Series history, broadcast information, connections and more from Thursday's Redskins-Falcons 2016 Preseason Week 1 matchup at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
PRESEASON WEEK 1WASHINGTON REDSKINS (0-0) at ATLANTA FALCONS (0-0)
Thursday, August 11 | 7 p.m. ET
Georgia Dome (71,228) | Atlanta, Ga.
The Washington Redskins' 2016 preseason gets underway on Thursday, Aug. 11, when the team squares off with the Atlanta Falcons. Kickoff at the Georgia Dome is scheduled for 7 p.m.
This year's training camp marks the Redskins' third under the guidance of Head Coach Jay Gruden, though it is the first in Gruden's tenure not to feature a cameo from another NFL team for joint practices. That absence has added extra importance to preseason play.
"We're trying to get as many reps as we can out there for the young guys and let them compete, but without having a team come in here, it is a little bit more difficult," Gruden said. "That's why the preseason games are going to be even more important for us to let those guys go out there and play and perform. We'll try and get a good evaluation on them."
The game marks the first preseason meeting between the Redskins and Falcons since a 27-0 Redskins victory in the 2004 preseason finale. The game will be the first time the teams have met in a preseason opener since 1990.
SERIES HISTORY--Redskins lead regular season series, 14-9-1
--Redskins lead preseason series, 10-5
--Last meeting: Oct. 11, 2015 (25-19, ATL in OT)
--Last preseason meeting: Sept. 3, 2004 (27-0, WAS)
TELEVISION: CSN Mid-Atlantic/NBC4 (Cozi TV 4.2)--Chick Hernandez (play-by-play)
--Joe Theismann (color)
--Clinton Portis (sidelines)
RADIO: Redskins Radio Network
--Larry Michael (play-by-play)
--Sonny Jurgensen (color)
--Chris Cooley (analysis)
--Rick "Doc" Walker (sidelines)
**
Check out these top photos from the Washington Redskins' 2015 Week 5 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons Oct. 11, 2015, at the Georgia Dome.
THE OPPONENT**The Atlanta Falcons enter the 2016 preseason following an 8-8 campaign in 2015 in which they finished second in the NFC South. This season will be the team's second under the purview of Head Coach Dan Quinn.
Matt Ryan returns as the team's incumbent at quarterback in his ninth NFL season. The 2015 season marked his fifth consecutive 4,000-yard campaign, as he completed 407-of- 614 passes (66.3 percent) for 4,591 yards with 21 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Ryan has started all 16 regular season games for the Falcons in each of the last six seasons.
Running back Devonta Freeman led the Falcons in rushing a year ago, posting 1,056 rushing yards on 265 carries including 11 touchdowns, tied for the most in the NFL. Then-rookie Tevin Coleman contributed 392 rushing yards on 87 carries and added a rushing touchdown.
Wide receiver Julio Jones posted team and career highs in receptions (136) and receiving yards (1,871) in 2015. His eight touchdown receptions led all Falcons players. Freeman finished second on the Falcons with 73 receptions, while tight end Jacob Tamme posted the second-most receiving yards on the team (657).
Linebacker Paul Worrilow paced the Falcons with a team-high 95 total tackles (67 solo) in 2015. Then-rookie linebacker Vic Beasley recorded a team-high 4.0 sacks, and safety Ricardo Allen led the Falcons with three interceptions.
Matt Bryant, now in his 15th NFL season, enters the 2016 preseason in competition for kicking duties with rookie Nick Rose. Bryant was 14-of-18 (77.8 percent) on field goal attempts in 10 games for the Falcons last season.
Eric Weems served as the team's primary kick and punt returner in 2015. He averaged 26.9 yards per return on 15 kickoff returns and 11.6 yards per return on 19 punt returns.
PRESEASON SERIES
Thursday's contest between the Redskins and Falcons will be the 16th preseason meeting between the two franchises. The Redskins are 10-5 all-time against the Falcons in preseason play.
The teams will be meeting in preseason play for the first time since the finale of the 2004 preseason, when the Redskins shut out the Falcons, 27-0, at FedExField.
Included below are the 15 preseason games contested between the Redskins and Falcons:
- 8/10/1968 vs. Atlanta 16-14 W
- 8/23/1969 at Atlanta 24-7 W
- 8/21/1970 vs. Atlanta 21-13 W
- 8/8/1975 vs. Atlanta 16-14 L
- 7/31/1976 at Atlanta 17-10 W
- 8/25/1978 vs. Atlanta 10-7 L
- 8/18/1979 at Atlanta 16-6 W
- 8/6/1983 at Atlanta 13-10 L
- 8/10/1985 at Atlanta 17-14 W
- 8/29/1986 vs. Atlanta 29-21 W
- 8/27/1988 vs. Atlanta 34-17 W
- 8/11/1990 vs. Atlanta 31-27 L
- 8/16/1997 at Atlanta 35-31 W
- 8/17/2001 vs. Atlanta 27-6 L
- 9/3/2004 vs. Atlanta 27-0 W
The Redskins hold a 15-9-1 all-time advantage against the Falcons in combined regular season and postseason play.
Included below are the 25 combined regular season and postseason games contested between the two squads:
- 10/9/1966 vs. Atlanta 33-20 W
- 10/15/1967 at Atlanta 20-20
- 11/23/1969 vs. Atlanta 27-20 W
- 11/20/1972 vs. Atlanta 24-13 W
- 12/7/1975 at Atlanta 30-27 W
- 9/25/1977 vs. Atlanta 10-6 W
- 12/10/1978 at Atlanta 20-17 L
- 9/30/1979 at Atlanta 16-7 W
- 11/30/1980 at Atlanta 10-6 L
- 12/4/1983 vs. Atlanta 37-21 W
- 11/5/1984 vs. Atlanta 27-14 W
- 11/3/1985 at Atlanta 44-10 W
- 9/20/1987 at Atlanta 21-20 L
- 12/17/1989 at Atlanta 31-30 W
- 11/10/1991 vs. Atlanta 56-17 W
- 1/4/1992** vs. Atlanta 24-7 W
- 9/13/1992 vs. Atlanta 24-17 W
- 12/19/1993 vs. Atlanta 30-17 W
- 9/25/1994 vs. Atlanta 27-20 L
- 9/14/2003 at Atlanta 33-31 W
- 12/3/2006 vs. Atlanta 24-14 L
- 11/8/2009 at Atlanta 31-17 L
- 10/7/2012 vs. Atlanta 24-17 L
- 12/15/2013 at Atlanta 27-26 L
- 10/11/2015 at Atlanta 25-19 (OT) L
** Playoff game
NOTABLE REDSKINS/FALCONS CONNECTIONS
Former Falcons on Redskins:
- S DeAngello Hall (2004-07)
Former Redskins on Falcons:
- Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan (2010-13)
- Wide Receivers Coach Raheem Morris (2012-14, Defensive Backs Coach)
- Running Backs Coach Bobby Turner (2010-14)
- Offensive Line Coach Chris Morgan (2011-13)
- Quarterbacks Coach Matt LaFleur (2010-13)
- Offensive Assistant Mike McDaniel (2011-13) G Chris Chester (2011-14)
- T Tom Compton (2012-15) WR Aldrick Robinson (2011-14)
- WR Nick Williams (2013-14)
Redskins from Georgia:
- Offensive Coordinator Sean McVay (Marietta)
- RB Mack Brown (Lithonia)
- DE Corey Crawford (Columbus)
- NT Kedric Golston (Tyrone)
- DE Anthony Lanier II II (Savannah)
- S Geno Matias-Smith (Atlanta)
- LB Perry Riley Jr. (Stone Mountain)
- LB Preston Smith (Stone Mountain)
- LB Mike Wakefield (Valdosta)
Falcons from the D.C./Maryland/Virginia area:
- WR Chris King (Crofton, Md.)
- LB Laroy Reynolds (Norfolk, Va.)
Redskins who went to college in Georgia:
- NT Kedric Golston (Georgia)
- RB Keith Marshall (Georgia)
With the 242nd pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins selected running back Keith Marshall of Georgia. Take a look at his collegiate career in photos.
Falcons who went to college in the D.C./Maryland/Virginia area:
- Head Coach Dan Quinn (Salisbury)
- OL Laurence Gibson (Virginia Tech)
- LB LaRoy Reynolds (Virginia) QB Matt Schaub (Virginia)
Notable Pro Connections: (Extensive connections with former Redskins coaches excluded)
- Special Teams Coordinator Ben Kotwica and Falcons Head Coach Dan Quinn worked together with the New York Jets from 2007-08.
- Offensive Line Coach Bill Callahan also worked with them in the 2008 season as Assistant to the Head Coach/Offensive Line Coach.
- Kotwica (2007-08) and Callahan (2008) and Falcons Passing Game Coordinator Jerome Henderson worked together with the New York Jets.
- Callahan also worked with Henderson with the Dallas Cowboys between the 2012-14 seasons when Callahan served as Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach and Henderson served as the Defensive Backs Coach.
- Defensive Coordinator Joe Barry and Falcons Defensive Coordinator Richard Smith worked together with the San Francisco 49ers in 2000. Barry served as Defensive Quality Control while Smith served as the Linebackers Coach.
- Assistant Special Teams Coach Bradford Banta played with Falcons Defensive Line Coach Bryan Cox with the New York Jets in the 2000 season.
- Kotwica (2007-08) and Callahan (2008) also worked with Cox with the Jets.
- Outside Linebackers Coach Greg Manusky coached Linebackers Coach Jeff Ulbrich when Ulbrich player for the San Francisco 49ers from 2007-09.
- General Manager Scot McCloughan was the Vice President of Player Personnel and General Manager of the San Francisco 49ers during the playing career of Falcons Linebackers Coach Jeff Ulbrich (2005-09).
- Quarterbacks Coach Matt Cavanaugh worked with Falcons Tight Ends Coach Wade Harman with the Baltimore Ravens from 1999- 2004. Cavanaugh served as the Offensive Coordinator and Harman served as the Tight Ends Coach.
- Defensive Coordinator Joe Barry and Assistant Special Teams Coach Bradford Banta worked with Falcons Assistant Special Teams Coach Eric Sutulovich with the Detroit Lions in 2008.
- LB Mason Foster played with Falcons DE Adrian Clayborn with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2011-14.
- NT Jerrell Powe played with Falcons FB Patrick DiMarco for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012.
- Powe also played with Falcons LB Brooks Reed for the Houston Texans in 2014.
- Defensive Backs Coach Perry Fewell served as Defensive Coordinator with the Buffalo Bills while Falcons G Andy Levitre played there in 2009.
- QB Colt McCoy played with C Alex Mack for the Cleveland Browns from 2010-12.
- G Shawn Lauvao played with Mack from 2010-13.
- Head Coach Jay Gruden served as Offensive Coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals while Faclons WR Mohamed Sanu played there from 2012-13.
- WR Rob Kelley played with Falcons LB Philip Wheeler with the Indianapolis Colts in the 2008-11 seasons.
- DE Stephen Paea played with Falcons WR Eric Weems for the Chicago Bears from 2012-13.
Notable College Connections:
- CB Will Blackmon played with Falcons QB Matt Ryan at Boston College from 2004-05.
- T Cody Booth (2012-13) and DE Matt Ioannidis (2012-15) played with Falcons OL Shahbaz Ahmed at Temple.
- CB Bashaud Breeland (2010-13) and DE Corey Crawford (2011- 14) played with Falcons B Vic Beasley at Clemson. Breeland and Crawford also played with Falcons DE Malliciah Goodman and DT Grady Jarrett during their careers at Clemson.
- LB Ryan Kerrigan played with Falcons DB Ricardo Allen at Purdue in 2010.
- QB Nate Sudfeld played with Falcons RB Tevin Coleman and G Collin Rahrig at Indiana from 2012-14.
- K Dustin Hopkins and RB Chris Thompson played with Falcons RB Devonta Freeman at Florida St. from 2011-12.
- CB Jonathan Allen played with Falcons OL Laurence Gibson at Virginia Tech from 2013-15.
- TE Marcel Jensen played with Falcons OL Bryce Harris at Fresno St. from 2009-11.
- DE Trent Murphy (2013) and RB Kelsey Young (2013-14) played with Falcons TE Austin Hooper at Stanford in 2013.
- QB Colt McCoy played with Falcons G Michael Huey at Texas from 2007-09.
- DE Ricky Jean Francois (2005-08) and LB Perry Riley Jr. (2006- 08) played with Falcons DE Tyson Jackson at LSU.
- S Duke Ihenacho played with Falcons S Akeem King at San Jose State from 2010-11.
- RB Keith Marshall played with Falcons TE Arthur Lynch (2012- 13) and NT Keith Mayes (2013-15) at Georgia.
- Inside Linebackers Coach Kirk Olivadotti served as a coach on Lynch's and Mayes' teams at Georgia from 2011-13.
- WR Jamison Crowder (2005-07) and LS Nick Sundberg (2005- 08) played with Falcons C Alex Mack at Cal from 2005-07.
- S Deshazor Everett played with Falcons T Jake Matthews at Texas A&M from 2011-13.
- Running Backs Coach Randy Jordan served as a coach on Matthews' teams at Texas A&M from 2010-11.
- CB Quinton Dunbar, RB Rob Kelley, TE Jordan Reed, WR Valdez Showers and RB Mack Brown all played with Falcons S Keanu Neal and S Brian Poole at Florida at various points from 2012-14.
- T Takoby Cofield and WR Jamison Crowder played with QB Sean Renfree at Duke from 2011-12.
- T Morgan Moses played with LB LaRoy Reynolds at Virginia from 2009-12.
- OL Josh LeRibeus played with WR Alrdrick Robinson at SMU from 2009-12.
- DE Shiro Davis played with K Nick Rose at Texas from 2012-15.
- Assistant Offensive Line Coach Kevin Carberry coached Falcons RB Gus Johnson at Stephen F. Austin from 2012-13.
