How to watch Dolphins vs. Falcons on Friday

The brutally long NFL offseason is finally over. The Miami Dolphins will clash with the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium in the preseason opener for both teams. While the regular season is still a month away, this is the first of three opportunities for Miami's coaching staff to see how offseason […]

Craig Smith — College Football & NFL Trending News Writer

Aug 11, 2023 8:00 AM EDT

The brutally long NFL offseason is finally over.

The Miami Dolphins will clash with the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium in the preseason opener for both teams. While the regular season is still a month away, this is the first of three opportunities for Miami's coaching staff to see how offseason acquisitions integrate into the roster as well as answer some key questions facing the team.

Miami Dolphins (0-0) vs. Atlanta Falcons (0-0)
Date: Friday, August 11, 2023
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
Betting odds: ATL -2.5; Over/Under 36.5
How to watch on TV: CBS 4 WFOR (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale); WAGA-TV (FOX 5 Atlanta)
Streaming: Fubo TV, YouTube TV, network apps, etc.
Radio: 940 AM WINZ, 105.9 AM WBGG (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale); 92.9 The Game (Atlanta)

Will the starters play?

Mike McDaniel said on Tuesday that he hadn't yet decided whether the starters would play on Friday and that he'd wait and decide after the joint practices. No announcement has been made yet, but after four Dolphins went down hurt in practice on Wednesday, no one should be surprised if the waited until next week against Houston to get most, if not all of his starters some game action.

One player who almost certainly won't be playing is Jaylen Waddle, who suffered an undisclosed injury during practice Wednesday that the team has yet to address.

Who takes center stage?

There are a number of intriguing positional battles unfolding. The left guard spot is contested between Liam Eichenberg and Isiah Wynn. A starting cornerback spot is up for grabs between a number of candidates, including Cam Smith, Eli Apple, and Noah Igbinoghene, among others. The backup quarterback battle between Mike White and Skylar Thompson will be on display, with both players set to play significant minutes.

Also, can Miami's reserve defensive lineman answer the call put forth by Vic Fangio and show they have quality depth against a physical, run-oriented Falcons offense?

3 players to watch:

Isaiah Wynn: the former Patriots tackle signed with Dolphins in May, but he's been working at left guard, where he's listed on the team's first depth chart as the backup to Eichenberg. The latter has continued to struggle, so if Wynn can hold his own on Friday, then he could make the battle for the starting job very interesting.

De'Von Achane: the rookie running back has turned some heads in camp with the ball in his hands. The collegiate track star and first-team All-SEC back could make it tough to keep him off the field if he can show that same impressive running against live NFL competition.

Cam Smith: Smith has looked good during training camp, and if he can keep playing at a high level, he might have a legitimate shot at the starting outside cornerback spot opposite Xavien Howard. Making plays in camp and during actual games are far different things, so here's his first chance to show his coaches he's a capable starter as a rookie.