Matt Ryan played very well in his first preseason game of 2012.
Matt Ryan played very well in his first preseason game of 2012. tommeltonscouting.wordpress.co

The Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals are set to square off on Thursday night in what will be each team's second NFL preseason game.

The contest will air nationally on FOX at 8 p.m. ET. If you can't get to a television, you can watch a free live stream online by clicking here.

The Falcons will probably only give starting quarterback Matt Ryan one or two offensive drives, as a result of his success in their first preseason matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. Ryan completed 9 of his 13 passes for 153 yards and threw a touchdown to second year wide receiver Julio Jones.

Quarterback John Parker Wilson and undrafted rookie Dominique Davis both saw considerable time after the first quarter. A very likely backup quarterback candidate, Wilson played a crisp game and finished with 8 completions for 69 yards.

Backup running back Jacquizz Rodgers looked solid running the ball for Atlanta and scored a touchdown in the process. Perennial starting running back Michael Turner will probably take a few snaps against Cincinnati, while Rodgers and Jason Snelling carry most of the load.

One notable defensive performance was Atlanta's rookie defensive end Jonathan Massaquoi, who recorded 6 tackles and 2 tackles for a loss in his first NFL appearance. If Massaquoi has another solid game against the Bengals, he could certainly play his way into the defensive rotation.

On the other side of the ball, Cincinnati's quarterback Andy Dalton played a lackluster game against the New York Jets, making only 4 completions for 54 yards. Dalton will most likely play the entire first quarter against Atlanta in order to build up his confidence.

The newly acquired BenJarvus Green-Ellis will not be in action for Thursday's game after suffering a foot injury. The Bengals will also miss second-string running back Bernard Scott to a hand injury, which allows for Cedric Peerman and Brian Leonard to get more time running the ball against the Falcons.

While the Bengals have a stud at the wide receiver position in A.J. Green, they are still trying to figure out their number two target. Some names that have been mentioned in the running for the spot are rookie Mohammed Sanu, Brandon Tate, Jordan Shipley and Andrew Hawkins.

Prediction: Judging by the first week of the preseason, the Bengals look a lot less ready than the Falcons players to begin the regular season. Cincinnati's first-string will likely get more time on the field, which should lead to a victory for the Bengals.

Predicted Score: Cincinnati 27, Atlanta 14

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