Atlanta Falcons: Ryan named NFC player of the month

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan passes against the San Diego Chargers during the first half of an NFL football game in San Diego Sunday, Sept. 23, 2012. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

FLOWERY BRANCH –Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was named NFC Offensive player of the month for the month of September by the NFL.

Ryan completed 102 of 147 pass attempts (69.4 percent) for 1,162 yards with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions for an NFL-best 112.1 quarterback rating through the first month of the season.

Ryan has led the Falcons to their first 4-0 start since 2004 and just their third 4-0 start in franchise history (1986, 2004 and 2012).

Against Carolina, Ryan led the Falcons on a game-winning drive with just 59 seconds remaining in a 30-28 win at the Georgia Dome. He’s also won head-to-head battles with Kansas City’s Matt Cassel, Denver’s Peyton Manning and San Diego’s Philip Rivers.

Ryan’s 11 touchdown passes and 69.4 completion percentage both rank second in the NFL, while his 102 completions rank fifth.

Ryan’s 1,162 passing yards rank sixth in the NFL through four weeks. He is currently on pace for career highs in touchdowns, yards, completions and attempts.

This is the third time in his career that Ryan has earned player of the month honors. He won the award for the month of October during his rookie season in 2008 and again in November of 2010 during his first Pro Bowl campaign. Ryan is the only player in franchise history to earn player of the month honors three times.

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