FLOWERY BRANCH — Don’t mistake Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski. Preseason games, and the chance to play under the lights with a scoreboard rolling and quarterbacks eligible to be hit, are extremely valuable to the player-evaluation process.
But joint practices, Stefanski says, may be an even better learning lab.
“Because they’re (a) more controlled setting where there’s things that specifically you want to see,” Stefanski said Monday. “You want to see the red zone. You want to see a two-minute drive. You get to see them in competitive drills versus another team.”
The Falcons have joint practices scheduled with the Indianapolis Colts at 3 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at the Grand Park Sports Complex in Westfield, Indiana. The two sides will meet in a preseason matchup at 1 p.m. Saturday in Lucas Oil Stadium.
After a 27-7 drubbing to the Denver Broncos in their preseason opener Aug. 14, the Falcons are hoping to turn the page in Indianapolis. They won’t play their starters in the preseason game, Stefanski said, because they’ll get the majority of the reps in practice.
And Stefanski expects to get plenty done across the two practices.
“I think a lot of situational football will get accomplished,” Stefanski said. “We’ll get a lot of good reps for our starters. And the competitive part of it, too. You get to do one-on-ones versus players that you ‘don’t have a book on.’ So, I think that’s important for our guys in the competitive aspect of it.
“Then for the football team, just to be exposed to different schemes, I think, will be really important.”
Looking to improve
There’s a science to scheduling joint practices. Some hold them against two different teams. Others only do one practice. And at the root of any agreed-upon practice is the need, Stefanski said, to be different from a schematic standpoint.
Stefanski feels the Colts accomplish that. They also give the Falcons the chance to hit different people, see different uniforms and compete in a different environment, something outside linebacker Cameron Sample said is an important litmus test.
“We get work against each other all the time,” Sample said Monday. “You always want to test your sword against guys around the league, because we go against (our) guys every day. So, it’s kind of easy to pick up on tendencies and stuff, but you play a different opponent every week, so it’s good to kind of see a new face out there and put a helmet on someone in a different color jersey.”
Stefanski said he’s known Colts coach Shane Steichen for several years, and the two worked together to devise a practice plan for the week. Their plan includes a 7-on-7 period, which allows Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to get reps against another defense for the first time this summer.
Penix, who’s still recovering from a torn ACL suffered last November and isn’t cleared for 11-on-11, will take snaps in 7-on-7s both Wednesday and Thursday.
The Falcons are collectively hoping for a step forward offensively after a disappointing effort in the preseason opener, during which they totaled only 192 yards and picked up just 11 first downs in 12 drives.
Defensively, the Falcons have plenty to improve upon, too. They allowed 162 rushing yards to the Broncos, who also had four passing plays go for 20-plus yards. Penalties are also a factor. The Falcons were flagged nine times for 78 yards, gifting the Broncos four first downs.
So, the Falcons enter Indianapolis seeking growth in a bevy of areas. Measuring success for the week, safety DeMarcco Hellams says, comes down to execution and discipline.
“Who’s got the least amount of penalties? Who could get their opponent off their game, whether that’s them getting false starts, starting a little unnecessarily bickering?” Hellams said Monday. “Just winning the day — that’s winning a joint practice to me.”
The Falcons’ players didn’t entirely agree with Stefanski’s assessment that a joint practice is more valuable than a preseason game. Hellams, who earned the nickname “Hitman” at Alabama for his physicality, enjoys the freedom to let the pads pop in live game action.
“I like really being able to hit,” Hellams said. “Not really have coach telling us to dial back a little bit, anything like that. So, I’m much more of a player that I like to play a game.”
But the Falcons plan to enjoy Indianapolis, too. Aside from the Broncos, they’ve practiced against each other 13 times during training camp, and a change of scenery — and opposition — is much-needed.
“I’m excited for it,” defensive tackle Chris Williams said Monday. “Because it puts a place where you guys are, and then allows you to work on your game with someone else who don’t really know you after having a couple weeks of training camp with some guys. So, it’s just good to attack somebody else in their scheme.”
The trip serves as a homecoming for Falcons offensive tackle Michael Jerrell and linebacker Daveren Rayner, both Indianapolis natives. Several current Falcons have ties to the Colts, including defensive end Samson Ebukam and running back Tyler Goodson, each of whom played last season in Indianapolis.
“It’s going to be good to see my guys out there, good to reconnect with the coaches,” Goodson said. “Man, it’s going to be good to compete against somebody. It’s always fun to compete against guys you spent time with and have relationships with. So, I’m definitely looking forward to that.”
The Falcons are expected to play their starters in the preseason finale, an Aug. 28 bout with the Miami Dolphins. But their first-team unit likely won’t see as many snaps then as it will in Indianapolis, which makes the joint practices a critical mid-training camp evaluation phase for Stefanski and his staff.
A litmus test? Certainly — and a chance for the Falcons to rebound, and regroup, after a tough first impression in the preseason opener.
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