Falcons are playing their role to a tee. However, there are some concerning trends we're seeing on defense that need to be rectified ASAP. Nothing is approaching 'sky is falling' territory, but it's something to watch. It's worth noting that Atlanta are likely playing an extremely vanilla variation of their base defense, and for a creative coordinator like Mike Nolan this means we should see larger wholesale improvement when the regular season rolls around.

Stick with this StoryStream for more from the Atlanta Falcons preseason. For complete Falcons news and analysis, check out The Falcoholic.

Falcons Vs. Bengals Final Score: Atlanta Loses 24-19 At Georgia Dome

The Falcons couldn't hold on to their three-point halftime lead against the Bengals in the second week of preseason action on Thursday. While Atlanta led 13-0 after two quarters, the Bengals rallied in the second half to win at the Georgia Dome 24-19.

Bruce Gradkowski and Mohamed Sanu gave the Bengals the lead in the third quarter with a 12-yard touchdown pass. The lead was extended with a Jourdan Brooks short-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter before the Falcons scored on a seven-yard pass play with third string quarterback Dominique Davis to LaMark Brown.

Davis tried to lead the Falcons on a game-winning drive at the end with just under a minute to play, but he had receivers who didn't make plays and it was just a bit too little, too late.

Stick with this StoryStream for more from the Atlanta Falcons preseason. For complete Falcons news and analysis, check out The Falcoholic.

Falcons Vs. Bengals, Halftime Score: Atlanta Leads, 13-10

The Falcons and Bengals were even until the last minute and change in the first half of their preseason matchup at the Georgia Dome. With each team scoring on a field goal and touchdown, and the Falcons putting in that additional field goal before the half ended, Atlanta is up, 13-10.

Cincinnati struck first with a 54-yard field goal by Mike Nugent with just over two minutes to go in the first quarter. Atlanta responded early in the second period with a field goal of its own, a 20-yard attempt from Matt Bryant.

Then touchdowns started happening. Andy Dalton and A.J. Green connected on a 50-yard pass to the right side to give the Bengals the lead. Matt Ryan and Lousaka Polite connected in the red zone to tie it all up at 10.

Bryant was successful on his second field goal of the game with 1:15 to go in the half.

Stick with this StoryStream for more from the Atlanta Falcons preseason. For complete Falcons news and analysis, check out The Falcoholic.

GIF: Andy Dalton Connects With A.J. Green On Deep Ball, Touchdown Bengals

Andy Dalton and former Bulldogs star wide receiver A.J. Green connected on a beautiful pass to give the Bengals a touchdown lead over the Falcons. The hometown team is obviously priority for Falcons fans but check out the local kid get down, courtesy of a damn good throw from Dalton.

via assets.sbnation.com

Stick with this StoryStream for more from the Atlanta Falcons preseason. For complete Falcons news and analysis, check out The Falcoholic.

Falcons Vs. Bengals: Linebacker Battles In Spotlight In NFL Preseason

The Atlanta Falcons have a couple of positions that need to be sorted out before the start of the regular season, and Thursday night's preseason game will offer a big test for those players competing for the team's last few roster spots. D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution lists his top five positions to watch tonight, listing the battles at inside and outside linebacker at spots three and four.

At inside linebacker, projected starter Akeem Dent will miss tonight's game with a concussion. With Dent out, players occupying the lower rungs of the depth chart, like Max Gruber and Pat Schiller, will get valuable playing time as they work to make the final 53-man team. Linebackers coach Glenn Pires knows how important tonight will be for the two rookies, telling Ledbetter, "This week is going to be a big, big week for those guys."

Outside linebacker looks to be a bit more stable, with Sean Weatherspoon and Stephen Nicholas starting on the outside, and Robert James and Spencer Adkins serving as their backups. Undrafted free agent Rico Council, however, is making a strong case for himself with his play in camp. Pires noted that Council's ability to stop the run has made an impression with the coaching staff:

"He’s a big, burly and thick guy. He’s got to bring the wood. Those are his assets. He’s a big and strong guy. He’s physical in the run game. That’s what we want to get from him, getting downhill and playing physical."

Stick with this StoryStream for more from the Atlanta Falcons preseason. For complete Falcons news and analysis, check out The Falcoholic.

Bengals vs. Falcons: Game Time, TV Schedule, Injury Updates And More

The Atlanta Falcons hose the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, in their second preseason game of the 2012 NFL season. Game time, TV schedule and injury update information is provided.

Atlanta Falcons Preseason: Players To Watch In Game 2 Vs. Bengals

The Atlanta Falcons face the Cincinnati Bengals in their second game of the 2012 NFL Preseason, and like any team in the preseason, they have a number of questions that need answering. SB Nation's Atlanta Falcons blog The Falcoholic has been keeping a close eye on the team as they move through training camp and into the preseason and they've highlighted a couple of the big issues for Atlanta.

One player highlighted is Travian Robertson, a seventh-round defensive tackle looking to make the team:

Robertson has been mentioned in this space before for his impressive strength and physicality, but he never had a realistic chance to crack the rotation this year. His only hope was to stick as a fifth defensive tackle by sheer merit of his play, and he's getting one hell of an opportunity to do that now with two guys down along the line.

Another is Pat Schiller, who may be the Falcons' best chance for depth at middle linebacker:

Schiller was a mighty successful linebacker at NIU, piling up more than 100 tackles to go with two sacks, several pass breakups and a few tackles for losses to boot. He doesn't have the highest upside, in terms of pure athletic ability, but he's solid enough reserve option. With significant playing time, he just may prove it out.

Head over to The Falcoholic for more information on those and other Falcons prospects, as well as to chime in with your thoughts and opinions on the team.

Stick with this StoryStream for more from the Atlanta Falcons preseason. For complete Falcons news and analysis, check out The Falcoholic. And don't miss SB Nation on YouTube:

Atlanta Falcons Preseason: Three Things to Look for Vs. Bengals

The Falcons are preparing for their second preseason game and here are three things to look for Thursday night.

2012 Falcons Preseason: Pat Schiller Could See More Playing Time

With the injury to Akeem Dent and all the precautions that come with handling players who suffer concussions, there is an opportunity for rookie linebacker Pat Schiller to see some quality time on the field.

Falcons head coach Mike Smith said Schiller can expect to play a "considerable" number of snaps in the game this week as the team searches for backup depth at middle linebacker.

Schiller still has to work hard on special teams, since how he performs in that area of the game will speak to his status on the roster. Quick comments from Smith, via Daniel Cox of the Falcons' website:

"Pat's going to get an opportunity to play a significant number of snaps so we're going to get evaluation. ...

"He got some experience and he's going to get some experience this week, a significant more number of snaps."

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Atlanta. For more in-depth coverage of the Atlanta Falcons, visit The Falcoholic. And for more news, notes and analysis from around the league, check out SB Nation's NFL news hub.

2012 Falcons Preseason: Starting Defense To See More Time Versus Bengals

The Atlanta Falcons' first-team defense will play at least the first quarter of their game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night.

In an interview with Daniel Cox of AtlantaFalcons.com, head coach Mike Smith said the starters will still be limited to a snap count, but will see more game time following their performance against the Baltimore Ravens where they only gave up nine yards of total offense,

"We’ll have a number that we have in mind, and it will be based on that number. You have to have a little bit of a range though because you’re not going to pull them out in the middle of a drive. We’ll have a number in mind where we want to get to on both sides of the ball. We’d like to definitely get the defense a little bit more work."

Smith also said that the first-team offense will see extended playing time against the Bengals, but did not give any specifics on how long they would be on the field for.

For more on the Atlanta Falcons check out The Falcoholic. For more news and notes from around the NFL head over to SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub.

2012 Falcons Preseason: Akeem Dent, Louis Nzegwu Out For Thursday's Game

At least two members of the Atlanta Falcons will not dress for Thursday's exhibition contest against the Cincinnati Bengals. Per The Falcoholic, neither Akeem Dent nor Louis Nzegwu will suit up, as they continue to recover from injuries.

Dent, who may end up starting at middle linebacker for the Falcons, suffered a concussion in the Week 1 preseason matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. There's little to nothing for the Falcons to gain by bringing Dent back too quickly in the preseason from a concussion.

Nzegwu will be out due to a leg injury. As Dave Choate over at The Falcoholic points out, Nzegwu's roster spot is in jeopardy, so the missed time could have much more serious consequences for his future employment than will Dent's.

For all the latest news on the Atlanta Falcons, be sure to head over to The Falcoholic and join the discussion.

Akeem Dent Injury: Mike Smith Not Worried About Starting Linebacker

Falcons head coach Mike Smith indicated on Monday that Akeem Dent's condition is improving although he won't play in Thursday's preseason game against Cincinnati. Smith indicated that neither he nor the team was worried about Dent but it still isn't clear when he might return to action for the team. Dent is currently in the first phase of the NFL's concussion protocol.

"Akeem Dent is feeling better," Falcons coach Mike Smith said. "He is still in the first phase of the concussion protocol. He definitely is not going to play, of course, this week. He is feeling a lot better. He was in meetings all day with us.

"He is ruled out for this week. We are not too concerned. We've got time for him [to return]. We want him feeling better."

Veteran Mike Peterson is working at middle linebacker for the Falcons in Dent's absence.

For more on the Atlanta Falcons, check out The Falcoholic and SB Nation's NFL page.

Falcons Depth Chart 2012: No Major Changes For Atlanta's Game Vs. Cincinnati

The Atlanta Falcons have released their depth chart for Thursday's preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals, and there are no big changes. There were a couple of minor adjustments among the reserves, though:

Recently signed tight end Chase Coffman was placed in the No. 5 tight end slot that Adam Nissley held before he was waived injury.

Also, fullback Lousaka Polite was placed in the No. 2 slot at fullback behind Mike Cox. He’s replacing Bradie Ewing, who was placed on injured reserve.

Related: Falcons Signed Chase Coffman, Lousaka Polite Saturday

Thursday's game is set to start at approximately 8:00 p.m. ET.

The Falcons lost their first preseason game 31-17 to the Baltimore Ravens.

For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Atlanta. For more in-depth coverage of the Atlanta Falcons, visit The Falcoholic. And for more news, notes and analysis from around the league, check out SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Falcons Injury Update: Akeem Dent Out For Concussion Protocol

The Falcons signed a replacement for fullback Bradie Ewing, lost for the year, while Akeem Dent will sit at least one game with a concussion.

NFL Preseason 2012, Falcons Vs. Bengals Game Preview: Atlanta Hosts Cincinnati On Thursday

The Falcons host Cincinnati on Thursday.