Before the Falcons’ bid to reach the Super Bowl could get off the ground last season, the team lost strong safety Keanu Neal, its defensive enforcer and heartbeat of what was projected to be a mighty-fine unit.
Two games later, the defense’s signal-caller went down in a non-contact heap.
“I made a plant it, and it went,” free safety Ricardo Allen said of his left Achilles tendon.
In retrospect, with both safeties and middle linebacker Deion Jones (broken foot in the opener) out, the Falcons’ season was shot after three games.
The Falcons battled back to a 4-4 record, but lost the next five and were playing for pride.
The rugged Neal suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in the season opener against the Eagles. He went down early in the game and went back in to try to play, but he couldn’t continue.
Allen, who signed a three-year, $19.5 million contract extension over the 2018 offseason, was injured in overtime of the 43-37 loss to the Saints on Sept. 23. Allen’s injury was announced by the Falcons as a calf injury, but appeared to be a torn left Achilles from the outset.
Both players are back running and were working off to the side with the training staff during the open OTA workout Thursday.
The recovery time after reconstructive ACL surgery is nine months or more, while recovery time from Achilles surgery is six to eight months.
Both players in the final stages of arduous and lengthy rehabilitation periods.
“It’s going well,” said Neal, who could be ready for mandatory minicamp on June 11-13 if he hits the nine-month marker. “It’s been a journey. I trust in the process. We are heading in the right direction. I can’t put a timeline on it, but I’m definitely moving in the right direction.”
Allen started running at the six-month marker in March and has about another month to hit the eight-month marker.
The Falcons aren’t sweating the offseason, but would love to have both back by the start of training camp in mid-July.
The players have spent a lot of time together since their injuries, helping each other fill the void.
“It allows you to sit back and evaluate different things,” Neal said. “Your growth mentally because the physical side isn’t happening outside of the rehab and everything.
“Just finding that growth mentally was something big for me.”
Allen and Neal already were close just from playing together.
“Once we get on the field and times get tough out there, we can remember how hard we were pushing it,” Allen said. “I look over sometimes and see that he’s tired and how hard he’s been pushing himself.
“You can tell how deep he’s been focusing on his injury and how he can return to the game. This has brought us so much closer.”
Neal, who said he has no regrets about re-entering the Eagles game on Sept. 6, is eager to return, but doesn’t want to rush things.
“For sure, I’m definitely ready to get back with the guys, but making my rehab (the focus is important),” Neal said. “Making sure that I stay on it and that I’m ready for next season.”
Neal knows there will be mental hurdles upon his return. He’s planning for that now and how he’ll have to trust his rebuilt left knee.
“It goes into your rehab,” Neal said. “What you do. How hard you work and how much you get out of your rehab is something that will tie into your confidence going and playing and things like that.”
Allen is making good progress, too.
“I can run,” Allen said. “I haven’t competed against anybody, so we’ll see that when it comes. But as far as everything else, I feel good doing it all. I feel good running. I feel good just being back with the cleats on and doing all of my moves, my breaks and stuff like that. I’m confident. I’m not scared of it.
“I feel good. I’m proud of my progress.”
Being with Allen so much helped Neal during the long hours in the training room.
“Most definitely, go through the rehab and grow with each other,” Neal said. “When you sit out the whole year and be around each other, it definitely has allowed us to grow more, for sure.”
Neal and Allen have been watching their teammates, too.
“Seeing the guys and seeing the growth, we have to continue to build on that, Neal said. “That’s a great feeling.”
Neal doesn’t put much stock in what the defense can be when everyone is healthy. Linebacker De’Vondre Campbell made that point to his followers on social media recently.
“I don’t look too deep into it,” Neal said. “But when a lot of guys are hurt, people forget the defense that we have. We have a great defense, and we’re going to be ready to go once the season hits.”
Allen added: “When we are all out there, we are top-10 defense easily. We’ve showed it. We put it out there. We have to keep ourselves healthy.”
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