The Atlanta Falcons are set to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 15. Take a look at the Dirty Birds injury report heading into the weekend.
The Atlanta Falcons have rebounded after dropping to 3-3, as they’ve won five of their last seven games, improving to 8-5. Not only have they climbed back into the NFC Playoff picture, but they still have a shot at winning their second-straight NFC South title. If they can pull off another victory over the Buccaneers in Week 15, their postseason odds will continue to skyrocket.
That being said, there are questions regarding some of the Falcons biggest contributors heading into Monday night.
Take a look at what the Falcons latest injury report looks like, according to Kelsey Conway from the team’s official website:
"The Falcons were back to work on Thursday, preparing for a Monday night prime-time matchup in Tampa against the Buccaneers. And they were doing so without the services of defensive end Adrian Clayborn (hamstring), running back Tevin Coleman (concussion) and Andy Levitre (triceps).Wide receiver Mohamed Sanu (knee), tight end Eric Saubert (back) and guard Wes Schweitzer (groin) were all limited participants in practice."
Unfortunately for Atlanta, it looks as though they could be playing without Adrian Clayborn, the team’s sack-leader through 14 weeks. Hamstring injuries tend to linger, so the team must consider whether this match-up against Tampa Bay is worth risking Clayborn re-injuring his muscle and possibly missing the Falcons last two games against the Saints and Panthers.
I’ll put it this way, if the Dirty Birds cannot beat the Bucs without the former Iowa Hawkeyes defensive-end, they don’t deserve to be playing for a division championship the following weekends. Be smart Atlanta. If Clayborn isn’t ready, don’t force the issue.
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In case you were wondering, the same thing goes for Falcons running back Tevin Coleman. Sure, this battle in Raymond James Stadium is important, but not nearly as crucial as the Falcons last two games of 2017. With Devonta Freeman healthy, Atlanta has a great opportunity to give Coleman some extra rest.