RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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A couple weeks ago Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters that he wouldn't be playing his starters in Week 2 of the preseason, choosing instead to use the joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts as their reps for this week.
That means Saturday afternoon's preseason game in Indianapolis represents a great opportunity for rookies and other players on the roster bubble to show what they can do without having to worry about playing behind starters.
Here are four players we will be keeping an eye on for this week's game.
QB Jack Strand
It was an extremely low bar, but undrafted rookie Jack Strand was Atlanta's most-impressive quarterback in their preseason debut against the Denver Broncos last week. With a strong outing Strand could gain more ground on veteran backup Cooper Rush in the QB3 battle behind Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix. The Colts allowed more passing yards than any other AFC team last season, so Strand has a real chance to put some highlights on film.
RB Cash Jones
The Falcons' run game was also pretty quiet against the Broncos - and we didn't get to see fan favorite rookie Cash Jones until the very end when the result had already been decided. With nobody truly having impressed last week at running back, there's room for Jones to catch up in the race with Tyler Goodson and Nathan Carter for the few remaining reps leftover when Bijan Robinson or Brian Robinson aren't on the field.
CB Sydney Brown
One of a few bright spots on defense last week, cornerback Sydney Brown wound up tying linebacker Josh Woods for a team-high six tackles against Denver. A former third-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles back in 2023, Brown has a chance to prove he may be worth starter reps with nickelback Billy Bowman still out on the PUP list and top draft pick Avieon Terrell banged up, as well.
OLB Azeez Ojulari
With Za'Darius Smith now in the mix, Atlanta's edge rush rotation is looking pretty crowded, even in the absence of Jalon Walker and James Pearce. Ojulari is one of several free agents the Falcons brought in at the position, and had a decent debut against Denver, posting half a sack and one of four quarterback hits for the team. Another quality outing could put him ahead another spot in the rotation.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: 4 players to watch for Falcons in second preseason game vs. Colts
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