Falcon Report

Panthers' Frank Reich Praises 'Disciplined' Falcons O-Line

The Atlanta Falcons offensive line must play well if they want to beat the Carolina Panthers.

Jeremy Brener

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The Atlanta Falcons are returning four of their five starters from last year's offensive line for Sunday's season opener against the Carolina Panthers.

The Falcons' offensive line was one of the best in the league last season, and that unit is a point of emphasis for the Panthers in their preparation for Sunday's game.

"As far as penalties go, this is one of the fewest penalized teams in the league," Panthers coach Frank Reich said. "That's just evidence of a disciplined team. Good coaching. So hats off to them. Their philosophy is make the opponent beat you. That's a good philosophy. We don't want to play scared. There's going to be some penalties in the game, so it's always that fine line. We want to be aggressive, we want to push it as much as we can but we want to play smart and disciplined."

The offensive line also becomes crucial in safeguarding quarterback Desmond Ridder. As Ridder enters his first full season as the team's starting signal caller, the offensive line must focus on minimizing hits on him. By doing so, they hope to protect Ridder's confidence and ensure a smooth transition in his early career.

Desmond Ridder 4

Additionally, the Falcons drafted running back Bijan Robinson with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, who amassed 3,410 yards and 33 touchdowns during his three seasons at Texas. 

Robinson now forms an outstanding duo with second-year running back Tyler Allgeier, who delivered an impressive performance during his rookie season, concluding the year with 1,035 yards and three touchdowns while maintaining an average of 4.9 yards per carry. As the Falcons' rushing attack will likely be the offense's focal point, the offensive line must do its part in providing both players with enough room to excel.

The Falcons and Panthers kickoff at 1 p.m. inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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