FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons donned full pads for the first time in training camp on Tuesday, but that didn't mean a full-go mentality for players in the fourth open practice.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris made it clear there's still an acclimation period with pads. Players need to get reacquainted with the gear, itself, and then the contact that follows. There's also the risk vs. reward element to consider. It's important to keep the team as healthy as possible throughout the preseason.
"Obviously, we don't go to the ground," Morris said. "But you definitely get a certain amount of physicality up front, you get a certain amount of physicality on the back end. Obviously, you see one thud at the point of contact, at the point of attack. We don't do side thuds. We don't want guys to side thud a guy who falls into one of his teammates. Prevent some injury that way. But you'll see frontal thuds."
It's an important step along the path to the 2025 season. And on the first play of 11-on-11 work, when running back Carlos Washington Jr. carried the ball right up the middle, a chorus of cheers erupted along the sideline. Players were excited for the brief beating and banging.
That excitement bled over into the second play, another Washington run, but with a different reaction. It looked like a small scuffle broke out. But cooler heads prevailed and the moment quickly passed as everyone returned to position.
The near-fight brought back memories of the team's third open practice, when there were two large fights and a minor one – and that was without pads.
"We got a little physical the other day," Morris said. "Probably a little too physical for my liking. But I love the intent. I love what we have. And it's probably the perfect time to put on pads right now for us."
Open practice count: 4 of 11 | See all dates
Most notable player: James Pearce Jr. Yes, again. The rookie edge rusher kept drawing eyes from the sideline as he continues to make his presence known. He spent a good bit of 11-on-11 work with the second-team defense, but that means he was lining up against the first-time offense for all but the sole "mamba" period. Pearce lined up on both sides, too, meaning he matched up against both offensive tackles Kaleb McGary and Jake Matthews. He also took on tight ends Charlie Woerner and Teagan Quitoriano, just to name a few non-linemen.
Say what now: "Losing less than 10 balls, that's a good day," quarterback Michael Penix Jr. said about his golf game.
Song of the day: Will You Be There by Michael Jackson (1991). Mainly because it was played right before TV Off by Kendrick Lamar. Talk about a vibe change.
Roll call: Cornerback Keith Taylor and edge rusher Jalon Walker were not seen at practice. Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said Walker is one of those players who falls under a "management plan," indicating it is nothing to cause concern.
General observations:
-- Quarterback stats: Penix completed seven of his 11 passes during 11-on-11 work. Kirk Cousins was 7-of-12. Easton Stick did not throw a pass in his one series before practice wrapped.
-- Mamba period: The first-team defense included defensive linemen David Onyemata and Ruke Orhorhoro, edge rushers Leonard Floyd and Zach Harrison, inside linebackers Kaden Elliss and Divine Deablo, cornerbacks Dee Alford (nickel), Mike Hughes and AJ Terrell Jr. and safeties Xavier Watts and Jessie Bates III. Running backs Tyler Allgeier and Bijan Robinson each had a carry, and Penix completed a pass to Allgeier. Those were the only plays the starters ran.
-- Team debut: Wide receiver DJ Chark, who signed last Saturday, took his first 11-on-11 reps during the second-team offense's opening series. Cousins tried to hit Chark along the left sideline, but Terrell was in coverage. Both went down as the pass fell incomplete.
-- Defensive highs: Outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie sacked Cousins, getting around left tackle Storm Norton. Cornerback Natrone Brooks broke up a pass between Penix and wide receiver Drake London near the goal line. Bates and Elliss prevented both of Cousins' attempts to connect with tight end Feleipe Franks on back-to-back plays in the red zone.
-- Offensive highs: On the run, Penix threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III. Penix later threw another to Robinson, who got away from inside linebacker JD Bertrand to get open. Both scores came within the red zone.
-- Kicking battle: Both Lenny Krieg and Younghoe Koo made four of their five field-goal attempts apiece. Krieg went first, missing from 55 yards but making from 37, 40, 42 and 49 yards. Koo then missed from 54 yards but made from 33, 40, 42 and 49 yards. That puts Krieg at 9-of-10 and Koo at 8-of-10 in open practices so far.
-- Punt returners: For the first time, special teams practiced punt coverage and returns. Jamal Agnew and McCloud, in that order, returned the boots from punter Bradley Pinion. Both Agnew and McCloud have also been involved in kickoff return.
-- Timeline update: Morris was asked whether wide receiver Darnell Mooney, who’s out with a shoulder injury, will be good to go by Week 1. Morris answered, "We're going with a few weeks right now, and then we'll play it out after we get to that point."
What's next: The Falcons hold their fifth open practice Thursday at IBM Performance Field.
Countdown to kickoff: There are 40 days until the Falcons' Week 1 opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 7 inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | See full schedule
