3 Atlanta Falcons who have been quietly great amid dysfunction

1. Jake Matthews

Jake Matthews has been the Atlanta Falcons starting left tackle since the 2014 season. That is a decade of sustained greatness at one of the toughest positions in the sport. While many might find fault with considering Matthews great there is no other applicable term.

Yes, there are other tackles playing at a higher level but to play a position with so little room for error for so long deserves respect. Matthews has been a part of myriad of Atlanta front office and coaching staff combinations. There is a reason he is one of the only two remaining pieces of the old guard in Atlanta.

Matthews' level of play doesn't dip or change regardless of who the quarterback or coach are. There is a level of play and production consistently expected and delivered every season. Since 2015 Matthews hasn't missed a start speaking to incredible durability.

A position that has no chance of avoiding impact on every snap typically faces injuries at some point. Matthews hasn't missed a start in nearly a decade with the positioning of the team and their playoff chances never mattering. Matthews continues to find ways to stay on the field and play at the level expected with underrated consistency.