Falcons are emphasizing red zone work following their first preseason game

The red zone is an exciting place. Heck, it's so exciting, there's an entire cable channel dedicated to it. But alas, it's only exciting if you do meaningful things once you get there. Don't score, lose an opportunity. Lost opportunities compound, then games are lost. You get the point.

Per Vaughn McClure's camp report, the Falcons did a lot of red zone work today.

There seemed to be a little added emphasis on red zone work Saturday. At one point, quarterback Matt Ryan targeted Julio Jones on three of four red zone attempts, with Jones hauling in two touchdowns. Smith wasn't happy with the team's red zone showing against the Dolphins, with just one touchdown scored in four attempts. But Jones didn't play in the game.

He's not kidding. In 2013, the Falcons didn't exactly thrive in the red zone, ranking 22nd in red zone scoring percentage (51.92 percent). I'm no math whiz, but that seems far from ideal.

Going forward, the Falcons do have options in the red zone. They have a veteran possession receiver, a bionic foot-having receiver, a tight end with a very active pituitary gland, and a relatively level-headed, accurate quarterback. You'd think that's a recipe for success, if everyone stays healthy. We shall see.