NFL preseason football kicks off in a serious way this weekend, but for Falcons and Dolphins fans, the real action is tonight. Though many key players will sit this game out, including Kirk Cousins, today’s game is the first chance for Atlanta and Miami fans (and fantasy football lovers) to see both teams in action and assess their potential for the coming NFL season.

Keep reading to find out how and when to watch the Atlanta Falcons vs. Miami Dolphins game tonight, even if you don’t have cable or live out of market. 

How and when to watch today’s Atlanta Falcons vs. Miami Dolphins NFL preseason game

The Atlanta Falcons vs. Miami Dolphins NFL preseason game will be played on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT). The NFL preseason game will stream on NFL+ (nationwide), and will air locally on the following channels:

• Miami, FL: CBS
• Atlanta, GA: Fox
• Augusta, GA: CBS
• Columbus, GA: ABC
• Savannah, GA: CBS
• Albany, GA: ABC
• Birmingham, AL: Fox
• Huntsville, AL: Circle
• Dothan, AL: CBS

You can stream the game locally on Fox and ABC via Sling TV. Those in a CBS media market can stream the game live on Paramount+.

Note: CBS Essentials and Paramount+ are both subsidiaries of Paramount Global.

How and when to watch the Atlanta Falcons vs. Miami Dolphins game without cable

If you don’t live in a Florida or Georgia media market, the only way to watch today’s Falcons vs. Dolphins game is with NFL+. (Streaming options will require an internet provider.)

Watch the Atlanta Falcons vs. Miami Dolphins game live with NFL+

If you want to catch tonight’s game live, and all the other NFL games happening this preseason, check out NFL+. The premium streaming service, starting at $40 per year (or $7 per month), offers access to all NFL games happening this preseason — even out-of-market games — on all supported devices. The streaming service also offers access to NFL Network on all supported devices.

To boost your NFL experience even further, you can upgrade to NFL+ Premium with NFL RedZone and watch up to eight NFL games simultaneously.

Top features of NFL+:

• You get access to all NFL preseason games, including those that are out of market, on any supported device (including TV).
• NFL+ lets you watch stream local and primetime regular season games on your phone or tablet, but not your TV.
• It includes the NFL Network (and NFL RedZone with NFL+ Premium), so it’s a good option for those who are looking to stream football on the go.

Livestream the Falcons vs. Dolphins game locally on Sling TV

If you live in a local media market and don’t have a cable TV subscription, one of the most cost-effective ways to watch tonight’s game, and all the major sporting events happening this fall, is through a subscription to Sling TV. We suggest leveling up your coverage to get more NFL games this fall with the Orange + Blue tier.

That Orange + Blue plan normally costs $60 per month, but the streamer currently offers a half-off promotion for your first month, so you’ll pay just $30. For the least expensive Olympic-watching option, the Blue plan includes the channels NBC, USA and E!, starting at $45 per month ($22.50 for your first month). 

The streamer is also currently offering big savings on four months of the Orange + Blue tier plus the Sports Extra plan when you prepay for the Sling TV Season Pass. The Sports Extra plan includes Golf Channel and Big Ten Network among others. Prepay for four months of the Sling TV Season Pass and spend $219, reduced from $300.

Because Sling TV does not carry CBS, Sling subscribers will want to add Paramount+ to their bundle.

Top features of Sling TV Orange + Blue plan:

• Sling TV is our top choice for streaming major sporting events like NASCAR.
• There are 46 channels to watch in total, including local NBC, Fox and ABC affiliates (where available).
• You get access to most local NFL games and nationally broadcast games at the lowest price.
• All subscription tiers include 50 hours of cloud-based DVR storage.
• You can add Golf Channel, NBA TV, NHL Network, NFL RedZone, MLB Network, Tennis Channel and more sports-oriented channels (19 in total) via Sling TV’s Sports Extras add-on.

If you’re anxiously waiting for the 2024-5 NFL season to begin, now is a great time to check out Amazon’s NFL Fan Shop. The Amazon NFL Fan Shop is filled to the brim with officially licensed fan gear: You’ll find jerseys, team flags, T-shirts, hoodies and more, including tons of great gear for the NFL fan in your life. There are plenty of great deals awaiting you at Amazon, too, including some must-see deals on TVs for watching sports.

Tap the button below to head directly to the NFL Fan Shop page on Amazon and select your favorite team.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins still distinctly remembers his first NFL preseason game, almost exactly 12 years removed from flying to Buffalo as a rookie with the now-Washington Commanders.

Cousins, a fourth-round rookie brought in to be first-round pick Robert Griffin III’s backup, had his parents in the stands, prompting the realization of how far he had come from his childhood playing days in Barrington, Illinois.

A similar thought crossed his mind when he saw linebacker Shawne Merriman, then entering his final season, line up across the ball.

And regardless of how the rest of his career unfolded, Cousins knew he’d always be able to claim taking the field in an NFL uniform.

“I remember thinking, ‘Well, if they cut me, I got to wear an NFL helmet for one game, and it was a dream just to be out there,’” Cousins said after Wednesday’s joint practice with the Miami Dolphins.

His first action came late in the first half — a two-minute drill with Washington leading 7-3. Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, now the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, radioed into Cousins’s helmet once he entered the huddle, but didn’t start by giving the play call.

“How do you feel?” Shanahan asked. “First drive, two-minute drill, here we go.”

Cousins hit his first two throws, but his next two fell incomplete. His fifth pass was intercepted, ending the drive. Washington didn’t score with Cousins under center but hung onto a 7-6 win. Then just 23 years old, Cousins went 9-of-22 for 74 yards with one interception.

“It was not a productive game,” Cousins said. “But we moved the ball, and I had fun and got a lot of things covered. It was a good memory.”

But for Cousins, playing in preseason games has quickly become a distant memory — his last appearance came in 2021 with the Minnesota Vikings.

His two-year absence is expected to reach three over the next several weeks, starting at 7 p.m. Friday when the Falcons take on the Dolphins inside Hard Rock Stadium.

“Kirk won’t get nearly as much work in those type of situations, if any,” Morris said before Wednesday’s practice

Earlier in training camp, Cousins disclosed he and Morris had a brief, informal conversation in June about the preseason during which Morris essentially shut down any ideas of playing his nine-figure, 35-year-old quarterback.

Cousins, however, claimed he wants to play, citing the value in seeing live bullets. This is particularly relevant for Cousins, who is nine months removed from surgery on his ruptured right Achilles and has been knocked to the ground just once — an accidental hit from a Falcons defensive lineman in the open practice Aug. 2 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Further, Cousins still sees things happen each day that tell him the Falcons need to get up to speed. He wants the offense to look like it has worked together for 10 years even though the core first united less than five months ago. Atlanta grows closer to that goal each day, Cousins believes, but an in-game test may hasten the development.

Yet Cousins also grasps the argument for not playing and is ultimately at peace with Morris and the staff’s decision.

“I think it’s a calculated deal,” Cousins said Wednesday. “If you could promise me I’m coming out feeling no worse for the wear, absolutely. I’d love to play all four quarters, but the reality is that you can’t promise me that. You have to be calculated and say, risk versus reward.

“Let’s get all we can in these two days, and then we’ll protect you is really the thought process.”

Cousins noted the precautionary measure has long been commonplace in the NFL, and he understands where his responsibilities shift during the exhibition affairs — while not playing physically, he’s still mentally engaged.

The four-time Pro Bowler said he’ll be standing on the sideline with an earpiece in, listening to the play calls while looking at the coverages and deciphering where he’d go with the ball and how he’d work through progressions.

“You’re kind of playing the game from the sideline as you’re watching,” Cousins said.

When Atlanta’s offense hits the field Friday night, it won’t be reinventing the wheel in terms of schematic looks. Plays will be straightforward, with offensive coordinator Zac Robinson not wanting to give anything away.

Still, it’s an opportunity for Cousins to simulate — mentally, not physically — the new offense he’s in. On the field, however, several players get the chance to taste the same sense of accomplishment Cousins did 12 years to the day.

“I remember saying to (my parents) after the game, ‘I had a lot of fun because you’re just able to play football,’” Cousins said. “There’s not as much riding on a regular season game or a college game that you’re starting.

“So, you really just get to play the game that you love, and I think that’s a real positive to these preseason games.”

But on Friday night, Cousins appears unlikely to get that chance — and while he won’t fear his job security as he did when he ran through Buffalo’s tunnel in 2012, his mind may be set on another worry: Week 1 readiness.