The Atlanta Falcons didn't have nearly the year they were hoping for in 2019, but that doesn't mean there weren't some noteworthy performances.
Although the offensive line, as a whole, didn't consistently play like a top unit, veteran left tackle Jake Matthews was once again steady while protecting Matt Ryan’s blind side. According to Pro Football Focus, Matthews played more snaps than any other tackle this season, and he finished the year with a 79.7 grade, which was fifth among all left tackles in the league. He also allowed just eight sacks on the season, which was tied for fourth among all tackles.
PFF released the first of their two-part ranking of the 101 best NFL players from 2019, and Matthews landed at No. 96 on their list.
"The Falcons' season was largely disappointing, but Jake Matthews remained consistently strong at left tackle after an ugly start to the year," PFF writes. "His opening three games were the worst three of his season — and they featured two overall PFF grades in the 40.0s — but after that, he was the No. 3 ranked tackle in the league. On the season, he gave up 28 total pressures, almost exactly matching his total from a season ago, along with an almost identical overall grade."
The Falcons are hoping that 2019 first-round picks Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary can build upon promising first seasons and bring more stability to the offensive line alongside Matthews and center Alex Mack.
