Falcons stock report: Who’s rising, falling after preseason win over Colts

INDIANAPOLIS — If the Falcons’ first preseason game was a triumphant flop, their second was a resounding, confidence-inspiring success.

Of course, that’s a significant if.

The Falcons cruised to a 34-6 victory over the Colts on Saturday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium. Neither team played the vast majority of its starters after a pair of joint practices this week served a similar purpose.

It’s the exhibition season, a time where wins and losses don’t matter as much as the quality of reps and the chance for front offices to evaluate the bottom half of the roster.

But the Falcons, after a question-raising, 27-7 loss to the Broncos on Aug. 14, should certainly leave Indianapolis with a better feeling.

Here’s the Falcons’ stock report from Lucas Oil Stadium:

Rising

QB Jack Strand

The undrafted rookie from Minnesota State-Moorhead stormed out of the gates with two touchdowns in as many drives after replacing Cooper Rush under center midway through the second quarter.

Strand ultimately finished 12-for-17 passing for 212 yards, one touchdown and an additional score on the ground. He led the Falcons to three scoring drives.

At 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, Strand has the size and arm strength of an NFL quarterback. On Saturday, he proved he has the three-level accuracy and pocket mobility to be one, too. There’s still a learning curve ahead of the 22-year-old, specifically in his processing and field vision, but he flashed in spades Saturday afternoon. He’s an intriguing candidate for the practice squad, if nothing else.

QB Cooper Rush

After a difficult outing in the preseason opener, when he was just 7-for-19 passing for 62 yards with two interceptions, Rush responded with a confidence-building day.

The 32-year-old veteran went 10-for-11 passing for 86 yards, and he led three scoring drives across four series. Rush appeared accurate, efficient and in control of the Falcons’ offense.

While Strand impressed, Rush did enough to keep himself the front-runner for the team’s No. 3 quarterback job.

RB Tyler Goodson

In his return to Indianapolis after three seasons with the Colts, Goodson delivered perhaps the day’s biggest highlight, a 49-yard rushing touchdown along the left sideline. Several teammates stormed off the sideline and onto the field to celebrate with him in the end zone.

Goodson rushed six times for 59 yards, and much of the workload on the ground went to Nathan Carter, who took 17 carries for 42 yards and a 1-yard rushing touchdown.

The Falcons will likely carry three running backs on their roster, and the spot behind Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr. has been in contention throughout this offseason. Goodson may have ended the competition Saturday.

DT Carlos Allen Jr.

Allen played the bulk of the snaps along the interior defensive line in the first half, and he played significantly less in the second. He appears to have leveled up in his depth chart placement.

The undrafted rookie from Houston made a tackle for loss on an inside rushing play and generated pressure on Colts quarterback Riley Leonard, leading to an incompletion.

The Falcons have several veterans on their defensive line, which makes Allen’s path to a roster spot more difficult. But he’s enjoyed a good week in Indianapolis across two practices and one game, and he’s helped his practice squad candidacy.

LB Kendal Daniels

The Falcons’ fourth-round rookie linebacker collected three tackles, including a big hit on kickoff return, while manning the middle of the defense with the green dot.

Daniels’ range, physicality and collective intelligence continue to impress. There’s a real argument he’s the Falcons’ second-best linebacker behind Divine Deablo, who didn’t play Saturday.

RB Cash Jones

An undrafted rookie from Georgia, Jones finished Saturday as the Falcons’ leading receiver with four catches for 62 yards and one touchdown. He added seven carries for 41 yards, an average of 5.6 yards per carry.

Falling

OL Andrew Stueber

Stueber committed a pair of holding penalties in the second quarter, one negating a 7-yard rush and the other taking back a 10-yard completion on third-and-8 — an infraction that led to Rush’s lone scoreless drive.

Throughout this offseason, Stueber has been the Falcons’ third-string left guard, but in light of a pair of injuries Saturday, he may climb the depth chart — though his performance didn’t inherently help his case.