It might be a long afternoon for the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
The 4-8 Falcons are touchdown home underdogs to the Seattle Seahawks in their Week 14 matchup. Any average NFL fan can tell that these teams are not on the same level. Or even close, for that matter.
Add in the injury factor, and this game could be a nightmare for Atlanta.
The Seattle Seahawks released their injury report on Friday, and it is shockingly empty.
Meanwhile, the Falcons will be without their starting quarterback, top pass-catcher, and sack leader.
If one would consider the Seahawks to be at full strength… the Falcons are whatever the opposite is of that.
Only Two Seahawks Will Miss the Falcons Game
Whether it is the blowout wins, the shutdown defense, or Mike Macdonald’s coaching ability, there is a lot to like about the Seattle Seahawks.
But the best thing about them right now is their health.
With Julian Love and Jarran Reed back at practice, Seattle is getting healthy at the right time.
Friday’s injury report was practically empty.
With respect to Dareke Young and Rylie Mills, that is the exact type of December injury report you want to see if you’re a Seahawks fan.
Mills is a fifth-round rookie who entered the season with preexisting injuries and Young is primarily a special teams contributor with only two catches this year.
I think the Seahawks can survive without them.
On the flip side, safety Julian Love and defensive tackle Jarran Reed both returned to practice this week. Both defenders were key parts in Seattle’s excellent defense, and both had been sidelined for multiple weeks.
Love, a 2023 Pro Bowler, played in just three games this season before suffering a hamstring injury in September. He was later placed on injured reserve and had to watch the Seahawks stack wins in October and November.
Another impact defensive player getting back on the field for Seattle is Reed. For Reed, it was a wrist and thumb injury that kept him out of the Seahawks’ last four games. Reed is a solid defensive tackle who can open up space for other defenders, as well as generate interior pressure by himself. He has 1.5 sacks this year.
It is honestly remarkable how healthy the Seattle Seahawks are. All of their main contributors are good to go, and they have looked plenty impressive with backups. Rookie wide receiver Tory Horton Jr. (on injured reserve with a shin injury) is the team’s only real absence.
Falcons Without Drake London and Brandon Dorlus
Unfortunately for the Falcons, the injury luck has not come to Atlanta.
Drake London has missed the last two games with a left knee strain, and he’ll be out for this game as well. London is an obvious talent with 810 receiving yards and six touchdowns, but defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus, who leads Atlanta with six sacks, will also miss the game on Sunday.
To make matters worse, Falcons defensive linemen James Pearce Jr. and David Onyemata are listed as questionable.
Oh, and Michael Penix Jr. is out for the year with a knee injury. That leaves the 37-year-old statuesque quarterback Kirk Cousins to play against this ferocious Seahawks defense.
Good luck.
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