Falcons snap counts: Who got the most run against the Dolphins?

Snap counts! Get yer snap counts!

Offense

Sean Harlow: 63

Adam Gettis: 41

Matt Simms: 41

Chandler Miller: 41

Jalen Robinson: 41

Dieugot Joseph: 41

Matt Gono: 40

Wes Schweitzer: 40

Jamon Brown: 40

Matt Schaub: 40

Christian Blake: 38

Eric Saubert: 38

Devin Gray: 34

C.J. Worton: 34

John Wetzel: 30

Qadree Ollison: 29

Olamide Zaccheaus: 28

Jaeden Graham: 24

Shawn Bane: 20

Russell Gage: 20

Chris Lindstrom: 18

Brian Hill: 17

Austin Hooper: 16

Alex Gray: 15

Kahlil Lewis: 14

Ito Smith: 14

Logan Paulsen: 13

Tony Brooks-James: 12

Justin Hardy: 11

Luke Stocker: 10

Ty Sambrailo: 10

Ricky Ortiz: 9

Kenjon Barner: 9

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The Falcons were obviously, utterly determined to see how Sean Harlow was going to fare in most of a game in preseason. Harlow was somewhere between mediocre and not good at all during this game, with one impressive downfield block proving to be the exception, and thus he would seem to have doomed his chances of getting that kind of run again. Harlow is a quality athlete who could be a part of the picture for the Falcons over the long haul if he showed some promise, so this has to be considered a frustrating performance.

Otherwise, the Falcons took a long look at their offensive linemen and receivers and largely found them wanting, though Olamide Zaccheaus was an exception to the rule. You can’t draw sweeping conclusions from one preseason game, except for maybe with Harlow, who was already firmly on the bubble.

Defense

Parker Baldwin: 54

Austin Larkin: 49

Jacob Tuitoi-Mariner: 45

Jermaine Grace: 42

Sharrod Neasman: 38

Justin Zimmer: 38

Kendall Sheffield: 37

Chris Cooper: 36

Ryan Neal: 34

Del’Shawn Phillips: 33

Deadrin Senat: 33

John Cominsky: 31

Jordan Miller: 31

Yurik Bethune: 30

Kemal Ishmael: 28

Chris Odom: 27

Stephone Anthony: 25

Damontae Kazee: 25

Blidi Wreh-Wilson: 22

Jayson Stanley: 20

Ronald Martin: 20

Durrant Miles: 17

Tre’ Crawford: 16

Isaiah Oliver: 13

Hamp Cheevers: 11

Bruce Carter: 10

De’Vondre Campbell: 10

Jack Crawford: 9

Allen Bailey: 8

Vic Beasley: 7

Takk McKinley: 7

Tyeler Davison: 6

Adrian Clayborn: 2

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The Falcons gave Parker Baldwin, Austin Larkin, Jacob Tuioti-Mariner and Jermaine Grace a lot of run, and with the exception of Tuioti-Mariner, they all performed well in their opportunities. You can’t ignore the Falcons’ willingness to trot those guys out there or their strong performances in considerable exposure, which should give them another opportunity to push for a roster spot in the coming weeks. Tuioti-Mariner was already facing long odds of snagging a roster spot, and a largely shaky effort (especially against the run) might hurt his chances of hanging on to the practice squad for the second straight season.

Hamp Cheevers, meanwhile, is an object lesson in how fragile these opportunities are. He played just 11 snaps but had a costly dropped pick and some shakiness in coverage, and he found himself cut just one day later. We’re hopeful he can grab another spot, but when you’re facing long odds to the roster, one mistake really can doom you.

Special Teams

Austin Larkin: 16

Christian Blake: 15

Ryan Neal: 14

Del’Shawn Phillips: 14

Parker Baldwin: 13

John Cominsky: 12

Eric Saubert: 11

Chris Cooper: 10

Ricky Ortiz: 10

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These counts matter when placed in the context of the players who also were getting a ton of defensive snaps and making a difference. Austin Larkin leading the team in special teams snaps and playing well on defense bodes extremely well for him in the weeks ahead, and indeed Parker Baldwin also benefits a lot from that dual exposure. Christian Blake and Del’Shawn Phillips were similar beneficiaries, while Ryan Neal will hold on to his roster spot at least a little longer despite some defensive misadventures thanks to his ability to slot in effectively on special teams.

Remember, even though we’re just through a single preseason game, that special teams is a big difference maker for players striving just to make the roster. Larkin, Baldwin, Blake and Phillips in particular have done enough on their respective sides of the ball to push for a spot, and if Ben Kotwica likes what they’re doing on teams, this won’t be the last we hear of any of them.