Falcons’ Jake Matthews trying to regain Pro Bowl form
Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews, who’s set to enter his seventh season in the NFL, is having a strong training camp.
“You can tell the work that he put in,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said Wednesday. “He’s just hard to get. From a pass-rushing standpoint, he’s on it. In the run game, on the back side he had some specific things that he wanted to (improve).”
Matthews went to the Pro Bowl after the 2018 season, but was part of the line that gave up 50 sacks and 135 quarterback hits last season.
“He looks stronger than he has before. To me, he’s really rock solid in where he’s at, mindset, mentality to go, physically, the whole thing. It’s kind of all lining up for him.”
Matthews, who was selected sixth overall in the 2014 draft, has started 95 games. He’s started all 16 games in each of the past five seasons.
“On the left, that’s where it’s at for pass protection,” Quinn said. “That’s rule No. 1 for that position and the traits that you need.”
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Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
