I Admit It, I Was Wrong About Matt Ryan

[HChu]

Thought he would be garbage, so I guess I'm wrong. Though not entirely on board the wagon yet.

[georgiafan]

He has looked much better then I expected and hopefully he continues to prove me wrong. A big reason as to why he has looked good early on is talent around him. When Sam Baker has played the OL has looked much better then a year ago. Roddy White and Turner both should be in the pro bowl.

[FlyingElvis]

Tuner will be as long as he doesn't get hurt. White has some work to do before he gets in, and he'll have stout competition w/Steve Smith gearing up over the last few games and making his case to return to Hawaii.

[abaddon41_80]

One thing is for sure, the Falcons offensive line is better than most people gave it credit for, myself included. Coming into the season I didn't think the offensive line was one of the worst in the league but I definitely didn't see it being this good. They have opened some huge holes for Turner

[Race for the Heisman]

I thought he had value just outside the top 10; I just didn't think he was that (as in top 10) legit. For example, I would have been fine with the Bears taking him a 14, but I didn't want the team to trade up for him (more because of the picks forfeited than Ryan's ability, but a bit of both).

He does have a decent supporting cast which is really key because the first couple of years often mean everything in terms of the quarterback's development. I thought he would be very Matt Hasselbeck-esque at the minimum (1:1 TD:INT at worst, 2/2.5:1 at best); never a Peyton Manning but nevertheless a very good player who would make a couple of Pro Bowls. If he becomes that elite perennial All-Pro, then I'll come for the crow, but it is too early to crown him anything. I will say he's doing a bit better than I expected (mainly because I expected him to sit and then have the season he's having now next year).

[yourfavestoner]

Out of a rookie quarterback, the only thing you really need to see is flashes of potential, and being successful at something.

To be honest, it's not that hard to spot a guy who is developing properly. The ones who succeed display their potential in some way on the field. They just usually can't do it with any sort of consistency. They'll have great games and then terrible games when they commit multiple turnovers. They have to gamble and be successful at it in order to gain confidence. The most worrisome trait a developing quarterback can get is immediately going to the checkdown.

Matt Ryan sees the levels of the field very well, and he has shown aggressiveness in his decision making. He's on his way to being a good NFL quarterback. Atlanta did a smart thing in nabbing Michael Turner and giving him a solid running game to lean on. They also got lucky in finding an excellent young receiving talent in Roddy White.

[Turtlepower]

Originally Posted by bigbluedefense

i initially laughed at the fact that they passed on Dorsey for Ryan. i thought it was one of the biggest bonehead moves Ive seen since following the draft (ive only followed the draft for like 3 years now, i was never really a big college football fan).

If he develops into a franchise qb, they will be the ones laughing. And right now, they are.

I did love the Sam Baker pick though.

I still think that the Falcons had one of the most underrated drafts with the Chiefs having an overrated draft. The Falcons got the best QB and the player who I still think will end up being the best OT in last year's class. Sam Baker got so underrated due to height and injury issues it is ridiculous.

[KCJ58]

I need a full rookie season until i can say anything

[MetSox17]

Originally Posted by KCJ58

I need a full rookie season until i can say anything

I second this.

[bigbluedefense]

As some have eluded to in this thread, I also LOVE Sam Baker. I was a huge fan all of last year, and at one point (and still sort of do) feel he was better than Jake Long.

As for Ryan, I know its early, but as YFS pointed out, all you need to see is flashes of brilliance and a good head on his shoulders from a rookie qb to have faith for the future.

I think Falcon fans have seen that and some.


To be fair, I haven't done a full evaluation of him yet. I need to really sit down and break him down for a full game to really summarize my thoughts on him. When evaluating qbs, the most important time to pay attention to them is presnap. What they do before the snap is almost as important if not more important than what they do after the snap. Thats where you really get to analyze and break down a qb, and see what he's really made of.

Ive yet to do this when evaluating Ryan, so I need to do that before I wrap up my thoughts on him.

[ChezPower4]

I'm just going to throw this out there but Ryan Leaf looked pretty good in his first few games too

[d34ng3l021]

I might be the biggest Matt Ryan supporter on this board as of now, but for the longest time I had Brian Brohm over him in my QB rankings. Only a few weeks before the draft when it seemed as if we might draft him did that change.

Ever since that though, I have never looked back. The reason I became such a huge fan was because of all the things I read about him over the offseason. He just showed the 'it' factor. There was an article about why the FO drafted Ryan over Dorsey or any other QB was because of how he responded to some question about the sub par talent on his team. The FO brought up that his receivers dropped about 50 balls throughout the course of the season, and Ryan did nothing to acknowledge that they might suck. He also showed great football knowledge by responding better than other QBs when asked what to do in a hypothetical situation on the field. Another reason is in my sig.

Since then, he has surpassed my expectations. I was actually one of the people who thought that he should sit and learn some things before being thrown out there. I thought our OL would not be good enough to give him some time and I also didnt believe too much in his physical skills yet. He has proven me wrong and has shown that throwing him into the fire was the right thing to do. I emphasize what YFS said about rookies being able to show flashes a lot and you cannot expect any consistency out of them, and Ryan has shown many many flashes. His physical abilities were underrated and his leadership abilities are right on track. His football IQ is also as good as advertised. He has made some bonehead and very inaccurate throws, but he is a rookie and there are room for mistakes. What is good about him is that I doubt they will happen again. He improves on a game to game basis and its outstanding to see. Just last week he ran a no huddle offense (for a rookie QB? in his 4th game? impressive) and completed 4/5 passes (the drive was going great until a false start stalled it. only 3 points were gotten).

All in all, I am beginning to have very high expectations from him. His physical abilities may not be that of a top 5 QB, but they will get better. He is going to be known for his toughness and leadership ability. I expect his football IQ to keep growing and growing and that will be a major reason for his success as well.

[DraftMichaelHuff]

I guess i do have a bit of confessing to do as a falcon fan. Perhaps not as much as some, i still thought Ryan would be a very good QB if put in the right situation, but i will say that Sam Baker makes the whole situation better. Basically i knew the team needed a left tackle desperately and that a rookie qb would be killed (and turn into david carr) unless he has a line far better than the one Harrington, Leftwich and Redman did last year. So when it was clear Ryan was a top 5 selection i didnt really have an interest in him because i saw a franchise LT as a higher priority and thus prefered the (then) 2nd round value of Flacco. Now i love the Ryan/Baker combo more than the OT(Long/Clady/Albert)/Flacco combo as Baker has played either as good (refering to Clady) or better (the other 2 guys) and has made a huge difference to the entire line and Ryan gets time to throw.

I dont think anyone can be too hard on themselves with Ryan. All most of us saw was high # of INTs, a slightly above average arm and the intangibles tag. Its easy now but at the time plenty of players are given praise for the intangibles but i have NEVER seen a rookie qb with the NFL savy brain that Ryan has, it doesnt matter if its running the no-huddle at Lambeau Feild , Press Conferences, telling 10 year vets to "be quiet" in the huddle or boucing back from a crucial pic, the guy can flat out do it all like a seasoned vet. We need to think of a better word than intangibles that describe players like this in the draft in the future

[Malaka]

I admit it, I was Brian Brohm fan ... I thought he would be trash with an average arm, average accuracy, and 19 INTs in college. As of right now I can't say I was wrong yet, but Brohm not being able to get the 2nd string job isn't making me look good, anyway as someone else said Ryan Leaf looked decent his first few games too, time will tell but right now he looks pretty good for a rookie QB.

[Geo]

Matt Ryan is a Manning cousin. :D

[BuckNaked]

I've sat firmly in my Kentucky homer Andre Woodson bandwagon. I need some company, it's so lonely.

[Malaka]

Originally Posted by BuckNaked

I've sat firmly in my Kentucky homer Andre Woodson bandwagon. I need some company, it's so lonely.

I am on it with you as he is on the Giants practice squad :)

[ChezPower4]

Originally Posted by BuckNaked

I've sat firmly in my Kentucky homer Andre Woodson bandwagon. I need some company, it's so lonely.

it might be hard to find outside of giant land

[Malaka]

I have high hopes for Andre, but in no way do I think he is the truth.

[BlindSite]

I was sold on Ryan but not really sold on Sam Baker, which I was wrong about. While I dont think he's better than long, otah or Clady. I had him as a second rounder.

I think he'll be a good one, but I think it'll take a few more years to put up the real rankings of the best tackles.

[BamaFalcon59]

Ok, I'm the biggest Matt Ryan fan on here. I was one of like two Falcons fans who wanted us to draft him. He is a pro. From day one he looked like a NFL QB, that is hard to say about most rookie QBs. He has all of the natural tools, and he still has a lot of physical maturation to do. His build is thin, he can put on some weight. He moves the pocket great. He throws the ball away. He looks deep, he can hit the deep ball. He is a leader. And after throwing two interceptions on a road game he can come back and finish the game strong.

Of course I have to give props to the supporting cast. Sam Baker has been amazing. Michael Turner is the NFLs leading rusher. Roddy White is third in the NFL in receiving yards. The offensive line has held up. And the defense has given us shots to win.

I'll be saying 'I told you so' for the next fifteen years. He reminds me of some Brady/ Manning and some Cutler. He has those intangibles, that leadership, those smarts, but he is better outside the pocket than either of them. Not quite on Cutler's level, but he is good on the outside. His arm isn't where Brady's, Manning's, or Cutler's are right now, but like I said he has a ton of room to grow.

He will be a top 5 QB in this league for many years.

[Shane P. Hallam]

Originally Posted by Turtlepower

I still think that the Falcons had one of the most underrated drafts with the Chiefs having an overrated draft. The Falcons got the best QB and the player who I still think will end up being the best OT in last year's class. Sam Baker got so underrated due to height and injury issues it is ridiculous.

I loved their draft myself. Sunday really showed that they can play with most of the teams in the NFL on the road.

[d34ng3l021]

Wow. I just watched Ryan orchestrate a no huddle drive while capping it off with a 22 yard TD pass to White. He was reading the defenses and calling out the plays. It was beautiful.

[Dam8610]

Matt Ryan is interesting thus far, and I'll admit that he's certainly a lot further along than I thought, but he hasn't really been tested yet. Not that I expect a rookie QB to pass a test of his decision making skills, but as I heard someone say today, "As Michael Turner goes, so go the Falcons", which thus far has rang pretty true. He's got the arm, the go-to receiver, the franchise LT (at least that's what they're hoping the investment will turn into) and the running game to become a successful NFL QB. With some consistency in the coaching staff, he could be a great QB.

[giantsfan]

Originally Posted by Geo

Matt Ryan is a Manning cousin. :D

He does kind of have that feel to him, so reminiscent of eli.