ESPN has a new Falcons beat reporter in Vaughn McClure, and he's not wasting much time getting down to the reporting. We appreciate that.
McClure has a league source that tells him that S-Jax doesn't have a thigh injury, but a hamstring injury. That injury appears likely to keep him out for the next 3-4 weeks, with the bye week coming at an opportune time for Jackson to finish healing up:
The Atlanta Falcons running back, who missed Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dolphins while nursing a hamstring injury, is still expected to be sidelined another two to three weeks, according to a league source. That means Jackson is set to miss Sunday night's showdown with the Patriots.
Jackson sustained the setback -- originally called a thigh injury -- in the first quarter of a Week 2 win over his former team, the Rams. He exited that game immediately after scoring an eight-yard touchdown off a pass from Matt Ryan.
The Falcons aren't even telling us where injuries actually are at this point, not that it particularly matters. What matters is that the Falcons will be rolling with Jacquizz Rodgers and Jason Snelling until the bye, which isn't that disconcerting when you consider how well they did against the Dolphins. They have a decent matchup against the Patriots approaching, as well.
Let's hope Jackson is over whatever his injury is soon, and that he's back and ready to carry the load by the second half of the season. Your thoughts?