Akeem Dent Sustained Concussion Versus Baltimore

Yikes. Doubles yikes. Yikes like whoa. Yeah, I said it, like whoa. And I can, because it's my birthday. So there!

According to Mike Smith, Akeem Dent suffered a concussion in the game against Baltimore. And for the moment, Mike Peterson will be the starter at MLB.

With 14th-year veteran Mike Peterson taking Dent's spot Saturday in practice, Smith didn't seem concerned about the situation at middle linebacker, but the specter of injuries is one that haunts every NFL team.

Smith has made it a stated goal in camp and preseason games that the Falcons will do everything in their control to avoid injuries.

Can't blame Smith. Can't blame the coaching staff. These things happen, because after all, this is the NFL. There's still some depth there. Peterson is capable and for whatever reason, the coaching staff believes in Robert James.

Join me after the jump and we'll break this down.

First of all, don't freak out. We have food. Most of us have jobs. Our pets all have their heads.

Seriously though, in case you missed it, MLBs aren't very important in a Nolan defense anyway. He indulges quite regularly in big nickel-related shenanigans. Practically speaking, if Peterson and/or James can serve as capable run blockers on first down, we should be good.

Second, this is just a concussion. Guess what? They happen a lot in the NFL. He will be back sooner rather than later.

Third, Dent is not a rookie. He's had time with this terminology, and this isn't the beginning of training camp. Once he gets his mind right - literally and figuratively - he should be able to jump right back in the mix.

All in all, this isn't catastrophic by any means. So relax, take a deep breath, and put on some slow jams. Nothing to see here.