Atlanta Falcons: Three things to watch against the Pittsburgh Steelers

Pass protection

Despite having one of the most prolific offenses in NFL history last season, there were times when the offensive line struggled. In particular, they ranked 21st in the league in sacks allowed. To put this in perspective, quarterback Matt Ryan was sacked seven more times in 2016 when compared to 2015. This is despite the fact that Ryan had 80 fewer passing attempts in 2016.

But the good news for Falcons fans, and Ryan, is that the O-line for the 2017 campaign remains largely unchanged. Four of the five starters are returning, with the only omission being Chris Chester who retired in the offseason.

Ben Garland did a good job filling in for Chester at Right Guard against Miami. But this Sunday it will be Wes Schweitzer who gets the start. Dan Quinn has said this was his plan all along and that we should not read into it. Both Garland and Schweitzer were on the team last year and so should be comfortable with Centre Alex Mack’s blocking assignment calls.

Off the back of a strong debut from edge rusher T. J. Watt, the Steelers racked up seven sacks against the New York Giants last week. Regardless of Quinn’s intentions, we will get an extended look at the potential starting O-line as they match up against a strong pass rush.