Trench Battle: Can The Atlanta Falcons’ Offensive Line Overpower Carolina?
Through four weeks, the Carolina Panthers have only three sacks. And only one of those was recorded by a starter.
The Atlanta Falcons, meanwhile, have allowed Matt Ryan to be sacked nine times. And they haven’t scorched the earth with the run game, either, as Todd Gurley II is averaging fewer than four yards per carry.
One of these two units — the Falcons’ offensive line or Carolina’s front seven — will step up and help its respective team come out of Week 5 with a victory.
ATLANTA’S OFFENSIVE LINE
The starters look the same as they have since Chris Lindstrom returned from injury late in the 2019 season.
- Left tackle: Jake Matthews
- Left guard: James Carpenter
- Center: Alex Mack
- Right guard: Chris Lindstrom
- Right tackle: Kaleb McGary
But after losing a training camp position battle, 2020 third-round pick Matt Hennessy is pushing Carpenter for playing time. They split snaps nearly 50/50 against the Green Bay Packers in Week 4.
Overall, the line has been average so far this season, which is an improvement from 2019. According to Football Outsiders, Atlanta’s big boys rank 13th in the league heading into Week 5.
CAROLINA’S FRONT SEVEN
The first thing Atlanta fans will recognize about the Panthers’ defense is the absence of Luke Kuechly. The former all-pro linebacker announced his retirement in January, and Carolina replaced him with free agent Tahir Whitehead.
Through four weeks, Whitehead has collected 23 tackles, but it’s hard to replace one of the league’s top linebackers of the last decade. Whitehead teams with Shaq Thompson and Jeremy Chinn — who occasionally shifts to safety — to round out the linebacking corps in the Panthers’ 4-3 scheme.
Up front, Brian Burns and Yetur Gross-Matos will line up on the outside of tackles Kawann Short and Derrick Brown. With the exception of Short, all three of those players are 22 years old.
Carolina’s defense has been solid against the pass, sitting in the top 10 of least yards and touchdowns allowed.
Now, flip that and you have Carolina’s defense against the run.
The Panthers fall to the bottom third of the NFL against the ground game, slotting 21st in yards allowed and 30th in scores.
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