Falcons' D takes another hit as Deion Jones placed on IR
The Atlanta Falcons, already suffering from the loss of Pro Bowl safety Keanu Neal for the season, have announced that linebacker Deion Jones will be placed on the Injured Reserve list. Jones suffered a foot injury during the Falcons’ first game, and further tests revealed a need for Jones to go on IR.
Injured during Thursday night loss
The Falcons’ season-opening loss to Philadelphia is proving to be a costly one. Neal left the game early with a knee injury, and Jones, also a Pro Bowler, reported pain in his foot following the game.
“We are bummed for Deion, but we do expect to get him back at some point this season,” head coach Dan Quinn said. “He represents all that we are looking for in a Falcon player, and while he will not be on the field for us right now, he will continue to have a presence in our building.”
Against Philadelphia on Thursday night, Jones had a game-high nine tackles and returned an interception for 20 yards:
Look what @Debo found! pic.twitter.com/GDxMLb5JNJ
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) September 7, 2018
Falcons’ future on D
Losing both Neal and Jones is a tough blow for the Falcons, one of the NFC teams forecast as a playoff contender and decent Super Bowl bet. To accommodate the defensive roster holes, the Falcons signed linebacker Corey Nelson and safety Keith Tandy, among others, on Monday. And the offense must now step up and pave over the defense’s lapses; if the defense gives up 28 points, the Atlanta offense will need to score 31 … not impossible, given the talent on that side of the ball, but a tall order given the questions surrounding offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. It’s all yet another challenge for a franchise still chasing that elusive first ring.
____
Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.
More from Yahoo Sports:
• You won’t believe what Marshawn Lynch looked like in H.S.
• Pat Forde: College FB games to split contenders from pretenders
• Jets embarrass Lions in Coach Patricia’s debut
• NFL Power Rankings: Defense is the key
