Falcons Suffer Two Major Injury Setbacks on Monday Night Football

The Atlanta Falcons may have lost two important contributors on both sides of the ball during their Monday night matchup against the New Orleans Saints.

NEW ORLEANS — Atlanta suffered a pair of potentially significant injuries during the opening quarter, with edge rusher Za’Darius Smith and veteran left tackle Jake Matthews both leaving the game.

Smith was the first to go down after Atlanta’s opening defensive series. The medical staff initially brought a cart onto the field, but the veteran pass rusher was eventually able to walk off on his own.

Smith headed to the locker room for further evaluation of a possible concussion and neck injury. He was subsequently ruled out and did not return to the game.

The veteran has been an important part of Atlanta’s defense this season. Smith entered the game leading the Falcons with 2.5 sacks while ranking third on the team with 11 quarterback pressures.

His absence could create a major problem for Atlanta’s pass rush, particularly because the team is already dealing with limited depth at edge rusher. James Pearce Jr. is unavailable until Week 9, while Jalon Walker has been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Jake Matthews Also Leaves With Injury

The Falcons also suffered a significant blow on offense when Matthews exited during the first quarter.

Monday night’s contest was supposed to be a milestone occasion for the veteran offensive lineman. Matthews was making his 200th career start for Atlanta, becoming only the fourth player in franchise history to reach that mark.

His remarkable durability has also been a major part of his career. Before Monday night, Matthews had missed only one game and owned the NFL’s longest active streak of consecutive starts at 199 games.

The Falcons later announced that Matthews was dealing with a groin injury and was questionable to return.

With their longtime left tackle sidelined, Atlanta turned to Michael Jerrell to fill the position.

Losing either player would be difficult for the Falcons, but potentially being without both Smith and Matthews could have significant consequences as Atlanta looks to navigate the rest of the game and prepare for its upcoming schedule.