Tag: Falcons

Saints rookie Taliese Fuaga dealing with thigh injury vs. Falcons

Rookie New Orleans Saints left tackle Taliese Fuaga was questionable to return against the Atlanta Falcons. He’s fighting through a new thigh injury:

New Orleans Saints rookie left tackle Taliese Fuaga was questionable to return against the Atlanta Falcons, going down with a thigh injury in the first half of the game. He headed to the injury tent shortly after the play.

Fuaga has since returned to the game and New Orleans will hope that the injury does not affect his level off play too much as the Saints are now on one of their most solid trajectories of the season.

The former Oregon State Beavers offensive lineman was selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft with the No. 14 overall pick. According to NFL.com, the rookie had a 6.48 overall prospect grade coming out of college, putting him the category of “will become a good starter within two years.” He’s since converted to left tackle from the right side and held down  his starting job through ten games.

The Saints currently lead the Falcons, 10-0 midway through the second quarter.

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Will Harris described his injured reserve stint as ‘a long four weeks’

Will Harris played every defensive snap prior to his injury. This week the New Orleans Saints safety makes his return from injured reserve:

For the first time in a month, Tyrann Mathieu and Jordan Howden will be joined by Will Harris, and the New Orleans Saints will have their full compliment of safeties.

It’s been what Harris described as, “A long four weeks.”

Hamstrings have plagued the New Orleans Saints all season long. So much so that New Orleans had to revisit how they begin practice.

Harris was one of many starters to be taken out by the injury. That list includes Marshon Lattimore, Kool-Aid McKinstry and Pete Werner. For the first time since Harris injured his hamstring against the Kansas City Chiefs, the safety will return to the field.

Harris tried to stay as involved as he could during his stint on injured reserve even though he couldn’t get on the field. The safety said, “I try to stay as integral of a piece as possible. I try to incorporate myself in anything I can to help. I’m always around. I try to give them my perspective of what I see.”

At the time that’s all he could do. Prior to the injury, however, Harris was the only defensive player to play every single snap. It’s safe to say he’ll be involved in the defensive game plan next to Mathieu and Howden.

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This weekend culminates Ultimate Hate Week for Louisiana sports fans

It’s the Ultimate Hate Week is upon us. Saints vs. Falcons and LSU vs. Alabama on back to back nights in New Orleans and Baton Rouge

It’s the Ultimate Hate Week for the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans Saints face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. That’s always big for Saints fans, and moving from Dennis Allen to Darren Rizzi has reinvigorated the fan base.

The weekend ends in New Orleans, but it begins just an hour away in Baton Rouge. LSU takes on Alabama in Death Valley on Saturday night. Each event takes over the city individually, but when you pair both of them together it truly is a state wide affair.

It’s not the first time the biggest teams in the state have taken on their biggest rivals in the same weekend. LSU versus Alabama happens in the first two weeks of November every year except in 2020.

That was a part of three year stretch between 2019-2021 where these game were played on the same weekend. This Saturday and Sunday will be the first time since 2021 Louisiana will be able to partake in Ultimate Hate Week.

This is the first time this century Saints versus Falcons and LSU versus Alabama have happened in the same weekend and both games will be played in Louisiana. Let’s make it count.

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Injured reserve is ‘on the table’ for Saints star wide receiver

Injured reserve is ‘on the table’ for New Orleans Saints star Chris Olave. Four concussions in just three years is a lot for the wide receiver to consider:

Chris Olave won’t be active when the New Orleans Saints kick off with the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, and there’s at least a possibility the star wide receiver won’t play another down this season. Olave suffered the fourth concussion of his brief NFL career last week, which can have long-lasting impacts on his health and wellbeing.

All that’s certain is that Olave has already been ruled out for Sunday’s game. Beyond that, who can say?

“Everything’s on the table,” interim head coach Darren Rizzi said Friday, when injured reserve came up as a possibility for Olave. That determination hasn’t been made yet and Olave is still meeting with concussion specialists and team doctors before making a decision.

A stint on injured reserve would last at least the next four weeks, sidelining Olave for three home games with the Falcons, Cleveland Browns, and Los Angeles Rams as well as the bye in Week 12. But if he’s still feeling symptoms and struggling with this brain injury, the better move could be to end his season altogether. We’ve reached a point where his career in pro football should be considered seriously. Stay tuned for further updates.

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Saints rule out four players vs. Falcons on final Week 10 injury report

The New Orleans Saints ruled out four players for Sunday’s rivalry game with the Atlanta Falcons on the final Week 10 injury report:

The New Orleans Saints ruled out four players for Sunday’s rivalry game with the Atlanta Falcons on the final Week 10 injury report, including star wide receiver Chris Olave (concussion). He’ll be joined on the sideline by wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. (shoulder), cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry (hamstring), and left guard Lucas Patrick (ankle). Starting center Erik McCoy (groin), w ho recently returned to practice, is doubtful to suit up.

Seven more Saints players are questionable for Sunday. That list includes safety J.T. Gray (back), cornerback Rico Payton (back), running  back  Jamaal Williams (groin), defensive tackle John Ridgway (oblique), safety Will Harris (hamstring), guard/center Shane Lemieux (knee), and linebacker Nephi Sewell (knee).

Two more Saints players were listed on the injury report this week, but they are both expected to play — running back Alvin Kamara (hand) and quarterback Derek Carr (illness).

For Atlanta, inside linebacker JD Bertrand (concussion) has been preemptively ruled out, whereas wide receiver Drake London (hip) and center Drew Dalman (ankle) are each questionable. It feels safe to say the Falcons have an advantage in team health for this week’s game.

Here’s the full and final Week 10 Saints-Falcons injury report:

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Saints share some good news on Week 10 injury report update

The New Orleans Saints shared some good news on Week 10’s injury report update ahead of their game with the Atlanta Falcons:

There were two big changes to the New Orleans Saints injury report ahead of Week 10’s game with the Atlanta Falcons. Two starters on injured reserve returned to practice, one of them receiving an upgrade to full reps — safety Will Harris (hamstring). Another, center Erik  McCoy (groin), practiced on a limited basis. McCoy’s return is likely a week away or more but that’s a big step in the right direction.

Other than that, it’s more of the same. Wide receivers Chris Olave (concussion) and Cedrick Wilson Jr. (shoulder) still didn’t participate. Neither did cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry (hamstring) nor left guard Lucas Patrick (ankle). Here’s everything you need to know:

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Saints list 13 players on Week 10’s first injury report vs. Falcons

The New Orleans Saints listed 13 players on Week 10’s first injury report for Sunday’s game with the Atlanta Falcons:

The New Orleans Saints listed 13 players on Week 10’s first injury report for Sunday’s game with the Atlanta Falcons, which has been a pattern for them in recent years. Double-digit players on the weekly injury report has become a norm, and it’s led to changes at practice with an extended warmup “activation period” to try and curtail soft-tissue injuries. But who is banged up this week?

For now, the focus is on the four players in that group who didn’t practice to start the week. That includes wide receivers Chris Olave (concussion) and Cedrick Wilson Jr. (shoulder) as well as cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry (hamstring) and left guard Lucas Patrick (ankle).

Just two players didn’t practice for Atlanta on Wednesday, both linebackers: JD Bertrand (concussion) and Matthew Judon (illness). But the Falcons nine players on their first injury  report in total so it isn’t like they’re at full health,  either.

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Former Saints player details the beginning of the end for Dennis Allen

Dennis Allen’s actions in the 2023 season finale vs. the Falcons was a tough pill for fans to swallow. James Hurst says many players felt the same:

James Hurst retired this offseason, but he saw the separation between Dennis Allen and the New Orleans Saints locker room last year. He even went as far as to say some players wondered if Mickey Loomis would fire Allen at the end of the 2023 season.

Hurst reflects on the aftermath of players going against Allen’s wishes to kneel the ball out against the Atlanta Falcons in the season finale. Hurst was among the crew that opted to get Jamaal Williams his first touchdown of the season. He admits they were wrong but players were disappointed Allen apologized to Arthur Smith instead of having their back publicly.

“Many of the players felt he missed an opportunity there to have our backs, to defend us, even though what we did was wrong, admittedly,” Hurst relayed. Fans were upset Allen didn’t embody what they believed was Saints culture, but players were upset he hung them out to dry. Their preference was a public backing to show a unified front and being reprimanded in private.

Those emotions continued into the next day as players talked negatively among themselves. It was to the point to that when Loomis called a rare post season meeting, players thought it was to announce Allen’s departure.

Hurst capped off his statement by saying, “maybe that was the beginning of the end. That was definitely tough for the players to swallow and something surely some of the guys hadn’t quite gotten over.”

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Tyler Allgeier plunges through Cowboys defense for Falcons touchdown

WATCH: Tyler Allgeier plunges through Cowboys defense for Falcons touchdown in 3rd quarter

The Atlanta Falcons have started to pull away from the Dallas Cowboys in the second half of Sunday’s game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Running back Tyler Allgeier’s third-quarter touchdown run put the team up by 14 points.

Allgeier has had a quiet day overall but showed his strength by carrying multiple Dallas defenders into the end zone to give the Falcons a 27-13 lead.

Watch the third-year running back’s touchdown run below, as shared by the team’s Twitter account.

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Falcons QB Kirk Cousins throws 3rd TD pass vs. Cowboys

WATCH: Falcons QB Kirk Cousins throws 3rd touchdown pass vs. Cowboys..

The Falcons extended their lead to 11 points as Kirk Cousins found wide receiver RayRay McCloud in the end zone for his third touchdown pass of the day. After getting a short field by stopping the Cowboys on a fake punt attempt, the offense took advantage and moved down the field with nice runs from Bijan Robinson.

Cousins has thrown more touchdowns (3) than he has incompletions (2) thus far in Sunday’s matchup. Atlanta currently holds a 21-10 lead over Dallas late in the third quarter. Check out McCloud’s first touchdown reception as a Falcon below.

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