The Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons open their 2023 preseason schedule Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
These common opponents face off in the exhibition season for the 20th time, with the Dolphins winning the previous six, a streak that dates back to 2015.
How To Watch Atlanta Falcons vs. Miami Dolphins
- TV Channel: CBS 4 Miami, Fox 5 Atlanta
- Start Time: 7 p.m.
- Live Stream Options: fuboTV, Hulu, DAZN, and other platforms
Miami Dolphins vs. Atlanta Falcons Breakdown
UPDATED (Aug. 11, 6:25 p.m.): The Miami Dolphins have released their list of players not expected to play Friday, and it’s basically their entire projected starting lineup.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons are 2.5-point road favorites, per DraftKings, with an over/under of 36.5. They are surely ready to head home after spending the better part of a week in the sweltering South Florida sun.
These teams faced off in joint practices Tuesday and Wednesday under an extreme heat warning. Both defenses won the day, with Tua Tagovailoa and Desmond Ridder largely kept in check.
What @Raekwondavis_99 said!
See you Friday @HardRockStadium 🙌🏟 pic.twitter.com/oEa2UqWN8m— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) August 9, 2023
Falcons coach Arthur Smith would not commit to playing Ridder Friday but was pleased with what he saw from his second-year quarterback in the lead-up to the game.
“There are a lot of things to coach off, but Des has done a good job,” Smith said. “… A lot of time, they can complete a ball and make a poor decision that you can get away with in practice. But I think his decision-making has been pretty damn good. I think his techniques are certainly improving, and that’s the name of the game.”
If Ridder does not go, it’ll presumably be Taylor Heinicke and then Logan Woodside under center.
It’ll be curious to see how much work Bijan Robinson will get. The 2023 NFL Draft’s No. 8 pick was third-string on the Falcons’ first depth chart behind Cordarrelle Patterson and Tyler Allgeier.
Miami Dolphins
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel has been just as coy about his plans for his starters, but here’s our standard for Tua:
He should only play if Terron Armstead does. Joint practices revealed some leakage in Miami’s offensive line, and the Dolphins would be foolish to put the injury-prone Tagovailoa at risk.
Besides, they have an important competition at that position that still needs to play out. Our expectation is Mike White will get the start and will play significant snaps before giving way to Skylar Thompson, who’s also in the mix for QB2.
🏈 @MikeWhiteQB ➡️ @chosen1ra 🤲 pic.twitter.com/PaIlP4Zht4
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) August 9, 2023
As for Miami’s offensive line, the Dolphins need to get clarity at left guard, so our expectation is that everyone in the mix for that job — a list that includes Liam Eichenberg, Isaiah Wynn, and Robert Jones — will see the field.
On the defensive side, competition remains at cornerback (Noah Igbinoghene and Eli Apple should see a lot of action) and safety.
Facts and Stats From Inside Edge
Here are trends and stats involving Falcons-Dolphins, courtesy of Inside Edge:
- The Falcons ran 20.1% of their offensive plays in the red zone in the last four weeks of the regular season — fourth-best in the NFL. The Dolphins allowed their opponent to run 18.8% of their plays in the red zone in the last four weeks of the regular season — third-worst in the NFL.
- Tua Tagovailoa had a 103.4 passer rating at home last season — fifth-best of qualified QBs. The Falcons allowed a completion rate of 69.9% on the road last season — fourth-worst.
- Raheem Mostert broke 24 tackles last season — tied for eighth-most of qualified RBs. The Falcons broke 29 tackles last season — tied for the fewest.
- The Dolphins scored on 39.5% of their drives in the first quarter last season — tied for the fourth-best in the NFL. The Falcons’ defense allowed scores on 37.2% of opponent drives in the first quarter last season — fourth-worst in the league.
- The Falcons ran 50% of their offensive plays on their opponent’s side of the field in the last four weeks of the regular season — tied for fifth-best in the NFL. Dolphins allowed their opponents to run 49.6% of their plays in their territory in the last four weeks of the regular season — which ranked fifth-worst.
Atlanta Falcons Roster for Week 1 Preseason Game
Quarterback
- Taylor Heinicke; Desmond Ridder; Logan Woodside
Running Back/Fullback
- Tyler Allgeier; Godwin Igwebuike; Cordarrelle Patterson; Clint Ratkovich; Bijan Robinson; Keith Smith; Carlos Washington Jr.
Wide Receiver
- Josh Ali; J.J. Arcega-Whiteside; Slade Bolden; Frank Darby; Keilahn Harris; Penny Hart; KhaDarel Hodge; Mack Hollins; Drake London; Xavier Malone; Scott Miller
Tight End
- Tucker Fisk; John FitzPatrick; Parker Hesse; Kyle Pitts; MyCole Pruitt; Jonnu Smith
Offensive Tackle
- Jake Matthews; Jalen Mayfield; Josh Miles; Kaleb McGary; Tyler Vrabel; Barry Wesley
Interior Offensive Line
- Matthew Bergeron; Drew Dalman; Jovaughn Gwyn; Jonotthan Harrison; Matt Hennessy; Kyle Hinton; Chris Lindstrom; Ryan Neuzil; Justin Shaffer
Defensive Line
- Calais Campbell; Carlos Davis; Justin Ellis; Joe Gaziano; Ta’Quon Graham; Zach Harrison; Timmy Horne; Albert Huggins; Grady Jarrett; David Onyemata; Kemoko Turay
Linebacker
- Troy Andersen; Lorenzo Carter; ; Tae Davis; Bud Dupree; Arnold Ebiketie; Kaden Elliss; Mike Jones Jr.; Nate Landman; LaCale London; DeAngelo Malone; Adetokunbo Ogundeji; Andre Smith; Mykal Walker
Cornerback
- Dee Alford; Tre Flowers; Darren Hall; Mike Hughes; Jeff Okudah; A.J. Terrell
Safety/Defensive Back
- Micah Abernathy; Jessie Bates III: Cornell Armstrong; Breon Borders; Natrone Brooks; Clifford Chattman; Lukas Denis; Richie Grant; Jaylinn Hawkins; DeMarcco Hellams; Clark Phillips III
Special Teams
- Younghoe Koo; Liam McCullough; Bradley Pinion
Miami Dolphin Roster for Week 1 Preseason Game
Quarterback
- Tua Tagovailoa; Skylar Thompson; Mike White
Running Back/Fullback
- De’Von Achane; Salvon Ahmed; Chris Brooks; Myles Gaskin; Alec Ingold; Raheem Mostert; Jeff Wilson Jr.
Wide Receiver
- Braxton Berrios; Robbie Chosen; Chris Coleman; River Cracraft; Daewood Davis; Erik Ezukanma; Tyreek Hill; Braylon Sanders; Freddie Swain; Jaylen Waddle; Cedrick Wilson Jr.
Tight End
- Elijah Higgins; Julian Hill; Tyler Kroft; Eric Saubert; Durham Smythe
Offensive Tackle
- Terron Armstead; Geron Christian; Ryan Hayes; Austin Jackson; Kendall Lamm; Cedric Ogbuehi; Kion Smith; James Tunstall
Interior Offensive Line
- Liam Eichenberg; Lester Cotton; Dan Feeney; Robert Hunt; Robert Jones; Connor Williams; Isaiah Wynn
Defensive Line
- Josiah Bronson; Randy Charlton; Raekwon Davis; Da’Shawn Hand; Emmanuel Ogbah; Brandon Pili; Zach Sieler; Jaylen Twyman; Christian Wilkins
Linebacker
- Mitchell Agude; Jerome Baker; Bradley Chubb; Cameron Goode; David Long Jr.; Aubrey Miller II; Garrett Nelson; Jaelan Phillips; Malik Reed; Duke Riley; Mike Rose; Channing Tindall; Andrew Van Ginkel
Cornerback
- Eli Apple; Justin Bethel; Ethan Bonner; Tino Ellis; Mark Gilbert; Xavien Howard; Noah Igbinoghene; Kader Kohou; Parry Nickerson; Jalen Ramsey; Cam Smith; Bryce Thompson; Trill Williams
Safety/Defensive Back
- Elijah Campbell; Keion Crossen; Myles Dorn; DeShon Elliott; Jevon Holland; Brandon Jones; Verone McKinley III; Keidron Smith