Atlanta Falcons vs. Oakland Raiders: 5 reasons the Falcons won

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Sep 18, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman (24) runs the ball against the Oakland Raiders in the first quarter at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 5: Offensive line

Coming into the game, it was imperative that the Falcons protect Matt Ryan and provide good holes for the run game.

Even against the formidable front-7 of the Oakland Raiders, the Atlanta offensive line played terrifically. They gave up only one sack and neutralized Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin. Those two combined to have only 4 tackles and 2 QB hits.

Jake Matthews, in particular, had a nice game bouncing back from a poor performance in Week 1.

Aside from pass protection, the O-Line did a tremendous job opening up holes for Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman to run through. The duo combined for 139 yards on 29 total carries, good for a 4.8-yard average. This also included the would-be game-sealing touchdown run by Tevin Coleman in the fourth quarter.

If Atlanta can continue this kind of production from their offensive line, they could become a very dangerous offense this season.

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