The San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons released their final injury reports on Friday, and both sides have some notable names sidelined. We broke down the 49ers report here, and now it’s time for the Falcons report. Atlanta will be without wide receiver Julio Jones due to a turf toe injury, but they will also be missing cornerback Jalen Collins due to a knee injury. We chatted with Davie Choate from The Falcoholic to get his thoughts on the various Falcons injuries.
Out
WR Julio Jones: Still dealing with an ailing toe, Julio will have to miss his second straight dream matchup against an NFC West opponent. Arguably the best receiver in the NFL, Jones has had another stellar season marred by ailments and a handful of bad drops. Without him in the game, you'll see Mohamed Sanu, speedy threat Taylor Gabriel, and second year pro Justin Hardy getting more snaps. I'd also expect the Falcons to run the ball a ton.
CB Jalen Collins: The second year pro was doing a solid job as the team's second cornerback with superstar Desmond Trufant on injured reserve, mixing at least average coverage with physicality and quality tackling. Without him, the Falcons are down to Robert Alford and a bunch of largely unproven players at cornerback, though UDFA rookie Brian Poole has been very good.
S Kemal Ishmael: He just hit injured reserve. Ishmael isn't a starter and isn't a household name, but he's provided useful depth at safety and linebacker, and he's a core special teamer. The Falcon will feel his absence, with LaRoy Reynolds and Paul Worrilow getting more time on both special teams and at linebacker, and with Robenson Therezie stepping into a bigger role at safety.
We're waiting to see if a few players on the border won't play, but suffice to say the 49ers will have an easier time than normal both containing the passing game and passing on the Falcons.