The Falcons have held the health advantage over their opponents in most weeks. On Sunday, Atlanta drew a Tennessee club that was without Ryan Tannehill.
The Titans started Will Levis in place of Tannehill. It was the rookie second-round pick’s NFL debut, which looked like a promising proposition for a Falcons defense that had been one of the best in the league. Unfortunately, I think everyone underestimated the abilities of Levis.
The second-round pick torched Atlanta’s defense to the tune of four touchdown passes, three of which came on perfect deep balls that couldn’t have been placed better if he had handed them off. It was one of the best NFL debuts of all time, and the Falcons are hoping they don’t see a repeat performance from another rookie quarterback this weekend.
Kirk Cousins suffered a torn Achilles in Sunday’s win over the Green Bay Packers, which means the Falcons will draw Jaren Hall.
Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles today, per source. An MRI will be taken to confirm.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 29, 2023
The Falcons will certainly be favorites on Sunday in Atlanta, but they won’t be fully healthy. Atlanta suffered maybe the biggest loss they possibly could with Grady Jarrett going down with a torn ACL.
Jarrett is the heart and soul of this Falcons team. His impact on the field speaks for itself; his production won’t simply be replaced, but his presence off the field might be missed more.
The Falcons will once again face a backup quarterback, but I wouldn’t count on a victory. We just saw Will Levis dice Atlanta’s defense up, and without their best defensive player, Ryan Nielsen’s unit will have to be ready for a Minnesota offense that likely won’t be easy to prepare for with no film on Hall.
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