Falcons Training Camp 2016: Day 2 was rocky for the offense

Day 2 of training camp is in the books, and it was a rough one for the Atlanta Falcons offense.

It’s not something fans should panic about, and it’s not anything that can’t be corrected. There are going to be some rough days here and there as players try to make corrections and work to get better. Still the timing was definitely off, and it’s something to keep an eye on as camp continues.

The defense, on the other hand, was playing fast and aggressive, which may be part of the reason that the offense was a bit off-kilter. Let’s review the key things that happened today on both sides of the ball.

Offense

• Oof. The timing was just off. Mohamed Sanu and Aldrick Robinson both dropped quite a few balls, and Matt Ryan just seemed a step slow at times.
• Tevin Coleman had another solid day, and this was by far the prettiest play of the entire practice. The way Coleman is developing as a receiver is impressive.

• I’m just kind of used to how amazing Devonta Freeman’s vision is at this point, but sometimes there will be a play where he’s just weaving through the defense, and I’m reminded that his preternatural ability to find holes and get through them is really something special. That happened today.
• Levine Toilolo has looked effective blocking, and he had a nice catch over the middle today.

Defense

• You may have noticed that I’ve been pretty impressed with De’Vondre Campbell. Today was no different. He broke up a pass intended for Austin Hooper, who is actually quite good at hauling in contested catches. The way Campbell has looked so far in coverage is reason enough to be excited.
• Keanu Neal had a nice pick! It was a ball that Levine Toilolo bobbled a bit, and Neal played it perfectly and took advantage.
• Robert Alford jumped a route and had a pick early in practice, too.

Of note...

• Julio Jones participated in individual drills, but the coaching staff opted to hold him out of team drills as a precaution. Dan Quinn said this isn’t anything to be concerned about and they felt he was probably ready for a full workload today, but didn’t see any reason to push it.
• Tomorrow is the Falcons’ first padded practice! This should allow us to learn much more about the status of the offensive line and the pass rush, and assess where the team is more objectively. Get excited.