Atlanta Falcons: Still questions over offensive line
By Curtis Hobbs
At the end of a disappointing game, the Atlanta Falcons are picking themselves up off the turf and dirt, searching for answers. Wondering if they truly have enough to survive the daunting task of the NFL schedule, but where do they begin solving their problems?
And, where do they turn to resolve them sooner rather than later?
The first glaring question mark is located in the men the size of boulders who are about as movable as a giant rock. The offensive line must be answered quickly while Matt Ryan and company can still remain upright. The most valuable piece to the entire season is being protected by men who, frankly, are asking themselves if they even belong on an NFL roster.
These behemoths must find the way to get the prized possession protected. If they can’t there’s no guarantee on Ryan’s season, and if he goes down, we all know whose untrusting hands the offense will fall into.
The Falcons must find the resources to sign some help, somewhere. At the rate of how the injuries are piling up this preseason across the NFL, the Falcons may be reaching into the bag of old tricks, the Canadian Football League, desperately searching for someone to block a person.
What Leonard Williams did on Friday is unacceptable, and he reminded you of Bruce Smith or Warren Sapp the way he ripped through the line. To many people’s doubt, he is not on that level yet, but certainly appeared that way on Friday because of the holes in the line.
As much as the offensive line is struggling, the uncertainty of the running back position leaves one of the most head scratching scenarios in all of the NFL. It’s not to the detriment of the Falcons who, at the beginning of OTA’s, seemed as if they had enough bodies to ease some of the pressure off the quarterback. But as lady luck has turned her eye away from the Dirty Birds, the injury riddled backfield has shown no answers to a balanced offense that was the praise heading into preseason.
If anything, the thought of a balanced offense seems merely out of reach as these young workhorses can hardly get out of the stables to run the race that is before them. And until they can, it is the Julio Jones show all over again.
The Falcons still appear like a young team learning to fly and there is without question signs that show they are getting remarkably better in many facets of the game. But if they are to accomplish what every fan desires, they must begin being more assertive answering these question marks.