Man, is it great to have a off-season and pre-season that isn't ridiculously compressed!
The Atlanta Falcons now have a pre-season schedule set up and ready to go, and it pits them against four interesting opponents. They are, in what I hope is some sort of rough order:
- Cincinnati Bengals. A tough young team with a promising defense and a passing game that could continue to grow in 2012. A nice early test for veterans and rookies alike.
- Miami Dolphins. If they draft promising but raw rookie Ryan Tannehill, this will be an exciting game. Otherwise, it'll be a test against another good, young defense.
- Jacksonville Jaguars. John Abraham gets another shot at Blaine Gabbert. At minimum, that would be fun, but now Mike Mularkey's coaching them. Should be awesome.
- Baltimore Ravens. I hope this isn't the last game of the pre-season, because then the Falcons won't get to test their starters out against one of the better teams in the NFL. This is a tough, tough squad, and they have the best quarterback in the NFL in Joe Flacco.
So there's your slate. Your thoughts on said slate?