Travis Etienne, the Saints’ starting running back, got placed on injured reserve Thursday because of a hamstring issue, meaning he’s missing some serious time. This is a brutal blow for New Orleans as they gear up for a massive Monday night showdown against their biggest rival, the Atlanta Falcons. Talk about starting the week with a gut punch.
Saints’ Injury Report: A Full-Blown Disaster Before Monday Night
Seriously, man, the Saints are looking ROUGH heading into this Monday night clash. Etienne’s IR placement is the headline, but it’s not the only problem. Their injury report is a literal laundry list. Four linebackers were held out of Thursday’s practice, which, let’s be real, is a massive problem for any defense. We’re talking Kaden Elliss, a familiar face who used to play for the Falcons, along with Carl Granderson, Anfernee Jennings, and Pete Werner, all did not practice. Elliss has a calf issue, Granderson an ankle, Jennings a knee, and Werner a shoulder. That’s a huge chunk of your defensive core sidelined.
On top of that, they had other guys limited: Julian Blackmon (calf), Barion Brown (hamstring), Noah Fant (abdomen), and Christen Miller (toe). The only player listed as full was CB Martin Emerson (shoulder). With Etienne out, you can absolutely bet your bottom dollar we’re gonna see a heavy, heavy dose of Alvin Kamara on Monday evening. He better be ready to carry the load, because the Saints’ offense just lost a huge piece and their defense is looking banged up everywhere.
Falcons Looking Fresh As Battle Royale Looms
On the flip side, the Falcons? They’re practically walking into this thing looking fresh, especially compared to New Orleans’ walking wounded. Their injury report is super light, which is exactly what you want to see heading into a rivalry game like this. The only player who sat out of practice on Thursday was veteran pass rusher Za’Darius Smith, and that was just for rest, which is totally expected. No worries there.
Linebacker Divine Deablo (hamstring) and defensive end Samson Ebukam (hamstring) were both limited in practice, but honestly, it’s early in the week and there’s nothing to be concerned about yet. That’s a huge sigh of relief for Atlanta fans. They’re basically at full strength, or pretty darn close to it, while their rivals are patching up holes left and right.
This Monday night game? It’s gonna be wild. The Falcons, coming in relatively healthy, have a prime opportunity to take advantage of a Saints team absolutely reeling from injuries, especially that bombshell about Etienne. Get ready, because the NFC South is about to get a whole lot more interesting under the lights!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply