The Atlanta Falcons appeared to be a franchise in turmoil after the Michael Vick dogfighting scandal that sent him to prison in 2007. That season ended up being one of the worst for the franchise. The Falcons finished with a 4-12 record. The down season gave them the third overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft the following spring. With that selection, the team took a shot on a kid from Boston College named Matt Ryan. He panned out quite nicely for them. After spending the first 14 seasons of his professional career, the veteran quarterback is on the move as expected. The Falcons are trading Matty Ice to the Indianapolis Colts for a 2022 third-round pick.
He’s not considered elite at this point, but he can still be effective when given time to throw the ball. Give him a clean pocket, the protection and he can work with what’s around him. I still remember when Tony Dungy broke him down back in 2009, he said he had a few qualities similar to a quarterback he coached and that was Peyton Manning. That’s saying a lot considering you’re comparing a guy to one of the all-time greats. The skillset has always been there with Matt. He has the big arm, he can scan the field, make all the throws, and can also extend plays with his feet from the pocket. For years, I always knocked him for always throwing the ball to one receiver and one receiver only. That’s changed over the year as he’s been spreading the ball around more. One aspect of Matt’s game that doesn’t receive enough credit is the ability to release the ball so quickly. By the time you pressure him, the ball is out of his hands!
I still remember his MVP season like it happened yesterday. That’s by far the best I’ve ever seen him look. He led the Falcons to the NFC South division title, the two seed, and the Super Bowl that same year. This move to Indy gives the Colts their sixth starting quarterback in six years. The Colts could be a playoff team, but the AFC is stacked with Kansas City, Cincinnati, Buffalo, a healthy Baltimore and that’s naming a few. Matt would be playing behind the best offensive line in his career and would have an elite running back to hand the ball off too.
