Only ten days after a dismal showing in Philadelphia, the Falcons offensive line appeared to be back to their normal selves against the Panthers. According to Pro Football Focus, the combination of Alex Mack, Ryan Schraeder, Jake Mathews, and Brandon Fusco allowed a total of 18 pressures in week one. That number was down to a minuscule 3 in week two.
Pressures Allowed (Week 1 / Week 2)
Matthews: 2 / 0
Mack: 3 / 0
Fusco: 4 / 2
Schraeder: 9 / 1— PFF ATL Falcons (@PFF_Falcons) September 18, 2018
While the Eagles defensive line may be the best in football, Carolina’s front is no slouch either. They finished with six sacks on Dak Prescott the week prior. However, Ryan was very rarely rushed in this one and it showed in the numbers.
Matty Ice accounted for 4 total touchdowns and finished the day with a QBR of 95.6. Compare that to his outing in Philadelphia, where he failed to find the end zone recording a woeful 12.4 QBR. Like it has been for Matt Ryan‘s whole career, if you give him time, there are not many better quarterbacks. The success of this Atlanta offense is heavily reliant on performances like these from the offensive line.