Like much of the Atlanta Falcons' season, the offensive line play for the team has been inconsistent. They looked like world-beaters against the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints, and then they were bullied by the Baltimore Ravens and overwhelmed by the Chicago Bears.

So much of what Atlanta wants to do starts up front, and they've invested heavily in the unit with both draft picks and contracts. The Falcons have the eighth-highest cap hit on the offensive line in the NFL, according to Spotrac.

So, if they're struggling, there are big concerns with the team. Head coach Kevin Stefanski was asked about the overall play of the offensive line on Wednesday, and his answer was clear.

“They’re playing 2-4. I’m coaching 2-4," Stefanski said. "It’s hard to give grand observations on any position right now because I just think you have to just focus on where you are. So, I can tell you how they're working. They're working very hard. I like those guys, but there's plenty of improvement to be made.”

In short, yes, they can play better, but he's not going to single out a unit when time are tough. At 2-4, times are tough. Bedrock offensive tackle Jake Matthews is having his worst season. He had a groin injury and missed most of the New Orleans game, but he hasn't missed any time since. Stefanski assured us Matthews is healthy.

The Falcons face former head coach Raheem Morris as the San Francisco 49ers this week. Morris is going to see how successful the Bears were with their blitz packages, and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. can expect to see plenty of heat again, until the offense figures out how to make defenses pay for being so aggressive.

"When it comes to protection, it very simply can be technique," Stefanski said about dealing with the blitz. "It very simply can be the protections that we're calling. It can be, it goes without saying, staying out of those down and distances. It's a simple thing to say, ‘Hey, we want to be better,’ but it's complicated in how you want to achieve that. But our players, our coaches understand in these given games, teams, when they pressure you, there can be an advantage to the offense as well.”

A blitz is typically a high-risk, high-reward type of play, and the Falcons need to make teams feel the risk side of that equation more frequently than the reward.

The offensive line controlling a good 49ers front will be important in this game. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has his team playing well offensively. The Falcons get a break that long-time nemesis Mike Evans is unavailable. However, the Falcons are beat up at linebacker, and the 49ers have a litany of weapons who attack the second level: running back Christian McCaffrey, tight end George Kittle, and wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

The Bears played keepaway with the Falcons last week. They held a 2-1 time-of-possession advantage. The Falcons' offensive line will need to turn the tables this week if the Falcons are to pull off the upset on the 6-0 49ers.

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