Atlanta Falcons' Offensive Line Will Determine Team's Playoff Fate

The Atlanta Falcons will be forced to rely on a completely revamped offensive line in their attempt to win an NFC South divisional crown.

Sunday's 41-28 loss to the Minnesota Vikings was far costlier than just another tally on the wrong side of the ledger. Three of the team's starting offensive linemen were injured during the contest.

The team announced on its Twitter account Tuesday that two of them are done for the season and have been placed on injured reserve.

Center Joe Hawley's season came to a premature end due to a knee injury, while right tackle Lamar Holmes suffered an injury to his right foot.

According to ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure, the status of the third offensive lineman, left guard Justin Blalock, has yet to be determined for Sunday's contest:

D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Blalock wasn't on the practice field Wednesday. His status for the weekend remains questionable.

The potential loss of Blalock may be the biggest blow to the offense, as Bleacher Report's Scott Carasik noted:

With left tackle Sam Baker already lost due to a preseason injury, the Falcons are guaranteed to be missing three projected starters from the lineup. Rookie Jake Matthews, meanwhile, was forced to change positions. Blalock's status remains up in the air.

Only right guard Jon Asamoah remains at the position he was supposed to play in this season, and this is his first year as a member of the Falcons after signing with the team during free agency.

That is massive turnover for a position group which relies so heavily on chemistry, proper communication and trust. However, the new-look offensive line will have to suffice. The Falcons simply don't have any other options.

Ledbetter shared Atlanta's depth chart on Tuesday. 

Peter Konz has been inserted at center, while Gabe Carimi will take over as the strong-side tackle. While both were considered backups, the former Wisconsin Badgers possess plenty of previous starting experience. The two have combined for 46 career starts.

Neither Carimi nor Konz are massive drop-offs in talent from the Falcons' starters.

Player	Snaps	Overall	Run Blocking	Pass Blocking
Joe Hawley	249	-1.2	-2.5	2.4
Peter Konz	46	1.2	0.2	0.5
Lamar Holmes	231	-6.4	-6.0	-0.3
Gabe Carimi	203	-4.5	0.0	-2.7

Depth became the major concern at this point for Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff.

According to Ledbetter, the team responded by promoting Harland Gunn, a versatile interior blocker, from the practice squad to the active roster and signing offensive tackle Cameron Bradfield after a tryout.

A typical NFL team keeps eight offensive linemen on the final 53-man roster, with seven usually active on game days. Gunn, Bradfield and second-year offensive tackle Ryan Schraeder will now serve as the team's backups.

This previously mentioned general rule of practice really hampered the Falcons Sunday, and it's a position the team can't put itself in again.

Once Blalock, Hawley and Holmes left the game, starting tight end Levine Toilolo was forced to play right tackle during the fourth quarter. It placed undue stress on the team's blocking schemes and quarterback Matt Ryan.

The Vikings took full advantage of the situation.

In the picture below, Toilolo tried to block Vikings defensive end Brian Robison one-on-one. Last season, Robison manufactured nine sacks and 63 quarterback hurries. He's not exactly the kind of player on which to leave a tight end playing right tackle alone.

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Predictably, Robison cleanly beat Toilolo off the edge with a speed rush and forced Ryan to climb the pocket. Ryan ran into the waiting arms of Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr, who came on a delayed blitz.

So many things went wrong on this play.

First, Toilolo was in three-point stance pre-snap when he would have been better served in a two-point stance. Second, the Vikings showed a double A-gap blitz, which forced left tackle Matthews to pinch down instead of handling the opposite defensive end.

Instead of providing Toilolo with help from the running back spot, Jacquizz Rodgers chipped on the opposite edge-rusher.

The Falcons can't allow themselves to be placed in a similar situation moving forward.

One of the ways to achieve this is by keeping all three backup offensive linemen active on game day. Due to Blalock's questionable status, this becomes vitally important.

David Goldman/Associated Press

It falls on this ramshackle group of blockers to gel as quickly as possible. The Falcons have all the weapons necessary to claim a division title. At 2-2, the Falcons are tied with the Carolina Panthers atop the NFC South and still own the NFL's No. 1 offense.

But the Falcons can't rely on their defense to pick up any other area of the team. Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan's unit is currently ranked 31st overall in total defense and surrendering 28.2 points per game.

As the cliche states, "The best defense is a good offense."

The Falcons have plenty of weapons on offense, but the play of the offensive line will prove to be this year's X-factor.

If the big boys up front play well, the Falcons will be competitive all season. If the current group of blockers falls apart due to recent injuries, Atlanta will quickly become one of the worst teams in the NFC. There is no in-between, and it's up to the least heralded guys on the roster to make the biggest impact.