After a forgettable performance in the Hall of Fame Game a week ago, Falcons quarterback Matt Schaub bounced back with a solid performance against the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night down in Miami Gardens, Fla.

RELATED CONTENT

• Falcons strong in short yardage vs. Miami
• Dimitroff: Deal with Julio 'around the corner'
• More coverage of Falcons training camp
• Falcons-Dolphins takeaways

Schaub played the entire first half for the Falcons and completed 12 of 19 pass attempts for 172 yards, including a 13-play, 88-yard scoring drive to open the game. The Falcons led 13-10 at halftime before falling to the Dolphins, 34-27.

Schaub, who signed a two-year extension back in March, made a number of sharp throws – three went to second-year receiver Russell Gage for 33 yards.

Nevertheless, the strong showing from the Falcons No. 2 quarterback against Miami was encouraging. A week ago against the Denver Broncos, things didn't go so well for 38-year-old. Schaub completed only 4 of 10 passes for 14 yards and also threw an interception.

In that 14-10 loss to Denver, third-stringer Kurt Benkert completed 19 of 34 for 185 yards, including a 1-yard pass to Brian Hill. Some thought that might actually challenge Schaub for the backup job. Unfortunately for Benkert, he injured his toe during the game and was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday.

Schaub has spent the past three seasons with the Falcons serving as Matt Ryan's backup. The 15-year veteran has proven to be a valuable asset for Ryan during the week and on game days, serving as another pair of eyes for Ryan on the field and in the film room.

Schaub was drafted by the Falcons in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft out of Virginia. He's played for the Houston Texans, Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens during his career and has thrown for 24,887 yards and 133 touchdowns in 148 regular-season games.