Falcons at Dolphins
Game Info
Kickoff: Thursday, 8/8 at 7:30 PM
Location: Hard Rock Stadium-Miami Gardens, FL
Betting Odds: MIA -3.5 via Oddsshark
Network: Not nationally televised
Atlanta Falcons
Brian Hill Stating His Case
Hill had an impressive performance in last week’s Hall of Fame Game. He finished with 11 carries for 57 yards and even put a receiving touchdown on the board. The backfield battle has been slowly building throughout camp but Hill has recently put the other guys on notice. Coach Dan Quinn has stated that “It’s Devonta Freeman and everyone else.” The backup spot seems to be up for grabs but Hill is making a strong case to seize handcuff-back duties. Ito Smith should get the first crack at it after having last year’s starting experience but could be on a short leash if Hill continues to flash in the preseason.
John Cominsky Stole the Show…No Not the Guy From The Office
Another bright spot in last week’s game was rookie defensive lineman John Cominsky. He seemed to be everywhere on the field. Finishing with six total tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery, this guy looks like he could be a diamond in the rough for the Dirty Birds. He was not well-known, coming out of the University of Charleston but has the height and frame to be an effective force on the line. The Falcons’ defense is beginning to look deeper and deeper, after being decimated by injuries in 2018.
Miami Dolphins
A Barrage of Ballage
Throughout training camp, reports have been trickling out that Ballage was slowly working his way into the first-team offense. Now it seems that it is becoming more likely that Ballage will handle a large amount of the workload. Two days ago NBC Sports reported that Ballage and Kenyan Drake were listed as “Co-starters”. There is no doubt that that Drake has been a valuable commodity in fantasy football, especially in PPR, but there have been doubts about his ability to be an every-down back. There are also reports that the Dolphins plan to use Drake in a “James White role“, in their offense. Ballage could be a late-round steal in fantasy drafts and I am excited to see how they use him in the preseason.
Every Rose(n) Has Its Thorn
Reports coming out suggest that Ryan Fitzpatrick will get the starting-nod over Josh Rosen. The question is, why? The Dolphins are rebuilding and Fitzpatrick has proven that he is nothing more than a glorified backup, capable of the occasional magic. The Dolphins should be doing everything they can to develop this young quarterback and getting him prepared to take over the starting job. Rosen has gotten the raw end of the deal during his career in the NFL and hopefully, he proves in the preseason that he deserves to lead this team.
-Aaron Rader