Atlanta sought to leave the preseason with a healthy squad, and per Arthur Smith, they’ve done so. Despite a raft of injuries and some key players hitting injured reserve, the Falcons’ head coach sounded a note of optimism about availability for Week 1 for most of the players currently dealing with injuries.
Considering that’s a list that includes starting center Drew Dalman, cornerback Jeff Okudah and Mike Hughes, and running back/kick returner/fan favorite Cordarrelle Patterson, that’s excellent news. Getting the team to the regular season with the cleanest possible bill of health was also clearly a factor for the team’s decision to sit starters, regardless of how you feel about that decision.