Kalen DeBoer expects Alabama to be without key offensive player against Georgia

According to Kalen DeBoer, Alabama will likely be without a key offensive player for the third week in a row when it faces Georgia on Saturday in the SEC Championship Game.

Senior TE Josh Cuevas injured his foot in practice during the lead-up to Alabama's game against Eastern Illinois. He missed that game, and then was ruled out of last week's Iron Bowl when the first SEC Availability Report was released on Wednesday of last week.

On Sunday night during the SEC Championship Game teleconference, DeBoer removed any real doubt over whether Cuevas would be able to play against Georgia.

“I would expect Josh to probably not be with us for the weekend,” DeBoer said.

Josh Cuevas unlikely to play in the SEC Championship Game

Cuevas was seen in a walking boot and moving around with the assistance of a scooter during the Iron Bowl this weekend:

It was never officially confirmed, but the rumor was that Cuevas broke his foot during practice. Missing three straight games confirms the injury is more severe than DeBoer originally let on when he didn't immediately rule him out of the Iron Bowl last week.

Alabama certainly missed Cuevas against Auburn. Not just as a receiver, but as a blocker as well. There were a couple of missed blocks by freshmen Kaleb Edwards and Marshall Pritchett that Cuevas probably makes, which could have been the difference in successful drives.

Alabama tight ends combined to catch three passes for seven yards in the Iron Bowl. Cuevas had emerged as a weapon in the Crimson Tide's offense and one of Ty Simpson's favorite safety valves.

Alabama's offense has not been sharp in recent weeks. That didn't change in the Iron Bowl, with the Crimson Tide producing only 280 yards of total offense. A couple of timely takeaways by the defense helped Alabama escape Jordan-Hare Stadium with a seven-point win, but if the Crimson Tide wants to have a chance to knock off Georgia in the SEC Championship Game next week, they're going to need more from the offense.

Getting more production out of the tight end room would be helpful.