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Atlanta Falcons Bye Week Rookie Review: Matthew Bergeron Living up to Expectations?

Originally posted on FanNation Falcon Report
By Daniel Flick | Last updated 11/16/23

When the Atlanta Falcons selected Matthew Bergeron at No. 38 overall in April's draft, they did so with the belief he could fill a vacancy - and thus far, he's done exactly that.

Bergeron has started all 10 games for Atlanta in between left tackle Jake Matthews and center Drew Dalman, though he started training camp working behind Matt Hennessy.

When Hennessy suffered a knee injury in camp, Bergeron took over and the Falcons haven't looked back since.

Here's a rundown of Bergeron's rookie campaign thus far ...

KEY NUMBERS: Allowed 21 total pressures, six quarterback hits and four sacks while being called for three penalties, per Pro Football Focus. Through nine weeks, his 5.9 percent rate of pressure allowed was seventh-best among left guards, via Next Gen Stats.

BEST OF THE BEST: Bergeron and the rest of Atlanta's offensive line kept quarterback Desmond Ridder upright and didn't allow a sack in Week 5 against the Houston Texans. Ridder threw for 329 yards while the Falcons ran for 96 yards and a touchdown.

BIGGEST OBSTACLE: Bergeron entered rookie minicamp with only one practice ever at left guard, coming during practice for the Reese's Senior Bowl earlier in the spring. A star left tackle at Syracuse, the transition inside forced Bergeron to be quicker and more precise, leading to a big learning curve that he was ultimately able to overcome.

WHAT'S TO COME: Bergeron appears poised to continue starting at left guard for the remainder of the season. How he emerges from the bye week will be telling, as he gets his first reset as a professional. His start has been encouraging, but he's reaching a number of games he never did in college, and his durability will be put to its greatest test.

ONE LAST LINE: “I just think the more reps he has - he played a lot of games in college, moved him inside, timing changed a little bit, but he’s done a good job," Smith said before Week 6. “Every week, you can see him getting more comfortable in there. He’s been pretty effective.”

This article first appeared on FanNation Falcon Report and was syndicated with permission.

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