Falcons-Packers injury report: A.J. Terrell's groin is the Thursday worry, and Penix is full go

Penix is good. The front of his jersey is good. It's the guys trying to keep the pass off him and the guy trying to cover Jordan Love's targets who have the Falcons sweating. With kickoff at Lambeau less than 36 hours out, Atlanta's first real injury report of the short week is in — and the headline is A.J. Terrell's groin, not the quarterback that everyone already knows is starting.

A.J. Terrell's groin is the big one

Terrell was a did-not-practice on this report, and that's a new tag. Last week it was a shoulder that kept him out of practice but let him suit up Sunday; this time he left the Panthers game with a groin issue and couldn't do anything in Tuesday's walkthrough. Groins and short weeks don't mix, and Norwood's whole plan for slowing Jayden Reed — who is trending toward missing the game on Green Bay's side — falls apart if the Falcons' No. 1 corner sits opposite a receiver room the Packers have to scheme around anyway. The team listed the session as an estimation since both sides held walkthroughs, but coaches don't list a guy as DNP if they're not at least worried.

Penix: full participation, knee no issue

Michael Penix Jr. was a full participant, which is exactly what you want to see the morning after he was officially anointed. The knee that cost him the first two games took no step backward on Tuesday, and there's no practice restriction ahead of his first start since last November's ACL tear. Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) stayed limited, so the depth chart behind Penix remains a work in progress, but the starter himself is clear to run the show.

The line and the backfield are banged up

The guys in front of Penix are the quiet concern. Jawaan Taylor (knee) was limited, and Brian Robinson (ankle) didn't get a full session either. Nick Muse (shoulder) rounded out the limited list, while Billy Bowman Jr. (Achilles) was full. Against a Packers front that was missing Donovan Jennings and Aaron Banks at practice, that's survivable — but a patchwork line is no way to protect the QB everyone's betting the rebuild on, on the road, on a short week, in October weather that's already showing up early.

Green Bay's banged up too — but be careful

The Packers' report matters as much as Atlanta's. Jayden Reed (neck — ESPN's Adam Schefter says it's actually a back issue) didn't practice and looks like a longshot to play, and they're missing offensive linemen on top of it. That's a break for the Falcons' pass rush, which has been quiet all year. But it doesn't mean the matchup just got easy: Jordan Love is still back there, and Lambeau on a Thursday with an 0-2 visitor is about as hostile a spot as the NFL offers.

Bird Gang bottom line

Don't overthink the health plot — this game is still about whether Penix is the answer. But Terrell's groin is the kind of thing that quietly decides short-week games, and if the No. 1 corner sits, Thursday night gets a lot harder in a hurry. Penix being a full go is the headline the fan base wanted; Terrell's status is the one that could actually swing the box score. If you're the kind of fan who bets the health angles, that's exactly what pickembaby.com is for — get your Thursday card locked in and watch how the injury report shakes the line before kickoff.

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