The Atlanta Falcons lost their fifth straight game in Week 11, as they lost another overtime thriller to the Carolina Panthers. The 30-27 defeat saw the Falcons fall to 3-7 on the season and it's starting to reach the point where it will be a true uphill battle for Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot to save their jobs.
Now entering Week 12, the Dirty Birds are headed to the Bayou to face the New Orleans Saints in their second straighg rivalry affair. It will mark Atlanta's first clash with Saints rookie Tyler Shough, and it will also see Saints legend Drew Brees be one of the broadcasters for the Sunday afternoon clash.
Unfortunately, the Falcons will enter the weekend more short-handed than ever before. It was announced earlier today that Michael Penix Jr. suffered a partial ACL tear and will miss the rest of the season, while superstar wide receiver Drake London's PCL sprain will keep him out against the Saints.
Falcons' first Week 12 injury report makes Michael Penix Jr. nightmare look like amateur hour
Despite some key losses on offense, the Falcons will more than likely see a key player return on defense, as Divine Deablo is ramping up towards a return from IR due to his forearm injury, while Mike Hughes, Dee Alford, and Leonard Floyd are also expected to near a return for Jeff Ulbrich's group.
With that being said, here's the Week 12 injury report for Wednesday.
Did not participate:
- WR Drake London (knee)
- QB Michael Penix Jr (knee)
- S Xavier Watts (illness)
- ILB Josh Woods (hamstring)
- G Chris Lindstrom (foot)
- DL Zach Harrison (knee)
Limited participation
- ILB Divine Deablo (forearm)
- S Jessie Bates III (rest)
- EDGE Jalon Walker (rest)
- CB Dee Alford (concussion)
- CB A.J. Terrell (rest)
- CB Billy Bowman Jr. (rest)
- ILB Malik Verdon (shoulder)
- DL Brandon Dorlus (oblique)
- EDGE Leonard Floyd (hamstring)
- G Matthew Bergeron (ankle)
Full
- CB Mike Hughes (neck)
There is a lot to unpack here, so no need to waste time.
The cornerback room looks like it is in absolute shambles, though Terrell and Bowman were being held out for rest. Luckily, Mike Hughes and potentially Dee Alford should be back against the Saints, which will prevent fans from witnessing another Natrone Brooks disaster in Week 12.
Deablo is setting himself up to have a chance to play this week, and the same could be said for both Leonard Floyd and Matthew Bergeron, who have missed each of the last two games. However, no Chris Lindstrom screams precautionary as he has played through injury in the last two games.
It's nice to see Raheem Morris actually rest some of his stars after the defense was gassed in the loss, and it becomes especially prevalent with a team already down both London and Penix. With that being said, the fact that Xavier Watts didn't practice is worrisome, but he should still be good to go.
Harrison missing his second straight game would be a disaster, as he and Brandon Dorlus have quietly been fantastic for the defense. But bringing a lot of the injured players back would be just as important.
Unfortunately, nothing here overshadows Penix and London, as Kirk Cousins and Darnell Mooney will have big shoes to fill.