The Atlanta Falcons continue to deal with injuries as they aim to bounce-back after two straight losses to the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants. The team has been stripped at the offensive line while Roddy White and Julio Jones remain the only constants at the wide receiver position. The Falcons face the Chicago Bears on Sunday and are in need of a win to get motivation moving in their favor. However, several marquee players are once again in doubt to play.
Wednesday's injury report was very long for the Falcons and included both Devin Hester and Harry Douglas which could be a major blow to the Falcons offense which is already inconsistent to begin with. According to head coach Mike Smith, Hester is dealing with a hamstring issue while Douglas continues to nurse a deep bruise in his left foot. Smith is confident that Hester will be ready to play against his former team, noting his status was not up in the air just because he did not practice. He also remains hopeful Douglas will be active as well after missing two weeks of play.
Having both Douglas and Hester on the field could provide some offensive relief for quarterback Matt Ryan. Getting all of the wide receivers on the field could make up for the lack of a run game the Falcons are operating with. Right now, Antone Smith is the best on the ground, but he is not getting enough carries to make a consistent impact. Instead, the Falcons continue to try and get Steven Jackson to resurrect his career, an effort that is failing.
A lot has been made about the Falcons over the past two weeks as a number of NFL experts question just how committed owner Arthur Blank is to Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff. The Falcons' struggles cannot be ignored. The team is fresh off a 4-12 season and now sit as 2-3 on the year having yet to win on the road. Blank made it very clear that there would be no mid-season changes taking place in Atlanta.
"I would say to you, and I mean it sincerely: I have confidence in the coaching staff and the GM and the players. I'm not speculating during the season about what might happen after the season. That's not compatible with doing what I should be expected to do," Blank said, via Atlanta Journal Constitution.