Falcons Quarterback Named 'Loser' of Preseason Week 2

After shining in his preseason debut last Friday against the Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Easton Stick struggled against the Tennessee Titans on Friday. Bleacher Report’s Christopher Knox named him as Atlanta’s “loser” for the Falcons' second preseason game. 

Stick needs to play well to secure a roster spot, as Atlanta already has their top two quarterback spots set. Kirk Cousins will be the most expensive backup in the NFL, but barring a very last-second trade, he is set to be the quarterback two for Atlanta heading into the 2025 season. However, after a performance like Friday’s, the Falcons may be hesitant to move on from Cousins so fast. 

The Falcons fell 23-20 to the Titans on Friday, and six of those points were a direct result of Stick, who threw a pick-six in the loss. On the play, Stick operated out of an empty back field from the Titans' 47-yard line. 

The quarterback pump-faked and then threw a pass to rookie Nick Nash, who was between two defenders. Titans’ safety Kendell Brooks was not fooled and made a beeline for Nash, and as soon as Stick released it, he cut in front of the ball and took it to the house. 

“Stick made a good impression in his preseason debut. On Friday, though, he had a late throw to the outside that resulted in the pick six, and another bad decision led to Gray's would-be interception. Stick did finally throw a touchdown in the third quarter, but his night was much rockier than raw numbers (19-of-32, 173 yards, one touchdown, one interception) might suggest.”

Stick’s raw numbers were certainly better than his performance suggests. While he had nearly 200 passing yards (173) and a touchdown, 92 of those yards were picked up after the catch. Stick had just 81 air yards. He also completed just 59.3% of his passes and besides the pick-6, he had a second poor pass, which should have been intercepted. 

Interesting that Stick played worse against the Titans, despite getting help from his run game this time around. Stick’s passer rating fell from 119.7 vs Detroit to 71.5 against Tennessee. His turnover-worthy play percentage went up from 0% to 5.6%. 

Stick has played well enough in camp, running for a 50-yard touchdown during the Falcons scrimmage last week, as well as throwing an 18-yard touchdown in the back of the endzone to quarterback turned tight end Feleipe Franks. 

His roster spot should be secure with Emroy Jones passing for just 16 yards in Friday’s game; however, Stick can make sure he’s 100% safe with a good performance against the Dallas Cowboys in the Falcons' final preseason game next Friday. 

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