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.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
435 comments Add your comment
The Dogfighter Returns
December 28th, 2009
9:06 pm
Why do people put Eli down? He plays in NY, has a SB MVP Trophy somewhere in his house, and is probably the most criticized QB I have seen in all my years watching football. He also has a 90+ passer rating this year. No he’s not his brother but he is a terrific quarterback too. If Matty Ice is Eli, I will gladly take that. QB’s like Peyton come around once every twenty years if that.
—–
he is garbage without “PLEXICO, PLAXICO.” Eli statistically before the beginning of this season had stats that were not that much better than MV7. For a drop back QB that is pathetic.
Dandy Don
December 28th, 2009
10:32 pm
Let’s get picky where picky is due…the offensive line. A quarterback can’t perform
if the line doesn’t protect him.
Cheese Gritz Blitz
December 28th, 2009
10:52 pm
Ryan is 13 and 1 at home. What was Vicks record after 14 games in the dome?
Lilburn DAWG
December 28th, 2009
11:21 pm
Ryan is a good quarterback, but he’s no Peyton or Eli – yet. He has to win his divison, win in the playoffs and win the Super Bowl. The Mannings have proved their worth. Ryan has a long way to go. But considering the Falcons history, it will be a milestone if they can put together back-to-back winning seasons, something they have never done. I believe we have the right coaching staff in place; not sure about the owner. Merchandising Genius Blank focuses on his return on investment – he’s a numbers guy. Watching him stalk the sidelines as if he knows the difference between a post pattern and a screen pass is laughable. He looks like the overachieving academic geek who has enough money to buy his way into a sport he was never goos enough to play. At least that idiot Jerry Jones played ball and knows something about the game. If Blank runs the team like the Smiths, where making the playoffs and winning a Super Bowl was a mere fantasy, then we’ll soon see the birds fall to the bottom of their division. However, Ryan brings us hope.
Norb Hecker
December 28th, 2009
11:38 pm
Matty Ice is the best Falcon QB since Bart. Back to back winners would be nice, but. We need to shore up the defense and O-line, but we have a running game, a good QB and excellent coaching from Smith down, and we’re on the right track to get back to the Super Bowl. And that is the only thing that matters.
Wayne White
December 28th, 2009
11:39 pm
Mark, are you really gay or was your wife just kidding?
GM a bust and ryan still a punk
December 29th, 2009
12:32 am
before you clowns begin to crow wait till next week . look as if the buc re set to nail ya!!!
GM a bust and ryan still a punk
December 29th, 2009
12:34 am
matt is a punk under pressure only mid grade QB just the facts not on hope look at his numbers!!!
bigeasy830
December 29th, 2009
8:31 am
Until Matt Ryan can win a play-off game he is just as insignificant as the pathetic Falcons. Who cares about Matt Ryan or the Falcons, it is obvious their fans don’t even care, did you see all the mpty seats in the Dome. last time the dome was filled with fans they were screaming to see another teams QB. HAHAHAHAHAHA. Matt Ryan is a weak armes joke.
“Back To Life, Back To Reality”
ChippersLoveChild
December 29th, 2009
9:14 am
Still better than Glenn Dorsey.
the don
December 29th, 2009
9:49 am
It’s clear the Julio Iglesias Index was not factored into this judgement.
Ryan will be fine; I see the Falcons flying high again in 2010.
DJ
December 29th, 2009
10:24 am
Matt saw a new level of defense and took a few games to adjust. The adjustments began working against the Redskins (2 big audible runs against a fake 8 in the box) but lost momentum without Turner.
The Saints are fading without their personal ref crew (sorry but Grimes picked Drew Brees clean). I will enjoy the jammmed packed, silent, Superdome when a real ref crew leaves the Saints and the crowd puzzled as to how to score without getting interference calls when they need them. The “Chuck and Duck” offense is one and done then back to the scrap heap in 2010.
ELVISINTHEHOUSE.
December 29th, 2009
11:33 am
Why does vick name always come up in a conversation that ryan being mentioned? Why people always try to compare the two? if vick goes to another team and win a superbowl before ryan(not saying ryan will ever win one)will that make vick haters hate him even more? peyton manning 11+ seasons and 1 superbowl,eli 4+ seasons and 1 superbowl.So i don’t understand why people think ryan will win one sooner than later.Ryan is not eli and definately not peyton.Thats like trying to compare micheal jordan to tree rollins.
MV#777
December 29th, 2009
12:04 pm
IT FIRST BECAME obvious, this feeling between Michael Vick and his new teammates, a couple of weeks ago in Atlanta. It was his homecoming game, as it were. It was where he scored his first touchdown for the Eagles and his teammates bounded off of the bench in celebration, where cornerback Sheldon Brown said that he and some of the players were telling each other before the game that they wanted to win it for Vick.
I mean, win one for Mike? Really? We all observe from a distance, and it was so hard to see or to understand. But it was real. There is no doubt that it was real, this bond between Vick and his new teammates.
And, now, this:
The Eagles’ players have unanimously voted Vick as the team’s recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award, given annually to the player on each NFL team who exemplifies “commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage.”
Guilty of horrific crimes. Sentenced to a federal prison term. Forfeited millions and millions of dollars. Back in the league for only a few months, only through the good graces of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Eagles coach Andy Reid. Now, a convicted felon honored by his teammates for overcoming a terrible situation into which he had put himself.
“I’m not sure you can explain it unless you’ve gone through it here with him,” Reid said yesterday. “Everybody is going to have their opinion on it, I’m sure. Until you’ve been with him for the hours that his teammates have been with him and seen him through all these different things that he’s had to go through, that time-tested part of it, you can’t appreciate it quite as much.
“I don’t expect everybody to understand it, no, but I think it’s a tribute when it’s a slam dunk by his teammates voting him that. It was just a unanimous vote there.”
That this is just a gut punch to the people who have opposed Vick’s reinstatement goes without saying. For them, a PETA spokesman said:
“The Philadelphia Eagles fumbled when they gave Michael Vick the Ed Block Courage Award, which was named after a man who advocated in behalf of abused children. Michael Vick should not be the person anyone points to as a model of sportsmanship, even though he has now exchanged dogs for touchdowns after serving time for extreme cruelty to animals. We wish him well in educating others, but this is not appropriate and does not mark a joyous moment in NFL history.”
It is hard to disagree with any of that. It does seem too soon to be celebrating Vick. It does not feel right – and this comes from somebody who thought Vick deserved a chance to play this year, somebody who was looking forward to seeing what he could do on the field.
But here is the thing: I did not get a vote and you did not get a vote. This is a players’ award, voted upon by players. And whatever your personal feelings, it is impossible not to be fascinated by this team’s embrace of Vick, right from the start.
“I never worried that guys wouldn’t accept me,” Vick said. “That probably was one of the last things on my mind. The most important thing was to get in here and get to know the guys and get acclimated in the city and playing football again. You just let things happen naturally. You just be yourself.”
This is more than just teammates supporting a teammate. It is clear that they like the guy. Talking to them through the season, it is clear that they thought the punishment for the crime was so severe, prison-wise and especially financially, only because Vick was a celebrity. Their inclination as fellow celebrities was to root for him, and as fellow teammates to root for his ability to help them on the field. But the feelings still ended up going deeper, and this award demonstrates it.
“It means a great deal,” Vick said. “I’ve only been in this locker room for 3 1/2 months. For those guys to feel that way about me, it means a lot to me. The bond that I have with the players on this team and the way we’ve jelled has been outstanding.”
Someone asked Vick what kind of courage he demonstrated, per the award.
“I’ve had to overcome a lot, more than probably one single individual can bear,” he said. “Take a look at what I’ve been through. You ask certain people to walk in my shoes, they probably couldn’t do it – probably 95 percent of the people in this world. Because nobody had to endure what I’ve been through, situations I’ve been put in, situations I’ve placed myself in, decisions that I’ve made, whether they were good or bad. There are always consequences behind certain things and there are repercussions behind them, too. Then you have to wake up every day and face the world, whether they perceive you in the right perspective or it’s a totally different outlook on you.
“You just have to be strong and believe in yourself and be optimistic. That’s what I’ve been able to do and that’s what I display.”
When you talk to Vick, it sometimes takes him a minute to get to the key point: situations I’ve placed myself in. That is what rankles for some, still, that minute it sometimes takes. But it is all part of a longer process.
Anyway, Vick said, “The thing I told Roger [Goodell] was that, 4 or 5 years from now, when I come to him, I’ll be able to say everything I told you I was going to do, I’m still doing it. That’s what I pride myself on. That’s my focus and that’s my goal.”
That might have seemed a more appropriate time for an award such as this one, not now. Then again, this is all about a bond within a locker room, a place that none of us can hope to understand from the outside.
MV#777
December 29th, 2009
12:07 pm
MICHAEL VICK HAS PRIDE!!!!! AND YOU KNOW IT!!!!!!!!MATT RYAN WILL NEVER BE A SUPER STAR!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL………………
MV#777
December 29th, 2009
12:15 pm
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Vick wins Ed Block Courage Award
Michael Vick has won an award.
The Eagles announced this morning that Vick’s teammates have voted him as this year’s recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award, which is given annually to a player who exemplifies commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage.
“I’ve had to overcome a lot, more than probably one single individual can bear,” Vick said. “Take a look at what I’ve been through. You ask certain people to walk in my shoes, they probably couldn’t do it — probably 95 percent of the people in this world. Because nobody had to endure what I’ve been through — situations I’ve been put in, situations I’ve placed myself in, decisions that I’ve made — whether they were good or bad. There are always consequences behind certain things and there are repercussions behind them, too. Then you have to wake up every day and face the world, whether they perceive you in the right perspective or it’s a totally different outlook on you.”
Eagles coach Andy Reid said the vote was a unanimous one. Actually, it wasn’t. Vick said he had a vote and that he didn’t cast his for himself.
“I won’t say who I voted for,” Vick said.
Reid was asked if he was worried about how the award would be interpreted in light of Vick’s past. In case you just awoke from a 3-year coma, Vick served 18 months in a federal prison for his role in running a dogfighting ring, was released in the summer and signed not long after by the Eagles amid a storm of controversy.
“I’m not sure you can explain it, unless you’ve kind of gone through it here with him,” Reid said. “Everybody is going to have their opinion on it I’m sure. Until you’ve been with him for the hours that his teammates have been with him and seen him through all these different things that he’s had to go through, that time-tested part of it, you can’t appreciate it.
“I don’t expect everybody to understand it. I think it’s a tribute when it’s a slam dunk by his teammates voting him that. It was an unanimous vote. It’s not something that we as coaches … or anybody else promotes. We don’t sit there and promote a player to win the award. It’s picked by the players and only by the players.”
Brandon Ladson
December 29th, 2009
3:33 pm
Fools all of stop trying to predict the future. You live in the present tell me what you see right now. I see a qb who gets a pass over 30 yards once every 7 games. I see a league realizing all of his weknesses and they are glaring. The playbook is limited b/c he does not have elite qb physical tools. He is a better Chad Pennington which means he is servicable but if an upgrade is available get the upgrade. Remember how quickly Pennington was moved out of New York for a 39 year old Favre. Build a team like a lot of people are suggesting then go get you a top flight qb as opposed to average.
Brett Sorge
December 29th, 2009
5:33 pm
Wait a second. Last year you had turner running all over the place and passing was just not that important. Now with no turner the other teams are playing the pass with likely results for Ryan. What else can you expect???
hiramsaint
December 29th, 2009
5:58 pm
ryan like eli???????????????????????? you guys are truly in fantasy land. thers no comparison! eli has a superbowl ring and ryan has sensitive skin. what a joke the ajc has become to even try to pass some garbage like this
James
December 29th, 2009
7:38 pm
oh Markie, Mark, Ryan has gotten hurt, many of the starters on the Falcons roster have gotten hurt, and they still managed a winning season. Last year they had a great year and made the playoffs. I do not know why sports writers turn on players so quick.
good tools poor QB play
December 29th, 2009
8:04 pm
look at all the team Ryan won . All are loser. look at who he has for tools and he has a 81 % passer. look at his number only middle of the pack if that. Team know he has no heart. pure punk under pressure. melt like cheese when heat is applied. he has some of the best recivers in the nfl and he is only below the pack of QBin the nfl just the facts on the hope!!
Blow him up all you want to it is what it is just look at the numbers!!! 3th pick 45 million for a half azz QB!( not even half)! San Baker is a bust too!! pure punk!
Real American
December 29th, 2009
9:31 pm
Tony Gonzales made the probowl EVERY YEAR for the last 10 years…until this season…so if Ryan is supposedly responsible for Roddy making the ProBowl last season, I guess he’s responsible for ending Gonzales’s streak too right?
C from Marietta
December 29th, 2009
10:18 pm
Matt Ryan will be fine. Folks just love to put the horse before the cart huh? He is still very young, but he has an excellent work ethic.
.
Give him a year or two before, we decide to see where he ranks. Falcons fans should be use to being patient
Ricky
December 30th, 2009
8:30 am
James, don’t assume anything about that winning season. A loss to TB this Sunbday puts us at .500, nearly good enough for a playoff spot in the AFC but not good enough to achieve the goal of back-to-back winning seasons.
Seems like everyone thinks TB is just gonna lay down.
ChrisChase
December 30th, 2009
8:37 am
According to Philadelphia Eagles players, the most courageous man on the team in 2009 was one who started the year serving time in prison for an act of extreme cowardice.
The Eagles announced that Michael Vick was the 2009 winner of the Ed Block Courage Award, an honor given to a player who shows courage in the face of adversity. Vick’s teammates voted for the award, thus demonstrating how tone-deaf and out-of-touch NFL players are with reality.
According to the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation Web site:
Each year, the Ed Block Courage Awards honors those National Football League players who exemplify commitments to the principles of sportsmanship and courage. Recipients are selected by their teammates for team effort, as well as individual performance. The Ed Block Courage Award recipient symbolizes professionalism, great strength and dedication. He is also a community role model.
One recipient is selected from each NFL team, usually for things like coming back from injury, doing good work in the community or long, dedicated service to a franchise. I’d be surprised if the award’s founders intended for the honor to be given to someone doing community service as part of the terms of his parole or for showing courage in the face of reporters asking legitimate questions about federal crimes.
The Eagles’ vote is not only a slap in the face to the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation, but to the other 31 players who won the award for their respective teams. Some men are truly deserving of the honor, like Ravens safety Dawan Landry(notes) who was nearly paralyzed last year, but has come back in ‘09 with four interceptions and a touchdown or Mike Furrey(notes) of the Browns, who does extensive volunteer work in his community. Adding Vick’s name to the roll makes the award seem illegitimate and meaningless.
Apparently Philadelphia players confuse Vick handling dogfighting questions and booing with a measure of class as some sort of courage. That Vick only got a chance to show this mild courageousness because of the extreme cowardice it takes to murder helpless animals isn’t something that crosses their mind. They confuse Vick’s desperation with some sort of integrity.
I’m all for second chances and find myself rooting for Vick to redeem himself both on and off the football field. He’s served an appropriate sentence (and then some) and I see no reason for him to keep paying for his past transgressions. But I also see no reason to celebrate his character.
Michael Vick is very much a work in progress. A few years from now, I hope he will be deserving of such an honor. At this time, however, he has only just started down the path to redemption.
MV#777
December 30th, 2009
12:00 pm
CHRIS CHASE!! YOU AND MATT RYAN SUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK………
MV#777
December 30th, 2009
12:07 pm
2009 Ed Block Courage Award Winners
There’s been a lot of consternation about the Philadelphia Eagles players voting Michael Vick their 2009 Ed Block Courage Award winner, so below is a look at each team’s winners, as voted on by the players.
Arizona Cardinals – DE, Kenny Iwebema
Atlanta Falcons – LB, Coy Wire
Baltimore Ravens – S, Dawan Landry
Buffalo Bills – WR, James Hardy
Carolina Panthers – LB, Dan Connor
Cincinnati Bengals – G, Bobbie Williams
Cleveland Browns – S/WR, Mike Furrey
Dallas Cowboys – G, Kyle Kosier
Denver Broncos – S, Brian Dawkins
Detroit Lions – T, Jeff Backus
Green Bay Packers – S, Nick Collins
Houston Texans – LB, Zac Diles
Indianapolis Colts – CB, Marlin Jackson
Jacksonville Jaguars – T, Richard Collier
Kansas City Chiefs – QB, Brodie Croyle
Miami Dolphins – G, Justin Smiley
Minnesota Vikings – LB, E.J. Henderson
New England Patriots – Hasn’t been announced
New Orleans Saints – DE, Anthony Hargrove
New York Giants – NT, Fred Robbins
New York Jets – LB, David Harris
Oakland Raiders – S, Tyvon Branch
Philadelphia Eagles – QB, Michael Vick
Pittsburgh Steelers – DE, Aaron Smith
St. Louis Rams – DE, James Hall
San Diego Chargers – LB, Shawne Merriman
San Francisco 49ers – CB, Shawntae Spencer
Seattle Seahawks – WR, Nate Burleson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – RB, Cadillac Williams
Tennessee Titans – C, Kevin Mawae
Washington Redskins – DE, Phillip Daniels
“Even the CHOKE’s teammates” don’t respect him
Susan
December 30th, 2009
12:24 pm
Matt Ryan updates here :
http://www.athlete.com/matt-ryan
Kris G
December 30th, 2009
7:34 pm
I would like to make a plea to anyone who cares enough about the Atlanta Falcons to listen. There will always be those here who want to steer the conversation to Vick vs. Ryan. I own both jerseys. For those out there who are Ryan fans or Falcon fans, there is still much to be talked about. I for one am very interested in our CURRENT quarterback’s development. Two years in, there’s plenty of reason to believe he’s the future, and plenty of reason for doubt. There is so much ripe debate to be had, and comparisons to similar QBs to be made. This is something that I think is much more pertinent than racial issues or comparing two QB whose styles could not possibly be more different. Vick does belong in the discussion as long as we’re talking about the past He does have one of the best win-loss ratios of any QB we’ve had… and all three coaches we had… Reeves, Mora, and Wade Phillips all have winning records with him as the starter. He deserves SOME credit for that… but really, I’m much more interested in figuring out our present QB situation. Is he the real deal, or is he, like some have said, Chad Pennington?
hype on Matt and GM
December 30th, 2009
10:36 pm
any pro bowler’s for this year Falcon? and this GM is a genius a? Matt passer rating 81.1 great QB? Bull sh-t to all! night mare no hope!! All the super picks what a joke!!! Matt a punk at heart first qt. to the 4Th. !!! when pressure is applied he melt like cheese all 100% scared. he read defensive so goo he has 12 pick all hype!!!! just look at his numbers of the 32 QB’s !!! POOR at best!!
mars
December 31st, 2009
5:37 pm
3th?!?? San Baker??!?? He melt like cheese??!??! *Moron Aert!* *Moron Alert!*
mars
December 31st, 2009
5:39 pm
Uh, what is a 3th???
mars
December 31st, 2009
5:40 pm
Aert! Jeez!~ From one moron to anotha, brotha!
Joe
January 3rd, 2010
8:09 am
Why try to even compare Ryan to Manning at this point? It’s going to take time. Hell, Peyton threw 23 interceptions his 4th year in the league – why don’t you mention that when making the comparison? You act as if Manning had a bad rookie year and was stellar after that.
AceDawg
January 4th, 2010
11:23 am
Ryan certainly deserves the benefit of the doubt. So does the Atlanta coaching staff. Congrats on a winning year despite some tough breaks. 2010 should be a solid one.