Three key matchups for the Miami Dolphins against Atlanta

3. Tua Tagovailoa vs Atlanta’s secondary

Atlanta is going to be a perfect tune up game for Miami’s offense. Much like their defensive line, the Falcons secondary leaves something to be desired. PFF ranked that secondary as being the worst in the NFL for 2021 and with Miami’s revamped receiver room, it should be a fun day at the office for Tua Tagovailoa.

"“Four safeties played at least 200 snaps for the Falcons last season — Keanu Neal, Ricardo Allen, Sharrod Neasmann and Damontae Kazee. None of them are still with Atlanta. Veteran free agents Erik Harris and Duron Harmon, along with recent draft selections Jaylinn Hawkins and Richie Grant, will form a new-look safety unit in 2021. The Falcons will need better play out of their young cornerbacks, as well. None of A.J. Terrell, Isaiah Oliver and Kendall Sheffield have recorded a coverage grade higher than 60.0 in the past two seasons.” -PFF’s Secondary rankings entering the 2021 NFL season"

A lot of fans are going to focus on the interception against Chicago, but Tagovailoa looked really sharp against the Bears this past Saturday. Even when facing pressure, Tua was able to move in the pocket to evade defenders and showed off his pin point accuracy. It was a really encouraging afternoon for the second year quarterback and its time to start stacking good games back to back.

It remains to be seen which of Miami’s receivers will play against Atlanta, but with the depth they’ve got this year, it really shouldn’t matter. If the line can protect Tua, he should be able to pick apart this secondary. He’s likely to get some extended action against Atlanta and with another strong performance, the hype train will officially be leaving the station.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, Kyle Pitts will make his debut and we can see how Eric Rowe stacks up against him. If the line has a day to forget, we can start to inch or finger closer to the panic button. Finally, look for Tua to have an even better game this Saturday.

The preseason isn’t always the most exciting thing to the average fan, and I get that. If you don’t have an in depth understanding of Miami’s roster, you’re stuck watching players that you know nothing about. With that said, this contest against Atlanta should be one that every Miami Dolphins fan tunes in for. Starters will get an extended look and the offense should put up some fireworks against a beleaguered Atlanta defense.