Matt Ryan: The under-appreciated Boston icon

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I’m not talking about you, the 1 in 1,000 individual in the northeast who happens to be a huge fan.

I’m not talking to the group of seven guys living in a three bedroom apartment in Allston who drink 30 Busch lights and lose $600 gambling every Saturday

I’m not talking to the fan who has a family member who gets a few special teams snaps at UMass -- and with all due respect to my alma mater, I’m not talking about UMass when I say “college football.”

When was the last time the game of college football was truly on the radar of your average New Englander?

Undoubtedly, it was in 2007 when Matt Ryan threw for over 4,500 yards as the top quarterback in the country for the 11-3 Boston College Eagles. Ryan won all kinds of accolades and went into the NFL draft as a lay-up franchise quarterback. Ryan was such the obvious choice for first overall pick that Bill Parcells came out of retirement to take a role with the Dolphins and drafted an offensive tackle over Ryan. Football genius level move.

Aside from the buzz of the occasional touted prospect -- Chris Lindstrom, AJ Dillon, Andre Williams, etc -- college football as a pervasive presence has hardly registered a blip on the New England radar since Ryan’s departure from BC. People just don’t care about it. I’d say it’s a shame, but there’s a larger disservice being done, and it’s one that’s defined Ryan’s career in the NFL: underappreciation.

We don’t appreciate how much buzz there was for college football when Ryan was at BC. The vast majority of NFL fans don't appreciate Ryan’s career -- in fact, it’s widely mocked due to one game in which Ryan’s defense allowed 31 points in approximately 20 minutes of play and Bill Belichick coached in circles around Atlanta’s staff.

The Ryan detractor often slips in the non sequitur that Ryan was the MVP of the NFL in 2016, but dismiss it by saying it only happened because Kyle Shanahan was Ryan’s offensive coordinator -- as if Ryan didn’t replicate his MVP numbers in 2018 and wasn’t the quarterback of the elite offenses Atlanta put on the field in 2010 and 2012.

Like countless other talented quarterbacks, Ryan has consistently been dealt tough hands as far as his coordinators, offensive lines, and defenses go. He had to endure not one, but two stints with Dirk Koetter as his offensive coordinator, the play calling equivalent of eating soup with a fork. The only two progressive offensive minds Ryan has had are Kyle Shanahan for two seasons and the current iteration of the Falcons under Arthur Smith.

I wrote of Ryan late in the 2020 season:

It’s hardly a radical idea to do everything in your power as a play caller to put your team and quarterback in a better position to succeed. Despite Koetter’s shortcomings, Ryan is fourth in passing yards, eighth in INT%, sixth in both average completed and average intended air yards, and is still in the top-half of the NFL in Next Gen Stats’ aggressiveness percentage statistic--in other words, Ryan is playing hero ball on third and long due to the inefficiencies of the Falcons offense, he’s doing a fine job of it, and he’s not turning the ball over.

Ryan has flown under the radar as the last college football superstar in the northeast. He likewise has not been respected as an NFL quarterback. This season, Ryan started slow as he made his way back into a play-action heavy offense that he hasn’t ran in five seasons, but since the beginning of October he’s well above average in most passing statistics -- whether it be normal box score stats or more analytical numbers like those compiled by Next Gen Stats or Pro Football Focus. And that’s with a bottom-five rushing attack, depleted offensive weapons, and one of the league’s worst defenses.

Atlanta’s 4-6 record is not indicative of Ryan’s play this season.

Here are three more aspects of the Atlanta Falcons to keep an eye on this Sunday...

Piece by Piece

It’s easy to look at a defense that you’re told over and over again is “bad,” and assume there are no good players present. It’s likewise easy to see a name of a player who has been great for years and assume they still are. There are examples of both on Atlanta’s defense.

Deion Jones has colloquially been referred to as one of the best cover linebackers in football over the last five years, but this season he’s given up the most passing yards of any off-ball linebacker in the NFL, and has allowed the fourth-highest completion percentage of off-ball linebackers targeting over 20 times this season. Did someone say cliff?

On the other hand, second-year cornerback A.J. Terrell has morphed into one the league’s elite cornerbacks before our eyes. Terrell has allowed the sixth-lowest completion percentage when targeted and has allowed the least yards per reception when he does allow a catch -- which he’s only done the second-least of cornerbacks who have played over 50% of their team’s defensive snaps this season.

Jack of All Trades, Master of None

Sadly, it’s unlikely former Patriots running back Cordarrelle Patterson, if that’s even what he was, will be able to suit up for the Falcons on Thursday after spraining his ankle against the Cowboys on Sunday. Patterson was shaping up to be a key player the Patriots would have looked to stop on Thursday, as Arthur Smith has seemingly unlocked Patterson this season.

Patterson has zero drops on 45 targets and has the third-highest yards per route run of all skill players who have seen at least 20% of their team’s offensive snaps this season. He’s also top 20 in just about every rushing category, which is significant for a running back who isn’t even supposed to be a running back.

What the F is up, Kyle?

Speaking of offensive weapons, fourth overall pick Kyle Pitts has quickly turned into an elite tight end. Pitts is third in yards per route run and has the second-highest average depth of target of all “tight ends” in the NFL -- if you even want to call him that. He has the highest percentage of snap lined up out wide of any tight end in the league, and it’s not particularly close.

What stands out about Pitts is that even though he’s being targeted at such a high rate so far down the field, he may as well have no yards after the catch. He’s being zeroed in on by defenders to the point where he catches the ball and is immediately hit, which makes his production that much more impressive considering there aren't many weapons on Atlanta's offense.

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Featured Image Photo Credit: USA Today Sports