Falcons-Seahawks post-game injury report: playing while hurt is a Falcons speciality

The Atlanta Falcons figured out a way to beat the Seattle Seahawks tonight. They played a solid football game, notwithstanding some spectacularly bad special teams play and a near comeback by the Seahawks late in the fourth quarter. We’ll have plenty of in-depth coverage of the game in the days ahead, but there were injuries tonight, so let’s break them down.

Keanu Neal got run over by Mike Davis in the first quarter and looked concussed. He left the game after the vicious hit, visiting the treatment tent on the sideline. They apparently put him through the concussion protocol and then let him re-enter the game during the second quarter. He played some angry football from that point on, laying out Jimmy Graham a couple times. So in short, he appears to be fine.

Matt Bosher and Julio Jones played solid football tonight while obviously nursing injuries. Bosher kept throwing himself at Tyler Lockett, which is probably not the best idea when you’re navigating ankle and hamstring injuries. His punts weren’t the booming variety we’ve grown accustomed to. Jones similarly played through various ailments tonights; he was seen writhing in pain a few times on the sideline. Finally it’s apparent that Matt Bryant isn’t 100 percent yet. Head coach Dan Quinn deliberately passed on a 57 yard field goal opportunity in the fourth quarter, sending Bosher out to punt instead. Normally he’d probably give “Money” a shot at knocking it down, but not tonight.

Brian Poole was injured with seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. It looked like his back was hurt, but the game ended shortly after he was helped off the field, so the extent of his injury isn’t clear at this point. Definitely worth keeping an eye on in the week ahead.

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