Atlanta Falcons guard Matthew Bergeron suffered an ankle injury in their Week 9 game against the New England Patriots, where they lost 24-23. Bergeron wasn’t on the field long, as he sustained the injury on the first offensive drive of the game and ultimately did not return.
Bergeron is a key piece of the Falcons’ offensive line, as he’s a starter and one of the anchors of the position group. But there may be some hopeful news for the offensive unit, as Bergeron may play against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
It was reported by Tori McElhaney of the official team site that head coach Raheem Morris stated that Bergeron is “week to week” with the ankle injury and that his status for Sunday’s game may be in question, as Morris also said, “it doesn’t look good for this week.”
How Will the Offensive Line Adapt With Matthew Bergeron’s Injury?
Bergeron wasn’t the only offensive lineman injured against the Patriots, as guard Chris Lindstrom dealt with a foot injury late in the game, was taken out, and did not return. McElhaney also reported that Morris has Lindstrom as “day to day” this week.
Offensive tackle Storm Norton was considered to be back, as he reportedly practiced a few days last week, but he didn’t practice this Wednesday and could be out against the Colts.
With Bergeron’s status for Sunday unknown, that opens the door for guard Kyle Hinton to get the start in his place. The Falcons’ offensive line has struggled this season, and with at least one of their starters being out, it could get worse.
Offensive guards are key pieces of the line when it comes to communication, and that’s something the Falcons have had trouble with. Rotating offensive linemen can be tough and cause things to fall out of sync, but they have to make sure they are on the same page regardless of who starts and who doesn’t.
An area they can improve in is the run game, as running back Bijan Robinson was held to just 46 yards against the Patriots last week. Pass blocking has been fair, as quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has only been sacked 10 times this year in seven games played.
The keys for the offensive line to be successful against the Colts are communication, run blocking, and giving Penix Jr. enough time to throw. Although their health is in question, it’s possible that the unit has a good game even though the Colts have a strong front seven.
PFSN has the Falcons’ offensive line at 72.7 for their OL Impact Score, ranking 14th for the season.
The Falcons are currently 3-5 and in third place in the NFC South, and they’ll take on the Indianapolis Colts in their Week 10 matchup on Sunday in Berlin, Germany.
