This is it, guys. After wading through the myriad trades, signings and Grady Jackson sightings, the games are actually here. I don't care if they don't count, they matter to me!
Let's kick this sucker off by willing the team to victory over the hated (?) Jaguars and commenting frequently.
Who? Atlanta Falcons at Jacksonville Jaguars, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where? Jacksonville Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
Weather? Mostly clear and sunny, with a few clouds moving in.
Fun Fact? Maurice Jones-Drew saved my dynasty league fantasy team from the depths of awfulness the last two years, so I find it hard to root against him. Because it's the pre-season, though, I hope he piles up 18 carries for -12 yards.
Injuries? The Falcons have lost Von Hutchins for the season and Laurent Robinson is looking uncertain. A host of other minor injuries, too. The Jaguars may have some injuries, but who cares?
Odds? Who bets on pre-season games?
Foe? Check out River City Rage and his inexplicable anger over at Big Cat Country, the Nation's Jaguars' blog and a very talented blogger.
GO FALCONS! Declaw these cats!
LIVE BLOG
11:00: Falcons drop the game by three, but there's quite a few positives here. Most of our guys looked at least decent out there, but Shockley definitely hurt his chances with a very poor showing. For a first pre-season game, the Falcons didn't look half bad.
10:14: Shock whiffs on one pass, and the Jags get the ball back.
10:03: Just getting in for the night and catching up. Looking at the numbers, Matt Ryan looks pretty good at 9/15, 113 and 1 TD, no INT. Harrington looked decent and Redman was merely okay. Shockley may be yet to come. Curtis Lofton and Coy Wire have both forced fumbles, and Brent Grimes has six tackles. The running game has simply been decent, and we're tied 17-17 in the third.