MAYOCK: Matt Ryan needs to step it up
Patriots QB Tom Brady chats with Falcons QB Matt Ryan before Tuesday's morning practice between the teams in Flowery Branch. Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com
NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock has been a big supporter of Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.
When asked about the top quarterbacks taken in the last four drafts and Andrew Luck, the projected top QB selection for 2012 draft, Mayock had some interesting things to say about Ryan, who’s posted at 43-19 regular-season record to go with an 0-3 playoff mark.
The comparison group includes Ryan (No. 3 overall in 2008), Matthew Stafford (No. 1 overall in 2009), Sam Bradford (No. 1 overall in 2010), Cam Newton (No. 1 overall in 2011) and Luck.
“Matt Ryan needs to take the next step,” Mayock said. “To do that, he needs some offensive line help. Matt Ryan is kind of at point now where he needs to make that next step and win some playoff games and become that next-level quarterback.”
Mayock believes that Stafford and Bradford have displayed NFL talent, but must remain healthy. Stafford, the former Georgia standout, guided the Detroit Lions to the playoffs for the first time since 1999 last season.
“Cam Newton had a year that was mind boggling to me,” Mayock said. “They will continue to build around him. The question is how well NFL defenses will adapt to what Carolina did a year ago and will Cam Newton continue to work as hard as he needs to, to stay ahead of that curve.”
Luck is the son of former NFL quarterback Oliver Luck, who played at West Virginia and is now their athletic director. (The elder Luck was a pretty good high school basketball player, too. Saw him lead Cleveland St. Ignatius to the city title over the John Adams Rebels back in the day at old Public Hall.)
“When you throw Andrew Luck into that grouping, I think he falls — from an intellect and the whole passion for the game of football — somewhere in that kind of Peyton Manning and Matt Ryan mold,” Mayock said. “That’s how much the kid loves it.
“As far as ability, I don’t think he’s quite in the Peyton Manning mold. But I think he’s close. I think he’s got a little more ability than a Matt Ryan when he came out. But, I don’t put him up there as a once in a lifetime guy. I’ve never said that about him. I think he’s in the same category with a Bradford. . . I’m not sitting here telling you that I think he’s going to be Tom Brady or Peyton Manning.”
What about Newton?
“I would probably take him over Cam, yes,” Mayock said.
Luck is not expected to throw passes next week at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. He’ll likely wait until his Pro Day.
“He’s going to win the battle in the board rooms,” Mayock said. “He’s going to sit up with the teams and draw what he knows about the game of football and he will process (the) information from those team and spit it back at them. All of those top teams are going to come away saying ‘wow, I want that guy.’”
–D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Falcons beat blog
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145 comments Add your comment
Ex-Season Ticket Holder
February 16th, 2012
12:20 pm
Matt Ryan in not a winner! He is a good game manager and he plays not to lose. But that is not the same as playing to win! It time for Matt Ryan to step up his game or move on so the Falcon can get a real QB.
old man
February 16th, 2012
12:21 pm
Ryan needs to maintain and improve his athleticism. He needs to be prepared to make an athletic play to get a first down, or extend a play when his protection breaks down, 2, 5, or 8 times a game. The problem is that when you are asked to do that 20 times a game, you asking someone to risk their career every game with concussions, ACLs, etc. At a certain point, you need to just start taking sacks, throwing the ball away. But, agreed, he certainly needs to be not complacent, and needs to come to camp every season having worked harder to maintain and improve physical ability.
The real test is for management. Are they just changing deck chairs on the Titanic? Or will we see major departures and additions? Turner, White, Grimes, Muhelli, Baker, and a couple more on the O-Line. You can’t make all these moves, but if we don’t see two or three big time changes, then we will see more of the same.
PMC
February 16th, 2012
12:22 pm
http://www.prideofdetroit.com/2009/5/19/879945/matthew-staffords-contract-only and then it was 17 M before incentives.
Wonder what Matt’s incentives are.
tt44
February 16th, 2012
12:22 pm
Has has done as well as can be expected with the lame O line that has blocked for him and the lame O coordinator that had absolutely no creativity with the talent. Go Mayy Ryan! Go Falcons!
Joe Falcon
February 16th, 2012
12:23 pm
43-19. Awesome numbers. That equals 4 seasons going 11-5 every year. That puts Ryan in the tops of the league right there. As this year demonstrates, the playoffs are a crap shoot. Anyone actually believe the NY Giants were the “best” team in the NFL this year? Nope. Not even second best. But they made the plays, got the breaks, won the games. Getting in the playoffs is all that matters. After that, it’s a crap shoot. Matt Ryan is averaging 11-5 every season. That’s not just playoffs every year folks, that’s usually a division title and a bye most years. That easily makes Ryan one of the top 3 QB’s in the NFC.
Tha Real Falcon
February 16th, 2012
12:38 pm
So Mayock would take Luck over Newton. This even after Newton won the Heisman and the National Title? Why is this not a suprise, after saying this before the draft: “I think the kid is smart enough. I just don’t know if he cares enough,” Mayock said. ”And I don’t know how you qualify that either. The kid has done everything right.”
Some people should just let it go.
JSS
February 16th, 2012
12:41 pm
@ PMC…
$41.7 million guaranteed for Stafford, correct… But he was the first overall pick in the draft, still think that is silly guaranteed money for a rookie QB…
DC Dirty Bird
February 16th, 2012
12:56 pm
JSS,
For once, I agree with you on something. Rookie salaries were getting out of control. I will say this to you, I believe, if you asked Arthur Blank the pure business man if he’s gotten his money’s worth out of Matt Ryan’s contract, he’d say yes. In Atlanta and around the country Ryan has become the face of the franchise. The Falcons “brand” has flourished since 2008.
With that said, given the multitude of assessments that result in labeling of Ryan as a game manager, what do the Falcons need to do to win a SB with Ryan and the helm. I ask this because, unless the Falcons luck out and get a another franchise QB as the Saints and Patriots did, Ryan is in Atlanta to stay for the next few years.
PMC
February 16th, 2012
1:01 pm
Agreed. I’m glad for the new rookie cap because teams can sign a new QB without being trapped for a few years if they turn out not to be worthwhile. The deal is getting torn up if they outplay it anyway.
If Newton is awesome again this year, he’ll get paid.
Spanky Comin Back
February 16th, 2012
1:05 pm
DC DB, the Falcons need to model the 2000 Ravens…stellar defense and average offense. If Trent Dilfer can win the SB as a QB, Ryan sure can. He might have to get some big ballz first though and stop being a beotch.
just sayin'
February 16th, 2012
1:08 pm
@joe…what, pray tell, are u smokin’?
True Falcon Fan
February 16th, 2012
1:23 pm
Folks try to understand, if you haven’t figured it out to this point this person jss is either 1) X NFL wnat-a-be reject 2) Very envious, jealous X #1 that never got his $$$$$$ due “in his/her opinion 3) Or just a person that truly likes to give his/her opinion of knowledge of the game
My opinion i think he/she is hilarious LOLOLOLOL
opie
February 16th, 2012
1:28 pm
Joe Falcon, you are delusional! Yes, we believe the Giants are the best team! Why, because they WON the damn Super Bowl on the football field. 43-19 means nothing if you can’t produce in crucial situations!! The Playoffs are the measuring stick, not meanlingless games against subpar 500 teams.
True Falcon Fan
February 16th, 2012
1:37 pm
opie —- I second that post!!!!
StatesBurr
February 16th, 2012
1:39 pm
Can’t we go one year with some decent reporting??
It’s always Mr. Obvious.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 16th, 2012
1:39 pm
Sam Bradford might be the most overrated quarterback in the entire league. In his supposedly great rookie season he was dead last in YPA and put up a whopping 76 QB rating. Give me a break. For him to be mentioned in the same breath as Stafford, Newton, and even the unproven Luck is preposterous.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 16th, 2012
1:42 pm
“what do the Falcons need to do to win a SB with Ryan and the helm.”
Bring in at least two elite defensive playmakers of the caliber of Polamalu or DeMarcus Ware, a dynamic running back, and a slot receiver who can get open underneath against zone coverages. In other words, surround Ryan with elite players at several other positions. Right now the only Falcons who can stake claims to being top 10 at their position without looking foolish are Roddy White and Brent Grimes.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 16th, 2012
1:44 pm
In fact after Roddy’s drop festival this year, I don’t think even he can claim to be top 10 without looking foolish. So really that only leaves Grimes who may or may not even be a Falcon next year.
In the absence of an elite QB, you better have several elite playmakers at other positions. The Falcons right now do not.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 16th, 2012
1:46 pm
“Luck over Newton? Sounds like Mayock is still bitter over Newton proving all of the football “geniuses” wrong. Luck is good, but I don’t see how a kid can go from being in an ideal situation (great coaching/great offensive line) in college and not prove to be a game changer to an NFL team where the playing field is a lot more even and become a game changer.”
Luck over Newton is not that much of a stretch. Luck is mobile, accurate, and made plays under pressure. Not saying he definitely will be better than Newton, but it wouldn’t be that big of a surprise.
spikeknows
February 16th, 2012
1:50 pm
Hey,
Matt Ryan Lost in the First Round to the team the Won the Super Bowl the last 2 years. And the Team that won his division won it 3 years ago Ya he could have played better but the O line against the Giants. I pity the fool that has to take that rush on.
JSS
February 16th, 2012
1:57 pm
True Falcon Fan…
You’re the Rudy Guiliani of AJC blogging… Every comment will have this combination of these things: first a subject and misspelled verb; then some version of a teenager’s attempt of being jocular… Buy a real map, because your Google Map app has a virus of insanity…
DC Dirty Bird
February 16th, 2012
2:00 pm
Here’s a question for CHOKE if he/she is out there, JSS, and Davenpoop.
What QB has made his offensive coordinator look better than he really is?
Did you guys not here Eli say that Gilbride called a great game? I guess elite QB’s need good game plans. Go figure.
DC Dirty Bird
February 16th, 2012
2:05 pm
Najeh, concur with your assessment. You can’t win the Show without playmakers on both sides of the ball. I will disagree with you on Grimes. I’m not exactly sure he’s top 10.
LawDawg
February 16th, 2012
2:07 pm
Its a good thing Mayock does not work for ESPN, or he would be fired for blaspheming Andrew Luck by not saying we should just go ahead and give him 11 super bowl rings and induct him into the Hall Of Fame now.
My prediction: Luck will have a career more like Ryan Leaf than Peyton Manning.
LawDawg
February 16th, 2012
2:08 pm
Or I should say, more accurately, that Luck is the next Tim Couch. He seems to have too good of a head on his shoulders to flame out as spectacularly as Leaf, even if that head has Andre the Giant’s voice coming out of it.
JSS
February 16th, 2012
2:13 pm
@ DCDB…
Mike McCoy in Denver, he schemed the nearly impossible (the flaws of Tim Tebow)… You live in DC (assumption), Shanahan has been trying to pull it off and see what a failure that has been… I will say this for Denver, they could have stood in the way when Tebow ran to the West Coast and went to Mora’s new OC Noel Mazzone to work on his mechanics. They were big enough as a staff to not get in the way…
Gilbride is the only one of the old Run and Shoot coordinators that passing game and learned to use TE sets and a fullback… He’s an exception, it is always strange to watch call a game. His QBs take a pounding but he’s won two Super Bowls…
DC Dirty Bird
February 16th, 2012
2:18 pm
LawDawg,
Luck has an excellent pedigree and comes from a football family, unlike the 1st round busts that you mentioned. He will be good.
Blue
February 16th, 2012
2:18 pm
Najeh; Bring in at least two elite defensive playmakers of the caliber of Polamalu or DeMarcus Ware, a dynamic running back, and a slot receiver who can get open underneath against zone coverages.
WELL said. Does Jaquez (spelling?) catch the ball well enough for them to utilize him like Sproles?
JSS
February 16th, 2012
2:18 pm
As far as a QB making a OC look better, Kurt Warner made Mike Martz and Todd Haley look like geniuses…
Blue
February 16th, 2012
2:19 pm
Maybe someone brough out the examples of the black QB’s who were talented and a bust was because Cedric played the race card first. Don’t start nothing if you can’t handle the heat…
G
February 16th, 2012
2:25 pm
Even if you plant a premium all-pro Oline in front of Matt, that will only give him more time to do what? My guess is it’ll only give him more time to check down. All I’ll say, is there are qbs winning with less than Matt Ryan.
The biggest problem with the offense is the qb position. Quote all the numbers you want, but the only important numbers that stick to his butt is 0-3. If we’re lucky/good enough to get another crack at a playoff game, he’s staring 0-4 down the barrel.
DC Dirty Bird
February 16th, 2012
2:25 pm
JSS,
This is why I have more confidence in Koetter than I had in Mularkey. Koetter made David Garrard a Pro Bowler by taking advantage of his strengths. Mularkey’s schem did not incorporate pass plays that protected Ryan’s lack of mobility.
Shanahan is his own worst enemy. Is he really that arrogant to think that your scheme win in the league with two back-up QB’s?
G
February 16th, 2012
2:29 pm
Also…..Luck over Newton? I wouldn’t even take Matt Ryan over Cam Newton.
DC Dirty Bird
February 16th, 2012
2:29 pm
JSS, based on the losing records of both OC’s post Warner you have a good point. I also think that the receiving corps had something to do with it as well. Warner was throwing to Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, Az Hakim, Fitzgerald, and Boldin.
JSS
February 16th, 2012
2:39 pm
I think Koetter is going to run in to the same problem with Ryan that Mularkey had. The second teams see his schemes the 2nd or third time around, they goung to start taking things away and Matt will panic.
He (Koetter) made Garrard? Garrard was solid before he got there. They had that one year where they threw for 3,600 yards; but you have remember Del Rio had that bizarre Mike Smith power football gene…
The thing I always say about Matt Ryan, “prove me wrong.” He’s never done it yet.
JSS
February 16th, 2012
2:48 pm
“they goung to start taking things away and Matt will panic.”
“They (are going) to start taking things away and Matt will panic.”
JSS
February 16th, 2012
2:53 pm
I’ll give Gilbride this point, if he see you more once, he’ll isolate your weaknesses in the secondary and pass covering linebackers like very few coordinators can do!
BOB
February 16th, 2012
2:59 pm
So DOL,not only are you a member of the horseshoe club, you are from the mistake by the lake. Interesting.
Statick
February 16th, 2012
3:06 pm
Meh. All this speculation is for blah. Just give Ryan an OL that’s worth a dang that’ll give him more than 3 seconds and he’ll be fine.
Hoopster
February 16th, 2012
3:38 pm
Mike Mayock is a TOOL!!
Karl
February 16th, 2012
3:40 pm
Mike Mayock Is a HORRIBLE Analyst!! He repeatedly STATED THAT CAM Newton was NOT the Best QB in the ‘10 draft and believed that he would be drafted in the 2nd rd. MAYOCK, Todd McSHAY, and CHARLIE CASSERLY all went against CAM! and CAM made them look SOOO Stupid!!. Mark Mike Mayock does not do any homework and if he does then he is the Dumbest Analyst EVER!! How would you take Andrew Luck Over Cam Newton!! Cam Newton Won Every QB award there was in ‘10 (while Andrew Luck was AT Stanford) and Mayock still says that he would take LUCK over CAM. That explains WHY MAYOCK is NOT a GM!! He WOULD STINK it up!!! Cedric was right it HAS to be a RACE thing. Look at the TIM TEBOW situation!! Tebow was drafted in the first rd, but any other Black QB with the same skill set is Scrutinized as “NOT READY ENOUGH for The NFL” guess CAM Showed them that that was a LIE!!! Andrew Luck still didn’t win the Heisman, RGIII did but LUCK is the #1 qb, GET REAL!! no matter how you want to see it. the QB position is about race!!! Mark you r an IDIOT savante if you LISTEN to ANYTHING that MIKE MAYOCK has to SAY!!!
tidog
February 16th, 2012
3:45 pm
The double standard just continues on and on. There was a young QB that wore # 7 for a while that didn’t get support for the poor offensive line play he was given. Oh I guess thats why he ran for his life and didn’t have time to read downfield coverages.
X
February 16th, 2012
3:52 pm
If the Falcons O-line is soooo bad, and I do think they need some work, but how does a QB throw for over 4000 yds and 29 td’s and a RB rush for over 1200 yds if they are that bad? I just think there is TO MUCH blame put on the O-line. Coaching and Ryan’s inability to extend plays along with a few other things were more the case than just putting everything on the O-line. BTW GB’s line was not that great this year but their QB seemed to compensate for it!
SeaHag
February 16th, 2012
4:30 pm
Oh really? I wouldn’t have known that Ryan was on the hot seat without this article. Lol
True Falcon Fan
February 16th, 2012
4:42 pm
You are just jealous!
JSS
February 16th, 2012
1:57 pm
True Falcon Fan…
You’re the Rudy Guiliani of AJC blogging… Every comment will have this combination of these things: first a subject and misspelled verb; then some version of a teenager’s attempt of being jocular… Buy a real map, because your Google Map app has a virus of insanity…
ASHCAN
February 16th, 2012
4:52 pm
Opie,i 3rd that post!
ASHCAN
February 16th, 2012
5:04 pm
Why is everyone blaming every player on the team but matt ryan?? ok eli manning took more sacks than ryan and held up a trophy.Ryan suppose to be in the drivers seat and make things happen.But i guess he’s in the back seat.This is what falcon fans are happy with,1.over rated QB 2.Certificates of coach or coordinator of the year 3.consecutive winning seasons 4.Average QB winning percentage 5.Home record 6.ECT…………… All that don’t mean squat diddly if you cant win trophys,and this team can’t.Every year i hear the same ol song,WAIT TIL NEXT YEAR!!!!! Been hearing that since 1980.
Runnin with the Dawgs
February 16th, 2012
5:16 pm
I remember all those years with Steve Bartkowski, and that’s what I’m afraid we’re heading into now. With the talent we’ve got on our offense there’s no way we should be completely shut down by teams like the Bears, or even the Giants. I say build a new O line and give Ryan another season with it, then if he doesn’t produce, move on to the next man.
DePlane
February 16th, 2012
6:00 pm
Folks can mack on MR2 all they want. Four years, four winning seasons. Yes, he must take the next step, and he will. But a big back slow to hit the hole, if there was a hole, and an OC with the apparent inability to do anything but run, run, throw put chains on MR2.
He might not be as mobile as Eli, neither is Brady. Perhaps some coaching might help him slide right or left and step up in the pocket…but there has to be a pocket for that to happen and that aint his fault. He doesn’t have to be Mr. Mobile, he just needs protection and a OC and QB coach that will utilize his strengths.
JSS
February 16th, 2012
6:32 pm
True Falcon Fan
February 16th, 2012
4:42 pm
“You are just jealous!”
That is almost as laughable as reading “Gimper Jones” for the first time!
“Afflictive emotions – our jealousy, anger, hatred, fear – can be put to an end. When you realize that these emotions are only temporary, that they always pass on like clouds in the sky, you also realize they can ultimately be abandoned.”
His holiness, the Dalai Lama…