Falcons safety Thomas DeCoud lands in NFL concussion protocol
By Brad Rowland
It’s never (ever) a good thing when a starting member (or any member) of a team’s defense is included in the NFL’s concussion protocol. With that said, the Atlanta Falcons may be a bit short-handed on Sunday, when the Kirk Cousins-led Washington Redskins come to town.
Smitty said #Falcons S Thomas DeCoud is in Stage 1 of concussion protocol. DeCoud didn't practice. I'd be surprised if he plays vs #Redskins
— John Manasso (@jmanasso) December 11, 2013
John Manasso of FOX Sports (among others) reports that Mike Smith announced DeCoud’s status on Wednesday as being under the concussion protocol. As a rule, that doesn’t rule DeCoud out for Sunday’s game with Washington, but it certainly doesn’t speak favorably of his availability that he is only in stage 1 on Wednesday afternoon, and that could be an issue for the already defense-starved Falcons.
On the season, the team’s starting free safety has 58 tackles and 2 pass deflections, but those numbers haven’t come without some questionable performance in pass coverage. DeCoud has been benched on a couple of occasions, and in all honesty, Atlanta may be better with him off the field, but that doesn’t diminish the seriousness of any concussion. Without him, the Falcons would turn to youngster Zeke Motta, and they’ll need all the help they can get, even against the lowly Redskins.