It wasn’t what anybody expected, however, the Falcons’ offensive line outplayed the Saints’ defensive front on Sunday. From Rookie Kaleb McGary to veteran Jake Matthews, Atlanta was dominant up front.
The team won the time of possession battle over New Orleans thanks to a combination of offensive execution and creative play-calling. In Touchdown Wire’s Top 5 offensive lines of Week 10, the Falcons’ line was ranked fourth.
Here’s some of what Rick Suter had to say about the team’s surprise performance:
Although there were some issues with hands to the face penalties, the Falcons’ O-line was a big part of the success. Facing a defense ranked ninth overall, and in the top half of the league in QB hits, they did an excellent job protecting Ryan, allowing one sack and five hits. On the ground attack, they provided a decent lane-opening at the front and a substantial push to the second level—which helped the Falcons look like a playoff contender and not the meager one-win team that the Saints were matching up against.
Atlanta will look to keep the momentum going when it plays another divisional road game against the 5-4 Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
