After wide receiver Drake London was ruled out for the fourth consecutive game, the Atlanta Falcons had to make decisions about several key players ahead of their Thursday Night Football matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa, Florida.
Tight end Kyle Pitts (knee), edge rusher Jalon Walker (quad), and defensive linemen Brandon Dorlus (groin) and David Onyemata (foot) were all listed as questionable before the game. All four will be active for Atlanta.
The team has leaned on Pitts in London’s absence. Pitts has gained 172 receiving yards over his last two games, marking his highest total in a two-game span since his rookie season. His average receiving yards per game have increased from 35.4 last season to 48.5 this year, an improvement of 13.1 yards per game, which is the fourth-largest among qualifying NFL tight ends.
On defense, Dorlus is tied with James Pearce Jr. for the team lead with six sacks, while Walker is second with five sacks. Both players saw reduced playing time last week due to injuries; Dorlus did not play at all and Walker missed the second half.
The Falcons’ list of inactive players for Week 15 includes primary return man Jamal Agnew and inside linebacker JD Bertrand as healthy scratches. Wide receiver Casey Washington is also inactive for a fourth straight game. The full list of inactives: WR Drake London, WR Jamal Agnew, ILB JD Bertrand, OL Michael Jerrell, WR Casey Washington, WR Malik Heath, and DL Elijah Garcia.