The Atlanta Falcons are getting closer to the regular season with the team now having taken the field for their first preseason showdown and getting the chance for the starters to play together for the first time.

It should be noted that preseason games are essentially glorified practices, and trying to make huge takeaways from the way players look -- both good and bad -- during these games can often be misleading. With that being said, it's tough not to hold concern over where Atlanta is at with the calendar getting ready to turn to September.

As for the actual results of the game, losing a preseason game in dominating fashion is not something to hit the panic button over, but the struggles of the first team offense do feel troubling given how much they will be relied upon to score points this season. More specifically, the presumptive Week 1 starting quarterback did not look like he's ready for the season.

Much was made of the fumbled snap from Tagovailoa, and while it was extremely unfortunate, it's not even the most troubling aspect from the lefty on Friday night against the Denver Broncos. Dropping a snap could conceivably happen to anyone, but what should have fans worried is the fact that when Tagovailoa was in the game, the offense looked disjointed.

He did not look comfortable and confident making throws, and if that is the case, the offense is not going to be able to function at a high level. It was an extremely small sample size and perhaps nobody should be drawing huge conclusions just yet, but if Tagovailoa is the version of himself he was for the Miami Dolphins last season, that level of play is not going to be good enough to win games this season.

At the end of the day, he could simply be a placeholder for the healthy return of Michael Penix Jr., but the Falcons would love to see Tagovailoa perform at a high level and deliver passes with accuracy to open windows. On Friday night, he was not that, and did not look like he was all that close to being that soon.

If this is the level of quarterbacking Atlanta gets this season, it could be another long year for fans hoping to see this team compete for a division title in 2026.