Ryan should benefit from arrival of Koetter (and Samuel)
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan likes the approach of new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter. (Curtis Compton/AJC)
FLOWERY BRANCH – The Falcons’ acquisition of Asante Samuel this offseason might prove to be more than just an upgrade of the team’s secondary. He also opened Matt Ryan’s eyes a little bit with some analysis.
“Yeah, he crushed me,” Ryan said, laughing. “But he has a way of crushing everybody. We played against him four times, and I think he had like three picks against me.”
The Falcons opened training camp Thursday. Ryan had just finished talking about his revised offseason workouts (increased weight-lifting), his new approach to practices and meetings (maintaining consistent focus, discipline and intensity through the year) and the hiring of a new offensive coordinator (Dirk Koetter), all of which he hopes will result in something significantly north of another playoff shutout.
It’s no secret that Ryan hasn’t been good in his three playoff games. It hit him shortly after (and possibly during) the 24-2 loss to the New York Giants that something had to change.
Taking ownership wasn’t a problem Thursday. “When you look at the past season, and leading up to this point of your career, I certainly haven’t been where I need to be,” he said. “I haven’t been as good as I can be.”
He sought and received critiques from opposing players. Quarterbacks “tend to not be too rough on each other,” he said. But Samuel, acquired from Philadelphia, didn’t hold back after arriving and provided some revelations.
Like what?
“Well, I’m not going to tell you,” Ryan said, smiling.
But he is not shy about addressing the obvious: He knows the offense has to get better, and particularly more efficient in the red zone, for this team to have any postseason.
“When you look at the difference between a first-round exit and a Super Bowl championship, the game shakes on five, six, seven plays,” he said. “We have to be better. I have to be better.”
They also have to be less predictable. If we can’t yet know how effective Koetter will be, we at least know things had hit a wall with Mike Mularkey. Play-calling seemed rubber-stamped from the week before. It’s less about the common refrain, that Ryan needs to throw deep more, than it is the offense needs to be more varied.
I have found there to be one absolute in football: When guys in the press box are calling out the play before the snap, there’s a problem.
It’s hard for an offense to get shut out in a game. When a team gets 10 to 12 possessions, it’s bound to stumble into at least a couple of field goals.
Mularkey didn’t understand the criticism. He lived at the intersection of arrogant and insufferable. He seemed closed to any suggestions that his offense had become predictable and that halftime adjustments by opponents possibly led to a drop-off in production. He dismissed these as mere theories from “outside sources.”
“The general public and yourself would not know that unless you studied film, knew what the game plan was and knew what was happening in the first half and not the second half,” Mularkey said last season.
Oh, woe be our feeble minds.
Mularkey is now disseminating his brilliance in Jacksonville.
Ryan did not take any shots at Mularkey, of course. He even said, “I liked playing for Mike.”
But take note of Ryan’s remarks on Koetter: “He’s been really good in meetings, really upbeat, really positive. Everybody is impressed with how smart he is and how receptive he is to our input. … Dirk’s got a different way of teaching, and a lot of our guys respond to it well. He pushes people differently. Mike was very demanding, very organized. Dirk is as well, but he has a different type of personality. He’s very positive. It’s a different vibe.”
Ryan actually had an impressive year statistically — career highs in yards (4,177), touchdowns (29) and efficiency (92.2) — especially considering he was out there with a just-average running game and too-often less-than-average protection from his line. But he knows he needs to better.
He said the offense most needs to improve on “finishing drives.” Some of that is execution by his teammates. Some of it is play-calling. Some of it is on the quarterback.
“There’s one thing that tells you that you need to do something different, and that’s the end result,” he said.
– Jeff Schultz
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183 comments Add your comment
Sean "CHOKE" Payton
July 27th, 2012
7:03 am
They have short BountyGate memories, Ha Ha Ha.
Harold
July 27th, 2012
7:08 am
“You guys talk about Karma so much, but when fate swings itself around ( unlike the Philly game as they challenge to win the game)… But instead, the game is decided and put away even before the half-time gun fired! In-line citations and APA references are available upon request!”
Blah blah blah, we get it, keep defending your black hero on this blog then calling yourself a Falcons fan? Stfu leave Atlanta and go root for Philly lol
Alex "The GOAT" Smith
July 27th, 2012
7:10 am
Remember that time I beat Drew Brees in the playoffs? YOU MAD?!?!?!
Michael "CHOKE DOGS" Vick
July 27th, 2012
7:12 am
Time to go smoke a blunt, listen to some Rick Ross, and not read my playbook again. SCOOOOOOOOOBY DOOBY DOO!
Larry
July 27th, 2012
7:32 am
It doesn’t matter. When the Falcons gave up the farm for Jones, they destroyed their chances at having an offensive line. No matter how fast and deep Julio gets, Matt Ryan will not have time to get the ball to him. Bad, bad move will haunt us this year and probably next. No Playoff wins this year – if they even get there. Show horses have to be groomed; the Falcons have no groomers.
Escape from Email Purgatory
July 27th, 2012
7:33 am
One Falcons Fan’s Prayer for 2102
May this be the year the QB of my favorite football team becomes
Fleeter of foot
Deeper of voice
Stronger of arm
Stouter of body and spirit
And truer of aim with his passes.
May his timidity recede like Tiger Woods’ hairline.
Fill his competitive void with guts and guile and pluck.
May he forsake the five yard out pass
And stand tall in the pocket
As his gifted receivers endeavor to receive.
Teach him that a QB sneak requires that he move in the direction of his enemy.
May he embrace the concept that football is a contact sport – even for him.
And may he (and the team he leads) enjoy the spoils of post-season victory at last.
I ask these things in the name of Arthur Blank and the spirit of Rankin Smith.
Go Falcons.
JSS
July 27th, 2012
7:50 am
Ha ha, well we know Harold doesn’t come round this way much, and failed the CRT reading comprehension section too!
JSS
July 27th, 2012
7:53 am
“Black hero?” Is Desmond Tutu joining the Falcons?
If you’re talking about Michael Vick? He plays football for money, don’t get it twisted… That is not a hero; it is sports and entertainment…
Bubba Bean
July 27th, 2012
8:18 am
Jeff, loved this from the article –
“Mularkey didn’t understand the criticism. He lived at the intersection of arrogant and insufferable”
.
If ever there was an accurate description of our former OC you nailed it. And I will add to the comment about the press box: When an armchair quarterback like me can call the play before the snap (and it happens all of the time – just ask my wife, she thinks I’m that smart, lol) just imagine what opposing defenses can do that have studied film all week. I believe the change in OC and DC is going to be HUGE!
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
July 27th, 2012
8:20 am
@Roberta
Do you really want to compare a 6 point loss vs a nearly 30 point loss?
I swear you make my job easier…..
HA HA HA
When he threw the 70 yard PICK 6 like the punk that he is he laid down pretending to tack the guy but everyone knows if you slide 10 yards before the nearest defender is around you, you are not going to tackle a guy.
Ask Troy P. how Vick feels when you pick off his ball regardless if its in the preseason or regular…
HA HA
athensdawg
July 27th, 2012
8:26 am
mularkey = the mike bobo of the NFL.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
July 27th, 2012
8:27 am
This would N-E-V-E-R happen in Philly im regards to the opposing team’s qb:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzEq0m_6FrI
All you need to know that CHOKE is a LOSER…..HA HA
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
July 27th, 2012
8:33 am
Matt “CHOKE” Ryan’s city……………
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feOmQ_q0YXA
Yeah right…..ha ha
bob
July 27th, 2012
8:49 am
#114
Sean "CHOKE" Payton
July 27th, 2012
9:09 am
Meet me in Dallas,
New Orleans is too nasty for my cute little visor.
Sean "CHOKE" Payton
July 27th, 2012
9:10 am
Drew Brees ain’t nothin’ without my cuteness.
Sean "CHOKE" Payton
July 27th, 2012
9:12 am
Enter your BountyGate cheating scandal coverup comments here.
Rick
July 27th, 2012
9:37 am
Hey JSS I think yoh said it correctly sports and entertainment. You should heed your own admission. Just have fun with it and thanks for correcting me about those QB’S who won in the first 5 years. Matt will be ok, he has something to prove this year lets watch and see.
Ivan
July 27th, 2012
9:55 am
“Look at Tom Brady. He hae 5,6 seconds in the pocket and rarely gets hit. Ryan gets killed even on the passes he completes. ”
And this is why I don’t think Mularkey was the main problem. As do many others. It was the terribly weak O-line last year that caused most of the problems. Against playoff teams, the coaching can only do so much the mask the weakness.
The line needed an overhaul in the offseason.
Coach
July 27th, 2012
10:03 am
It’s not about Ryan benefitting from them, it’s about the whole team benefitting from them. If Samuel is lighting fires and showing veteran leadership then that is great for everyone, even if he were to never see the field. If Roddy White has said that Koetter has let the team take ownership in the offense and that everyone has “bought in” to it, then we are definitely in a position we haven’t been in since Dan Reeves left. Specific talent of individuals aside, these 2 things are much better than we have had since then.
JSS
July 27th, 2012
10:05 am
Where’s Hillbilly D to co-sign Ivan’s post? They got Dahl in bargain in 08 and just stopped… Then just let him walk (I was no Harvey fan), bad deal after bad deal handcuffed them…
GTanner
July 27th, 2012
10:08 am
“Well, I’m not going to tell you,” Ryan said, smiling.
He’s been playing that game for four years. It’s old.
Billy
July 27th, 2012
10:38 am
Great job Jeff. Looking forward to the new look Falcons. Ryan will have a great year..bet on it.
Hillbilly D
July 27th, 2012
11:18 am
He also opened Matt Ryan’s eyes a little bit with some analysis.
It would be interesting to know what Samuel told him. It’ll also be interesting to see if there are any noticeable changes in his game, early in the season.
Hillbilly D
July 27th, 2012
11:20 am
Just saw Ivan’s post. The O-Line is the key to everything. If it gets better, the team gets better; if it doesn’t, things will be pretty much the same as they’ve been.
JoJa Boi
July 27th, 2012
11:41 am
I love the fact that we are so spoiled in ATL now that a running back that put up the 3rd most yards last year and averaged 4.5/carry is considered average.
Superdome T-Shirt Vendor
July 27th, 2012
12:04 pm
Good luck up there in the flower branch.
http://www.wwl.com/2012-Training-Camp—Day-One-/13826177?&imageGalleryXRefId=2901597#imgXR
TroutFalcon
July 27th, 2012
12:07 pm
Matt Ryan is a hard worker that strives to get better as for the acquisition of Samuel he brings a lot of swagger to the secondary which will help our front 7 even more.
Rick
July 27th, 2012
12:26 pm
Joja that is the best post I have seen on here for months! I am so happy as a 40 year Falcon fan that I finally can become a fan that says 4 years out of 5 of making the playoffs is not good enough. I am a die hard fan man and I will not bash my team only say things that I think is going to make this team better. Great post man!
wow
July 27th, 2012
1:50 pm
Ah, the Matt “Choke” Ryan poster, I hadn’t seen any of his posts this year. The man has spent years of his life now making posts about Matt Ryan. Who would do that? It would be really weird to see what this special guy looks like.
CGD..
July 27th, 2012
2:53 pm
“FLOWERY BRANCH – The Falcons’ acquisition of Asante Samuel this offseason might prove to be more than just an upgrade of the team’s secondary. He also opened Matt Ryan’s eyes a little bit with some analysis.
“Yeah, he crushed me,” Ryan said, laughing. “But he has a way of crushing everybody. We played against him four times, and I think he had like three picks against me.”
“ICE MELT” is 4-10 against the winners the past two seasons! He is the {CHOKE MASTER} for real!
Shutdown[ zero points] on National TV by the 27th ranked Defense????????????????
A Buster from the word go for sure!!!!!!!
Mr Blank I heard on the “street” you have been looking for your next QB…Well keep looking cause this guy aint the one GRASSHOPPER!
Scooter
July 27th, 2012
3:34 pm
You’re pretty much wasting your time arguing with JSS. Having read these blogs for years he basically is an expert on everything(in his own mind) and is negative about everything.
Can you imagine how bad it must be for his wife: dinner time: Now dear, this dinner just isn’t up to par, Alton Brown could have done much better. Wait, don’t get mad at me! I’m just telling the truth…I know more about food than you could ever hope to!!
He’s just a miserable SOB that likes seeing his words in print on blogs because no one in the real world gives a crap what he has to say..
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
July 27th, 2012
3:38 pm
I just have one question. Will you guys still be Falcons fans when CHOKE gets cut or traded (if there is a sucker) and the next qb doesn’t have blond hair and brown eyes?
Come on be honest……………ha ha
Really?
July 27th, 2012
3:43 pm
jss is one obsessed little loser. She is on the ajc blogs tossing out stats and what she thinks is wisdom all day and night 7 days a week. I guess not working and being a welfar leech gives her lots of free time. LOL
Obviously a taint’s fan. Does anyone ever work in new orleans? BTW robbing other people is not considered work.
JSS
July 27th, 2012
4:13 pm
“Welfar” the official school term of bad assumptions!!! LOL!!
JSS
July 27th, 2012
4:30 pm
The obsession with “Welfar(e)” is laughable on this blog… You cretins do know that there’s on public assistance? Unemployment too… If I’d been on such for as long as you social engineers have been swearing that I’ve been on it, it would be 72 months plus!!! Where do I find that program in anti-helping the poor and underprivileged Georgia? Ha ha, you loons are hilarious!!! Hold on, I need to use my EBT card to pay my high-speed internet!!! Crazy people, just off their rocker!!!
Scooter
July 27th, 2012
4:33 pm
Yes, it IS rather crazy to spend hours a day on the blog of a team you don’t like shooting off self important diatribes that noone but yourself cares about
JSS
July 27th, 2012
4:35 pm
Oops to busy laughing… “limit”
Now go buy another Cadillac with those “food stamps!”
JSS
July 27th, 2012
5:04 pm
You cared to write…
Loon!
Nativebird
July 27th, 2012
5:06 pm
Guy throws for a Season Record in FRANCHISE history…more than Bart, more than George….and oh he needs to build Arm strength? Get real. quarterback is maybe the ONLY position blameless for last years debacle. But you’re spot on in the main reason….and that reason resides today in Jacksonville.
Sean "CHOKE" Payton
July 27th, 2012
5:08 pm
Enter your comments here
Sean "CHOKE" Payton
July 27th, 2012
5:12 pm
Roger Goodell just dosen’t understand that bounties are part of football,
and I have to sit out here in Dallas for a full season watching Tony Romo while Joe Vitt, Curly and Moe try to coach.
Double Zero Eight
July 27th, 2012
5:14 pm
It’s obvious Mularkey did not understand the
definition of insanity. He kept calling the same
plays and expected different results. Our offense
was the most predictable one in the NFC.
Ryan and the offensive line need to improve also
to make a serious run in the playoffs this season.
Sean "CHOKE" Payton
July 27th, 2012
5:17 pm
Hope the other 31 NFL teams don’t have a bounty on Bounty Supporter Drew Brees.
JSS
July 27th, 2012
5:51 pm
I always love love guys who try to create an imaginary narrative conversation and never remember to preface it with a question mark!!!
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
July 27th, 2012
6:07 pm
QUESTIONS:
Vick was a starter for this city for seasons 2002/2003/2004/2005/2006.
That’s a total of 5 seasons. The longest span he ever went without a playoff win was 2 seasons (2005/2006).
CHOKE has gone 4 seasons, TWICE the time span. Why no outrage?
Could it mean the obvious?
kerryb
July 27th, 2012
6:27 pm
Choke, I looked at yesterdays comments and you were there. I look at today’s comments and you are here again. Do you have any sort of life at all?
kerryb
July 27th, 2012
6:29 pm
It’s going to be funny to watch the fall of that pathetic piece of garbage franchise in the state that begins with La this year. They will get what’s coming to them and which they deserve entirely.
CGD..
July 27th, 2012
7:50 pm
IF THIS BUSTER QB DOES NOT GET IT DONE THIS YEAR WITH 6X THE WEAPONS MV7 HAD THEN I WILL SUGGEST THAT THE EXPERIMENT IS “OVA”!
HOT SEAT= ICE MELT
WELL GOLLY, THANK YOU MR. OBVIOUS!
BRING BACK CHRIS CHANDLER, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DEEP BALL I HAVE EVER SEEN…..
Big Ray
July 27th, 2012
8:05 pm
BTW, JSS, it’s not the fact that you dog on Matt Ryan constantly that makes you annoying as hell..it’s that you’re one of those narcissists that tries to justify being an a-hole by claiming you are just “keeping it real”. Face it, you’re an a-hole..the sooner you admit that to youself, the faster you can try to do something about it