The Miami Dolphins play the Atlanta Falcons on Friday in their 2014 NFL preseason opener. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. ET. Listen to the live radio broadcast below.
Atlanta surprised many by going from 13-3 in 2012 to 4-12 last season. The drastic turnaround netted them the sixth pick of the 2013 draft, which they used to bolster the offensive line by selecting Jake Matthews, and head into the new season looking to return to the playoffs.
The team already appears more confident than last season, with receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White both saying they would get 1,500 yards apiece in 2014.
"We're just putting it out there," Jones said, via the team website. "I always tell people, every year, I never put goals on myself, because I don't want to limit myself. What I set out to do, I'm going to do it, but I don't want to limit myself, because I don't know what I'm capable of doing, so I don't want to put an exact number on me. We're just putting that number out there, because we possibly can do that, just because of all the rule changes and everything else. ...
"It can be the best (season) it's ever been here, with me and Roddy healthy and the offensive line we have; those guys are competing."
Miami finished 2013 with an 8-8 record. They showed life in the first part of last season before faltering down the stretch, partly due to the team's regression on offense behind quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Building chemistry on offense and sustaining his productivity through the season will be key to the success of Tannehill, who's now in his third year under center.
Listen to the live radio broadcast HERE (MIA) and HERE (ATL).
