Getty Julio Jones #11 of the Atlanta Falcons.
The Atlanta Falcons will take on the Chicago Bears at home on Sunday. The Falcons are favored to win this one, but it’s looking like it could be another concerning matchup since Atlanta is dealing with the injury bug.
Julio Jones headlines this week’s injury report after dealing with a hamstring injury. You could tell he was struggling to get up last weekend and was noticeable limping on the sidelines. He also missed a beautiful pass in the second half which when Jones is 100%, he wouldn’t have.
On the flip side of things, defensive tackle Tyeler Davison was able to practice the entire time on Thursday after being limited earlier in the week. Left tackle Jake Matthews, safety Damontae Kazee, and linebacker Foye Oluokun also returned for limited participation after taking Wednesday off.
Starting center Alex Mack and tight end Luke Stocker are on the list simply for a “rest” day so there’s nothing to worry about there.
Here’s a Look at Thursday’s Injury Report:
Full Participation
No. 91 DE Jacob Tuioti-Mariner (knee)
No. 96 DT Tyeler Davison (ankle)
Limited Participation
No. 27 S Damontae Kazee (hip)
No. 54 LB Foye Oluokun (hamstring)
No. 70 T Jake Matthews (knee)
No. 90 DT Marlon Davidson (knee)
No. 92 DE Charles Harris (ankle)
Did Not Participate
No. #20 CB Kendall Sheffield (foot)
No. 11 WR Julio Jones (hamstring)
No. 37 S Ricardo Allen (elbow)
No. 51 C Alex Mack (not injury related – rest)
No. 56 DE Dante Fowler (ankle)
No. 76 T Kaleb McGary (knee)
No. 80 TE Luke Stocker (hip)
No. 98 DE Takk McKinley (groin)
Jones will need to log a practice on Friday if he wants to see the field Sunday.
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Atlanta’s Starting OL Goes Down
The Falcons were crushing the Dallas Cowboys secondary early in the game last week until injuries started piling up.
Right after Takk McKinley hobbled off of the field with an apparent groin injury, Falcons starting offensive tackle Kaleb McGary went down with a scary injury.
Close to the end zone protecting Brian Hill, McGary fell to the ground. He immediately grabbed the outside of his left knee and looked to be in pain. In a non-contact injury, McGary stayed on the field for a bit while trainers came out to attend to him.
Once he was up, he couldn’t put any weight on his left knee. He was ruled out for the remainder of the game. McGary, a former first-round pick in 2019, missed the start of his rookie season with a heart-related surgery.
Thankfully, the Falcons announced on Monday that McGary avoided a very serious injury and it won’t be long-term.
There’s Hope for Atlanta
Week 3 in Atlanta’s chance to make a small but vital comeback. They know the rules now.
Their offense and defense looked promising early in the first quarter with the help of Dallas’ fumbles. It looked like Atlanta would be on a roll for an easy win and then it got sloppy. Still, we saw a quick glimpse of the potential this team has.
Plus, the Falcons and Bears have something in common—they blow leads. The Bears (0-2) barely escaped with a 17-13 win over the New York Giants on Sunday after a 17-0 first-half lead. Atlanta has the better offense even without (knock on wood) Julio Jones. The Bears will be able to put up some points against Atlanta’s revamped defense but not enough to win.
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