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Atlanta Falcons: Offensive Line Exceeding Expectations

By Raekwon Gilbert

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The weakest link to the team was what they were called. A group that would be mediocre on their best day. A group of individuals who would be the reason for Matt Ryan’s decay. Still, they prevailed. Somehow, some way, the Atlanta Falcons’ offensive line has begun the season with mind blowing performances and no one is talking about it. 

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Given the team as a whole has been a pleasant surprise but for those around the league. Of course, players like Ryan, Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman deserve their fair share of praise, but not too many people are giving the big guys up front the credit they truly deserve.

In 2014, the Falcons’ O-line was ranked 19th in pass blocking, 29th in run blocking and 22nd in penalties by Pro Football Focus. It wasn’t a pretty sight to see most of the group go down with injuries and others not play to full potential. Joe Hawley went down with an ACL injury which caused undrafted James Stone to come into the starting lineup.

Jon Asamoah played well early but high-ankle sprains affected his play later on in the season, and Sam Baker went down forcing Ryan Schrader to step into the starting role which turned out pretty well ending with a plus-7.1 grade. Jake Matthews struggled as a rookie, finishing with a minus-36.8 grade. It was not the best year for the Falcons’ O-line as a whole.

In the offseason, many expected the offensive line to look halfway decent with Matthews, Stone, Hawley, Asamoah and Ryan Schrader. The group seemed pretty solid going into training camp but then injuries and scheme changes began to take their course.

Joe Hawley never fully recovered from his ACL injury that he suffered in the season before, Jon Asamoah had a nagging high ankle sprain problem in the beginning of camp, and James Stone showed that he was nothing more than a depth player at best during camp, not to say something is wrong with that.

It didn’t seem like the best group to protect the team’s franchise player, Matt Ryan. So what did Dan Quinn and company do? They began to bring in players who could be plugged in and be ready to play.

Before joining the Falcons, center Mike Person was a journeyman drafted in the seventh round, who traveled around the league looking for a place to stay. Guard Andy Levitre was one of the best at his position of years before joining the Tennessee Titans where he fell off his game a little ultimately leading him to be traded to Atlanta just before the final preseason game.

Guard Chris Chester, released by the Washington Redskins, followed his former offensive coordinator to Atlanta. Each player seemed as a small step to improving a much needed O-line that had virtually no depth. When preseason came around, everyone had second thoughts of the way the group would play together without significant time and I did too.

It doesn’t happen very often when players, especially on the offensive line, can play at a high level together with very limited reps and with their success you have to give credit to Kyle Shanahan and offensive line coach Chris Morgan for catching them up to speed. 

Jun 17, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan coaches during minicamp at Falcons Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Shanahan is an offensive genius, turning one of the team’s weaknesses into a strength. He knew the line wasn’t the most talented but with some time they could be efficient. Instead of running straight three-step drop backs they develop a way of using the play-action to buy them time and space away from the line.

Buying Ryan an extra two to three seconds can make all the difference between a check down throw or a sixty yard bomb to a receiver downfield. In the running game, the O-line consistently gets better at reaching to the man and opening holes for the running back. Yes, Freeman and Coleman are talented backs but there are many times where the line opens big enough holes for them to break out downfield. It’s absolutely amazing to see.

Through four games, the unit is ranked third in run blocking while averaging 113.5 yards per game. A lot of credit could go to fullback Patrick DiMarco was a graded out as the best fullback in the league. Play like that has to be included in the play of the offensive line as a whole. Freeman has been explosive and benefiting in the surge of the offensive line.

It seems that when rookie Tevin Coleman returns, the Falcons will have a true all-around balanced backfield plus the support of undrafted Terran Ward who has ran for 72 yards off of 19 touches.

Since the team has maybe the easiest schedule in the NFL, I can only seeing the offensive line progressing through the year. If you haven’t taken notice of the plays made by the big men up front, you’re really missing on something special.

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