Drew Brees hikes the ball, drops back and launches it deep right to Michael Thomas for a 35-yard gain. It was evident that it was going to be a high-scoring match, and it was only the first play of the game. And to make matters worse, it didn’t help that the Atlanta Falcons’ defensive stars were all out with injuries. If that wasn’t noticed after the first play, it was when Alvin Kamara had a 17-yard run on the ensuing sequence.

The Falcons are decimated with casualties, and it will affect their entire season.

What Injuries Mean to the Atlanta Falcons Moving Forward

Week Three Injury Report

Entering their Week 3 battle against the archrival New Orleans Saints, the Atlanta Falcons were hampered with injuries, and those missing players affected their play. On the injury report, Atlanta listed the following names as out:

–Keanu Neal, Safety (out for season)

–Deion Jones, Middle Linebacker (out eight weeks)

–Takkarist McKinley, Defensive End (out for the game)

–Derrick Shelby, Defensive Tackle (out for the game)

–Devonta Freeman, Running Back (out for the game)

–Andy Levitre, Offensive Guard (out for season)

To compound the matter, the team suffered what seemed like nonstop injuries throughout the Saints game. Perhaps the most-evident losses were Jones and Neal. Jones is one of the best linebackers in the league and is a huge part of the Falcons’ front seven. Asked to play coverage frequently, he covers the middle of the field and has the range to make tackles at all three levels. Jones’ impact is always when available, and it was clear the Falcons were missing his presence.

Neal is one of the best young safeties in football. Without their hard-hitting defensive back, Atlanta gave up some big chunk plays that may not have happened with him out there.

During Game Injuries

Of course, all the players above weren’t the only ones to suffer injuries for this Falcons team. The team also had a number of players go down during the game.

–Ricardo Allen, Safety

–Foye Oluokun, Linebacker

Oluokun went down late in the fourth quarter of the game. He was able to return late, but his status is still up in the air for next week. Oluokun was filling in for the injured Jones. His injury could be disastrous for the team as they are very thin at the position.

But linebacker isn’t the only spot on the roster where the team’s depth is being tested. After Allen went down, the Falcons looked to struggle greatly on the back end. Allen was officially listed as out for the year after tearing his Achilles. This leaves second-year safety Damontae Kazee as the teams only feasible starter going forward, and even he struggled to take on such a big role late in the game.

What the Injuries Mean for the Team Going Forward

After posting consecutive 30-plus point performances, it’s clear the Atlanta Falcons offense is taking shape. The main struggle lies on defense though. With all the injuries this team has suffered, that side of the ball could falter against the offenses it will face this season.

The bright side, however, is the offensive firepower. More specifically, the likes of rookie wide receiver Calvin Ridley. Ridley finally settled into the offense and came up big for the team. Ridley finished the game with seven receptions for 146 yards and three touchdowns. He was the first rookie wide receiver since 2014 to put up three receiving scores in a contest. It’s safe to say Atlanta’s offense will deliver significantly. Now it’s just a matter of how well the team can perform defensively in order to stay in games.