The Falcoholic
Atlanta’s line powered a quality season from the offense.
Injuries cropped up at center in particular, but for a narrow majority of the season, the Falcons trotted out the same starting lineup in 2024 that they did in 2023. After years of rotating pieces at left guard and center, that kind of consistency was welcome, and it led to another fine year from this offensive line.
The team could elect to make it three years in a row for Jake Matthews, Matthew Bergeron, Drew Dalman, Chris Lindstrom, and Kaleb McGary, but circumstances may conspire against that. Dalman is a free agent, and McGary is now the blindside option for left-handed quarterback Michael Penix, with Matthews no longer fulfilling that role after spending over a decade doing so. There’s a non-zero chance that Dalman doesn’t come back, or the team elects to move on from a tackle.
That remains to be seen, though. Let’s take a look back at how this line fared in 2024.
Age: 32 | Experience: 11 seasons
2024 Stats: 17 starts, 5 sacks allowed, 30 pressures, 8 penalties, 85.4 Pro Football Focus pass blocking grade, 70.1 run blocking grade
If you go by PFF’s metrics, this was Matthews’ best season since 2018. Scratching past those, Matthews was penalized more frequently than in any season since 2016 and allowed five sacks, which tied last year’s total. But despite the small corner of the fanbase that has had antipathy for him basically since he was drafted, Matthews was a very good starting tackle in 2024, not to mention an absurdly durable one yet again.
The franchise record holder for most consecutive games played and the player in 7th place in terms of games played overall, Matthews was sturdier as a run blocking presence in Zac Robinson’s scheme and was customarily one of the ten or so best tackles in the NFL in terms of pass protection. The Pro Bowls and recognition haven’t been there for a player who has been good for over a decade, but Matthews delivered yet another quality season for the Falcons and shows very little sign of slowing down.
The question for Matthews heading into 2025 is whether the Falcons prioritize keeping him around given that he’s no longer protecting his quarterback’s blind side; I have to think his reliability and the importance the team places on their line means he’ll return for at least this coming season.
Age: 24 | Experience: 2 seasons
2024 Stats: 17 starts, 3 sacks allowed, 33 pressures, 12 penalties, 68.5 Pro Football Focus pass blocking grade, 73.1 run blocking grade
After an uneven rookie season, Bergeron was an improved player in 2024, albeit one who was penalized more frequently than we’d like. The Falcons have been trying to settle the position since Wes Schweitzer left post-2019 season, and Bergeron’s improvement this past year indicates he’s the long-term solution. His work in run blocking was quite good all...
