The Falcons week one injury report for the 2011 season opener against the Chicago Bears has been released. Fortunately, it would seem that Atlanta's starters have made it through the preseason relatively unscathed.
WEEK 1 INJURY REPORT:
OUT- C Todd McClure (knee)
DNP- DT Corey Peters (knee)
LIMITED- DT Jonathan Babineaux (knee, shoulder), OT Tyson Clabo (elbow)
FULL- WR Roddy White (thigh), CB Dunta Robinson (hamstring) C Rob Bruggeman (concussion), DE Lawrence Sidbuy (ankle)
Todd McClure, who was ruled out of the game following "minor" knee surgery on August 29, is the only player who we know for sure will not play. The longtime Falcons center will miss his first game since 2001, ending his streak of 166 consecutive starts.
That leaves Corey Peters as the only player who's in question for this week's game. If you'll remember, Peters injured his knee during training camp and was subsequently held out of the remaining three preseason games. While reports have been made that he is "close" to returning, that is far from anything certain. My guess is that he ultimately won't play, given the Falcons' conservative track record. Peria Jerry should handle starting duties just fine.
As for the remaining players listed, I wouldn't worry at all. It's great to see Dunta back and fully participating, especially given his lack of play during the preseason. All signs point to him starting against the Bears.
A final bit of interesting news involves new Falcons CB Kelvin Hayden, who according to Brian Van Gorder will play in this week's matchup. He hasn't had much time to digest the playbook, so I wouldn't expect a ton of playing time. However, Hayden playing at all is still encouraging.
The Falcons have also released the team depth chart for the Bears game, and it contains absolutely zero surprises. Unless having an awesome team surprises you. If you're a longtime (and I mean longtime) Falcons fan, that may be the case.
The Falcons will play the Bears Sunday, September 11 at 1:00 PM. Who's ready for football?
For more on the Falcons, check out The Falcoholic. For more on the Bears, check out Windy City Gridiron. For gameday coverage, stay tuned to SB Nation Atlanta.