Falcons’ injury report: Jake Matthews questionable to make 200th straight start
FLOWERY BRANCH — Falcons offensive tackle Jake Matthews, who owns the NFL’s longest active streak of consecutive games started at 199, is officially questionable to play in the team’s “Sunday Night Football” bout with the Baltimore Ravens because of a groin injury.
“Jake is getting better,” Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski said Friday. “I want to use these next 50 or so hours to see how he responds to his work, and we’ll see how it goes.”
When he was asked if he’s fairly confident Matthews will play at 8:20 p.m. Sunday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Stefanski deferred to the statistical probability of questionable: 50%.
“We’ll do what’s best for the team,” Stefanski said. “I know the streak and that type of thing, and that’s something to celebrate. But at the same time, we’ll do what’s best for the team.”
Matthews, who played only 11 snaps before injuring his right groin in the Falcons’ 45-24 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 4, was a full participant in Friday’s practice.
Backup tackle Michael Jerrell, who filled in for Matthews against the Saints, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday that he took his “normal reps” with the first-team offense to get a sense for the game plan, but didn’t receive any additional snaps.
Jerrell appeared confident Matthews will play Sunday.
“You can always count on him,” Jerrell said. “That’s why he’s the Ironman. So, Jake’s going to do whatever he needs to do, and then, in the event that he can’t, then I’ll just have to be ready to step up.”
The Falcons ruled out linebacker Yasir Abdullah with a hamstring injury. Abdullah played the best game of his young Atlanta career against the Saints, tallying four quarterback hits and batting a pass at the line of scrimmage.
Inside linebacker Divine Deablo (hamstring) and outside linebackers Samson Ebukam (hamstring) and Za’Darius Smith (concussion/neck) are questionable. Twice already this season, the Falcons have promoted outside linebacker Bralen Trice from the practice squad to the active roster on game days, and Trice is a logical solution to get the nod once more Sunday.
Ebukam played through his hamstring injury in New Orleans and flourished, collecting one sack and three quarterback hits. He’s trending in the right direction to play, but Stefanski declined to speculate about his confidence level in Ebukam and Smith suiting up, along with promoting Trice.
“We have to work through it over the next couple days here,” Stefanski said. “Again, so much depends on how guys respond over the next couple days.”
The Ravens will be without star quarterback Lamar Jackson and defensive end Trey Hendrickson. Tyler Huntley will start under center in place of Jackson.
For the Falcons, Matthews, ultimately, will be the biggest situation to monitor Sunday night. He made his 200th career start against the Saints, joining a club with only three other members in Falcons history, and if he plays Sunday, he’d become the first player in franchise history to start 200 consecutive games.
But if he can’t, the Falcons have confidence in Jerrell, who felt things well in his first extensive regular season action at left tackle since high school.
“There were some plays and some technique things I wish I could have had back and that I need to clean up,” Jerrell said. “That’s what I focused on this week, just cleaning up my sets, my hands in the run game and just look at the plays that I did (well) in and build off them.
“If I can keep doing what I did that was good and continue to keep doing it and put it together in the game, that will make everything all better.”