Justin Durant Out Thursday vs. Saints
Atlanta Falcons linebacker Justin Durant will miss his second consecutive game on Thursday vs. the Saints after suffering ligament damage in his elbow.
ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure reports that while there is no timetable set for Justin Durant’s return to the Atlanta Falcons’ defense, his injury is not that serious, and will not require surgery. Head Coach Dan Quinn said that Justin Durant’s condition is improving, though he is not yet at 100 percent.
-= Related: Julio Jones Probable for TNF vs. Saints =-
With the Atlanta Falcons’ possessing depth at the linebacker position, Dan Quinn can afford to give Justin Durant more time to recover. Joplo Bartu and Nate Stupar have stepped in and played well for the Atlanta Falcons’ defense in Justin Durant’s absence.
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Justin Durant was one of the Atlanta Falcons’ key defensive acquisitions this offseason. The former Dallas Cowboy has performed well this year, anchoring a defense that has improved from worst in the league last season to middle of the pack this year.
In other news for the Atlanta Falcons, center Mike Person will also be out against the New Orleans Saints on Thursday. Person, who has been a pleasant surprise for the Atlanta Falcons on an overachieving offensive line, sprained his ankle last week against the Washington Redskins.
In Person’s absence, James Stone will take over the duties of snapping the ball to Matt Ryan. Persons and the rest of the offensive line has performed very well so far this season in Kyle Shanahan’s zone blocking scheme, in a stark contrast to their performance a year ago. The O-Line has given running back Devonta Freeman adequate blocking to accrue his league leading 8 TD’s on the season, while also giving Matt Ryan time to throw the ball to his receivers.
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Even with these two key injuries, the Atlanta Falcons looked primed to get to 6-0 against their bitter division rivals on Thursday night. Julio Jones will likely play, as will Leonard Hankerson. Hankerson suffered an injury to his ribs against Washington last Sunday, but returned in the second half.
It will be interesting to see the adjustments Dan Quinn makes to counter an always dangerous Saints passing attack led by Drew Brees. Records are thrown at the window when these two teams play; and even though the New Orleans Saints are 1-4, they are nonetheless a dangerous team — especially at home.
Next: Atlanta Falcons Play Saints in Big Easy on TNF
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