Ryan Impressions

Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan made his first NFL start in the Atlanta Falcons’ preseason game against the Tennessee Titans in a 17-3 win. Unfortunately for the Atlanta fans, we had to wait an additional two hours to catch the game because it was on tape delay. Ryan played the entire first half and the first series of the third quarter, finishing 15 of 21 for 102 yards and 1 touchdown. Ryan seemed poised in the pocket and did a great job of getting the ball from his hand to the receiver’s hands. It also appeared that he had a strong presence in the huddle and on the sideline, as he talked with offensive lineman and coaches. There’s lots of debate as to whether Ryan should start the season opener against Detroit or be slowly introduced to regularly season competition.

On one hand, I believe the best player should start, so if Ryan is the best quarterback on the roster, then I’d like to see him in the huddle. Some players are physically and mentally tough enough to be thrown in the water and they’ll learn how to swim. Ryan may be this type of guy, but I honestly don’t know because I didn’t follow him at Boston College and three preseason games don’t provide enough information. If he is this type of guy, then he may struggle at first, but in the long run he’ll be a better player because of the immediate exposure.

The danger of starting Ryan immediately is if he’s not protected by the offensive line, then he’ll be under constant pressure, which could equal lots of sacks, interceptions, and bad plays. A high number of bad plays could negatively affect the psyche of the young player, especially if he’s not mentally though to take the criticism and disappointment of poor play. I believe this happened to players like Joey Harrington and David Carr; two players drafted high, called upon to start early, and who are now considered journeyman quarterbacks who have happy feet because of the fear of getting sacked.

The other option for Ryan is to slowly but surely work him into the starting lineup. Although I’m not a Chris Redman fan, let Redman start the season and test the strength of the offensive line. If it holds up, and running backs Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood establish the ground game, then let Ryan come in and play a series or two, so he can learn the speed of a regular game, which is supposedly faster than preseason games. Depending on the success of the team, maybe you introduce Ryan as the team’s starter after the bye week or at the trading deadline.

This way, Ryan isn’t just thrown in the water and forced to learn to swim on his own, he’s actually taught how to swim. People want to (unfairly) compare Ryan’s mental make up to New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady, but people have to remember that Brady rode the bench prior to being named the starter. He had time to learn the complete playbook, establish relationships with the players, and observe the speed of the regular season.
After seeing Ryan’s performance, I’m hopeful that he’ll develop into a productive and solid quarterback. He lacks excitement, but if he can win games and put some dirty back in the Birds, then I’ll be one happy Falcons’ fan.