Julio Jones Is OUT Against the Panthers

If Atlanta can get the win on Sunday, there's a promising schedule ahead
Julio Jones Is OUT Against the Panthers
Julio Jones Is OUT Against the Panthers /

To say no one expected the Atlanta Falcons to begin the season 0-4 is a bit of an exaggeration, especially to fans who swore off the team after two consecutive seasons of losing football under head coach Dan Quinn.

That said, it is more than a little befuddling to watch the Falcons lose in the manner in which they have, as the team has squandered two games (against the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears) that should undoubtedly be sitting in the “win” column heading into Week 5.

In Atlanta's other two losses, they were blown out by the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers, which doesn't bode well for the Falcons should they turn the season around and make the playoffs.

While this is a winless team on paper, they profile more as a 2-2 ball club, and could easily be right in the thick of the NFC playoff picture. Instead, they are on the outside looking in, although the schedule is promising, starting with a rebuilding Carolina Panthers opponent Sunday afternoon in Atlanta.

After Sunday’s match against the Panthers, the Falcons will play the Vikings, the Lions, Carolina once more and the Broncos – four teams with a combined 5-11 entering this week – before heading into a Week 10 bye.

Atlanta can conceivably run the table leading up to that bye week, at which point they’d be 5-4, an identical record through nine games as the 2017 squad that went to the second round of the playoffs.

Yes, it’s wishful thinking, but right now, that’s all Atlanta fans can hope for. 

Injury Report

Atlanta –

Out: WR Julio Jones, S Jaylinn Hawkins

Carolina –

Out: CB Eli Apple

Team Rankings

Total Offense (Yards Per Game)

Atlanta – 8th

Carolina – 12th

Total Defense

Atlanta – 31st

Carolina – 11th

Offensive DVOA (Football Outsiders)

Atlanta – 21st

Carolina – 14th

Defensive DVOA

Atlanta – 25th

Carolina – 28th

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Sunday, Oct. 11, 1:00 p.m. EDT

Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium

TV: FOX

Radio: 92.9 The Game (Atlanta)

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Published
Daniel Comer
DANIEL COMER

Daniel is a do-it-all sports media professional with a background in television production and newspaper writing. In addition to his role as weekend editor at Falcon Report, he's a contributor to FantasyPros.com and Peachtree Hoops.  Previous stops include STATS Perform, The Irish Times, the Miami Marlins and "Around the Horn" on ESPN.