FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Key members of the Atlanta Falcons' wide receiver corps are working through injuries as the team began its Week 2 practices Wednesday.
Head coach Raheem Morris confirmed earlier in the day that Drake London and Darnell Mooney are in good spots. They both have shoulder injuries — Mooney's sustained at the start of training camp, London's in the fourth quarter of last Sunday's game against the Buccaneers. They both practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday.
Morris said he does expect London to play this Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football, but they'll take Mooney through the week again before truly deciding his status.
"We'll see as far as Mooney and playing and all those things," Morris said. "But we'll get him out at practice. That's always fun, putting him back into all the stuff that we've been doing. And we'll get a look and see toward the end of the week what he's got going on."
Something Morris didn't mention in his presser before practice was the status of fellow wide receiver Casey Washington, who did not participate Wednesday due to a concussion.
Washington has been the Falcons go-to backup for Mooney throughout all of the preseason and in Week 1. The second-year receiver played well against the Buccaneers, coming down with a couple clutch third-down catches to move the chains for Atlanta. He was targeted six times, coming down with three catches for 33 yards.
One of the incompletions was a fourth-quarter pass from Michael Penix Jr. down the sideline in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter. Antoine Winfield Jr. closed in on the downfield throw right as it hit Washington's hands. Winfield collided with Washington, breaking up the pass. Washington was slow to get up from that play and missed the Falcons' final play of the game — an incompletion to KhaDarel Hodge, who was in for Washington.
The league's concussion protocol dictates a player in the protocol must be cleared for full football activity — including a full team practice — at least one day before a game in order to be eligible to play. Monitoring Washington's status throughout the week, along with Mooney and London, will be important as the Falcons prep for their Sunday Night Football road contest in Minnesota.
You can view the week's full injury report for the Falcons and Vikings here, and Wednesday's injury report below.
Wednesday, Sept. 10
Full participation
- N/A
Limited participation
- WR Darnell Mooney (shoulder)
- WR Drake London (shoulder)
- S DeMarcco Hellams (hamstring)
- EDGE James Pearce Jr. (groin)
Did not participate
- WR Jamal Agnew (groin)
- S Jordan Fuller (knee)
- OL Jack Nelson (calf)
- WR Casey Washington (concussion)
Take a trip up to the top of the nest and get a bird's eye view of our favorite moments from the game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during Week 1, shot on Sony.
