ATLANTA — The Falcons opened their first preseason under coach Kevin Stefanski with a lopsided defeat, falling 27-7 to the Denver Broncos on Friday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Broncos, who lost in the AFC championship game last season, led 24-0 at halftime and were never threatened. They tallied 24 first downs to the Falcons’ 11, and they held a 360-192 edge in total yards.
Undrafted rookie signal caller Jack Strand scored the Falcons’ lone touchdown, a quarterback sneak late in the third quarter. Strand went 6-for-12 passing for 50 yards in his NFL exhibition debut.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and the Falcons’ first-team offense played eight snaps and gained 28 net yards across two drives. Tagovailoa went 3-for-5 passing for 22 yards, with all his completions coming to tight end Kyle Pitts. The Falcons went three-and-out on Tagovailoa’s first series after a bobbled snap cost four yards and a down, and they punted after five plays on his second.
Reserve quarterback Cooper Rush was 7-for-19 passing for 62 yards and two interceptions.
The Falcons seized the tiniest bit of momentum late in the first half, marching into the Broncos’ red zone for the first time just before the two-minute warning. But Rush threw a 97-yard pick-six to Denver cornerback Jahdae Barron shortly thereafter, dashing any hopes of a comeback.
Defensively, the Falcons played without linebacker Divine Deablo, defensive tackle LaCale London, cornerbacks Avieon Terrell and Natrone Brooks, and safeties Jessie Bates III and Xavier Watts. Still, several first-team defenders played a majority of the first half, especially within the front seven, and the Broncos’ offense had considerable success.
The Falcons will hold joint practices with the Colts on Aug. 19 and 20 in Indianapolis before the two teams meet in their second preseason contest at 1 p.m. on Aug. 22.
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