The Falcons made a substantial move up the board in the second round, trading with the Indianapolis Colts for the 38th overall pick in the draft and selecting Matthew Bergeron out of Syracuse.
A tackle in college, Bergeron immediately kicked inside to guard and has started every game for the Falcons in his rookie season. There have been some ups and downs, which should be expected, but he’s coming off the best game of his young career against the Saints. Bergeron was PFF’s highest graded offensive lineman in Week 12, and his teammate Chris Lindstrom was the second-highest rated lineman.
The two are poised to become one of the most menacing guard duos in the league, if they are not already, and the 2022 Pro-Bowler Lindstrom had some high praise for his teammate.
The Falcons offensive line was the primary catalyst to the team’s most significant win of the season. With everything on the line, they broke the Saints will at the line of scrimmage, a refreshing sight to see as New Orleans has notoriously terrorized the Falcons for years.
It was the Falcons first win over the Saints in two years, and it was the Birds’ first win over their division rivals in Atlanta since 2017. Now, Arthur Smith’s squad sits in first place with six games to play and a perfect opportunity ahead of them to extend their lead in the division this Sunday against the Jets. The Falcons got back to their roots against the Saints, pounding the rock and leaning on their opponents. If they are to go on and win the NFC South, they’ll have to be a lot more of that the rest of the way behind Matthew Bergeron and Chris Lindstrom.
More must-reads: