Falcons left tackle Sam Baker, who suffered a knee injury against the Patriots, will likely not face the New York Jets on Monday.
Baker, who’s battling through a knee and ankle injury, would get two weeks to heal because the Falcons have a bye week following the game against the Jets. Baker, who missed the Miami game, played 22 offensive snaps against New England.
Lamar Holmes started at left tackle for Baker against Miami and came in to replace him against New England.
Also, linebacker Akeem Dent, who suffered a sprained right ankle, did not attend the open portion of practice on Tuesday, which focused on the team’s red zone offense and the defense’s third down woes.
“We did spend a small portion of practice on the Jets,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “Just a little bit to introduce our guys to our next opponent.”
Linebacker Paul Worrilow (knee), wide receiver Julio Jones (knee), running back Steven Jackson (hamstring) and cornerback Asante Samuel (thigh) did not have their helmets and did appear ready for practice.
Because of the Monday game, the Falcons don’t have to issue a practice report until Thursday.
Jones, who was listed as questionable for New England, turned in his third straight 100-yard game on Sunday night against New England, catching six passes for 108 yards (18.0 yards per reception). Jones caught three passes for 86 yards, including a 49-yard pass in the fourth quarter.
Jones leads the NFL with 481 receiving yards. He is averaging 120.2 yards receiving per game, which also leads the league. His 33 receptions lead the NFC and rank third in the league behind Houston’s Andre Johnson (34) and New England’s Julian Edelman (34).
Gaither's debut: Linebacker Omar Gaither made his debut against the Patriots as he played 10 defensive snaps from scrimmage. He was signed, along with Jamar Chaney, after Sean Weatherspoon was injured on Sept. 17. He finished with two tackles.
His role could increase because of the injuries to Dent and Worrilow.
“That’s why they brought me here,” said Gaither, who’s in his eight season in the league. “That’s my role here. It’s up to me to be prepared to go however many snaps that they need me. I’m looking forward to that challenge.”
Gaither was a fifth-round pick by the Eagles out of Tennessee in the 2006 draft. He played five years with the Eagles. He played with Carolina in 2011 and with Oakland last season. He was in training camp with Oakland and made it to the final cut.
“In this sport there is a (high) injury rate,” Gaither said. “I figured that I’d get a call eventually.”
Wham, bam: The Falcons were caught off guard by a "wham" block from New England's tight end on LeGarrette Blount's 47-yard touchdown run.
On a “wham” block the tight end off the ball comes back inside and blocks a player, normally a linebacker, from the blind spot. The block opened a gaping running lane to the outside for Blount.
“It was really just half of a missed fit (in the gap) and a missed tackle,” defensive tackle Corey Peters said. “That play should have easily been a 1-yard gain.”
The Patriots ran for 132 yards on 31 carries against the defense. The run defense was stout in the three previous games against Miami (90 rushing yards), St. Louis (69) and New Orleans (78).
“We just have to get back to fundamental basics,” defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux said. “We have to make sure that we understand the blocking schemes.”
No ship jumpers: Babineaux, the longest tenured player on the roster along with wide receiver Roddy White, knows the team is in a tough spot after its 1-3 start.
“We just want to continue to make sure that everybody is staying on board,” Babineaux said. “It’s too early in the season to jump ship. We all need to stay together as one and continue to move forward. We’ll be all right.”
Nicholas staying ready: Falcons linebacker Stephen Nicholas, a former starter, is still getting plenty of action because of injuries.
He’s also contributing on special teams and recovered the onsides kick in the fourth quarter against New England.
“We’re professionals,” Nicholas said. “You can get called at any time. You just have to respond like a professional.”
About the Author
