At Wednesday’s practice before the team departed for Berlin, the Falcons were without both of their starting guards. Matthew Bergeron (ankle) did not participate, and Chris Lindstrom (foot) joined him on the sideline.
Morris didn’t sugarcoat the situation. Bergeron, who lasted only three snaps against New England before being carted off, is officially week-to-week and “doesn’t look good for this week.”
Lindstrom is day-to-day, which offers more optimism, but a foot injury on the interior is rarely a quick fix. Meanwhile, Bergeron didn't even travel with the team to Germany and has already been ruled out, while at least the three-time Pro Bowler has a chance to suit up against the Indianapolis Colts.
The Falcons' interior OL is a bigger problem than just next man up
To make matters worse, the Falcons’ tackle depth is equally alarming. Kaleb McGary never played a snap this season after being placed on season-ending IR in August. Storm Norton, the intended swing tackle, was meant to bridge that gap.
The Falcons were banking on Norton's impending returning from injured reserve to stabilize things, those hopes evaporated with one sentence from Morris: “It wasn’t great news.” He suffered a setback in his recovery from a foot injury, and now his season debut will have to wait another week.
He hasn’t practiced since last Friday, and his 21-day activation window closes next week. Atlanta must either place him on season ending IR or activate him even if he's not ready.
The one bright spot is the emergence of Kyle Hinton, who played 53 snaps after Bergeron went down and held his own despite getting minimal first team work in practice.
“If Berg can’t go, Hinton has always been the next man up,” Morris said. “Those are the guys you trust. Those are the guys you sign.”
Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson echoed that confidence, noting Hinton’s power in pass protection and sturdiness in the run game. But trust isn’t the concern. Numbers are.
Behind Hinton, the Falcons are down to a thin mix of developmental players, swing pieces, and midseason additions learning the system on the fly. Andrew Stueber won't be ready to play meaningful snaps after less than a week with the Dirty Birds.
Interior offensive line continuity has been an issue all season. That’s part of why Bijan Robinson was held to just 46 rushing yards last week.
Atlanta has survived so far because the pass protection (mainly the edges) has held up enough for Michael Penix Jr. to limit sacks. But the Colts’ front seven is one of the most aggressive the Falcons will see all season.
And now they’re heading into that matchup with a patchwork interior and shaky tackle depth. For weeks, Atlanta has resisted the urge to add a lineman. But given the current state of the roster, that hesitation may no longer be viable.
Whether Lindstrom plays through the foot issue or not, the Falcons are one injury away from having to rely on players they had no intention of using in meaningful roles this year.
Even if they’re not long-term pieces, the Falcons need availability more than upside right now (free agent OG Shaq Mason would be a good option) because at 3-5, the Falcons aren’t out of the NFC South race just yet.
But their margin for error shrinks every week. And nothing can ruin a season faster than losing control of the line of scrimmage.