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Ito Smith carted off the field during Rams, ruled out with head and neck injury

The running back was in clear discomfort.

NFL: OCT 13 Falcons at Cardinals Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Ito Smith left the Rams game on Sunday after getting run over by linebacker Cory Littleton on a failed 3rd-and-10 pass. He laid flat on the field, then slowly got up before the cart came out.

Smith already missed time this season with a concussion. If he suffered another concussion, he will likely be out for an extended period of time. Players typically do not return to the game after leaving the field on a cart.

Ito was unusually high here in pass protection. It does not seem like Littleton went low or was intentionally trying to hit Smith in the helmet.

The Falcons will rely on Devonta Freeman, Brian Hill, and maybe return specialist Kenjon Barner at running back for the remaining three quarters of the game.

Update: Smith is questionable with a head injury, which almost certainly means he’s undergoing concussion testing. He is most likely out for the next few weeks.

Update II: Smith is officially ruled out at halftime. The addition of a neck injury suggests he may be dealing with more than a concussion. Regardless, he is looking at a multi-week injury.