If Matt Ryan isn’t Peyton Manning but Eli, is that enough?
Everybody's happy when Matty Ice throws a TD pass. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
Regarding this Falcons’ season, only one question remains, and it will be answered next week in Tampa. Regarding the Falcons as a team, a question has arisen, a question we didn’t figure we’d be asking. But here it is:
What if the franchise quarterback isn’t quite a franchise quarterback?
We stipulate by saying that, if on the day Matt Ryan was drafted we’d have known the Falcons would be 19-10 (and 13-1 at home) with him as a starting quarterback, we’d have swooned on the spot. And we spent all last season swooning. But the greatest rookie quarterback in league history — and that’s what he was — hasn’t been the greatest sophomore quarterback in NFL annals.
Sunday was another installment in Ryan’s good-but-not-great season. He completed barely half his passes and had to hit on his final five to manage that. He threw three touchdown passes against no interceptions, but he was sacked three times and fumbled twice. He finished with 250 yards and his team won 31-3, but after two quarters Ryan was only 10-for-23 and his team’s lead was 10-0 against a Buffalo roster so defoliated it wouldn’t have troubled Alabama.
Yes, there were extenuating circumstances. Michael Turner didn’t play. Tony Gonzalez left midway through. Ryan did buy his team a working lead on the Falcons’ first snap, throwing long to Roddy White down the right side. And Ryan himself is still hurting from turf toe — he limped during the game and sported a soft boot afterward.
And maybe that’s the story of Matt Ryan’s 2009 season: It was extenuating. Almost nothing went wrong last season; a lot did this time. Guys got hurt. The schedule got tougher. And still he has gotten this team to the cusp of those forever-sought consecutive winning seasons. He hasn’t been anything approaching a failure. That said …
Matty Ice hasn’t been as precise in Year 2. His completion percentage has dipped from 61.1 to 57.6. He has thrown one more interception in 13 games than he did in 16 last year. His yards-per-pass index — probably a better indicator than the confusing quarterback rating — has gone from 7.9 last season to 6.5.
Asked about Ryan’s non-rookie season, White said: “I think it’s been pretty good. He’s done a lot of good things. He’s thrown 20 touchdown passes, and that’s good. Him getting hurt really hurt. But he’s a competitor.”
Notice, though, there was no gushing in that response. When anyone associated with the Falcons was asked about Ryan in 2008, gushing ensued. In many ways that was to be expected; there was no way Ryan could have surprised his audience after his bravura rookie campaign. Still, there hasn’t been a Ryan game in 2009 that made you want to shout, “Hallelujah!” (The second half against the Giants did. But not the whole game.)
Asked to characterize Year 2, Ryan said: “The biggest thing — and this is something Coach [Mike] Smith preaches — is that it’s there’s a lot to learn from week to week. I said going into last season that if I could end it as a better quarterback than I started, it will be a successful year. That hasn’t changed in Year 2. There have been some ups and downs, but I’m standing here as a better quarterback than when I started the season.”
Understand: Nobody associated with the Falcons is even close to deciding Matt Ryan isn’t the real deal. Indeed, if this is as bad as it gets with Ryan as QB, then this franchise is in not just for two winning seasons in succession but five or 10. But the convenient point of comparison for Ryan raters entering 2009 was Peyton Manning. What if he turns out to be Eli Manning instead? Would that be enough?
And I say, “Heck, yeah.” At last check, Eli Manning has won just as many Super Bowls as his older sibling. If Matt Ryan wins just one Super Bowl for the franchise that hasn’t yet posted consecutive winning seasons, he’ll be worth every penny of that $72 million.
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435 comments Add your comment
Mr Charlie
December 27th, 2009
8:04 pm
Starting QBs are hard to come by, if you have one, you have a chance. Look at Baltimore and Miami. You think Detroit would be happy to be sitting at 8-7?
Big Ray
December 27th, 2009
8:05 pm
Mr. Charlie ,
Grimes has decent technique, and as you said, a ton of heart. I’ll take that over that damn Chris Houston any day. Dude couldn’t turn his head if Anna Kournikova, Beyonce, and Eva Longoria walked past him butt naked….
willie martinez
December 27th, 2009
8:05 pm
i think all the Bradleys will be there: bobby joe, billie joe and betty joe. i think granny clampett has passed on though.
Mr Charlie
December 27th, 2009
8:06 pm
I think today and next week really have a lot to say about Smitty. They are still fighting and playing hard, he has the locker room. The reason we never had back to backs is because we never had a coach who could keep the locker room. It is easy to be a good coach when you win, losing is another story.
willie martinez
December 27th, 2009
8:06 pm
evan as a kid i could tell that “eb” was the worst actor on earth.
willie martinez
December 27th, 2009
8:08 pm
i invited A M Blank to Kentucky. but he only shook my hand and said congratulations.
Mr Charlie
December 27th, 2009
8:09 pm
Grimes is just learning to play on this level, he does not have much experience, but he seems to be getting it. His size will always be an issue, but playing corner is more than size. Again, he could have 20 picks over the past two season if he could just hang onto the ball, but he is learning.
Sonny Clusters
December 27th, 2009
8:10 pm
The highest honor awarded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky is that of Kentucky Colonel. We was almost a Kentucky Colonel but it didn’t work out. Maybe Mark has a shot at it and that’s why he’s heading to Kentucky tomorrow. Colonel Bradley sounds like Best of Cox to us.
willie martinez
December 27th, 2009
8:10 pm
BTW, i checked delta flights, and they are running a special to Maysville for the next couple of days.
Mr Charlie
December 27th, 2009
8:11 pm
One thing that Mark was right about, our D has gotten better. We have played good D the past two weeks.
Reid Adair
December 27th, 2009
8:11 pm
I’m not exactly sure who all thought Matt Ryan was going to be the next Peyton Manning – but I didn’t. I think Ryan is right; he has learned this season, and he has gotten better. I believe, overall, he is a better quarterback now than he was prior to the season – despite missing those games due to injury.
Ryan was drafted to be the quarterback for the future. His numbers have dropped a little bit, but I am not convinced that is solely a result of his own doing.
willie martinez
December 27th, 2009
8:11 pm
Sonny, have you forgotten about our great uncle Omar? surely not!
willie martinez
December 27th, 2009
8:13 pm
have you ever noticed how much A M Blank looks like the men in black?
Mr Charlie
December 27th, 2009
8:13 pm
Ryan has shown the ability to make big throws with the game on the line, that is the most important things. If you can do that, all the other things will work out.
EddieB
December 27th, 2009
8:14 pm
Lordy, lordy have you forgot all the awful quartebacks on all those awfully terrible teams from the past. David Archer, Bobby Hebert, Jeff George, Scott Campbell and Chris Miller. Give me Matt Ryan and that 13-1 record at home the last two years anytime. I watch the Falcons now that Mike Smith and Matty Ice lead this team. These are fun birds to watch now on sunday’s.
willie martinez
December 27th, 2009
8:15 pm
Mark, you want to see some of the best writing ever? Google Lincoln’s letter to Mrs Bixby. Better even than the Gettysburgh Address.
Mr Charlie
December 27th, 2009
8:16 pm
The Manning comparisons come from Ryans 4th quarter play, of being able to make the right read in the 4th quarter. I think Smith, Arthur and the entire Falcon team is very happy with their QB.
Mark Bradley
December 27th, 2009
8:17 pm
I’m not a Kentucky Colonel, though I believe my mom is.
Mr Charlie
December 27th, 2009
8:17 pm
Chris Miller is a perfect example, he threw a nice ball, but when the 4th quarter rolled around and the D’s starting mixing it up, he was at his worst.
willie martinez
December 27th, 2009
8:17 pm
eddie, you omitted kim mcquilken. he was, without a doubt, the worst.
Mr Charlie
December 27th, 2009
8:17 pm
2 seasons, 13-1 at home, that is building something.
Mark Bradley
December 27th, 2009
8:18 pm
Better even that Grantland Rice on the Four Horsemen?
Mr Charlie
December 27th, 2009
8:18 pm
No, Billy Joe Tolliver was the worst.
willie martinez
December 27th, 2009
8:18 pm
interesting spelling of colonel. just as wierd as the british say lefttenant.
DePlane
December 27th, 2009
8:18 pm
Agree Bugkiller….don’t know if Wiess is the right guy, but Mularkey is unimaginative at best.
Mark Bradley
December 27th, 2009
8:19 pm
Let’s not forget Tony Graziani. Or Steve DeBerg.
willie martinez
December 27th, 2009
8:19 pm
Dont forget the Bear was at Kentucky for a brief period. Adolph Rupp ran him off.
willie martinez
December 27th, 2009
8:20 pm
or Brett Favre
willie martinez
December 27th, 2009
8:21 pm
a real unknown here: a green bay qb from the 1970’s named jim del gazo
Mark Bradley
December 27th, 2009
8:21 pm
There are no beaches in Kentucky, Sonny. Just the Ohio River. The Bradley family of Maysville lives less than a mile from the water.
GaBroncoFan
December 27th, 2009
8:21 pm
Wow, a chance for back to back winning seasons must be something to really be proud of. You Atl dopes must be dumber than I thought. Ryan will never, ever measure up to Manning or some of the other elite QB talent past or present. Injuries and lack of help on the defensive side will make sure of that. He may have more impressive career stats than Eli…just one thing though..Eli has a SB title and Ryan won’t win one just like Marino. And just think..if you go 9-7 next year you’ll have 3 winning years in a row…gee..let the good times roll
Jay
December 27th, 2009
8:22 pm
Please – be serious …. I’ll take Ryan any day of the week! What a weak article.
Mark Bradley
December 27th, 2009
8:23 pm
Bear Bryant recruited my uncle Rob to play for UK but stashed him in Augusta Military Academy for a couple of years. By the time Rob was ready to go to school, the Bear was at Texas A&M. Rob wound up at Louisville, starting at quarterback in the Sun Bowl.
Falcon Fan Mike
December 27th, 2009
8:23 pm
Give the man a break he will be an elite qb people forget this is only his 2nd season most qbs don’t even get good until their 3rd season
willie martinez
December 27th, 2009
8:23 pm
another green bay whiz named barty smith
Sonny Clusters
December 27th, 2009
8:24 pm
Billy Joe Tolliver, Bruce Lemmerman.
willie martinez
December 27th, 2009
8:25 pm
Mark, how exaggerated do you think the movie (college station?) was?
Mark Bradley
December 27th, 2009
8:25 pm
Never saw it, Coach. I hate sports movies.
bman
December 27th, 2009
8:27 pm
The falcons have 5 road losses. combined home records of those 5 teams is 27-12 ( overall record of teams falcons lost to 58-31) They played 4 teams coming off of by-weeks and had a stretch of 6 of 8 games played on the road. adding to this the fact that they played most of the season without 2 key defensive starters and 4 games without their best offensive player and 2 games without their starting quarterback, i would consider 9-7 an EXCELLENT season. Bradley is off the mark ( hahhah) as usual…
Ed
December 27th, 2009
8:27 pm
Matt Ryan is an excellent game manager at quarterback and reads and reacts well to the ongoing of the game and now has the offensive weapons to help out. Matt Ryan will lead the Falcons to a Super Bowl championship one day. As for the back to back seasons we just need to put that on the back burner and just go beat Tampa next Sunday.
willie martinez
December 27th, 2009
8:28 pm
Rob never played pro ball?
willie martinez
December 27th, 2009
8:28 pm
does that include field of dreams? one of my all time favorites?
Once "Recent" Reader
December 27th, 2009
8:29 pm
TMoney – thanks for taking the time to put together the record and personal stats for the 8 QBs. I’d say in almost any other town Matt Ryan would be looked upon by many in a good light and those not sure would still be more willing to give him more time. However, the difference here is what Ryan came into. A city that was losing a highly popular (locally and nationally) QB under for very controversial reasons – and also a city unfortunately polarized for various football/social reasons. Here’s hoping that a few years changes Falcon fans back to just Falcon fans . . . .and happy ones at that!!!!
willie martinez
December 27th, 2009
8:29 pm
yeah, i heard that friday night lights was a bummer.
falcon21
December 27th, 2009
8:30 pm
Thank you Big Ray, it’s nice to read a comment from someone with some common sense. Matt is a very good QB now and will be a great QB in the near future. He is a very smart guy that works hard and can make all the throws. Give the man an o-line that will give him just a little time and he will be unstopable.
willie martinez
December 27th, 2009
8:30 pm
if you tell me you havent seen or dislike field of dreams then i just dont know where we are.
Not Mark Bradley
December 27th, 2009
8:32 pm
against a Buffalo roster so defoliated it wouldn’t have troubled Alabama.
Yet last week Buffalo lost at New England 17-10. But I guess you have to write something.
Joey Harrington
December 27th, 2009
8:32 pm
What about me?
willie martinez
December 27th, 2009
8:32 pm
James Earl Jones, one of my favorite actors of all time. Costner was ok in the flick.
Sonny Clusters
December 27th, 2009
8:32 pm
We was crossing the Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge when we was stopped by police and they spotted all the little Dairy Queen spoons in the glove box and we was almost arrested. Since that time, we have only carried enough spoons for a week’s worth of Dairy Queen. Simon Kenton was a friend of Daniel Boone and Daniel Boone’s descendant played against us when we was state championship. Stinky Wintes was assigned to him and shut him down.