Falcons Get Positive News on Starters Ahead of Saints Matchup
The Atlanta Falcons are looking to get back on track after losing their last five games and falling to 3-7 on the season. One major hurdle that has consistently knocked them down this year has been a growing injury report that has been relentless.
Thursday’s report provided a little b
it of relief for the Falcons.
They will be without quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and (likely) Drake London on Sunday, but several more players have added their names to the group of ones to watch.
Insider linebacker Josh Woods (hamstring) and defensive lineman Zach Harrison (knee) were both absent for a second-straight practice after missing Sunday’s game due to injury. This indicates their status for Sunday is in doubt.
Other than those players, the Falcons appeared to get some positive news on the injury front.
Rookie safety Xavier Watts (illness) was sick on Wednesday, while right guard Chris Lindstrom (foot) sat out as he continues to heal from his foot injury from New England. Both players were back on the field Thursday, with the All-Pro guard listed as limited. A positive sign for both.
Left guard Matthew Bergeron (ankle) was back on the practice field for the first time since his injury in New England on Wednesday, and he was back out there on Thursday. He told the media after practice that he is hopeful that he will play in New Orleans, but that they will continue to test out his health as the week continues.
Starting cornerback Mike Hughes was also a full participant again on Thursday, which could signal a return for the veteran after missing the Falcons’ last two games.
Linebacker Divine Deablo (forearm) was officially designated to return on Wednesday and was seen on the field with a rather large club on his left forearm. Falcons head coach Raheem Morris is hopeful he could return to action on Sunday for the first time since his fracture against San Francisco, and
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“Your common sense says, he's going to struggle, maybe tackling or he's going to struggle catching the ball or wrapping up, but it was not the case for him,” Ulbrich said. “Divine is fortunate in the fact that he has tremendous length, and a lot of times that length can help you overcome something like a club on your hand.”
Deablo’s fitness will be an important thing to monitor, but he was listed as a full participant, signaling confidence that he could be back this weekend.
Edge rusher Leonard Floyd (hamstring) and linebacker Malik Verdon (shoulder) were also back on the practice field in a limited capacity for the first time in over a week, and Floyd was limited again on Thursday while Verdon was a full participant.
Cornerback Dee Alford (concussion) was practicing again, as he was all last week, but remains in the league-mandated protocol. He did elevate from limited participant to full participant, which could mean he’s close to a return.
See below for the full injury report from Thursday’s practice ahead of the Falcons’ Week 12 trip to New Orleans.
Brutal Injury Update for Packers as Week 12 Approaches
The Green Bay Packers are entering a very key stretch of the season – indeed one that will in all likelihood be their most challenging yet.
It is no surprise that Packers may well rue needless losses to the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers, alongside a tie with the Dallas Cowboys – but now that the team face the Vikings (twice), Bears (twice), Lions, Ravens and Broncos to finish the year, those dropped games could end up becoming critical “what if” moments of the season.
Given quarterback, JJ McCarthy‘s greater-than-expected growing pains as he adjusts to NFL signal calling, Green Bay will likely consider week 12 their most winnable game for the rest of the regular season – and one in which they are currently 6.5 point favorites to win according to the sportsbooks.
Packers Could Be Staring At An Injury Crisis
Yet, unfortunately for the team, things may not end up going as smoothly as the Packers would hope, as a substantial amount of players have ended up on the injury report prior to the weekend’s divisional matchup in Lambeau against the Vikings.
Approximately 32% of the Packers roster on the injury report.
The team had 17 players on the injury report for week 12 – 32%, or almost a third of the entire active roster.
Perhaps even more concerning for Green Bay is that only two players – quarterback Jordan Love and kicker Brandon McManus – were full participants in practice.
Four players did not practice at all; running back Josh Jacobs, cornerback Nate Hobbs, rookie wideout and returner Savion Williams, and defensive tackle Karl Brooks.
The other 11 players, which included All-Pro Micah Parsons and starting right tackle Zach Tom, were limited participants in practice on November 19th.
What Does This Mean For The Packers In Week 12 And Beyond?
A large amount of players on the IR does not necessarily signify that many of them will end up missing the game.
Wide receiver Christian Watson, for example, is still getting his knee back to full use – despite having already played over the past three weeks – so it figures that he could be a limited participant in practice without there being a broader concern for his playing status going forward.
Keisean Nixon, equally, was out with illness according to the report – which, unless the bout of sickness is very serious, will likely mean the team’s #1 corner will play come the Vikings game.
The best news, without question, is that Love was one of the two full participants in training, after the QB had to miss multiple offensive snaps in week 11 due to a shoulder injury.
Although Green Bay will certainly have been calmed by backup quarterback, Malik Willis‘ strong – if perhaps limited – seven snaps in week 11, where he managed to go 2/2 for 6 yards and a passing touchdown, all for a 118.8 passer rating in the game, Love’s presence is critical for the future of the season’s success.
Hopefully for the Packers, the injury report starts to thin as the week goes on.
