Turns out, guard Justin Blalock isn't a huge fan of the view from the sideline.
It had been 102 straight games since he's been relegated to that as the longest current streak of starts among Falcons came to an end Sunday in a loss to the Giants. Blalock, who suffered a back injury in a loss to Minnesota, found himself uncomfortable watching his teammates play in New York, but it looks like the view could be short-lived.
"It sucked," Blalock said of being inactive last week. "I can't lie. It was very weird. I didn't know where to be half the time. It was just a very surreal experience — something that I didn't enjoy very much. At the same time, I have to be smart with what's going on, so we're working very closely with the (Athletic Performance) staff to monitor everything and be smart about the situation."
Blalock said before Wednesday's practice that he'd be participating in the day's session, but didn't say whether he'd be limited or a full participant. As far as Sunday's game against Chicago, Blalock said that decision depends on what he's able to do this week and that "we're going to see" if he's back in the starting lineup.
The injury occurred, Blalock said, in a non-contact way. He said he took a wrong step and felt his back just go out on him. He said that there might have been a hint pregame at Minnesota that his back might be an issue but nothing that would have caused him to sit out that game.
The streak, he said, didn't play into the decision to play or sit out against New York.
"I think, ultimately, I didn't want to go out there and be a detriment to the team just for my own vanity," Blalock said. "I don't think the streak was something that's going to go on my tombstone or anything. We have bigger things going on."
