FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Since the Packers-Colts Hall of Fame was canceled Sunday, Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons' home matchup against the Redskins at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday will be one of two games to officially kick off the preseason schedule, joining the Buccaneers-Eagles contest.
So what is Ryan looking to accomplish as the action finally goes live?
"Well, I think you always want to start fast," Ryan said. "I mean, anytime you play a game, you want to compete and you want to win, so that's important. But offensively, I think you want to get off to a fast start, set the tempo, set the tone for what you want to be as an offense, and hopefully execute really well."
In last year's first preseason game against the Titans, Ryan played only the game's first series, completing 6 of 6 passes for 86 yards with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Julio Jones. Ryan was in for 10 plays. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the entire first-team offense on the field for just one series come Thursday.
Throughout training camp, there has been a major emphasis on red-zone offense coming off a season during which the Falcons didn't make the most of their red-zone opportunities and had too many red-zone turnovers, including four interceptions by Ryan in the red area.
One aspect to watch, even if for just one drive, will be how Ryan utilizes his new weapons. Wide receiver Mohamed Sanu is a big, physical receiver who was brought in to complement Jones and take advantage of one-on-one matchups when Jones draws added coverage. Rookie tight end Austin Hooper has shown the ability to be a red-zone scoring threat.
Not to mention the emergence of second-year receiver Justin Hardy as a reliable threat.
The Falcons should be rather healthy going into the game, save for cornerback Desmond Trufant dealing with a hip injury and third-string running back Terron Ward suffering some sort of leg injury during Sunday's practice. Falcons coach Dan Quinn said veteran newcomers Dwight Freeney and Lance Moore are unlikely to play in the game, although neither player was ruled out just yet.
