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
Big Ray
July 27th, 2012
8:07 pm
I always love love guys who try to create an imaginary narrative conversation and never remember to preface it with a question mark!!!
I always love guys that bag on others for grammatical errors while committing tons of them on a regular basis (and don’t know about it). Entertainment at its best. Well, that and listening to the “I miss Mike Vick so bad it gets me wet in the pants at the thought” types….
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
July 27th, 2012
9:25 pm
0-3
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
July 27th, 2012
9:33 pm
2013 Transactions…………………
Tony G…………………..Retiring
Abe…………………..Released
Turner……………………Released
CHOKE………………………Cut
Smith…………………..Fired
Dimitroff………………………Fired
Vick…………….League & Superbowl MVP
City of Atlanta………….Burned to the ground again….HA HA
JSS
July 27th, 2012
9:36 pm
And the world is still spinning…
Read my reply…. Emoticon that one
http://www.emotty.com/images/emoticons/959.png
JSS
July 27th, 2012
9:38 pm
I don’t miss Mike Vick, hoowever, your team’s playoff record seems to miss him a lot!
http://www.emotty.com/images/emoticons/959.png
CGD..
July 28th, 2012
12:05 am
8 years and counting Mr. Blank!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RG3 will get a playoff win before the 4 thousand yard flame thrower better known as “Ice” melt will….Yawn..
Give this buster a clip board!
Keep looking we heard it on the street Mr Blank…
Hey Grasshopper [GT Grad] get off your lazy azz, peel back the onion and maybe you’ll learn something new buster.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
July 28th, 2012
1:31 am
It really is a shame that another qb was signed for 42 million less and has 5 playoff wins to zero.
A damn shame
redcoat
July 28th, 2012
8:35 am
JSS…….You must have lost a big bet to be so bitter toward one team and players. Saint fans come on here, you expect that, and you know why (and are amusing sometimes). You seem to have inner demons controlling the hate in you. I hope you get better soon. Hope you feel joy that your team won, whichever that may be, other than feeling joy of another team’s loss…..Bitterness and trying to get others to be the same will eventually consume you……..
Truth
July 28th, 2012
8:38 am
“That’s a total of 5 seasons. The longest span he ever went without a playoff win was 2 seasons (2005/2006).”
He spent plenty of season missing the playoffs and being injured in games though LMAO!
Michael "CHOKE DOGS" Vick
July 28th, 2012
8:40 am
Yall heard dat nu Rick Ross album? AYYYYYYYEEE. Eaguls goin 2 da supa bole yo!!!!! As soon as I learn how to reaed ma playbuk.
Truth
July 28th, 2012
8:42 am
“It really is a shame that another qb was signed for 42 million less and has 5 playoff wins to zero.”
A bigger shame Philly spent 100M on Vick and have zero playoff wins to show for it LMAO. Damn even TJ Yates can get into the playoffs last year but Vick COULDN”T???????? Damn shame!
WHO? YOU?
July 28th, 2012
8:45 am
redcoat, nope he, MCR, and CDG aka Slimjr are just angry black fans who miss Vick. Don’t let them fool you HA HA
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
July 28th, 2012
10:17 am
QBS drafted since 2008 with playoff wins:
Joe Flacco (5)
Mark Sanchez (4)
Tim Tebow (1)
Matt “CHOKE” Ryan (Zilch, Nadda, Are you kidding?)
As a poster mentioning even Yates made the playoffs, that’s just proof that CHOKE was not the reason for the Falcants making the playoffs. Thanks for proving my point yet again….HA HA.
Making the playoffs is just half the battle. It takes a true leader to win them……..ha ha
I can’t wait to see ole Artie clean house and another Vick protype is drafted….ha ha
The replace Vick project has failed…..The Great Hope was just a myth
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
July 28th, 2012
10:29 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6wCYOgJzJ8
The replace Vick project has worked out just fine
July 28th, 2012
10:34 am
Vick led the Eagles to a sorry 8-8 season
and sat at home watching Matt Ryan in the playoffs on TV.
The replace Vick project has worked out just fine
July 28th, 2012
10:38 am
Matt Ryan has four winning seasons in a row.
Mike Vick has never done that and never will.
JSS
July 28th, 2012
11:11 am
“JSS…….You must have lost a big bet to be so bitter toward one team and players.”
Nope, you guys are hilarious… I gave up my Falcons allegiance the day they hired Petrino… Note to you revisonist, that was months before the Vick case hit the fan… But go ahead keep making up history, it is what you do!
Oh, go back and see the number of times I’ve gotten to whistle and laugh when the Falcons imploded while my detractors had to eat crow… My plate has only been on the table twice… Whereas, their plates have been like Thanksgiving dinner, seemingly never ending! Why do you think they’ve been praying so hard for it to change? They are so tired of eating crow!
redcoat
July 28th, 2012
11:32 am
JSS…..OK ……SO!?…….you are hilariously consumed…..Petrino’s gone and Vick is gone…..get over it…..and every team has its ups and downs………you’re going to get ulcers!….hahahaha!
JSS
July 28th, 2012
11:42 am
“you’re going to get ulcers!”
Nope, my resting pulse rate 58, and my last full scope was clean as a whistle… Anymore lies that wish to share with the world?
This team just isn’t structured to compete… But you guys keep trying to elevate them… Other teams weaknesses (like the Giants and Saints so painfully proved) outweigh anything that you consider a strength… That is reality…
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
July 28th, 2012
12:54 pm
The replace Vick project has worked out just fine
July 28th, 2012
10:34 am
Vick led the Eagles to a sorry 8-8 season
and sat at home watching Matt Ryan in the playoffs on TV.
__________________________________________________
Since the offense scored ZERO points, it looks like both qbs were at home. Only difference was CHOKE was EMBARRASSING the city…..ha ha
redcoat
July 28th, 2012
2:05 pm
JSS….I see that vein popping out your neck.!…haha……I guess your head will explode should the Falcons not only get Ryan a playoff win, but win the SB!……You’re a funny guy!….Glad you see that doctor for checkups!
JSS
July 28th, 2012
2:21 pm
Nope, cause fantasy only works on the big screen… Danny Boyle can’t fake it for you!
redcoat
July 28th, 2012
2:29 pm
JSS……I’ll be worried about you……negativity is eating you alive man…….I hope you laugh in a good natured way every now and then…..or maybe this blog is the only way to “let it out”.
If that’s the case, just keep venting…..if it really keeps you from “exploding”.
JSS
July 28th, 2012
2:41 pm
“I’ll?, I’m worried, or I worry?” Make up your mind… But seriously, no you guys just personalize way too much… Ryan and any combination of players is not going to y’all over the hump… Enjoy the fantasy as the commercial use to say… Big ole league with a whole lot players to enjoy, but I’m not tying myself to one set of them any more… But I sure know the frauds in this league…
“A negative person is just a positive person who has been around the block!” – Chuck Daly 1998
redcoat
July 28th, 2012
4:11 pm
Sorry if my lapse of grammar upset you…..that’s another thing…….well, never mind. Your quote of Daly does not resonate with me……sounds like an excuse, but that’s me.
I’ve been following the Falcons a long time and where they’re at now is a lot better than it was, don’t you think?
JSS
July 28th, 2012
4:44 pm
I only care about where they should have been… An excuse is just what what you guys are making… He’s (Dimitroff) is blowing smoke… Another cheap failure released today…
You do know Chuck Daly right? Hall of Fame… Two time NBA championship coach… Olympic championship coach… Here’s the difference, he was a “realist!”
Don’t feed me Tilapia and sell it to me as Wild salmon! Ground Chuck is not Ground Round… But you guys come on here (daily) and try to sell the football equivalent of red goo meat filler to folks who know better and get up against the salary cap in doing so… They’ve bait and switch y’all!
Back 2 Reality
July 28th, 2012
5:52 pm
Oh No! It’s that time of year again when steak shapiro & all of 790 the zone fall over themselves trying to uplift and push matt ryan & the falcons on us, not to mention those obnoxius “rise up” commercials. Man summer’s almost over already, dang!!!
CGD..
July 28th, 2012
7:03 pm
THE EXPERIMENT IS THANKFULLY ALMOST OVER….THIS QB [ MATT 'ICE' RYAN] GAVE IT HIS BEST SHOT.HE LAID IT ALL OUT IN NEW JERSEY AND CAME UP WITH ZERO POINTS IN A NATIONALLY TELEVISED GAME!
ITS OKAY GRASSHOPPER…
MR BLANK WILL HAVE A SOLUTION… HE ALREADY WORKING ON PLAN B,[ RYANS] [REPLACEMENT]…..
HEY [WHO? YOU?] [BATHS SALTS] ARE NO GOOD FOR YA.. PLEASE JUST STOP IT NOW…
redcoat
July 28th, 2012
7:44 pm
JSS……..”If it weren’t for bad luck you’d have no luck at all……doom ,despair, and agony on you”…hahaha……Daley, yes of course……….And I think you are no where in his league….You remind me of a guy with the cloud hanging over his head……miserable……you’re so funny!
And your product is complain, complain, complain……Why you continue to torture yourself?
Trolls are people too
July 28th, 2012
8:23 pm
JSS,
I’d like to genuinely thank you. I appreciate any poster (like Hiramsaint) whose views can drive someone like me (reads the blogs; never posts) to actually post something. However, that’s where my appreciation stops. For someone who is so fond of their copy appearing on these blogs and ripping others for spelling errors, maybe you should start running spellcheck and checking your grammar. Your point is typically more valid when you don’t make the same mistakes you rag on others for. Having said that, there’s one thing that actually bugs me. You say you ceased your allegiance to falcon nation after the Petrino fiasco and you love the game of football. Great! Why spend so much time on a local newspaper blog ripping on one team? You don’t seem to bash any team but the falcons. You don’t seem to root for any other teams either. It seems like you’d want to spend your time on a website that actually focuses on the league– maybe profootballtalk or espn?
Who you claim to be and what you claim to stand for doesnt seem to match up with your actual posts.
CGD..
July 28th, 2012
8:25 pm
Bob
July 26th, 2012
9:43 pm
“If Ryan had the protection some of the elite QB’s have he might be able to complete deep passes.”
Yea and if my Aunt had a [ball sac] she’d be an [Uncle], Genius! LOL!
JSS
July 29th, 2012
10:03 am
Torture?
No, that was 2008 Detroit Lions… But guess who has the brighter future (aside from the young CB who can’t stay out of the drunk tank)?
The NFL is bigger than your team! Unfortunately for many of us, you are satisfied with the mediocre product being put out in front of the rest of us… You guys get to pretend that you’re elite until the playoffs roll around…
JSS
July 29th, 2012
10:57 am
Poor Redcoat…
You know what they say about projecting a misplaced assumption? It leads to being wrong a lot (on your part)… But hey, your bandwagon is tied to Mike Smith and Matt Ryan… You’re like late 1970s versions of Cleveland Browns fans… Just exchange your love for those 0-3 playoff losers with Sam Rutigliano and Brian Sipe!!! Different boat, same creek, and you’ll have no paddle!