Getty Deion Jones #45 of the Atlanta Falcons tackles Sam Darnold.
The Atlanta Falcons could be without some of their key players when they face the Jacksonville Jaguars, including linebacker Deion Jones.
Jones was added to the injury report on Friday due to his shoulder and is questionable for Sunday.
Running back/wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson’s status is also up in the air, while defensive end Jonathan Bullard and cornerback Kendall Sheffield remain out.
Deion Jones (shoulder) and Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle) are questionable for Sunday against Jacksonville.
Jonathan Bullard and Kendall Sheffield are OUT.
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What Happens If Jones is Out?
Jones, with 92 tackles, currently trails behind lead tackler Foye Oluokun’s 110 tackles. After that, safety Erik Harris sits at third with just 55 tackles and A.J. Terrell is not too far behind that with 45.
As you can see, missing Jones would be a huge loss for this must-win matchup. If Jones is unable to play by Sunday, second-year linebacker Mykal Walker would step up. The 6-3 and 240-pound linebacker was initially a fourth-round selection out of Fresno State in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Unlike last season, he hasn’t been used much under Dean Pees and only has 11 tackles so far on the season. But he played a handful of snaps in 2020 and finished the year with 45 total tackles, starting in all 16 games and was named to Pro Football Focus’s All-Rookie Team.
Walker spent the offseason training harder and went from 220 pounds to 240 in order to become a better blocker. While he hasn’t been able to find his footing under the new defense, he has a chance to prove himself on Sunday if Jones is unavailable.
Falcons Week 12 Depth Chart vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
There is still no sign of wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who was eligible to return this week, so Ryan will be counting on Russell Gage and Tajae Sharpe again.
Also, with punter Dustin Colquitt landing on reserve/COVID-19 list, the Falcons signed former Saints punter Thomas Morstead, who will likely take his place if Colquitt is not cleared by tomorrow.
Here is the Falcons’ Week 12 depth chart:
Offense
QB: Matt Ryan, Josh Rosen, Feleipe Franks
RB: Mike Davis, Cordarrelle Patterson, Wayne Gallman
WR: Tajae Sharpe, Christian Blake
WR: Russell Gage, Olamide Zaccheaus, Frank Darby
TE: Kyle Pitts, Parker Hesse
TE: Lee Smith, Keith Smith
LT: Jake Matthews, Jason Spriggs
LG: Jalen Mayfield, Josh Andrews
C: Matt Hennessy, Drew Dalman
RG: Chris Lindstrom, Drew Dalman
RT: Kaleb McGary, Jason Spriggs, Colby Gossett
Defense
DL: Grady Jarrett, Marlon Davidson
DL: Tyeler Davison, Ta’Quon Graham, Anthony Rush
DL: Jonathan Bullard, Mike Pennel, John Cominsky
OLB: Dante Fowler, Brandon Copeland
LB: Deion Jones, Mykal Walker
LB: Foyesade Oluokun, Emmanuel Ellerbee
OLB: Adetokunbo Ogundeji, James Vaughters
CB: A.J. Terrell, Darren Hall, Chris Williamson
CB: Fabian Moreau, Avery Williams, Kendall Sheffield
S: Erik Harris, Jaylinn Hawkins
S: Duron Harmon, Richie Grant
Special Teams
K: Younghoe Koo
P: TBD
LS: Josh Harris
H: TBD
PR: Avery Williams, Olamide Zaccheaus
KOR: Cordarrelle Patterson
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Falcons’ Key LB Lands on Injury Report