"What's driving this? Customarily terrific pass protection from Jake Matthews, who has been one of the better options on the left side in that regard leaguewide for a full decade, plus far-better-than-anticipated play from both Neuzil and Wilkinson. Neuzil has been better than Dalman if you go by Pro Football Focus metrics-he's allowed four pressures versus Dalman's nine-and has been quite good run blocking, completing an impressive career arc that has seen him go from undrafted free agent guard to quality starting center."
"And Wilkinson, who last played right tackle full-time in Denver back in 2020, has played like a solid starter and may not be giving this job back to Norton when he returns. These players, this coaching staff, and this front office deserve credit for assembling a line that was able to weather multiple significant losses and still show up to protect Michael Penix Jr. at this level."
Atlanta Falcons switched starting center Drew Dalman for Ryan Neuzil and lost right tackle Kaleb McGary and backup Storm Norton before the season. Despite those changes, the offensive line has performed well, providing solid run blocking for Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier and ranking highly in pass protection metrics. Jake Matthews remains a top pass protector, while Neuzil has allowed fewer pressures than Dalman per Pro Football Focus and has improved as a run blocker. Elijah Wilkinson has played like a capable starter at right tackle and may keep the job. Coaching and front office decisions helped the line absorb multiple losses while protecting Michael Penix Jr., and performance could modestly improve even with some expected regression from Wilkinson.
Read at The Falcoholic
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