THE Falcons have dealt with several starter injuries, but Raheem Morris provided several positive updates.

According to Tori McElhaney, the team’s writer, Troy Andersen is considered on a daily basis, and Drew Dalman tends to return to health while they are in wait and see mode Ruke Orhorhorothe injury.

Raheem Morris said Troy Andersen is “day to day”, Ruke Orhorhoro awaits more footage and Drew Dalman is trending “back to health” and Morris said they feel really good about where he is .

– Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) October 28, 2024

Surprisingly, Troy Andersen’s absence had more of an impact on the Falcons’ success than Drew Dalman’s, even though Dalman is arguably better at his position.

In place of Dalman, the Falcons turned to Ryan Neuzil, who performed admirably as the team’s starting center. Atlanta’s offensive line saw several replacements step up — Neuzil for Dalman and Kyle Hinton recently replacing Chris Lindstrom — and the unit held on without missing a beat.

This is no coincidence. Falcons offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford deserves credit for keeping this line consistent and competitive. That said, Dalman’s expected return this week, his first game in over a month, would be a valuable boost heading into the Cowboys game.

On the defensive side, however, we sorely miss the presence of Andersen. Nate Landman was a promising story last year, but he seems to have regressed this season. Whether due to nagging injuries or other factors, Landman struggled to contribute in the running game and continued to be a liability in pass coverage.

The Falcons defense is already underperforming. Getting Andersen and Justin Simmons back into action would go a long way in helping Jimmy Lake improve this unit to at least a league average level.

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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire