If the Atlanta Falcons are going to get a much-needed win against the Minnesota Vikings, they will likely be without two of their offensive stars in the game. While Matt Ryan is denying an injuries, other players have not been so lucky. Both Leonard Hankerson and Devonta Freeman are not expected to be healthy for the Week 12 matchup which will put pressure on Ryan to play his best.
According to ESPN's Vaughn McClure, both Freeman and Hankerson are being ruled out for the game against the Vikings. Freeman suffered a concussion in Week 11 and has yet to be cleared play while undergoing the league's concussion protocol. That is a huge hit for the ground game considering the star Freeman has been this year. Tevin Coleman will get the start against the Vikings while rookie Terron Ward files in as the lead backup.
Hankerson will also be out. The wide receiver has been battling hamstring injuries for the past few weeks. He managed to get on the field against the Colts and scored a touchdown, but he has yet to practice this week while hope is not high that he returns in time. Hankerson has been one of Ryan's most reliable targets this year and missing him over the past few games has hurt. Julio Jones, Roddy White and Jacob Tamme will lead the unit while either Nick Williams or Justin Hardy acts as the third option.
One player not suffering from injuries is Matt Ryan. The quarterback has stressed that his lack of playmaking and recent knack for turnovers has not been because of a health issue, but because he simply is not playing well. According to head coach Dan Quinn, Ryan is fine with the rest of the team confident he can make a turnaround this year.
"I'm 100 percent healthy," Ryan said, via ESPN.com. "And I think I've said this probably five or six different times now. And hopefully, this will be the last time I have to talk about that."
The Falcons need a win. Another loss and the team's season will be put on ice as they still stand a chance at getting the NFC Wild Card spot. If the team is panicking, they certainly are not showing it. Jones told the media that Ryan cannot have the blame placed on his for the Falcons' recent struggles. Everyone must take blame, but he remains confident that a turnaround is still possible. Jones is chasing Calvin Johnson's single-season receiving record, but he is thinking more about improvement than record breaking.
"I think he's going to be there," Jones said, via ESPN.com. "He's not the type of guy to get in the tank. Everybody has bad games. I think, just as a whole -- catching the ball, right assignments, keys and everything, who we're blocking -- I think it's the whole offense. You just can't pick out one guy."
