The Falcons got a mix of good news and bad news on their injury report heading into Week 9, with Sunday’s international matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid, Spain bringing a few key names back into focus.
Atlanta officially cleared defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. to play, while linebacker Divine Deablo is listed as questionable. Edge rusher James Pearce Jr. also carries a questionable tag after a setback with his back. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. and receiver Zachariah Branch have both been ruled out with hamstring injuries.
Pearce’s situation is the one that changes the picture the most. After serving his eight-game suspension, he was expected to make his season debut against Cincinnati. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich had already said the Falcons planned to use Pearce mostly as a pass rusher while keeping an eye on his workload.
That plan is now up in the air. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said Friday that Pearce had a “flare up” in his back injury, and Atlanta will watch how he responds over the next two days before making a final call on whether he can go. His status matters for a pass rush that could use another boost against Burrow.
The Falcons are already thinner off the edge after Samson Ebukam landed on Injured Reserve this week. That leaves more work for Charles Snowden and Za'Darius Smith, who could see his workload rise after dealing with an injury over the last several weeks. Another possibility is moving inside linebacker Harold Perkins closer to the edge in pass-rushing situations.
Cameron Thomas handled a heavy load last week in Tampa, logging 47 snaps. Snowden followed at edge with 26.
Bowman’s return is one of the brighter spots for Atlanta. The rookie defensive back missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, but he was a full participant earlier in the week and stayed there through the Falcons’ practices in Spain.
That should help a secondary that needs a cleaner performance, especially with Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow leading the offense. Bowman gives Atlanta a chance to tighten things up after the defense struggled against Tampa Bay.
Deablo is still working through a forearm injury, but his week trended in the right direction. He was limited earlier in the week before returning as a full participant Friday, a positive sign after he missed the previous two games.
Robinson remains out for a third straight game as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury. He has also missed the last two games, and Khalil Herbert is expected to back him up again this week.
So while the Falcons have some encouraging signs going into Madrid, Pearce’s setback has added another layer of uncertainty. With a few players still waiting on final clearance, the next two days will shape Atlanta’s defensive plans for Week 9 against Cincinnati.
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