FLOWERY BRANCH — After facing a rookie and a journeyman quarterback, the revamped Falcons’ defense will face its stiffest challenge of the exhibition season against Ryan Tannehill and the Miami Dolphins at 7 p.m. Saturday at Sun Life Stadium.
In the third game, with most starters set to play into the third quarter, the defense will face Tannehill, who has a career 84 passer rating over 48 starts. The Falcons’ starting defense has shined against Tennessee rookie Marcus Mariota and New York Jets’ quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who’s with his sixth NFL team.