Dallas City News

Falcons Have Several Starters on Injury Report Before Facing Cowboys – Daniel Flick, Sports Illustrated

Injuries are also an issue for Atlanta this week.

The Atlanta Falcons’ first injury report before their Week 9 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys consists of several key players.

Three players did not participate in Atlanta’s practice Wednesday, headlined by All-Pro right guard Chris Lindstrom. The Falcons were also without a pair of rookies in second-round defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro and fifth-round linebacker JD Bertrand.

Lindstrom suffered a knee injury in the third quarter of Sunday’s 31-26 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but Falcons coach Raheem Morris said postgame he was cleared to return. Lindstrom said in the locker room afterwards he expected to be fine for the Cowboys.

Bertrand (concussion) and Orhorhoro (ankle) also sustained injuries against Tampa Bay. Orhorhoro exited the game in the third quarter and did not return, and his status for Sunday appears bleak, according to Morris.

“We’ll have to see a little bit more, see what’s going on in the day,” Morris said Wednesday. “Not looking great.”

Atlanta had seven players limited. Some, like safety Justin Simmons (hamstring) and linebacker Troy Andersen (knee) were expected, as they’ve been battling pre-existing injuries for multiple weeks and did not play against Tampa Bay.

Others, however, are a touch more interesting to monitor.

Linebacker Kaden Elliss injured his knee vs. the Buccaneers, and while he returned the following drive, he was limited Wednesday. Nickel cornerback Antonio Hamilton Sr. has endured a back injury for several weeks — he was active against Tampa Bay and “made it through the game fairly well,” Morris said.

The Mailbox: Keeping the faith in Younghoe Koo and finding pass rush help – Will McFadden, AtlantaFalcons.com

Atlanta has something Dallas doesn’t have… questions about their kicker.

Will S. from Summerville, Ga.

Should we be worried about Koo?

Will: It’s a fair question to ask after the normally reliable kicker has missed four kicks in the Falcons’ last four games. Having talked to Younghoe Koo several times over the years, I can assure you he is one of the coolest customers I’ve ever met. He is never too high and never too low, and that’s exactly the type of even-keeled nature I’d want in a kicker. Matt Bryant was that way, too.

It’s worth pointing out that all four of those misses were from beyond 40 yards, including two from at least 50 yards away. Those are obviously going to be a bit more difficult. It’s also worth noting, though, that this year Koo set a new career-high with his 58-yard, game-winning kick against the Saints. His previous best was 54 yards, a distance he’s connected from twice this year already.

Koo has also done a great job articulating different elements of his kicking process and he is a bonafide expert at breaking down the mechanics. That all leads me to believe he knows the corrections to make. Again, I get the question, but at this point I still have plenty of faith.

3 Roster needs the Atlanta Falcons should address ahead of NFL trade deadline – Nick Halden, BloggingDirty.com

Taking a look at positions the Falcons could pursue at the trade deadline.

1. Edge rusher

The Atlanta Falcons have known they needed an elite edge rusher for the last two years. If the team believed they were true contenders, you needed to add at least one consistent edge rushing option. Instead, the team used their first round picks on two positions already filled and focused their free agent signings on continuing to build the offense.

2. Linebacker

The argument against making a move here is the hope a healthy Troy Andersen returns and fixes your problems. However, that is the same logic offered to Nate Landman returning to Atlanta’s lineup. Since his return, it has been clear that something isn’t right with the Atlanta starter. He appears to be a step slow and isn’t finishing plays as well as he was prior to the injury.

3. Receiver depth

Atlanta’s starting trio has been great with Drake London, Darnell Mooney, and Ray-Ray McCloud all playing far above expectations. Still, the Falcons should be considering adding depth to a unit that would struggle to deal with an injury. KhaDarel Hodge and rookie Casey Washington are the team’s current depth pieces. Washington is yet to take the field consistently and Hodge is a career special teams player.

Though to be fair to Hodge, when the receiver was put in one of the season’s biggest moments, he delivered with a touchdown catch and run to beat Tampa in their first matchup. Still, the Falcons have reason to feel they need to improve the position and add a veteran that could step in and contribute rotating with McCloud.

You don’t want to take his speed off the field consistently but having a capable veteran able to step into that role would be a wise move. It protects the Falcons from injuries to the position as well giving much-needed depth. It isn’t going to be high on Atlanta’s priority list but considering the low price of receiver trades around the league it is at least worth serious consideration.