Observed and heard in the locker room after the Atlanta Falcons' 41-28 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium:
Strong safety William Moore, who left Sunday's game with a shoulder injury, was nowhere to be seen in the locker room after the game. There wasn't too much optimism about Moore's status. In fact, one teammate said Moore "might be out," meaning the rest of the season. Free safety Dwight Lowery said the Falcons simply have to move forward. "It's the NFL, and the team we just played didn't have their best player [Adrian Peterson]," Lowery said. "They obviously adjusted and did what they had to do. That's kind of what happens. Nobody ever wants to see that happen, especially to Will. But it's the NFL."
Starting center Joe Hawley and starting right tackle Lamar Holmes both left the locker room on crutches following significant injuries. Hawley had his right knee in a brace and guided himself out the exit, while Holmes wore a walking boot on his left foot. Those are scenes the Falcons didn't want to see, particularly when they've already lost Sam Baker to a season-ending knee injury. There was no sign of left guard Justin Blalock, who also exited the game with a back injury.
Julio Jones would like to think the offense can put enough points on the board to outscore anyone. Such wasn't the case Sunday. "We're put in different situations every week. This is the NFL, and it's hard to score on people," Jones said. "We do have a high-powered offense. We just have to make plays when they present themselves. We've got the play better team ball."
