Falcons Sit Za'Darius Smith and Christian Harris for Week 5 Clash
Marc Raimondi reported the official inactive list via Twitter.
The official inactive list just dropped for the ahead of their Week 5 clash, and the defensive front is going to look a little lighter than usual.
ESPN's Marc Raimondi reported the official scratch list, headlined by veteran defensive end Za'Darius Smith and linebacker Christian Harris.
Sitting Smith is the kind of move that makes opposing offensive coordinators breathe a heavy sigh of relief. When you are gearing up to face the , you generally want every available pass rusher with a pulse, let alone a guy who has made a career out of ruining pocket integrity.
The rest of the inactive list includes offensive lineman Ethan Onianwa, defensive backs Malcolm DeWalt IV and Robert Longerbeam, plus a pair of quarterbacks in Jack Strand and Cooper Rush.
Rush will serve as the emergency third quarterback, which is NFL parlance for "please do not let this game get weird enough that we actually need him to take a snap."
is coming off an absolute offensive clinic, hanging 45 points on the last week in a 45-24 blowout. When your offense is humming like a finely tuned sports car, you can afford to mask a few defensive absences.
But the Ravens are a different beast entirely. Bettors eyeing the total or the spread will need to factor in how the Falcons plan to generate pressure without Smith off the edge and Harris roaming the second level.
Missing key defensive pieces against a heavy-hitting attack is a recipe for a track meet. We will see if 's depth can step up, or if the offense will just have to drop another 40-burger to keep pace.