MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins kicked off the exhibition season Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium, and with several starters and veterans sitting out the preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons, rookie running back Jaylen Wright was among standouts.

Wright ran for 55 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.

The fourth-round draft pick showed a physical brand of running, going for 10 yards to the left side, with a nice seal block from fellow rookie left tackle Patrick Paul. Later, he scored a 6-yard touchdown up the middle where he refused to be denied.

In the second half, he took a backward pass to the right side, changed fields with a burst to find an opening left and went for 14 yards and a first down.

The Dolphins defeated the Falcons, 20-13.

With quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sitting out the exhibition, Skylar Thompson got the start. He went 8 of 19 for 95 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the first half before Mike White took over for the second half.

Thompson was intercepted by Falcons cornerback Kevin King while targeting rookie sixth-round pick Malik Washington in the first quarter. He was under pressure and might’ve had his throwing arm hit — or at least affected by the incoming contact.

The first Dolphins touchdown came on a throw to the flat from Thompson to veteran running back Jeff Wilson Jr., who atoned for a drop on the previous play as he scored early in the second quarter.

White, who looks to hold off Thompson for backup quarterback duties, struggled to find his mark in the second half. He was 4 of 14 for 26 yards, only completing one of his first eight attempts.

Tight end Tanner Conner had the longest play, going 43 yards on a catch and run where a Falcons defender missed a tackle, allowing Conner to explode for yards after catch. Conner later had a 21-yard catch and run but was hurt on the play.

Washington, who threw a physical crack-back block on the Wright touchdown, picked up 21 yards on an end-around that showed he could get involved in multiple ways in the offense. He only had one catch for 5 yards, though, despite being targeted four times.

Cornerback and special teams ace Siran Neal had himself an outstanding first quarter before he was checked out by trainers and escorted into the locker room. Neal forced and recovered a fumble defensively, and he made two special teams tackles, including the one on the opening kickoff.

Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders was immediately tested on his leg early in the preseason, and he was good from 58 yards — with room to spare — in the first quarter. He later converted again from 46 yards in the third period. Sanders got another shot from 58 in the fourth quarter but missed wide left.

Cornerback Ethan Bonner got burned over the top for a 41-yard pass to Atlanta’s Chris Blair. He was later in coverage on a pair of incomplete passes. Nik Needham, Patrick McMorris and Storm Duck were among defensive backs with impressive pass breakups.

Third-year linebacker Channing Tindall wrapped up the first half with a crushing sack.

The Dolphins had a late goal-line stand that finished with an incomplete pass in the end zone. Defensive tackle Leonard Payne had a tackle for loss within the final set of downs, and Duck made a stop along the sideline near the goal line. McDaniel sprinted to the officials to call a timeout before the fourth-down play. McDaniel also lost a challenge late in the fourth.

In the first NFL game action for Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix, he went 9 of 16 for 104 yards before he was replaced by Taylor Heinicke.

Among Dolphins players who suffered injuries Friday were Neal, offensive lineman Kion Smith, outside linebacker Grayson Murphy, inside linebacker Ezekiel Vandenburgh, tight ends Conner and Jody Fortson.

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