Falcons suffer blow: Key defensive player sideline
The Atlanta Falcons may be without one of their most productive defensive linemen in Sunday’s Week 11 game against the Denver Broncos.
Defensive end James Smith-Williams, who leads the Falcons with seven tackles for loss, suffered an undisclosed injury on the first play of the second half in Atlanta’s 20-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 10.
Smith-Williams later returned to the game, but his long-term prognosis isn’t promising, according to Falcons head coach Raheem Morris.
“Not great,” Morris said during his press conference Monday. “We’ll have some things there that we have to talk about and reevaluate over the course of the next couple of days with him.”
The 27-year-old Smith-Williams has started the Falcons’ last five games and has appeared in all 10 contests during his first season with the organization.
Previously with the Washington Commanders for the past four yars, Smith-Williams has recorded 24 tackles, one sack and two quarterback hits while playing 46% of Atlanta’s defensive snaps.
Smith-Williams was limited in practice last Wednesday and Thursday and did not participate Friday due to a tibia injury. He was not on the official game report, meaning he was cleared to play. He not only started but overcame an eight-play injury absence to match a season-high 55% of snaps played.
The Falcons, who have an NFL-low nine sacks, used a variety of players on the edge, including practice squad promotion Khalid Kareem and 2022 third-round pick DeAngelo Malone, who played defensively for the second consecutive week after spending the first eight weeks solely on special teams.
Atlanta will practice for the first time this week Wednesday, when an official injury report will not only disclose the injury to Smith-Williams, but also the severity in relation to his immediate status.
The Falcons (6-4) return to action at 4:05 p.m. Sunday against the Denver Broncos (5-5) inside Empower Stadium at Mile High in Denver.
