Jack Strand Takes the Keys for the Falcons Against the Colts

The Atlanta Falcons are officially in the "let's see what the kid has" portion of the evening.

ESPN's Marc Raimondi reported that Jack Strand has taken over at quarterback for Atlanta and is expected to run the offense for the rest of their late-August matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.

"Marc Raimondi reported: 'Jack Strand is in at QB. He is likely to be out there the rest of the way.'"

Exhibition football is basically a highly televised job interview where half the guys are fighting for a roster spot and the other half are praying they don't get rolled up on. Strand getting the rest of the game to operate is the coaching staff handing him a blank canvas to prove he belongs.

Right now, the Falcons are sitting on a comfortable 17-6 lead over Indy. Strand doesn't need to play hero ball. He just needs to keep the offense on schedule, avoid throwing the ball to the guys in the wrong colored jerseys, and chew up the clock.

For anyone holding a live ticket on the Falcons or sweating a second-half total, Strand is now the most important man in your life. He has the keys to a two-score lead, which means we are about to see a heavy dose of conservative play-calling and clock management.

If Strand can pilot a few clean drives and close out the Colts without any catastrophic mistakes, it goes a long way in the film room. We will see if he can put this game on ice and make a real case for his spot on the depth chart.