Falcons defense shines in preseason win vs. Dolphins
The Atlanta Falcons might be ready to take flight.
Atlanta's defense stood out in its 19-3 win against Miami in both teams' preseason opener. While the run defense remains a work in progress, the unit overall was aggressive and opportunistic, forcing four turnovers, including three interceptions, in the team's first game under first-year defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen.
The first interception came when DeMarcco Hellams intercepted Mike White in the endzone to halt a promising Dolphins drive that reached the red zone.
The last one put an exclamation point on the game as Breon Borders returned it 26 yards for a pick-six.
In between, six defenders combined for five sacks. After the team ranked 31st in that category in 2022 with 21, that's a step in the right direction.
Dolphins running back Myles Gaskin showed that Atlanta has plenty to clean up in rush defense, particularly on this run up the middle that gained 35 yards.
He finished with 57 yards on seven carries and Miami had 168 yards and averaged 6.5 yards per carry as a team.
But the Falcons survived the disappointing performance against Miami's rush offense by pressuring and turning over quarterbacks White and Skylar Thompson.
That's a welcome development for Atlanta as it seeks its first division title since it reached Super Bowl LI in 2016.
With a rush offense that projects to be one of the best in football, Atlanta could be a strong competitor for the NFC South crown if its defense improves.
Against Miami, the Falcons' defense showed why it's possible it might.
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