Falcons' upset over Saints proves costly as Devonta Freeman, Austin Hooper will miss time with injuries
The Atlanta Falcons shocked the world with an upset win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 10, but Atlanta’s victory came at a big cost. Running back Devonta Freeman and tight end Austin Hooper suffered injuries during the contest. Both players are looking at multi-week absences, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
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Freeman, 27, left Sunday’s game with a foot injury. He finished the contest with 10 carries for 38 yards. Freeman is expected to miss two games. With Freeman injured, the Falcons turned to Brian Hill to carry the load. Hill racked up 61 yards on 20 carries. Hill also scored a receiving touchdown.
The 25-year-old Hooper is dealing with a knee injury. He had to leave Sunday’s game in the fourth quarter due to an issue. He finished the contest with four catches for 17 yards and a touchdown.
Hooper underwent an MRI on Monday, which revealed an MCL sprain. He’ll get a second opinion to determine the extent of the injury, though Hooper will “miss some time,” according to Rapoport.
Those injuries come a day after the Falcons pulled off a 26-9 upset over the Saints in Week 10. It was the high point of the season for the Falcons, who improved to 2-7 with the victory.
A day after that win, the team is now faced with the reality of losing their leading rusher in Freeman and the player with the most receptions on the team in Hooper. Matt Ryan and Julio Jones can still make Atlanta’s offense interesting, but losing both Freeman and Hooper might be too much to overcome.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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