Do Da Dirty Bird: Cred to a Mean, Not-So-Lean O-Line

Off the bat, lemme throw a number at ya: two.

That'd be the number of sacks the Falcons' offensive line has allowed through four games.

They've been pitted against the likes of Jason Taylor, Joey Porter, Julius Peppers, Adalius Thomas, and Parys Haralson, and yet they've stood stout.

We're tied with the Colts (yep, those Colts) for fewest sacks allowed in the league.

Such a ranking stands out when you consider who we have under center: A quarterback with outstanding pure passing skills, but only modest mobility and not a whole lot of experience.

The security that Matt Ryan is afforded by the trenchmen augments his already savvy-beyond-his-years mentality, and it's adding up to a darn productive air game.

But see what I did there? I dropped Ice's name, and collectively referred to those protecting him with just one word.

To reverse the trend of lumping a team's linemen into one nondescript noun is the aim of this edition of DDDB.

LT Sam Baker

Don't be fooled: He may look like a Viking, or perhaps even a Bear, but we Atlantans are proud to call this young man a Falcon.

Baker was our other first-round pick in '08, long after Ryan was taken and proclaimed the new face of the franchise.

His rookie campaign had its ups and downs, but he's turning out to be a fully capable pro left tackle.

Sam does not screw up in pass protection, which is just what a team wants from the spot considered most important to the line. He's uniquely suited to the trenches' closest equivalent of a "skill position."

Obviously, he's gifted physically with a 6'5", 315-or-so-pound frame and long limbs, but to focus more on the things he himself does, Baker is an excellent "container."

With bumps and slaps from his big hands, he's able to redirect and impede even great defensive ends.

His footwork was his selling point coming out of college, and it has not disappointed: He pivots like a receiver to prevent rushers from getting around him and to Ice's blindside.

LG Justin Blalock

He plays kind of like a big kid: tons of energy, slightly goofy disposition (and haircut). What it adds up to is a perfect left-side complement to the anti-rusher Baker.

Blalock has the best burst off the line of our guys, making him great in pass blocking. Not to downplay Harvey Dahl's pulling abilities (more on that later, as you might have guessed), but the way Justin breaks at the snap and charges is a perfect setup for Michael Turner.

Think you can handle this 330-pound cannonball immediately followed by a 240-pound bullet (the Burner)?

I'll admit, sometimes Blalock overextends in pass protection, seemingly forgetting he's not blocking for a run as usual.

He'll lunge a little, as though he thinks he's supposed to go out and pull, and then leave himself susceptible to a bucking nose tackle.

Gotta love the fauxhawk, though.

C Todd McClure

There is no other position more fitting for your team's resident greybeard than center. Above you can see Mr. McClure coming out of cryogenic freezing from sometime in the late 18th century.

The 11 seasons Todd has spent in the league have hardened him like steel and set his mechanics in stone. A better nickname for him than "Ole Reliable" there is not.

In fact, McClure's snap is so automatic these days that aficionados simply default to critiquing his transition to blocking...which is more or less seamless.

What I've personally taken note of is the fact that he never hesitates in his break left or right in the case of a 4-3; he knows exactly who he's helping with and how to do it.

Note that last week it was the receivers getting false start penalties on us, not the linemen. Todd has nary a one this season.

RG Harvey Dahl

So many people claim that "Dirty Dahl" needs to clean up his game. I beg to differ; the man is only doing what he must to keep up with the Joneses (and Allens, and Ogunleyes).

You think defensive linemen are nice, caring folks when they're on the field?

So Harvey's poked some guys in the eye, and so he pushes people after the whistle, and so he throws guys to the ground by their pads. Big deal. He's doing what he thinks needs to be done for his team to win.

Dahl is a paradox in ways: He doesn't seem to know what position he plays (in that he has the tenacity of a running back), yet he knows EXACTLY what position he plays (in that he knows all the little tricks that guards use to best the guys staring them down).

RT Tyson Clabo

He was a guard, then he was a tackle. He was a reserve, then he was a starter. I'll settle this once and for all by quoting the great John Madden:

"He's a good football player."

No, Madden wasn't talking about Clabo when he said that...or maybe he was. Considering just how many times he uttered that phrase, the odds are actually pretty good...

But that's beside the point. Tyson was doubted from the time he graduated from Wake Forest and went undrafted, but he used his work ethic, motor, and tremendous upper-body strength to earn a spot on the Falcons that he has not relinquished.

Watch him bench-press a D-end into the second level and try to tell me he'll be leaving the rotation anytime soon.