Unless there are drastic changes, it looks like tight end Jacob Tamme won’t be playing for the Atlanta Falcons when they take on the Philadelphia Eagles. He’s been trying to come back from a shoulder injury, which happened when the Falcons played the Packers, and he’s not ready for Sunday’s game at this point. When asked about him, head coach Dan Quinn said:
“I haven’t ruled him out all the way, but he’s likely out. We’ll keep working him day-to-day, but he’s likely out.”
Tamme has managed to put up 210 yards and three scores on the year, catching 22 passes. When the Falcons played the Bucs, they replaced him with Levine Toilolo. He has only caught seven passes this year, but he’s been more explosive, turning them into 127 yards. He’s scored twice. When asked about his own performance, he said:
“I’m just trying to stay ready and play my role. When I get opportunities, I have to make the most of them.”
The Falcons also have TE Austin Hooper, who has started the last two games and is likely to do so again. He has caught 11 passes this year, scoring once.
It’s clear that the Falcons don’t have a top-level TE like they once did, but they do seem to have a fair amount of depth and some younger options they can develop. They’d like to put Tamme, a long-time vet, back in the lineup as soon as they can, but they have to feel pretty good about their chances even if he’s out.
Of course, when your passing game includes WR Julio Jones, it’s hard not to feel like the air attack is going to click, no matter who is playing tight end.
