The Atlanta Falcons will not be making the playoffs this season meaning the final game of the year is an audition for several players to prove they deserve to stick around. After a win over the Carolina Panthers, the Falcons have a lot of confidence heading into their showdown with the New Orleans Saints as injuries to Matt Ryan, Tevin Coleman and Vic Beasley could be a factor in Week 17.
In the short-term, the Falcons have some injury concerns as they aim to try and finish above .500 this season following a six-game losing streak. Matt Ryan was hurting following several shots to the ribs against the Panthers. According to ESPN's Vaughn McClure, Ryan dealt with some lingering rib and hip pain following the game, but expects to be fine for the matchup against the Saints. Coleman is another player hoping to be back for the season finale. The rookie running back did not have the year he was expecting to as fumbles were a big issue. He is currently under the league's concussion protocol, but there is hope he can get on the field against the Saints. The same can be said for Beasley who is suffering from a torn labrum in his right shoulder. It did not seem to bother him against the Panthers as he had a dominant game, but it is preventing him from getting that double-digit sack goal. Beasley is not making excuses.
"No excuses, not at all," Beasley said, via ESPN.com. "I mean, I had the labrum injury, but I'm a tough guy. I play through pain. It hasn't limited me from anything. I worked hard throughout (organized team activities) and throughout the spring and tried to come out here and put my best foot forward for this organization."
Head coach Dan Quinn told the media that the final game of the season will be a partial evaluation for some players as the Falcons continue to rebuild. According to McClure, players like William Moore are at risk of getting released this offseason while O'Brien Schofield, Philip Wheeler and Phillip Adams are all playing on one-year contracts. Quinn admits he is looking for younger players to make an impression. Kemal Ishmael and Ra'Shede Hageman are aiming to prove they can stick around while others need extensions.
"Well, for sure, it can help some guys out," Quinn said, via ESPN.com. "If it's just one guy that maybe makes the impression, are we going to feature him in different ways to do something, usually that's with the younger guys. With most of the veteran guys, I have a pretty good understanding of all the strengths that they have and what they can bring to the team, but for sure there's probably a player or two that I want to make sure there's something to find out and gain from, and we'll see that."
There were some veterans on the team on expiring contracts that could be at risk of getting released. Moore is one of them while Roddy White is another. According to Quinn via the Atlanta Journal Constitution, White is headed nowhere as the receiver will finish out his career in Atlanta. The veteran might not have had the season he was hoping for as Atlanta will need to address receiver depth in the offseason. Leonard Hankerson was a failed experiment while Justin Hardy and Nick Williams struggled to develop. With youth coming in, White is still not in danger of leaving the team regardless of moves made in the offseason.
