Falcons vs Dolphins prediction & preview – August 11, NFL preseason 2023
NFL preseason action gets well underway this week and on Friday, the Atlanta Falcons take on the Miami Dolphins.
The Falcons head to Miami for their first preseason game on Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. ET and it's Atlanta as slight betting favorites for this one, while the spread has them at -2.5.
Atlanta finished last season with a 7-10 record and will now have Desmond Ridder as their starting quarterback. The Falcons had an up-and-down 2022 season with Marcus Mariota under center, before giving the ball to Ridder for the final four games.
Miami, meanwhile, lost in the Wild Card round to the Buffalo Bills but is hoping Tua Tagovailoa can remain healthy all season.
In the preseason game, it's expected that Tagovailoa won't get reps as the Dolphins look to see who the backup quarterback will be. Miami will give reps to Skylar Thompson, Mike White, and potentially undrafted rookie Mike Blackmon Jr. on Friday.
As for the Falcons, Ridder will likely receive plenty of snaps as Atlanta wants to get him as much game time as possible.
With Atlanta likely starting most of their starters, you have to take the Falcons here, as Ridder and the offense look for success against the Dolphins' backups. Miami is looking to figure out who will be the cornerback two after Jalen Ramsey got hurt, so Eli Apple, Cam Smith, and Noah Igbinoghene all figure to get plenty of snaps on Friday.
Expect Atlanta to get out to an early lead with Ridder under center and win by 7+ points.
Score: Falcons 21, Miami 13
Atlanta Falcons injury report
The Atlanta Falcons have remained healthy for the most part in training camp, outside of losing cornerback Jeff Okudah to an ankle injury. The injury has his status for Week 1 up in the air.
Outside of that, Atlanta has tight end Jonnu Smith, center Matt Hennessy, and tight end Kyle Pitts all questionable for Week 1 with injuries.
Miami Dolphins injury report
The Miami Dolphins had a major injury in training camp as Jalen Ramsey suffered a knee injury and is expected to be out for a few months.
Meanwhile, offensive tackle Terron Armstead is dealing with a hip injury, and running back Devon Achane is out with an undisclosed injury.