Atlanta was missing several key starters, particularly on defense, including Troy Andersen, Mike Hughes, Dee Alford, and Antonio Hamilton — three of their top four cornerbacks. To make matters worse, they also lost Kevin King early in the game.
With a depleted secondary, the Falcons had to rely on Natrone Brooks and Richie Grant, which allowed Bo Nix to have the best performance of his career. On top of that, four more players were injured during the game.
Zach Harrison, Nate Landman, and Casey Washington all suffered injuries against the Broncos, but the most concerning injury was to Darnell Mooney, who left the game with a hamstring issue.
Fortunately, with the Falcons heading into their bye week, Jeremy Fowler reports that Mooney’s hamstring injury is not serious.
That’s a relief, as Mooney is an essential part of the Falcons’ offense. The $39 million free agent acquisition has already racked up over 700 yards and five touchdowns on 48 receptions.
However, it’s still not completely out of the woods. Soft tissue injuries are notoriously unpredictable, and no recovery timeline has been set. The Falcons are fortunately entering their bye week, which couldn’t have come at a better time.
Mooney now has an extra week to rest before the Falcons face the Chargers in Atlanta. The team will likely be underdogs against a strong squad led by Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh. To have a shot at pulling off the upset and getting back on track, the Falcons will need Mooney at full strength.
