The Atlanta Falcons need their offensive line to bounce back on Sunday Night Football against the Minnesota Vikings after its struggles in their Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Getting back to their bread and butter of establishing the run with a balanced offensive attack will be critical to their success.
Having a balanced offensive attack will be crucial against a Vikings defense led by defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who is well-known for his penchant for dialing up pressure. In their Week 14 matchup against the Vikings last year, former Falcons starting quarterback Kirk Cousins was blitzed on 66 percent of his dropbacks, according to PFF.
However, an opposing team can help keep the wolves at bay with a strong running game. In their four losses last year, the Vikings allowed an average of 129.8 rushing yards per game. In their 14 wins, that number fell to 82.8 yards.
The key to success on the ground will be creating more space. In Week 1, the Falcons averaged just 1.2 yards before contact, according to Pro Football Reference, down from their 2.2 yards before contact average a year ago. The team’s struggles in short yardage speak to the inability of the blockers up front to create enough room for their runners.
But despite the Falcons’ bevy of talented skill players, the game is still won and lost in the trenches. Thus, the team’s offensive line needs to play better for the Falcons to get their first win of the season. It’s only been recently that the Falcons’ offensive line has been solidified, and the last thing the team wants at the outset of Penix’s career is for it to be all for naught.