Miami Gardens, Fla. — For the second consecutive year, the Falcons traveled to Miami for joint practices with the Dolphins. The two parties will officially play a preseason game Friday, but the combined work on the practice fields offers a host of opportunities.
"You get a chance to evaluate your guys as far as what they are going to look like when it comes to toughness versus another team," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said. "You want to see what it's going to look like when it comes to the adversity you're going to face. Some of the adjustments you're going to make from the unknown opponent, from the unknown of things, the non-scripted periods. It's a lot of fun."
Against the Dolphins, the Falcons' 90-man roster face a playoff-caliber team that has high aspirations for this season in the AFC. Star wide receiver Tyreek Hill was recently named the No. 1 player in the NFL’s list of top 100 players heading into the 2024 season – a list that also featured Falcons safety Jessie Bates at No. 74, quarterback Kirk Cousins at No. 81 and offensive lineman Chris Lindstrom at No. 88.
Aside from Hill, the Dolphins boast plenty of offensive firepower and have true impact players in their defensive backfield with cornerback Jalen Ramsey and safeties Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer roaming the secondary.
Make no mistake, these joint practices present a real test for the Falcons players, especially those who have never participated in one.
"The speed is actually a little bit different," rookie defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus said after the first practice. "When you go against your own teammates it's not as physical as you want. (We) have a chance to show the coaches how physical we can be. The first rep wasn't the best rep, but as time went on during practice each of us got better and better. That's the biggest thing for me is constant improvement. Don't look at the first rep, just get better each rep."
In their first session against the Dolphins on Tuesday, the Falcons won their share of battles but also faced true adversity. Atlanta's offense was perhaps a touch less crisp than it has been for much of training camp, while the defense – particularly the front seven – had a strong showing.
But after weeks of intra-squad practices, the ebbs and flows in performance are welcomed as a necessary part of the preparation process before the season. That's the ultimate goal for Morris and Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, who maintain a friendly relationship after working together at various points in their respective careers.
McDaniel, who also has a strong connection with Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay, has been a leading innovator in modern NFL offense. As the Falcons seek to install their own offense with Cousins at the helm and prepare their defensive scheme for new wrinkles this fall, the chance to compete against a team on the cutting edge is beneficial.
"I've got so much respect for what he's been able to accomplish in this league, particularly last year," Morris said. "He redefined some of the offensive style, some of the ways we play. Some of the unique motions you see going across the league right now, he was one of the first, if not the first, to start it."
At this time of the year, though, teams rarely tip their pitches for the season ahead. So while the Falcons might be able to glean an insight or two when it comes to anything scheme related, the real test is of a physical nature and happens between the lines.
When the speed of practices ticks up, so too can a player's performance. For example, Morris noted after Tuesday's session that it was in a joint practice last year that the then-Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator saw Byron Young, a third-round rookie at the time, take a step forward in his development.
With Atlanta relying on several young pieces on its own defense this season, Morris is keeping an eye out for something similar this year. In the meantime, though, he's instilling a mindset for joint practices that should prepare the Falcons mentally as much as the on-field work prepares them physically.
"That's the biggest thing we want to do is come here and send a message. In football, it's either you're getting punched or you're doing the punching," Dorlus said. "The biggest thing Coach Rah has taught us is we're not going to get punched when we come out here. We're going to come out here and we're going to make a standard. We're going to make it known that we're out here."
But after weeks of intra-squad practices, the ebbs and flows in performance are welcomed as a necessary part of the preparation process before the season. That's the ultimate goal for Morris and Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, who maintain a friendly relationship after working together at various points in their respective careers.
McDaniel, who also has a strong connection with Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay, has been a leading innovator in modern NFL offense. As the Falcons seek to install their own offense with Cousins at the helm and prepare their defensive scheme for new wrinkles this fall, the chance to compete against a team on the cutting edge is beneficial.
"I've got so much respect for what he's been able to accomplish in this league, particularly last year," Morris said. "He redefined some of the offensive style, some of the ways we play. Some of the unique motions you see going across the league right now, he was one of the first, if not the first, to start it."
At this time of the year, though, teams rarely tip their pitches for the season ahead. So while the Falcons might be able to glean an insight or two when it comes to anything scheme related, the real test is of a physical nature and happens between the lines.
When the speed of practices ticks up, so too can a player's performance. For example, Morris noted after Tuesday's session that it was in a joint practice last year that the then-Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator saw Byron Young, a third-round rookie at the time, take a step forward in his development.
With Atlanta relying on several young pieces on its own defense this season, Morris is keeping an eye out for something similar this year. In the meantime, though, he's instilling a mindset for joint practices that should prepare the Falcons mentally as much as the on-field work prepares them physically.
"That's the biggest thing we want to do is come here and send a message. In football, it's either you're getting punched or you're doing the punching," Dorlus said. "The biggest thing Coach Rah has taught us is we're not going to get punched when we come out here. We're going to come out here and we're going to make a standard. We're going to make it known that we're out here."
