The Falcons will be without some key starters on Sunday against the Chargers. It was announced on Friday that Julio Jones would be out for the game due to a hamstring injury, but the injury report reveals a couple more starters who will miss action.
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Safety Ricardo Allen has been ruled out due to a concussion and offensive guard James Carpenter will miss his second straight game due to a groin injury. Running back Todd Gurley did not participate in Friday's practice, but he often receives one day of rest per week and is not listed on the final game report, suggesting he will play on Sunday. Also of note, Kaleb McGary is listed as questionable due to a personal matter, and offensive line assistant Bob Kronenberg will not travel with the team. Diversity coaching fellow Nick Jones will handle Kronenberg's duties on Sunday.
Here is the Falcons' injury report from Friday:
| Player | Injury | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Game status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB Todd Gurley | Knee | Limited participation | Limited participation | Did not participate | N/A |
| S Keanu Neal | Ankle | Limited participation | Limited participation | Limited participation | N/A |
| DE Dante Fowler | Hamstring | Limited participation | Limited participation | Limited participation | N/A |
| RB Ito Smith | Neck | Limited participation | Limited participation | Full participation | N/A |
| LB Foye Oluokun | Neck | Limited participation | Limited participation | Full participation | N/A |
| TE Hayden Hurst | Ankle | Limited participation | Limited participation | Limited participation | N/A |
| DE Jacob Tuioti-Mariner | Neck | Limited participation | Limited participation | Full participation | N/A |
| DT Grady Jarrett | Groin | Limited participation | Limited participation | Limited participation | N/A |
| P Sterling Hofrichter | Right hamstring | Did not participate | Limited participation | Full participation | N/A |
| WR Julio Jones | Hamstring | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Out |
| S Ricardo Allen | Concussion | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Out |
| G James Carpenter | Groin | Did not participate | Did not participate | Did not participate | Out |
| OT Kaleb McGary | Personal matter | N/A | Did not participate | Did not participate | Questionable |
| FB Keith Smith | Neck | N/A | Full participation | Full participation | N/A |
What it means
The absence of Julio Jones is obviously a big deal. The Chargers have one of the league's best pass defenses, and Jones can completely warp a team's coverage with his presence alone. Now, Calvin Ridley will be the team's top option at receiver. Ricardo Allen's absence is also noteworthy, as the Falcons are already without Damontae Kazee, who has been on IR for most of the season. When James Carpenter missed last week's game against the Saints, Justin McCray got the start at left guard. That figures to again be the case.
