Falcons Friday Injury Report: Brian Robinson Jr. Ruled Out Against Tampa Bay

The Friday injury report is the NFL's weekly reality check, and for the Atlanta Falcons, the reality is looking a bit grim in the backfield. ESPN's Marc Raimondi dropped the official Friday list, and the headline is exactly what fantasy managers and bettors were dreading.

Running back Brian Robinson Jr. has been officially ruled out for Sunday's divisional clash against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A lingering hamstring issue kept him off the practice field all week, meaning Atlanta is going to have to find a new way to move the chains on the ground.

"Marc Raimondi tweeted: '#Falcons injury report for Friday'"

The timing could not be worse for a team trying to wash the taste of last week's 29-20 loss to the San Francisco 49ers out of their mouths. Missing your primary ball carrier against a division rival is the kind of handicap that makes you reconsider your entire weekend betting card.

It is not all doom and gloom for the defense, though. Linebacker Divine Deablo managed limited practice sessions this week as he works his way back from a fractured forearm. Deablo inked a two-year, $14 million deal last offseason and was arguably the best player on that side of the ball before going down, so getting him back would be a massive upgrade over a replacement-level rotation.

The secondary is also dealing with a collective case of the sniffles and sore muscles. Defensive backs Billy Bowman Jr. and Avieon Terrell are both hovering in that murky limited-participation zone. When half your defensive backfield is questionable, you are basically inviting Baker Mayfield to test the deep waters.

Sunday's 6:00 p.m. kickoff in Tampa Bay just got a lot heavier for the Falcons. Without Robinson to control the clock, Atlanta will need their patched-up defense to actually get off the field if they want to avoid a two-game slide.