Falcons Lose Za'Darius Smith to Concussion Mid-Game Against Saints

The Atlanta Falcons are going to have to finish off the Saints without one of their top edge rushers. Adam Schefter reported that Za'Darius Smith has officially been ruled out with a concussion.

When a guy gets ruled out this quickly, you know his night is completely cooked. The independent spotters do not mess around with head injuries, and Smith is now officially in the league's concussion protocol.

"Adam Schefter reported the official ruling from the team."

The timing is brutal for an Atlanta defense trying to hold the line in New Orleans. The Falcons are currently sitting on a 14-7 lead in the Superdome, and losing a veteran presence on the defensive front makes closing out a divisional road game noticeably harder.

Pass rushing is an exhausting, high-collision gig on a good day. Asking the rest of the defensive line to suddenly absorb Smith's snap count in the second half is like asking your buddy to help you move a couch, only the couch is a 300-pound offensive tackle and you have to do it forty times in two hours.

For anyone holding a live ticket on the Falcons to cover or sweating the game total, this is the exact kind of depth chart hit that swings late-game momentum. Less pressure off the edge usually translates to cleaner pockets and longer drives for the Saints.

Looking ahead, Smith's availability for next week is now a massive question mark. Escaping the concussion protocol in time for the next kickoff is an uphill battle, meaning Atlanta might be shopping for temporary pass-rush help sooner rather than later.