Thumbs up, thumbs down

Here are some general thoughts on Saturday night's preseason game against Jacksonville:

THUMBS UP: Matt Ryan. The rookie faced a barrage of defenders to start out with, but he remained cool and calm, finishing the night 9-for-15 with 113 yards and a touchdown to Roddy White. Not bad for his NFL debut.

THUMBS DOWN: Have to give a thumbs down to the cameramen shooting the game for NBC affiliates. It was like they had never actually seen a football game. Shots were all over the place and some plays were missed because they simply didn't know where the ball was. I don't expect much, but I do expect TV to be better than radio.

THUMBS UP: Running backs. Michael Turner, Jason Snelling, Jerious Norwood and Thomas Brown all did tremendous on the ground. Brown looked a little hesitant, but that will fade with experience. After watching Turner, I'm excited to see what he can do the rest of the season. Snelling had my vote for play of the night with his rumbling 47-yard reception on a screen pass to set up a Joey Harrington touchdown.

THUMBS DOWN: To the offensive line in front of DJ Shockley. In the preseason, I agree with the call to try to win late in the game instead of going for a tie. The offensive line should have been jacked up with a chance to win. Instead, the pocket collapsed on the Falcons' final play and Shockley tossed an interception to end Atlanta's chances of pulling out a win.

THUMBS UP: Jamaal Anderson. He finally recorded an NFL sack. It's about time, but it certainly has to relieve some pressure. Now, let's see if he can do it when it counts in a few weeks.

THUMBS DOWN: Third-down efficiency. The Falcons finished with a paltry 33 percent on third downs, converting on just 5-of-15. Yeah, it's the preseason, but that has to get better. Punting is no fun for anyone.

THUMBS UP: The offense and play-calling. Both were pretty good -- and a lot better than last year, which is all that's important at this point. I liked Mike Mularkey's play-calling throughout the game. The Falcons seem to have a good grasp of the system, and they tallied up 343 yards because of it. Atlanta also had chances to score, which was nice to see.

THUMBS DOWN: Fumbles. The Falcons recovered three fumbles during the game and turned it into three points. While the offense as a whole played well, there were times when it just couldn't get things done, like on third downs and when the Jags turned the ball over. Atlanta has to take advantage of those things.

Image: The Associated Press (running back Jason Snelling)