The Atlanta Falcons need their offensive line to bounce back on Sunday Night Football against the Minnesota Vikings after its struggles in their Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Getting back to their bread and butter of establishing the run with a balanced offensive attack will be critical to their success.
Yet, restoring the run game won’t be easy. Given the recent season-ending injury to right tackle Kaleb McGary, it wasn’t a huge surprise that the Falcons’ run game couldn’t get off the ground
against the Bucs. The Falcons already faced a significant challenge in replacing starting center Drew Dalman, one of their top run blockers last year, and losing McGary was another devastating blow to the continuity the team has tried to maintain in recent years.
Having a balanced offensive attack will be crucial against a Vikings defense led by defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who is well-known for his penchant for dialing up pressure. In their Week 14 matchup against the Vikings last year, former Falcons starting quarterback Kirk Cousins was blitzed on 66 percent of his dropbacks, according to PFF.
However, an opposing team can help keep the wolves at bay with a strong running game. In their four losses last year, the Vikings allowed an average of 129.8 rushing yards per game. In their 14 wins, that number fell to 82.8 yards.
The key to success on the ground will be creating more space. In Week 1, the Falcons averaged just 1.2 yards before contact, according to Pro Football Reference, down from their 2.2 yards before contact average a year ago. The team’s struggles in short yardage speak to the inability of the blockers up front to create enough room for their runners.
Yet in addition to creating more space for running backs, the Falcons’ offensive line will also have to step up in pass protection. Current starting quarterback Michael Penix showed poise and precision under pressure last week, but saw too much pressure, thanks to frequent breakdowns against stunts.
The Falcons’ passing game should get a boost this week from the healthy returns of both starting wide receivers, Darnell Mooney and Drake London. That should help Penix tremendously when he does have the time to sit back and deliver. And the team sports one of the best running back duos in the entire NFL, so when the blocking is there, they have the playmakers who can take advantage.
But despite the Falcons’ bevy of talented skill players, the game is still won and lost in the trenches. Thus, the team’s offensive line needs to play better for the Falcons to get their first win of the season. It’s only been recently that the Falcons’ offensive line has been solidified, and the last thing the team wants at the outset of Penix’s career is for it to be all for naught.
