QB battle heats up as Falcons wrap penultimate training camp practice

FLOWERY BRANCH — Kendal Daniels took his spot at inside linebacker, started forward, then moved back. Drake London aligned on the right side of the Falcons’ offensive formation. A few short seconds later, their paths met.

The Falcons’ star receiver nearly made a one-handed catch on a pass from Tua Tagovailoa that was low and behind him. But their rookie linebacker extended his arms, threw out a hand and knocked the ball free from London’s grasp. Daniels turned toward the far end zone and yelled at the top of his vocal capacity. London was unamused.

“I feel like the defense picks when they want to celebrate stuff, and it’s mainly when it’s me doing something bad or I didn’t make a play,” London said after practice. “I guess it gives them confidence a little bit. I mean, I got to be doing some good for them to get that happy if they’re stopping me, right? So, yeah, kudos to them.”

The Falcons have officially reached the point of training camp where, at least in London’s case, they appear tired of facing each other. The good news? They have only one more day of it.

Tuesday marked the Falcons’ penultimate training camp practice. They end this phase of the offseason program Wednesday afternoon before finishing the preseason Friday night against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.

The Falcons practiced for nearly an hour and a half Tuesday and ran over 50 plays of 11-on-11, with different packages and agendas throughout. Here’s everything we learned from Tuesday afternoon.

Tagovailoa takes more snaps, has more efficient day than Penix

The Falcons split first-team snaps between Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. for the second consecutive day. Penix played more snaps Monday, and Tagovailoa played more Tuesday. Through two days, they’re nearly even — which means the Falcons are treating this as a fair fight.

Tagovailoa had a more efficient day Tuesday, going 8-for-12 passing with an interception. He targeted tight end Kyle Pitts, who was doubled-covered on a deep crossing route over the middle, and safety Keidron Smith picked off an overthrown pass.

Tagovailoa’s best throw of the day may have been his first, coming on a wheel route to running back Bijan Robinson down the left sideline in a fourth-down drill to begin practice. He also connected on a pair of intermediate passes, hitting tight end Austin Hooper on the left and right side, respectively, for chunk gains.

Penix, meanwhile, was only 5-for-12 passing, though he may have thrown the best ball of the day — a dig route to receiver Chris Blair for a sizable gain over the middle.

All told, Tuesday was a relatively even day between the two. Tagovailoa was more efficient. Penix didn’t have a turnover. Both quarterbacks took sacks.

They operated in different scenarios, too. In some cases, Tagovailoa led the first-team offense against the second-team defense. Other times, Penix led the second-team offense against the first-team defense. There were scout-team looks in advance of the Falcons’ preseason finale.

Terrell gets first-team reps

The most notable defensive development from Tuesday centers around rookie cornerback Avieon Terrell, who saw snaps with the starting defense at nickel. Terrell missed two weeks of practice with an undisclosed injury but returned to individual periods Monday, then rejoined team periods Tuesday.

Terrell’s biggest play came on a blitz early in team periods, when he had a would-be sack on Penix.

During OTAs, Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said he believed Terrell could make an immediate impact, but the team would figure out his role — be it in the slot or on the perimeter — in training camp. On Monday, the Falcons split their outside corners and their nickels into two groups in individual periods and Terrell worked with the nickels.

So, the Falcons appeared to be ushering their second-round pick into a spot to play early in the slot this fall.

Defense notes

The Falcons defense collectively had a strong Tuesday, continuing its good run of form dating back to last week’s joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts.

The closest the Falcons’ offense came to scoring a touchdown was on a pass from Tagovailoa to Hooper down the left side — in a game setting, there would have been a play at the goal line. There were no red zone periods, but in over 50 plays of 11-on-11, the Falcons’ defense held serve.

Smith was the headliner. Claimed off waivers from the New York Jets on Aug. 6, Smith nabbed a pair of interceptions — one against Tagovailoa and the other on undrafted rookie Jack Strand in an opportunity period. Smith has largely worked with the third-string defense this fall, but days like Tuesday will help his hopes of sticking around, whether on the active roster or the practice squad.

The Falcons also created significant pressure on the quarterback, both from their defensive line and a few designed blitz packages. In addition to Terrell’s would-be sack, safety DeMarcco Hellams had another in team periods, as did defensive and Cameron Thomas and outside linebacker Bralen Trice.

Elsewhere, the Falcons did one-on-ones between their offensive and defensive line Tuesday. One notable moment: defensive tackle Mason Smith had a quick win against right guard Chris Lindstrom. Smith has been a standout this summer.

Daniels and fellow rookie linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. continue to factor into the equation with the first-string defense.

Divine Deablo has manned the middle of the unit the past two days of practice after missing two weeks with an ankle injury. In turn, the Falcons have rotated Perkins and Daniels next to Deablo. Daniels saw snaps as an outside linebacker rushing the passer Tuesday, while Perkins moved around and aligned in several different positions.

Daniels in particular had a big day, pairing his pass deflection on London with a would-be sack against Tagovailoa.

Christian Harris did not see snaps with the first-team defense and appears below Perkins and Daniels on the depth chart. The specifics of their role will likely depend on down, distance and formation, but Perkins and Daniels appear poised to see extensive snaps this fall.

Bowman returns … sort of

Falcons defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. was present at practice, as he’s been throughout the offseason. But he did something new Tuesday: he took a few mental reps while the Falcons’ secondary went through a light walk-through.

Bowman, who suffered a torn Achilles last November, watched from behind the scenes and made a few athletic movements, such as a lateral shuffle to mirror the motion in front of him. The Falcons still have no timetable for Bowman‘s return.

Folk proves he’s human

The same afternoon that Falcons special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman lauded kicker Nick Folk’s consistency and long-tenured accuracy, Folk had his rockiest practice since joining the Falcons this spring. He went 4-for-6 on field goals, with both his misses sailing wide right from 40-plus yards.