The Falcoholic
As special as 2016 was for Matt Ryan and the Falcons, it took time for them to become the electrifying powerhouse that consistently scored over 30 points per game. They had their moments scoring at will against Carolina and New Orleans in the early part of the season. Beating the reigning Super Bowl champion Broncos in Denver was another signature win. Despite their early success, they did lose two consecutive games in October.
Narrow defeats to the Seahawks and Chargers had them at 4-3 going into a nationally televised showdown against the Packers. While they played well in both defeats, a team that set the bar so high starting the season 4-1 couldn’t afford to lose three straight games.
Ryan missed some opportunities in the previous game against the Chargers. A repeat couldn’t happen again with Aaron Rodgers on the other side, who previously had one of his greatest performances ever in the Georgia Dome.
The Falcons had plenty to prove as they continued their rise back to contender status. Ryan needed to keep playing at a high level following a disastrous 2015 season. It was clear that his rapport with Kyle Shanahan had significantly grown.
Who would have imagined the gradual progression would translate into a historic season? Performances like this one proved why Ryan became the 2016 NFL MVP and why Shanahan firmly established himself as one of the sport’s best offensive minds.
Ryan threw for three or more touchdowns in seven games during the regular season. What made this one of the top three-touchdown performances was how he stayed composed with his premier weapon hobbled and losing his starting tight end on the first drive. Julio Jones was hampered by a hamstring injury, limiting him to three catches on five targets for 29 yards. Jacob Tamme suffered what proved to be a season-ending shoulder injury.
Jones and Tamme were the Falcons’ two leading pass catchers in 2015. Although the Falcons were thriving offensively, they didn’t exactly have consistent pass-catching weapons behind them.
Mohamed Sanu got off to an underwhelming start in his memorable time in Atlanta. Taylor Gabriel and Austin Hooper were finding their niches within the offense. Justin Hardy and Aldrick Robinson were viable role players, but not pass catchers who could be primary options.
The uncertainty didn’t faze Ryan. He responded on the second drive with an exceptional throw to Gabriel in between multiple defensive backs for a 47-yard touchdown. Ryan’s arm strength and deep ball accuracy had been heavily criticized in 2015. Those critiques were being silenced with precise bombs like that. That touchdown enhanced Gabriel’s role in the offense, who developed into a consistent dynamic difference maker.
Ryan did a masterful job of getting the ball out quickly and spreading the ball around. Sanu was at the center of the aerial attack by finding space across the middle of the field and exploiting the Packers’ sluggish defense. Hooper stepped up for Tamme to make a few key plays to keep...
