The Atlanta Falcons have been hoping for some good news regarding key offensive playmaker Cordarrelle Patterson and his injured ankle, but it has yet to come.
To make matters worse for Sunday, starting linebacker Deion Jones has now been listed as questionable for the game on Sunday.
Patterson went out two weeks ago against the Cowboys with an ankle injury, and the Falcons have yet to score a point in his absence. He was a game time decision last Thursday against the New England Patriots, but was a late scratch and placed on the inactives for that game.
The hope was 10 days between games would be enough to get Patterson ready for Jacksonville on Sunday, but that hasn't materialized. Even if he does return in time to play, there's no guarantee he'll have the same explosiveness that has made him the Falcons' leading touchdown producer both rushing and receiving.
Jones was limited in practice on Friday and listed as questionable on the official injury report. This appears to be a new development; there had been no reports of him missing or being limited in any way at practice this week.
Jones is the Falcons second leading tackler this season. His 92 tackles trails only fellow linebacker Foye Oluokun's 110. There's a precipitous drop-off after Jones and Oluokun to safety Erik Harris with 55 tackles.
If Jones misses the game or is limited in any way, it could mean more time for second-year linebacker Mykal Walker. Walker hasn't seen much action this year and had his car stolen earlier this week. Walker was a Pro Football Focus All-Rookie Team selection last year, but hasn't found playing time easy to come by in new defensive coordinator Dean Pees' 3-4 scheme.
The 4-6 Falcons are two-point favorites over the 2-8 Jaguars. Patterson and Jones could go a long way towards deciding Sunday's game.
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