It is late in the season, and while most teams would like to be set at linebacker, we are still seeing a lot of changes. In most cases it is a role player that is injured and a role player replacing them. However there are a few situations where linebackers who consistently played every down that won’t be playing every down that you should be aware of. There are also cases where a player is just now starting to get playing time because they might be a starter in 2013. Then there is San Diego, where there are six different inside linebackers who could be seeing playing time dependent on who is active.
Stephen Nicholas
When healthy, Stephen Nicholas has been an every down linebacker for the Falcons. In every game that he has played in, he has had at least two stops. However in the last game against the Giants, when New York was in three receiver sets on third downs, the Falcons went to their rarely used dime defense. This week against the Lions, it wouldn’t be entirely surprising if Atlanta uses even more dime defense. The Lions use three receiver sets heavily, and the Falcons could come out to an early lead which would mean even more passing out of Detroit. It would be safe to sit Nicholas if you have the chance.
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