The Falcons’ defensive front is taking another hit just as they head overseas for Sunday’s matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid, Spain.
Atlanta placed edge rusher Samson Ebukam on injured reserve after he suffered a hamstring injury in Sunday’s 16-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That move keeps him out for at least the next four games before he can be activated again.
Ebukam was already expected to miss the Bengals game after head coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday that he was dealing with a hamstring injury. Putting him on injured reserve makes the absence even longer, and it leaves Atlanta without one of its more productive pass rushers for the foreseeable future.
In seven games this season, Ebukam put up 2.5 sacks, 11 combined tackles, two tackles for loss and nine quarterback hits. He had become a steady part of Atlanta’s defensive line rotation, especially when it came to getting after the quarterback.
To help patch the depth chart, the Falcons brought defensive end Drake Jackson back to the practice squad after releasing him from the active roster Monday. Jackson gives Atlanta another edge option and some added depth on the defensive line while Ebukam recovers.
To create room for Jackson, the team released offensive lineman Colby Sorsdal from the practice squad.
The sequence of moves comes one day after Atlanta cut Jackson and defensive lineman Jared Ivey from the active roster as the club made room for James Pearce Jr. to return from his league suspension. Pearce’s reinstatement gives the Falcons another body up front, but it doesn’t erase the loss of Ebukam.
Atlanta enters Week 9 at 3-5 after the shutout loss to Tampa Bay, and the defensive front will be under the microscope again in Madrid. With Ebukam sidelined, the Falcons will need the rest of their edge group to pick up the pass-rush slack and keep the pressure on Cincinnati.
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Even in a Week 8 loss, Dotson turned in his best receiving day in nearly three years, a reminder that the Falcons may have found a useful answer on the outside after moving on from other options at the position. For a team still trying to find more consistency, his ability to threaten downfield has offered a real bright spot, and it has only added to the sense that Atlantas passing game may have another layer it can lean on as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]