The Falcons got a much-needed lift on Friday, and it started up front.
Left tackle Jake Matthews was back to full participation in Atlanta’s final practice before Sunday night’s matchup with the Baltimore Ravens, a strong sign after a groin injury knocked him out of Monday night’s win over the New Orleans Saints. Matthews had been listed as a nonparticipant on Wednesday’s estimated injury report, but he moved up to limited work on Thursday and then took part fully on Friday.
That puts him in position to potentially keep his streak of consecutive NFL starts alive at 201 games.
For Atlanta, that matters. Matthews is a steadying presence on the offensive line, and his availability would be a major help as the Falcons get ready to protect quarterback Michael Penix Jr. against Baltimore.
The Falcons also had good news on Cam Thomas and Michael Jerrell, both of whom were full participants Friday.
The bigger defensive questions, though, are still hanging in the air.
Za'Darius Smith practiced fully despite dealing with a concussion and neck injury, but he remains questionable for Sunday night. That leaves his status unresolved heading into kickoff, and his presence would matter for a Falcons front that has been strong early this season.
Linebacker Divine Deablo and defensive end Samson Ebukam were limited Friday because of hamstring injuries and are also listed as questionable. There is at least some reason for Atlanta to feel better about both players, since they carried the same questionable tag before Monday night’s game against the Saints and still ended up playing in the win.
One defender who will not be available is Yasir Abdullah. The linebacker did not practice Friday and has already been ruled out for Sunday because of a hamstring injury.
With the final practice in the books, Atlanta still has a few situations to monitor closely before facing Baltimore. Matthews’ return is the headline, but the statuses of Smith, Deablo and Ebukam could end up being just as important.
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One name to watch is Jadeveon Clowney, who has opened the season with the Houston Texans and shown he can still get into the backfield, posting 1.5 sacks and five combined tackles in two games. Any talk of a move would put Atlanta in a larger market for a veteran defender, but the more immediate takeaway is that the Falcons recent run has made them a team worth monitoring for a deadline swing. [Read more 🡒]