–Rookie Ito Smith is officially out for the final two games with a knee injury – not an ACL tear – that will require surgery. Devonta Freeman will not come back, either.
That means the Falcons will enter the last two games with Tevin Coleman as the only legitimate starting tailback.
It also means Brian Hill, Jeremy Langford and Ricky Ortiz will likely get a chance to audition for a larger role on the team when Atlanta finishes its season at Carolina and Tampa Bay. Should they produce when given the opportunity, they would likely enhance their odds of sticking with the team and playing a more important role.
“Those are things to consider,” head coach Dan Quinn said. “Certainly, Brian would be at the front of that list and then as we go through the whole week, we’ll see if Langford is somebody that would be a possibility.”
Hill was drafted by the Falcons in the fifth round of the 2017 draft, made the practice squad and later moved to Cincinnati, where he played six games. He has played eight games with the Falcons this season and carried four times for 12 yards. He had three carries last week against the Cardinals after Smith was injured.
Langford was a fourth-round pick by the Bears in 2015 and spent two years with Chicago. In 2017 he played on the practice squads with the Ravens and Jets. He was signed by the Dolphins in August and joined the Falcons’ practice squad on Nov. 28. He was placed on the active roster on Dec. 18.
Langford had 148 carries for 537 yards as a rookie and 62 carries for 200 yards in 2016. He hasn’t rushed the ball since.
Ortiz was with the Ravens last year, but never played. He made the Atlanta roster this summer and has played in 10 games, starting eight. He does not have any rushing attempts, but has caught two passes.
“I’m not going to make those decisions just yet,” Quinn said. “Let it go through the week. But I’d say Langford would be another person we’d consider behind Brian, due to his experience. He’s a great guy. He’s done a good job over the last few weeks in terms of picking up the system in meetings that he’s had.”
–It’s taken most of the season, but former first-round draft pick Vic Beasley Jr. is starting to show the form that made him an All-Pro defensive lineman in 2016.
Beasley has 15 tackles, three assists and five sacks for the season. Over the last five games, he has 11 tackles, 10 assists and four sacks.
“I thought for a while he’s been – the speed, the get-off and that part looked good, but he has had an impact,” head coach Dan Quinn said. “I though the pass-rush stunts and the timing and that part has certainly looked better.”
Quinn said Beasley has taken steps in practice that are showing up on game days.
“I’ve been impressed by practice and those are habits we look for to make sure you can get ready to play,” Quinn said.
Beasley appears to be a more aggressive player now that he was when the season started. Perhaps it’s the role he’s been asked to play by defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel.
“The recognition, the formations, the games that go along with he and Grady (Jarrett) and having Grady back to full strength certainly helps, too, inside because you’d better make sure you have him taken care of as well. When you don’t have that, you can chip and do a little more things to the defensive ends.”
BY THE NUMBERS: 100 — Wins for general manager Thomas Dimitroff and QB Matt Ryan. They are the sixth GM-QB duo to reach 100 wins for the same team. Ryan is the 12th quarterback to win 100 games with one team since the AFL-NFL merger.
