Updated Falcons Injury Report: 2 Key Players Out
Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell and wide receiver Russell Gage were held out of practice on Thursday ahead of Sunday's game with the New York Giants.
UPDATE: Terrell, Gage and rookie wide receiver Frank Darby have been ruled out for the Giants game.
Terrell suffered a concussion on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and must be cleared by the NFL before he's allowed to play again.
Gage has been battling an ankle injury and looks to be a game-day decision.
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Terrell has arguably been Atlanta's best defender through the first two games and would be a big miss against quarterback Daniel Jones and the Giants. He's fifth on the team in tackles despite missing significant time last week in Tampa.
T.J. Green would likely fill his role should Terrell not be able to go on Sunday, leaving Isaiah Oliver in a nickel role that has allowed him a bit more freedom and success.
Oliver is seventh on the team in tackles with seven thus far on the young season. He's only allowed three of seven completions in which he's been targeted. His 42.9-percent completion rate is significantly better than the 70% he allowed last year.
Gage was held out of the preseason games with the majority of the Falcons starters, but his season has yet to get going because of a lingering ankle problem. He only has five catches for 28 yards.
The Falcons desperately need another wide receiver to step up and take some pressure off Calvin Ridley on the outside. Ridley leads the team in receiving with 12 catches for 114 yards, but the Falcons next four leading receivers are tight ends and running backs.
The Falcons worked out speedy veteran receiver John Brown on Wednesday, but that has yet to lead to an addition to the team.
Rookie receiver Frank Darby was the only other Falcon listed on their injury report on Thursday. He was held out last week because of a calf problem.
The Falcons head to New Jersey to take on the Giants at MetLife stadium on Sunday. Currently Atlanta is a three-point underdog.
If Terrell and Gage are unable to go on Sunday, the spread could widen as they are important players to the defense and offense respectively.
