Updated Aug. 23, 2026, 3:25 p.m. ET
Determined not to be embarrassed two weeks in a row, the Atlanta Falcons put together a dominant 34-6 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Saturday’s preseason contest.
Neither team played many of their starters, but that’s not what preseason is for.
Atlanta’s second- and third-string players answered the bell and proved their worth during Saturday’s victory in Indianapolis. Since the Falcons played so well, we decided to highlight just the studs (no duds) from their latest preseason win against the Colts.
Stud – RB Tyler Goodson Before joining the Falcons, Goodson spent one season with the Packers as a practice squad player, then spent the next three seasons with the Colts before coming to Atlanta. On his return to Indianapolis, Goodson led the team in yards with 59 yards carrying on six attempts and a touchdown. As a receiver, Goodson added another four yards on a single reception. Watch Goodson’s 49-yard touchdown against his former team below.
Stud – QB Jack Strand Jack Strand looked impressive a week ago and only added to his resume this week. The Minnesota State-Moorhead quarterback went 12 of 17 for 212 yards and a touchdown.
He also added another 22 yards on nine carries and a rushing touchdown to his total. While he has impressed fans and coaches alike, his preseason performance likely won’t put him in the mix for the starting job.
However, Strand making the 53-man roster now seems like a foregone conclusion, as it should be. Stud – LB Kendal Daniels The Falcons rookie linebacker continues to play at a high level and is making a real case to start next to Divine Deablo at linebacker this season. Kendal Daniels has the type of versatility that Jeff Ulbrich covets and is likely the long-term option to replace Kaden Elliss. However, projected starter Christian Harris also played well on Saturday as well. Keep your eye on Daniels going forward.
If he makes more plays like the one below, he could have a nice NFL career. Stud – RB Cash Jones The Georgia running back was a key weapon for the Falcons in the win over Indy. Jones went for 41 yards on seven carries but added another 62 yards on four receptions for a touchdown. This is where Jones impacted the games the most as a Georgia player. If Jones hopes to make the roster, he will need to keep making plays like he did against the Colts.
Stud – LB Josh Woods Woods was not re-signed by the Falcons after proving to be a quality depth and special teams contributor last season. The entire Falcons defense was excellent on Saturday, but we thought we’d give some love to the veteran linebacker who continues to make the most of his chance.
Woods finished with five tackles (three solo) and one pass defended on Saturday. He may not be a star, but Woods is a hard worker who does enough right to warrant a roster spot. Stud – Falcons’ offensive line Considering how bad this group played last week, it was nice to see Atlanta’s offensive line put together such a complete performance.
They opened holes in the run game and allowed just one sack for the day. Even though it was the backups, the Falcons clearly have better offensive line depth than we anticipated. Stud – Head coach Kevin Stefanski While the preseason is a serious time for those looking to make the final roster, there should be some recognition for Stefanski taking a moment to allow his players to have fun. The Falcons head coach allowed the team one excessive celebration penalty and this took place with the Falcons opening touchdown.
It wasn’t as grand as Mark Rich’s excessive celebration for Georgia in 2007 over Florida, but this moment saw players who weren’t dressed out storm the field and celebrate with Goodson as he put the Falcons ahead early.
