The Atlanta Falcons trio of Kendal Daniels, Christian Harris, and Nick Muse shone bright in their 34-6 preseason win over the Indianapolis Colts, earning elite Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades in the process.
The Falcons dominated on both offense and defense, with few starters on either side. The young players gave the coaches plenty to think about ahead of roster cut day.
Falcons linebacker Christian Harris earned the top defensive PFF grade with a 90.8, outdoing his primary competition for a starting job, Kendal Daniels, who scored a 90.1. Harris' impressive display was the highlight of the game for the Falcons defense.
On the other side of the ball, Falcons tight end Nick Muse led the way with a 91.0 overall grade – the highest on the team. He was closely followed by quarterback Jack Strand, who finished second among offensive players with an 85.3 grade.
Strand passed for 212 yards and one touchdown on just 12 completions. Another undrafted rookie, tight end Jack Velling, earned an 84.6 grade. Quarterback Cooper Rush bounced back with an 83.9 after an abysmal showing in the preseason opener.
The Falcons' offense showed promise in their win over the Colts, with several young players impressing. However, the win was not without its concerns, as the team's starters were largely absent from the game.
New Falcons wide receiver Beaux Collins rounded out the top five on offense with a 78.1 grade. Collins had one catch for 35 yards in Saturday's win.
The Falcons will return to practice on Tuesday as they prepare for their third and final preseason game against the Miami Dolphins this Friday. Michael Penix Jr. has been cleared for contact but head coach Kevin Stefanski is still unsure if he will be playing this weekend.
Source: Yahoo Sports