08/12/26 01:26:00
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08/12 13:24 CDT Tagovailoa to play at least first series with starters in
Falcons' preseason opener against Broncos
Tagovailoa to play at least first series with starters in Falcons' preseason
opener against Broncos
By CHARLES ODUM
AP Sports Writer
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) --- Atlanta Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski on Wednesday
said starters, including quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, will play at least the
first series in Friday night's preseason opener against the Denver Broncos.
With Michael Penix Jr. still not cleared for team drills as he continues his
recovery from surgery on his left knee, the Falcons' expected quarterback
competition has been put on hold. Tagovailoa, the former Miami Dolphins starter
who signed a one-year deal with Atlanta, has a clear path to the starting job
as long as Penix is limited to individual work and seven-on-seven drills in
practice.
Stefanski said Tagovailoa and other first-team players will play "a series,
maybe 10 plays. We'll see which comes first." Stefanski said the playing time
could vary for some starters.
When asked if Tagovailoa's start means he has won the starting job for the
season, Stefanski said: "As you guys know, I'm not there, we're not there. ...
We just will cross that bridge when we get to it. Obviously, I feel very good
about where Tua is, where all of our guys are."
Cooper Rush, who was signed at the start of training camp to give the team
another veteran at quarterback, will play behind Tagovailoa. Undrafted rookie
Jack Strand will finish the game.
Stefanski said Tagovailoa is "looking forward to getting his first action in a
game in the system. There's a lot of newness for him as well, in terms of that
type of thing. It's his first time in (Mercedes-Benz Stadium) as a Falcon."
Tagovailoa said Tuesday he believes preseason games are important as he adjusts
to the Falcons' playbook.
"Preseason plays a big role, I would say, for your team collectively,"
Tagovailoa said. "You don't have the coaches out there. You gotta go out there,
you gotta make the calls, whether it's right or wrong. You gotta live with
them, and then from there you come in the next day, you watch film, you talk
about it, and you go from there."
Added Tagovailoa: "With the walk-throughs that we've had, you start to get more
and more comfortable with the terminology. ... So getting comfortable, but it's
still something that I need to look over, need to continue to study and
continue to process."
Quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt said Tuesday Tagovailoa "is becoming more
comfortable with the system" after being limited by lower back tightness at the
start of training camp. "Really the last three or four days he's really come on
when you're acclimating a quarterback into a new offense," Van Pelt said.
While some teams hold out starters for most or all preseason games, Stefanski's
decision to give his first-team players at least one series is consistent with
the first-year Atlanta coach allowing players to be tackled in full-pads
drills. Some coaches opt for "thud" tackles where players are not taken to the
ground.
Stefanski said his goal is to have players "physically ready ... and mentally
ready" for a 17-game regular season "and then more."
"I just believe in making what we do out in the grass as close to football and
as close to game-like as you can," he said. "In order to do that, you have to
practice hard. That's just what comes with the territory of what we believe in."
Stefanski said Penix will continue to be held out of team drills next week when
the Falcons travel to Indianapolis for joint practices with the Colts.
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