Miami Dolphins vs Atlanta Falcons Prediction: This match could go either way

This Saturday's NFL preseason action comes from Hard Rock Stadium and features a matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and the Miami Dolphins. The previous campaign for the Atlanta Falcons was a failure, as they finished with an overall record of 7-10 and a fourth-place finish in the NFC South. The Miami Dolphins, who finished the regular season with a record of 9-8, participated in the postseason tournament but were eliminated in the Wild Card Round.

After getting off to an 8-3 start, the Miami Dolphins' fortunes began to change at the close of the regular season, and they ended up losing five of their final six games. Despite having such a record, the Miami Dolphins were nevertheless successful in qualifying for the playoffs and finishing in second place in the AFC East. The Dolphins were eliminated from the Wild Card Playoffs against the Buffalo Bills after a difficult score of 34-31, which was a blow to their playoff hopes. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami's standout quarterback, is the team's most significant unanswered question heading into the 2023 season. The Miami Dolphins have a record of 23-13 when Tagovailoa is starting at quarterback but a record of 5-9 when he is not. If the Miami Dolphins can rapidly adjust to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's scheme, they should have a successful season on the defensive side of the ball. Although Jalen Ramsey will be sidelined for some time with a knee injury, this team still possesses a wealth of talent, including lynchpins Jaelan Philips and Bradley Chubb.

The Atlanta Falcons had a relatively terrible season overall in 2022, as they never finished the year with a record that was better than .500. After eight games, Atlanta had a record of 4-4 but then stumbled their way to a 7-10 run, with a record of 3-6 from that point on. The Atlanta Falcons finished only three positions better than last place in the National Football Conference, which means that they have some work to do this season. When the Desmond Ridder era of the Atlanta Falcons officially begins in 2023, the quarterback position will be the focal point of everyone's attention. The previous year, Ridder concluded the season with a record of 2-2, having thrown for 708 yards and scoring a couple of touchdowns. This year, he'll get a boost from the team's selection of Bijan Robinson at No. 8 overall, and the receiving corps isn't looking too awful with Kyle Pitts and Drake London back on the field. If Ridder and Pitts could find a way to work well together, it would be very beneficial to the team's overall performance.

I'm going to side with the Atlanta Falcons in this one. It's possible that things will get off to a slow start on the defensive side of the ball for the Miami Dolphins this year as they learn a new pattern. It's possible that this first on-field action will feature a number of stumbles, missed assignments, and generic coverages as the players get back up to game pace. It is a reasonable bet to assume that the team that had the most rushing attempts in the league the previous year (559), the Atlanta Falcons, will begin the preseason with a major emphasis on the ground game. As a result of the fact that the second-string players and guys farther down the depth chart should take the majority of the plays, it is likely that we will not see too many notable players for an extended period of time during this game. However, it will be a good opportunity to observe the level of competition on both teams' rosters.