After last week's close loss, the Falcons take on the banged-up Colts and get another chance to try winning their first "game" under Mike Smith. Joey Harrington will get the start tonight, and we'll get a good look at what our defense can do against a pretty good Colts passing game.
So join me after the jump for the live blog, and let's get to it.
Who? Indianapolis Colts at Atlanta Falcons, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where? Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Weather? We're, uh, indoors.
Fun Fact? In our last three meetings with the Colts, the mighty Falcons have been crushed each time. The Colts have scored at least 30 points in all three meetings.
Injuries? Todd McClure and Laurent Robinson are back in business, though a bit hampered. Chris Houston, David Irons, Martrez Milner, Alex Stepbystepovich and John Abraham will be out. The Colts should be without Peyton Manning, which is a relief.
Odds? Seriously, you have a problem if you bet on pre-season games.
Foe? Be sure to visit my good friend BigBlueShoe over at Stampede Blue, where they talk about the Colts and how much they hate the Patriots on a regular basis.
GO FALCONS! Let's corral these Colts!
10:15 p.m. D.J. Shockley is killing his chances of making the team. 0/3 with another interception so far, and he just truly looks awful so far this pre-season. Poor guy.
9:54 p.m. Redman throws a pick, too. That's not going to help separate him from Ryan, though I'd still prefer he was starting in Week 1.
9:50 p.m. Beautiful pass from Chris Redman to Laurent Robinson. Unfortunately, Quinn Ojinnaka is injured on the play and has left the game.
9:39 p.m. Colts get another field goal. The excitement in the Falconer home is palpable.
9:25 p.m. Ryan getting some extended run here in the 3rd. Chances are we'll get a very, very short look at either Redman or Shockley tonight.
9:18 p.m. Jason Elam must be getting paid by the field goal. 10-9 Colts, with Jason Snelling and Ovie Mughelli snapping off a couple of decent runs on that short drive.
9:01 p.m. We reach halftime. Matt Ryan looked good up until his interception; it is important to remember that rookies will make mistake, and Ryan had plenty of picks in his college career. Michael Turner ate up 113 yards on 4 carries, which is impressive as hell. He may well be the power running back I've wanted the Falcons to have for years. On the other side of the ball, "You're My Boy, Blue!" Adams, Michael Boley and Keith Brooking have piled up some tackles. No big, defining plays yet, though. Game is very low-scoring.
8:56 p.m. Matty Ice makes his first big mistake as a pro, a bad pass that Kelvin Hayden intercepts and returns for a TD. 10-6 Colts. Atlanta goes dark, followed by the wailing and gnashing of teeth.
8:50 p.m. In other NFL news, Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett FavreBrett FavreBrett Favre.
8:44 p.m. Ryan completes a 15 yard pass to Roddy White. The city of Atlanta is renamed Ryanta, and a giant, flame belching statue of Ryan takes over most of the downtown.
8:35 p.m. Matt Ryan completes a single pass for five yards, and Arthur Blank immediately gives him the key to the city and a promise of a starting job for the next ten years. Oh, and the Colts are inside the 10.
8:18 p.m. The Colts get a field goal, and the highest scoring game ever continues.
7:56 p.m. Jason Elam is getting a workout. Harrington has been decent but hasn't really factored into the game thus far; the running game is quickly taking over. Should be plenty of carries for Jason Snelling and Thomas Brown in the second half, at this rate.
7:53 p.m. Only a field goal to show for an excellent drive, but another huge run from Michael Turner puts him over 100 yards and the Falcons close to scoring again. If Turner can do this even occasionally during the season, this is going to be a damn fun team to watch.
7:39 p.m. Talk about starting the game off right. Michael Turner gobbled up 52 yards like Pacman, and gets a 10,000 point bonus for eating the strawberries.