The Atlanta Falcons might be down one running back on Sunday when they meet the undefeated Carolina Panthers after backup Tevin Coleman slipped in the team’s shower facility on Wednesday and hit his head.
On Thursday, Falcons Coach Dan Quinn said the player was undergoing the league’s concussion protocol and was unable to say when the 22-year-old might be cleared for return, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter.
Terron Ward is expected to replace Coleman, the team’s second-leading rusher behind Devonta Freeman, should Coleman not be available.
“[Ward] will be ready to be called upon,” Quinn said. “One thing that I’ve always admired about Ward is he’s got his grit to stay in it, beyond the details, get everything down, the toughness totally shines through, so if he’s called upon, there’s no question that he’ll be ready to go.”
Coleman has carried the ball 87 times this season for an average of 4.5 yards per attempt.
“You never want to see anybody go down like that, especially a guy who has been working his butt off and getting in his playbook to get back to the level he was playing at early in the season,” fullback Patrick DiMarco said (via ESPN). “For that to happen, yes, it stinks. But I’m sure he’ll recover quick and be back.”
A playoff berth for the Falcons is a long shot, but there’s still a chance. They’ll first have to hope they can achieve a three-way tie with the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings with a 9-7 record. The Falcons need to win their final two games to do so.
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