Will the Falcons depth step up or be a liability on Sunday?
The Falcons and Giants are both winless so far in 2021 and week 3 is looking like a desperation matchup for both. New York has the benefit of playing from home on top of coming off of 10 days of rest. The NFL schedule makers have really put the Falcons in an unfavorable position with their second road game against a more rested opponent. Here’s a quick look at the health status of both teams heading into this critical week 3 matchup.
Health Status
Unfortunately, the Falcons come in with several players already ruled out for the game. Starting cornerback A.J. Terrell did not clear the concussion protocol and it looks like T.J. Green will be the next man up on the outside. Wide receiver Russell Gage is still dealing with his ankle and Olamide Zaccheus will likely get the start on the other side of the field from Calvin Ridley. These are two positions with little depth for the Falcons and these injuries hurt. Finally, WR Frank Darby has also been ruled out for the second straight week. There were no other names on the injury report all week, so I guess that’s something.
The only Giant player ruled out is lineback Cam Brown with a hamstring injury. However, they did have quite a few guys limited and several of them are questionable. Wide receiver Kenny Golladay is at the top of the list, though he’s said he will be playing on Sunday. Tight end Evan Engram and defensive back Nate Ebner are also listed as questionable. Running back Saquon Barkley is a name to watch on Sunday. He’s been playing, but may not be back to speed coming off his 2020 ACL tear.
Standings
The Falcons stand alone at the bottom of the NFC South basement. The Panthers sit at the top with a 3-0 record with the Bucs right behind them at 2-0. The Saints dropped to 3rd in the division after the real Jameis Winston showed up to play last Sunday. It’s still early, but Atlanta is quickly losing ground in the division and can’t afford another loss this week.
Fortunately for the Giants, the NFC East doesn’t have an undefeated team. So, while they sit at the bottom of the division at 0-2, they’re not far back from the remainder of the division who all sit at 1-1. While they don’t want to start off 0-3 either, their situation isn’t quite as dire.
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