The Falcons’ offense couldn’t function with poor play from its offensive tackles in 2013 and it can’t do it in 2014. Jake Matthews and Gabe Carimi cleary aren’t the only issue with the offense but the Falcons again can see that all of their skilled talent doesn’t mean much without adequate blocking on the edges.
Carimi and Matthews haven’t held up against aggressive pass rushers for the Giants, Bears and Ravens. They are also the most penalized tackle tandem in the league. Carimi is tied for the league lead among linemen with seven penalties and Matthews is right behind him with six.
Carimi didn’t last as a first-round pick in Chicago and ended up as a backup in Tampa Bay. He’s getting a chance to revive his career with the Falcons but it’s not going well so far.
Matthews now is struggling so much you have to wonder if his issues go beyond being limited by his balky left ankle. In his recap of the Ravens game, Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus writes:
"It's getting to the point where some sort of changes need to be made to help out Matthews and preserve his and Matt Ryan's confidence. Matthews got absolutely no movement in the running game, where he twice got stood up in his tracks simply trying to downblock Haloti Ngata. The most discouraging thing, though, is that Matthews continues to make mental errors. He botched multiple stunts, completely whiffed on cut block, and committed two penalties for the third straight week."
The poor performance of the line creates problems beyond the negative plays and physical beatings for Ryan. It’s also handcuffing offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, who is increasingly keeping in tight ends and running backs to help with pass protection and thus leaving Ryan with fewer targets.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Falcons kept in an extra blocker on 32 of 50 pass plays (64 percent) against the Ravens. The week before against the Bears, it happened on 20 of 43 dropbacks (46.5). Against the Giants, it was 25 of 50 (50 percent).
The protection for Ryan has been subpar in spite of all of that help for the line.
"There were times that we were helping, but you just can't help everybody," coach Mike Smith said after the Ravens loss. "You have to do one or the other in those situations, unless you're trying to have two-man routes, and you can't do that. They physically won the line of scrimmage. There's no two ways about it."
It appeared the Falcons had assembled an adequate line with center Joe Hawley, guards Justin Blalock and Jon Asamoah and tackles Matthews and Lamar Holmes. That group was playing well enough to win. But injuries have thinned the unit and now the line is at the top of the list of reasons the Falcons are struggling to score.
Soon after Sam Baker was carted off the field in Houston with what turned out to be a season-ending injury in the preseason, GM Thomas Dimitroff joined the television broadcast booth. He said the team was better positioned to absorb injuries to offensive linemen because of more depth than ever. But the Falcons have lost three opening-day starters on the line (Baker, Hawley, Holmes) and haven't been able to patch together a unit that works.
It's possible Matthews and Carimi will improve. Both are first-round talents, after all. But if they don't get better fast, then it's difficult to see the Falcons ending their slide.
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