Something was missing from the Falcons offense. In fact, some one has been missing since the 2012 season. If you haven’t figured it out, the player the Falcons have been devoid of since coming ten yards from the Super Bowl is center Todd McClure.
The Falcons have not had to replace a center, the most important position along the offensive line, since McClure became the starter during the 2000 season. In the three years following “Mud Duck’s” retirement, Atlanta experimented with four different pivot men, each one flaming out for a different reason.
Joe Hawley looked to be the second coming of McClure, but injuries ended his Falcon career.