Key matchup: Jake Matthews vs. Ziggy Ansah
Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews will spend a lot of time trying to block Detroit defensive end Ziggy Ansah when the teams meet at 1 p.m. Sunday at Ford Field.
Ansah is coming off a big game against the New York Giants. He had three sacks, which surpassed his total of two from an injury-plagues 2016 season.
He had 14.5 sacks in 2015 and was named to the Pro Bowl. The 6-foot-5 and 271-pounder, went to BYU from his native country of Ghana to play basketball.
“He’s a really long, athletic guy,” Matthews said. “He does a good job mixing it up. He can hit you with a power move and in that same move switch to a hand-finesse the edge.”
Matthews is looking forward to the matchup.
“He can run around the edges, he’s got good speed and he’s long, so it’s going to be a good challenge,” Matthews said.
Matt Winkeljohn contributed to this story.
About the Author
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.
