The Falcons didn’t intend to go out there against the Steelers and get their asses kicked, but for all intents and purposes, that’s what happened. Faced with the starters for an AFC contender, Atlanta’s game-but-overmatched reserves fell into a hole they never even dreamed of digging themselves back out of. The end result was a 24-0 loss, and if this had been the regular season, we’d all be waking up surly as hell this morning.
It wasn’t the regular season, though. As Arthur Smith alluded to Thursday night, it was the preseason, and the team treated it like an opportunity to evaluate the last 10-15 roster spots and possible practice squad additions while ensuring starters didn’t get hurt.