14 August, 2023
Falcons: The main area to focus on was theoretically on a night when the Falcons rested almost all of their offensive and defensive players. Atlanta was obviously active on defense in the first half, and this was evident there. DeMarco Hellams’ interception in the end zone and two more stops within the Falcons’ 10-yard line helped Atlanta defeat Miami 6-0 in the first half. Those would have been field goal attempts in the regular season, but it’s still a positive omen for the style of defense coordinator Ryan Nielsen intends to employ. Hellams, a seventh-round selection by the Falcons who is competing for a roster place, was all over the ball in the first half. Overall, Atlanta had three interceptions of Miami’s quarterbacks, five sacks, and nine quarterback hits — a commanding performance of the kind of defense Nielsen would want to see. Micheal Rothstein
Next game: vs. Bengals (7:30 p.m. ET, Friday, Aug. 18)
Dolphins: There was no winner in the quarterback competition. Starting out and playing the entire first half was Mike White, who completed 9 of 14 passes for 85 yards. On Miami’s first drive, he led two trips into the red zone but threw an interception in the end zone and failed to convert on fourth down on the other. Skylar Thompson wasn’t much better; he completed 10 of his 16 passes for 104 yards, two interceptions, and one fumble that was lost. While White still leads the competition, neither player did much to aid their cause on Friday night’s unimpressive quarterback performance. White is still in the lead. the author Marcel Louis-Jacques
Next game: at Texans (4 p.m. ET, NFL Network, Saturday, Aug. 19)