It's the first week of the NFL preseason, and the Atlanta Falcons are set to take on the Miami Dolphins in the Georgia Dome this Friday, August 12 at 7:30 PM ET.
TV: CBS Atlanta, WFOR Miami (additionally, there's an online package available from NFL.com)
Radio: 790 The Zone and Star 94 FM (Atlanta), 560 WQAM Sports Radio (Miami)
After a seemingly endless wait, NFL football is finally back! With it still only the first week of live games, expect starters on both teams to only play for a series or two. The real focus of this game will be evaluating several of the younger, less experienced players fighting to earn a spot on the 53-man roster.
For the Falcons, the biggest storyline will be rookie wideout and first-round pick Julio Jones. With Michael Jenkins gone, the Falcons appear ready to usher in the Julio era in Atlanta. Jones has received almost universal praise around the league for his training camp performance thus far, and fans will be eagerly awaiting his professional debut.
Beyond Jones, Michael Turner will make his first appearance following his under-wraps offseason surgery, as will linebacker Curtis Lofton. Newly added defensive end Ray Edwards, who also had a procedure done this offseason, will not make his Falcons debut. Be sure to check out the unofficial depth chart released by the team earlier this week for more info.
While normally these games don't hold much weight, with such limited offseason preparation they have become more important this season than ever before. Expect the Falcons to take full advantage. Are you ready for some football?
For more on the Falcons, check out The Falcoholic.