Falcons get good news about Devonta Freeman
Initial reports claimed Devonta Freeman might miss several weeks due to his knee injury, but Dann Quinn says the running back will be back sooner.
The Atlanta Falcons earned a big victory against the Panthers on Sunday without the services of Devonta Freeman. That doesn’t mean Atlanta wants to make a habit out of playing without the talented running back. According to Dan Quinn, the Falcons may not have to work without Freeman much longer.
Last week, media reports claimed Freeman might miss two to four weeks due to the knee injury he suffered in the team’s opener at Philadelphia. Quinn hit back at those claims in his Monday press conference. Instead of being out for several weeks, his head coach says Freeman’s status is “day-to-day.”
That’s obviously good news for Steve Sarkisian’s offense. Tevin Coleman is a terrific back, but he doesn’t present the same type of danger that Freeman does to opposing defenses. At the very least, the Falcons will be happy to be able to have two backs they can count on in the same game. The timeshare between Freeman and Coleman allows both players to be more efficient.
Running the ball next week will be a priority for Atlanta when they welcome New Orleans to town. The Saints will be desperate to get a road win over their NFC South rivals. Keeping the ball away from Drew Brees will be part of the game plan for the Falcons. Freeman’s ability to contribute to both the rushing and passing game would be a huge boost for his team on Sunday.
The organization should still be very cautious with Freeman this week. His knee troubles are starting to become somewhat of a trend at this point. The talented rusher suffered from knee pain down the stretch in 2017 and had to alter his offseason workout regimen to allow for additional recovery time. Atlanta can’t afford to rush Freeman back into action if it’s going to negatively impact the rest of his career.
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No matter what, it’s good news for Falcons fans that Freeman’s injury isn’t as serious as was first reported. He’s not a lock to play against the Saints this weekend, but he shouldn’t miss too much more action.