The Falcons will be without wide receiver Mack Hollins and defensive back Dee Alford against Arizona on Sunday. Both are working through ankle injuries they sustained during the Falcons Week 9 loss to the Vikings. Of the two, Alford’s absence has the potential to be the most notable.

Alford has been the Falcons primary slot corner throughout 2023, a role he’s played well. Though his absence stings, the Falcons are not without options at nickel.

They  have defensive backs Mike Hughes and rookie Clark Phillips III available to play in the slot if and when they’re needed.

Rookie safety DeMarcco Hellams returned to full strength this week after missing last Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury. He has been the third safety behind Jessie Bates III and Richie Grant. This is notable because the Falcons could also drop either Hellams or Grant into the slot in certain packages, though Grant is the safety who plays most in the box. 

Asked about the Falcons plans for the middle of their defense, head coach Arthur Smith said the plan will be to see mainly Hughes and Phillips rotating into the slot.

Another potential injury the Falcons may have to account for is to David Onyemata. Onyemata is also working through an ankle injury. He was listed as questionable on the Falcons official injury report. His status will be something to monitor in the 24 hours leading up to kickoff. Without Onyemata (and Grady Jarrett, who suffered a season-ending knee injury two weeks ago), the Falcons defensive front alters significantly.

For what feels like the first time in months, the Falcons quarterback isn’t the main storyline heading into a Sunday matchup. It’s the Cardinals’ quarterback, Kyler Murray, instead.

Murray is set to make his first appearance of 2023 this Sunday. Murray tore his ACL almost a year ago and the Cardinals have been 1-13 since. They’re 1-8 now. And, even though Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon reportedly said Monday that “we’ve got to be willing to understand that it might not look like Kyler,” that doesn’t diminish what Murray can do when given space to move around.

Even in his first start of the season, the Falcons are more than aware of that.

“We have to keep him in the pocket,” Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen said. “Can not let him run around. Have to make him a pocket passer. The guy is a great athlete. He’s been running around, getting out of the pocket, extending plays his entire career. We have to make a conscious effort of keeping him in. Then we have to do a good job of, when we get hands on him, getting him to the ground. A sack is a sack. It doesn’t matter how hard we hit him. We just have to get him to the ground and play second-and-long, third-and-long or get off the field.”