FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons enter their week of preparation for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid, Spain, already knowing they will be without a key contributor on each side of the ball.
"Samson Ebukam, Zachariah Branch have hamstring injuries," head coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday to begin his press conference. "That's going to keep them out of this game. Not sure, long term, how many games those types of injuries will be, but we'll obviously treat those and then see how it goes over the next couple of weeks."
Both players are in their first seasons with the Falcons and came to Atlanta via different paths. Ebukam was signed by the Falcons this offseason to play defensive end and reunite with Nate Ollie, whom he worked with previously in Indianapolis. Branch, meanwhile, was selected in the third round of the NFL Draft to round out the Falcons' wide receiver room and provide electricity to the team's return game.
In his ninth NFL season, Ebukam has been a mainstay in Atlanta's defensive line rotation. He has 2.5 sacks and 15 quarterback pressures, according to Next Gen Stats, which ranks him fifth among Falcons defenders.
Branch left Sunday's game early after returning a kickoff and did not return. He has 10 catches for 64 yards and has primarily operated as a complementary option for Atlanta's offense. In the return game, he's had a more substantial role. Branch has returned eight punts for 83 yards and 14 kickoffs for 360 yards.
The Falcons will release their first injury report on Wednesday in the lead-up to their Week 9 matchup against the Bengals.
