The Atlanta Falcons' preseason opener went about as horribly as you could've possibly expected. The first time we saw the Falcons take the field since January resulted in a brutal defeat, and it took a lot of wind out of fans' sail in terms of what the Kevin Stefanski era could still become in Atlanta.
Not only did the Falcons get pummeled by the Denver Broncos, the 27-7 defeat exposed some major red flags. None of the quarterbacks looked particularly impressive, but it wasn't all their fault. The protection for Tua Tagovailoa, Cooper Rush, and Jack Strand was the more worrisome development.
Jake Matthews left the game due to injury, but I doubt the Iron Man himself will be out for long. The bigger concern is at right tackle, since that's the blind side protector of left-handed QBs Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr.--but the production we got from Michael Jerrell and Ethan Onianwa was rough.
The Atlanta Falcons' offensive line is in a pretty horrible spot
The Falcons were called for nine penalties on Friday night, and many of them were pre-snap penalties against the offensive line. Jerrell was called for two false starts, and while Onianwa had no flags to his name, he proved to be a liability in pass protection after surrendering a couple of quick pressures.
The seventh-round rookie was a dart throw in the NFL Draft, and while he's looked good in training camp, his first taste of preseason action offered a major reality check. His size (6-foot-7, 331 pounds) and versatility are intriguing, but it's clear that he doesn't look like an NFL-caliber tackle right now.
Onianwa requires so much more development before the Dirty Birds can even think about deeming him a key contributor. There was one rep where he was completely dusted by Jonathon Cooper on third-and-long, and at this point, it's fair to say that he may not even be a lock to make the roster.
Take this rep from Ethan Onianwa. He gets beaten by Jonathon Cooper, and on the one hand, you could go, "Well, what would you expect?" But the problem is that if Ethan Onianwa starts, he has to face TJ Watt wk 1, Jaelan Phillips wk 2, and Chase Young wk 4. It sucks for a… pic.twitter.com/qZXXRAhPRD
— OTPAthleticClub (@OTPathleticclub) August 15, 2026
Right tackle has been the weak link on this Falcons' offensive line since Kaleb McGary retired, but this was a whole new low. Not having Jawaan Taylor for most of camp to date was bad enough, but this matchup essentially confirmed that Atlanta can't turn to Onianwa or Jerrell in his absence.
The offensive line still has elite players like Chris Lindstrom and Matthew Bergeron, but the success of the unit will sink or swim with the production at right tackle. And between Michael Jerrell and Ethan Onianwa, it was pretty tough sledding on Friday night.
Thankfully Jawaan Taylor will be good to go for Week 1, and while he's not elite, he'll certainly be a major step up over both of them.
Add us as a preferred source on Google