Falcons to be without critical piece, possibly more for Bucs

The Falcons are preparing for a critical game in Tampa Bay against the Buccaneers for first place in the NFC South, but they’ll be shorthanded.

The team announced on Friday that they’ll be without Troy Andersen for the fourth game in a row, sparking questions as to why the club didn’t place him on the injured reserve. They probably had hoped Andersen would heal faster than he has.

Back to the task at hand, Andersen’s absence is brutal. Once thought of as a position of strength, the linebacker unit has been a weakness thus far. Nate Landman and Andersen have been in and out of the lineup all season, but this week, in particular, was important for Andersen.

While the Falcons are shorthanded, the Bucs are in a worse way. Chris Godwin and Mike Evans are both out, leading me to believe that Atlanta is going to get a heavy dosage of tight ends and running backs in the passing game. Troy Andersen would’ve helped in that regard.

To piggyback off of that, the Falcons could also be without Justin Simmons, who was designated as questionable with a hamstring injury. The defense has already been shaky, so losing Jessie Bates’ running mate certainly won’t help stop the bleeding.

Moreover, the Falcons could also be on their third-string center in Matt Hennessy, with Ryan Neuzil listed as questionable. This could be a battle of depth on Sunday with the division up for grabs.

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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire