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The Falcons are struggling early on against the Bills, failing to score in the first quarter for the first time in 2017. They may have to recover without the use of one the the best offensive weapons in the NFL.
Wide receiver Julio Jones left the game in the second quarter with a hip injury. He was later seen walking gingerly to the locker room for further evaluation. His return was originally labeled as “questionable,” but later downgraded to “out.” He’s not the only Falcon receiver to have his day end early.
Falcons now without their No. 1 and No. 2 WRs as both Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu have been ruled out
— Kelsey Conway (@FalconsKelsey) October 1, 2017
Mohamed Sanu is out for Week 4 with a hamstring injury.
What it means for Julio Jones: Jones came into Sunday’s game after being limited in practice due to a lingering back injury suffered in Week 3 against the Lions. It’s unclear if today’s injury is related. He missed two games last season due to a toe injury but was able to play through the pain in the playoffs and emerge as one of the game’s biggest downfield threats.
What it means for the Falcons: Atlanta went 2-0 without Jones last fall, but those wins came over the Rams and 49ers — two bad opponents. The Falcons still threw for 522 total yards while Jones was sidelined with Taylor Gabriel and Aldrick Robinson serving as the biggest beneficiaries from his absence. Robinson has since moved on to San Francisco, but Gabriel remains. With Jones and Sanu both out, he may be the team’s top remaining target.