ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 16: Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons passes against the Carolina Panthers at the Georgia Dome on October 16, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
Good news, bad news time.
The good news is that the Falcons are mostly healthy. Julio Jones and Michael Turner are probable for the game and practiced fully on Friday, and both should have big games against a Panthers defense that's about as useless as eyeglasses on an earthworm. In fact, there's a long list of probables here on both sides of the ball, which is encouraging. This is the second-toughest game the Falcons have left on the slate, after all.
Now for the bad news. Brent Grimes it out, as we already knew, but Kelvin Hayden is also doubtful. That marks the second straight week where the Falcons will go without two of their top three cornerbacks. While Chris Owens and Dominique Franks can probably continue to approximate Hayden's value, they don't come close to touching Grimes. It'll be uphill against Cam Newton.
Stephen Nicholas is also doubtful. Thankfully, the Panthers are a running team first and foremost, and Mike Peterson still provides terrific value against the run. If Nicholas has to miss another game or two, it's a good thing it's against the Panthers and Jaguars.
Will Svitek is also questionable. If he can't go—and I suspect that may be the case—Sam Baker will make his return to the starting lineup. Where's your rejoicing, Falcons fans?
Check out the full injury report here. Then share your observations with us...well, here.


There are 13 Comments. Load Now.
Shortcuts to mastering the comment thread. Use wisely.
C - Next Comment
X - Mark as Read
R - Reply
Z - Mark Read & Next
Shift + C - Previous
Shift + A - Mark All Read
Comment Settings
Live comment alert: Hide it!
Comments for this post are closed.