Last season, the Falcons’ offensive line got whipped by the Vikings’ defensive line.
Left tackle Jake Matthews is the only returner from that crew which featured left guard Justin Blalock, center Joe Hawley, right guard Jon Asamoah and right tackle Lamar Holmes in the 41-28 loss on Sept. 28, 2014.
A rash of injuries forced tight end Levine Toilolo to finish the game at right tackle.
Matthews will have his hands full with defensive end Brian Robison. Right tackle Ryan Schraeder has a tough matchup against Everson Griffen, who leads the Vikings with 6.5 sacks.
Left guard Adam Levitre, center Mike Person and right guard Chris Chester will attempt to control the middle against nose tackle Linval Joseph and defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd.
“The first thing that jumps out for Sharrif is the quickness that he has for a 300 pounder,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. “He has the quickness of a much lighter guy.”
Joseph is also a force.
“I remember him all the way back to his East Carolina days, and followed him with the Giants,” Quinn said. “The thing that was most impressive to me about him was the ability for him also to push the pocket. Not only is he a really good run player, he’s been a factor inside, pushing the pocket. You can see that combination with him and Shariff inside working well together.”
In addition to having a powerful defensive front, the Vikings don't hurt themselves. With 67 penalties for 532 yards, they are the least penalized team in the NFL. The Falcons are tied for 13th with 81 penalties for 684 yards.
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