Following the conclusion of the Atlanta Falcons’ preseason game against the Miami Dolphins, there are clear winners and losers for the team. Not everyone will make the team, and at the first opportunity to capture something on film, players want to make sure they make a good impression. Unfortunately, some make a good impression for the wrong reasons.

Here are three winners and three losers for the Falcons from Week 1 of the preseason.

winner

David Washington

The sixth-round pick from Illinois took advantage of his first preseason game and was the game’s best wide receiver. Washington showed strong hands and his effort and intensity were evident on every snap.

The connection between him and Michael Penix Jr., which many have boasted about during training camp, was evident. The young wideout was also able to recover a botched punt in the fourth quarter. Washington may not have put up great numbers, but his performance was commendable and will most likely lead to playing time in the regular season.

Michael Penix Jr.

The eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft looked much better than the stats suggest. Penix completed 9/16 for 104 yards with no touchdowns or turnovers. While these numbers may look mediocre at first glance, live footage of the game told a different story.

Penix showed the talent and composure that scouts have raved about since his days at the University of Washington, and at times made some really accurate passes. When Penix missed a ball, he was never in danger. He always threw the ball to the ideal spot so only his receivers could make a play.

Yes, he needs to improve his sometimes poor accuracy, which should come with time and reps. The team and fans should be happy with his debut and hopefully he will continue to get plenty of playing time this preseason.

Kevin Koenig

No one had high expectations for King after he signed with the Falcons in the offseason, but tonight the veteran showed he still has a lot left in the tank despite his recent time away from the league. The former Green Bay Packer intercepted a ball, showed good coverage skills and wasn’t afraid to make tackles.

Mike Hughes and Clark Phillips have dominated the outside cornerback discussion, but after a solid game from King, he could play his way into the discussion if he can build on his performance. At the very least, he has improved his chances of making the roster.

loser

Team depth

Following Rondale Moore’s devastating injury earlier this week, the Falcons lost strong safety DeMarcco Hellams and rookie EDGE Bralen Trice. Raheem Morriss was unable to comment on the severity of the injuries after the game.

The defense could ill afford to lose anyone, let alone someone like Hellams, who the team had already identified as someone the team would count on. While it was good to hear Trice was able to leave on his own, you never want to see a rookie get hurt before important games begin.

Rondale Moore’s absence was evident today as well, as no one stood out at wide receiver other than Casey Washington. Chris Blair did catch a beautiful 41-yard dime from Penix, but he also fumbled early in the first quarter that ended the drive on the first down set. The Falcons need to start looking outside the building for options on both sides of the ball.

Arnold Ebiketie

The former second-round pick made it into the highlights tonight – specifically, that of Miami Dolphins rookie Patrick Paul. The third-year veteran was in the second wave of outside linebackers deployed, but was unable to make a decisive impact on the game.

Ebiketie had no points on the stat sheet, applied no pressure to the quarterback, and was active on special teams in the second half. Ebiketie had the advantage of playing against the Dolphins’ two-man team and did not capitalize on the opportunity in the way you would expect from a player who is in year three and has yet to prove his draft position is justified.

Taylor Heinicke

Still on the roster, Heinicke has been something of an elephant in the room, and tonight his performance only heightened questions about his status in Atlanta.

Heinicke went 4/11 for 11 total yards. He had a bad snap exchange that resulted in a fumble (a play he mistakenly believed he had a penalty on before the snap), threw bad passes that no one could capitalize on, and overall looked like the worst version of himself in 2023. Nathan Rourke was the better of the two reserve quarterbacks tonight, and he’s only been on the team for less than a week. The Falcons need to take an honest look at what Heinicke offers the team and decide if they want to try to keep him as their third quarterback, even for the rest of the preseason.

Which other players do you think have taken a step forward or backwards on their way to this squad?