Skip to main content

Falcons Camp Report: Back in Atlanta, Tyler Goodson is leaving an impression.

The former North Gwinnett High School star has looked fast, elusive and decisive in his first summer with the Falcons.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Falcons were back on the field Tuesday afternoon for their second-to-last practice before Friday night's preseason finale against the Miami Dolphins.

It was a fairly typical practice that consisted of multiple position-focused drills, several 11-on-11 sessions emphasizing various situations the team will face on Sundays and a few 1-on-1 drills sprinkled in. The highlights from Tuesday's practice will be discussed in the notes and observations section.

RELATED CONTENT

For this intro, however, I wanted to spotlight a player who has been one of the preseason standouts dating back to the very first day of camp: Tyler Goodson.

Signed in the offseason as a free agent, Goodson arrived in Atlanta competing for a spot in a running backs room that already included Bijan Robinson, Brian Robinson Jr.  and Nathan Carter and added undrafted rookie Cash Jones out of Georgia. Goodson spent his first three seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and appeared in 33 games, compiling 367 total yards and scoring two touchdowns.

The former North Gwinnett High School star has looked fast, elusive and decisive in his first summer with the Falcons.

"It's been going great," Goodson said earlier this month. "I love the competition between the running backs, but not only is it good competition, but we all work with each other and work for each other. We all want each other to be great and hold everybody to a standard that we all want in the running back room — and that's just to be the best running back we can be, on and off the field."

Goodson leads all Falcons running backs with 87 yards on 13 carries this preseason, and his 6.7 yards per carry and 49-yard touchdown run each rank third among all NFL backs.

In joint practices against his former team, Goodson played with energy and was one of the most dynamic runners on the field.

"Mindset was basically competing," Goodson said after the Falcons' second preseason game. "Compete, compete, compete. That's pretty much it. Take advantage of every opportunity, and today was a great day. Obviously, something I wanted to display. Make them feel a little bit of what they missed. So, it was just a good moment for me. The best thing about it was just to be able to celebrate with my teammates – everybody rushing the field and whatnot. It was a great moment and great to see."

After Goodson's 49-yard touchdown run against the Colts, Falcons players swooped from the sidelines to mob the running back in the end zone. It was a pre-planned celebration that reinforced the team's camaraderie and created a fun preseason moment.

"It was crazy. At first, I just saw a bunch of white jerseys, and I honestly forgot that everybody was rushing the field," Goodson said. "So, once everybody spread, I was like, 'Oh, like, what's up?' We all had a good time together."

The play was a moment where everything came together for Atlanta, which is what every team is building towards this time of year. The motion caused hesitation in the defense, and the offensive line blocked up the play beautifully, creating a big lane for Goodson to sprint through. He made the final safety miss with a late cut to the outside and sprinted the rest of the way to pay dirt.

Perhaps the biggest testament to Goodson's character, though, came immediately after his long touchdown run.

"Tyler has been doing a great job for us on special teams," Special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman said Tuesday. "After he got done scoring the touchdown, he ran directly to me and said, 'Coach, I'm still on kickoff.' That's the type of guy he is. The professionalism that he uses, I mean, that stuff is awesome.

"When you're talking about a coach getting excited for a player like that, him scoring a touchdown, and then him coming over there and telling me he wants to still be on kickoff. That obviously means a lot to him. His value continues to go up the more and more he showcases himself, whether it's on offense or on special teams. I think he's doing a great job for us, and we'll look for him to continue to take the next step this week, too."

AF_25_Camp-Report-16x9

Notes and observations from practice

Roll call: Rookie cornerback Aveion Terrell practiced for the second day in a row after missing some time with injury. He also logged his first work in full-team periods on Tuesday, which he did not do on Monday. Defensive end Bralen Trice and defensive linemen LaCale London were back out there for their second-consecutive day of work as well. Backup guard Kyle Hinton missed his second day of practice after leaving Saturday's game due to injury.

Michael Penix Jr. handled his first bump well: This note actually concerns a play that happened during Monday's practice, but offensive coordinator Tommy Rees shared his thoughts on it Tuesday while speaking to the media. The play in question involved a relatively routine completion from Penix to tight end Kyle Pitts. During the throw, however, Penix took a bump from an oncoming defender. It was his first piece of real contact in practice since his knee surgery last year.

"We both said, 'Good,'" Rees said with a smile. "Good, we want it to happen. That's why we're out here. 'Hey, man, you're cleared. Let's go.' There's obviously going to be—your first day back out there—there's going to be some excited nerves and all those things, but I thought Mike handled it great. I thought his teammates were really supportive around him. ... He handled it great. Smile on his face and ready for the next play."

On Tuesday, Penix had another moment where Terrell came free on a blitz during an 11-on-11 period. While it likely could have been a sack on Sundays, Penix deftly danced around the incoming blitzer and moved around in the pocket. It was a nimble move that emphasized the degree of comfort Penix currently has with his body.

Kendall Daniels continues to impress: The rookie linebacker has looked sharp in practice for the last few weeks, and Tuesday was no different. He would have gotten home on a couple of blitzes in a live game situation, highlighting his versatility as a pass rusher in a defense that sent a lot of second-level pressure last year. He also had a good pass breakup over the middle on a throw to Drake London and let out a yell afterwards. Daniels' vocality on the field has shown through of late.

"He's a vocal guy and he's just being himself," Stefanski said of Daniels. "And that's what I love and what we appreciate about our guys. We just want everybody to be themselves. If that's who you are, be loud and talk to the defense or talk to the offense if you want. But he's just being himself. And that's how I think our guys feed off of his energy."

D-Line competition coming down to wire: One of the hardest positions to pare down during roster cuts could be the interior defensive linemen. This has been one of the deepest groups throughout camp, and there are a lot of deserving candidates. Take defensive tackle Eric Johnson II, who signed with the Falcons last Friday. During 1-on-1 drills, I clocked Johnson scoring a couple of wins, and he has done well in his reps elsewhere. Other newcomers like Chris Williams, Devonnsha Maxwell and Carlos Allen Jr. have made strong cases for a spot among the final 53.

Get an inside look at the matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium during Preseason Week 2.

ATLFalcons_FinalPushCountdown_1920x1080

Related Content