No Stephen Jackson? No problem. The Atlanta Falcons made their preseason debut on Friday with a ground game that looked significantly more impressive than it did all of last season. After losing Jackson to a hamstring injury at the start of training camp, there was a concern that the run game would suffer until the veteran returned to the field. However, Jacquizz Rodgers and rookie Devonta Freeman proved they are more than capable of filling in for the injured Jackson.

Jackson is expected to be healthy come the first game of the season, but whether that actually happens is uncertain. While the severity of his hamstring injury is unknown, the Falcons are making sure to not take any chances and are keeping him off the field until he is fully healthy. That leaves an opportunity for both Rodgers and Freeman to show what they are worth and both took advantage of it against the Miami Dolphins.

"In this league, you've got to always be ready," Rodgers said, via the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "You've got to practice like you're ready to play in a game and when your time comes, you've got to prove what you've got."

Rodgers did step up. In limited action on Friday, he had the Atlanta Falcons lone touchdown, a two-yard rush which capped off a 15-play, 77-yard scoring drive. He finished the game with seven carries for 20 yards. Freeman also made a last impression in his NFL debut, showing some diversity in his skill set. The rookie rushed for 50 yards on 10 carries while also putting up one catch for 57 yards. Quarterback Matt Ryan likes what he sees from both rushers.

"We were able to run the ball pretty effectively, and when we did have the opportunity to throw, we were able to move the chains," Ryan said. "We were able to overcome a couple of penalties, we were able to keep going, and punch the ball into the end zone."

Fantasy football owners should take note, if Freeman keeps up the impressive work, he could be the favored running back come the start of the year. The Falcons will not throw Jackson immediately back into the fire, letting the better of the two backs get the first start. Both Freeman and Rodgers have the chance to be solid running backs this season whether Jackson is in the lineup or not. If Atlanta goes based off of experience, Rodgers will get the nod and trusted with more carries, but Freeman has a chip on his shoulder and it could pay off.

"I feel like nobody can stop me but me, and when the opportunity is there, you have to seize the moment every time," Freeman said. "I feel like I was going to eventually get to this point where the coaches throw me in the fire. It happened to be during camp, so I can get reps now. When live action comes in the games, I can try to be good at everything."