Divine Deablo Injury Update
Deablo was ruled out for the remainder of the game due to an arm injury, with the team confirming the decision before halftime. Deablo serves a critical role on defense as the “green dot” wearer, the player responsible for relaying the defensive play calls in to the unit. With Deablo out, that responsibility has shifted.
The middle linebacker duties in his absence were assigned to rookie Kendal Daniels, while Josh Woods took the field as a replacement at the other inside linebacker spot.
Falcons’ News Gets Worse After Injury
The Falcons also faced on-field misfortunes. In a sequence near the end of the first half, the defense forced a fourth-and-1 stop, and Chicago elected to punt. However, a muffed punt by rookie Zechariah Branch gave the Bears possession again, briefly creating a scoring opportunity that Chicago turned into points. The muffed punt cannot be advanced for a defensive touchdown, so the Bears maintained the drive without an immediate return.
Chicago wasted little time, driving into the end zone with D’Andre Swift to extend the lead to 21-7 just before the half. With Caleb Williams back at quarterback, Chicago’s offense showed its explosiveness, underscoring why Atlanta faced an uphill battle without Deablo to anchor the defense and manage signal-calling responsibilities.
Stay tuned for further updates on Deablo’s status and the Falcons’ adjustments as they navigate remaining games without their full defensive leadership.
