Offensive observations (Waack):
– For the first time in training camp, the Falcons went through 7-on-7 drills. Head coach Raheem Morris has publicly said he’s not a fan of them, but alas, another team is in town and a compromise must have been made. Quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins threw five passes apiece. Penix connected on all of his, with two standout moments. His second pass went to wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III. Titans linebacker Cody Barton popped the ball out of McCloud’s hands, but McCloud recovered to re-catch it. Penix’s final pass went to running back Bijan Robinson, who created a lot of space between himself and Titans linebacker Cedric Gray along the sideline to easily catch the ball. Cousins, meanwhile, connected on three of his passes. The only real disconnect came on his final pass attempt to wide receiver DJ Chark Jr., which Titans cornerback Jermari Harris broke up.
– I know I named Casey Washington the offense’s most notable player, but fellow wide receiver Drake London also had himself a day. The fourth-year receiver won both of his 1-on-1 matchups, going up against Titans cornerbacks Darrell Baker Jr. and Amani Oruwariye. His second win drew cheers from the crowd of fans on the hill, which prompted London to wave both his arms up and down, asking for more. London had back-to-back catches during 7-on-7 work but really did most of his work during 11-on-11. He was Penix’s favorite target and caught four of the five balls thrown his way. The only incompletion between the two came after the pocket collapsed around Penix, who rushed to get the ball out. It could have been deemed a throwaway, though London was in the vicinity.
– A curious personnel change came in the final series for the first-team offense, when wide receiver David Sills V replaced London in the lineup. London, as stated, already had himself a day, so it’s likely the coaching staff just wanted to give Sills’ an elevated opportunity in a game-like setting. He caught his one pass from Penix.
– Speaking of Penix, the second-year starter completed 13 of his 16 passes with the touchdown to Washington. He was “sacked” twice by Titans defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons, who took reps from both the left and right side of the line. Right tackle Kaleb McGary and guard Chris Lindstrom double teamed Simmons at times, while left tackle Jake Matthews and guard Matthew Bergeron did the same. The three-time Pro Bowler’s presence was bound to be felt, but the Falcons’ offensive line held its own for the most part. The entire first-team offense did. Apart from one series in which Penix went just 2-of-4 with a sack, the unit operated efficiently and moved the ball well. Washington’s touchdown was the flashiest moment, but that doesn’t mean the offense performed poorly by any means.
– For those curious about tight end Kyle Pitts: He won both his 1-on-1 matchups, going against Baker and Harris. He then caught one of his two passes during 11-on-11 work. Titans linebacker James Williams Sr. covered Pitts on the incompletion. Pitts’ completion was a clutch catch as it came in an off-script moment where Penix had to make the throw on the run. It was Penix’s last pass of the day.
– Backup quarterback Kirk Cousins completed 15 of his 19 passes. He was “sacked” once by Titans outside linebacker Ali Gaye during the final 11-on-11 series. Cousins targeted 11 different receivers overall, with wide receivers Jesse Matthews (caught all four of his passes) and David Sills V (caught two of his three passes) were his favorite targets. Matthews, whose birthday also fell on Tuesday, had an impressive diving catch for a deep ball out toward the left sideline. Sills’ sole incompletion occurred because he stumbled en route to the ball.
– While the starting offensive line has looked solid all training camp, the backups appear to have work to do. The second-team offense featured a line that looked like this from right to left: Jack Nelson, Kyle Hinton, Jovaughn Gwyn, Elijah Wilkinson and Brandon Parker. The numbers may not show it – one less “sack” given up – but the gut feel is that there is a difference in readiness between the two groups. And that was even with running back Tyler Allgeier taking reps with both. Like running backs coach Michael Pitre said above, Jashaun Corbin, Nathan Cater and Elijah Dotson are vying for the third backfield spot with Carlos Washington Jr. out at the moment. Corbin had four carries Tuesday. Dotson had two. Carter had none. None really had a breakout run against the Titans’ second-team defense.
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