Heading into a tough matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Falcons have a few key players getting healthier, but there are still a number of starters who were held out of practice to start the week.
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Four starters did not participate in Wednesday's practice, including All-Pro receiver Julio Jones, who has missed the previous two games due to a hamstring injury that has plagued him throughout the season. Alongside Jones, cornerback Darqueze Dennard, center Alex Mack and guard James Carpenter also sat out practice. As they prepare to face the league's most explosive offense, the Falcons had some key defenders limited, including linebacker Deion Jones and safeties Ricardo Allen and Keanu Neal.
Here is the Falcons' injury report from Wednesday:
| Player | Injury | Wednesday |
|---|---|---|
| CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson | Illness | Full participation |
| TE Jaeden Graham | Neck | Full participation |
| DE Jacob Tuioti-Mariner | Elbow | Full participation |
| S Keanu Neal | Hamstring | Limited participation |
| S Ricardo Allen | Concussion | Limited participation |
| LB Deion Jones | Toe | Limited participation |
| DE Steven Means | Hand | Limited participation |
| DT Marlon Davidson | Knee | Limited participation |
| WR Julio Jones | Hamstring | Did not participate |
| CB Darqueze Dennard | Quad | Did not participate |
| C Alex Mack | Concussion | Did not participate |
| G James Carpenter | Groin | Did not participate |
What it means
Atlanta gave Tampa Bay all it could handle with a few starters missing last week, but Kansas City presents an entirely different challenge, altogether. If this game turns into a shootout, the Falcons will want to have Jones, Mack and Carpenter on the field to give the offense a boost. The five defenders listed as limited on Wednesday could play a role in helping prevent that from happening, however. It's almost impossible to stop the Chiefs' offense, so the Falcons will want all hands on deck to help slow them down and keep pace.
