Practically everything went right in the first half for the Atlanta Falcons against the Bills. They nearly took a 21-point lead into the halftime locker room and the defense has kept Josh Allen in check, but that didn't come without a major setback.
Late in the second quarter, Jake Matthews suffered an ankle injury and was replaced by Michael Jerrell—and he was just ruled out for the remainder of the game. The Dirty Birds just lost the anchor to their offensive line, and couldn't have received a more costly injury update.
Jake Matthews is OUT due to an ankle injury.
— Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) October 14, 2025
With Matthews sidelined, it means that both of the Falcons' tackles are not their planned starters. But Dwayne Ledford has been a master with the unit up front, so let's hope he adjusts accordingly to help Atlanta retain their lead.
Jake Matthews won't return to the game for the Falcons
The Dirty Birds have been quick to use a lot of pre-snap motion in hopes of fooling this stout Bills defense, but Zac Robinson will (rightfully) have less trust in the unit up front without his Pro Bowl left tackle.
Matthews was drafted by Atlanta in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, and has remained a key starter since. According to Pro Football Focus, his 80.7 pass block grade ranks 10th among 112 qualified tackles
The Texas A&M product has emerged as one of the NFL's best tackles in large part due to his reliability, as hasn't missed a start since his rookie season. Now, the 33-year-old's absence could loom large and potentially jeopardize the Falcons' season if he misses extended time.
Luckily, Michael Penix Jr. is a left-handed quarterback, so Atlanta didn't lose its blind side protector. The Falcons' offensive line has seen enough turnover, losing starting right tackle Kaleb McGary for the year during training camp and usual swing tackle Storm Norton has yet to make his season debut.
The offensive line is the reason the Falcons are so strong in the run game, so fans should be sweating right now.
Without Matthews, Bills DC Bobby Babich can bring pressure that Penix and the Falcons is more vulnerable against without Matthews. Both Bijan Robinson and Drake London shined in the opening half, but a Falcons team already struggling on the injury front just lost another key player—and this one is the team's most important non-skill position player.