Two drives, two punts for Tua Tagovailoa in Falcons debut

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa made his preseason debut with the Falcons on Friday night against the Broncos.

In two drives led by Tua, the Falcons punted twice.

The first was a three-and-out effort, netting four yards. The second saw the Falcons gain a first down and advance from their own 15 to their own 32 before punting again.

Before exiting for Cooper Rush, Tua completed three of five passes for 22 yards and a passer rating of 70.4. He also fumbled a shotgun snap before falling on it.

Tagovailoa is currently listed as the first-string quarterback. Michael Penix Jr. doesn't have a formal spot on the depth chart, as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered last season. Penix has yet to be cleared for team activities.

The Falcons open the regular season with a September 13 visit to the Steelers. Last year, a Dolphins loss in Week 15 at Pittsburgh triggered Tua's benching by the Dolphins - setting the stage for his offseason exit and the Dolphins paying him more than $50 million to play for the Falcons.