The Falcoholic
Four days after outdueling Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan produced another memorable performance in the national spotlight. It was another big divisional game against a team that had previously beaten the Falcons earlier in the season. After squaring off against one of his main quarterback foes in Rodgers, he would be taking on two of his former biggest allies.
It was the second time Ryan was facing Mike Smith and Dirk Koetter. While there was nothing but respect between the two sides, many wondered how their familiarity would factor into the matchup. It was only less than two years ago that Smith was the head coach and Koetter was the offensive coordinator in Atlanta.
In the first matchup on opening day, Ryan played a solid game but was outplayed by Jameis Winston, who had a history of playing like a five-time All-Pro when facing the Falcons. Ryan had to step up to help compensate for a struggling defense trying to find its identity under Dan Quinn. The future 2016 NFL MVP did exactly that to add to his resume in an extraordinary season.
Despite scoring ten or more points in every quarter, the Falcons’ offense endured some setbacks in the first half. They failed to score in the red zone after De’Vondre Campbell forced a fumble on former fan favorite Antone Smith, which was recovered by Brian Poole, to put them within striking distance of scoring.
Ryan failed to protect the ball after being sacked by a swarming Gerald McCoy, resulting in a disappointing turnover. William Gholston sacked him on third down at the end of the half to prevent them from adding a field goal. For all those unfortunate moments and miscues, they still scored 20 points and effectively moved the ball.
The game started with a bang, as Ryan maneuvered around a muddled pocket to find Levine Toilolo downfield for a 32-yard touchdown. His ability to use his feet to make more out-of-structure plays substantially improved in 2016. Both Toilolo and Austin Hooper would have expanded roles, as it was the first game without starting tight end Jacob Tamme, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against Green Bay. They both delivered with touchdowns and explosive plays downfield.
Eventually, Ryan started connecting with Julio Jones across the middle of the field. The superstar wide receiver has a long history of dominant performances against Tampa Bay. It was another one of those standard games in the office for him, producing 111 receiving yards on eight catches. Continuously finding him on in-breaking routes, Ryan was targeting the middle of the field, dissecting Smith’s heavy zone coverage.
He did have his shining moments throwing outside the numbers. An outstanding 26-yard completion to Taylor Gabriel showcased his arm strength, as the dynamic wide receiver beat former fan favorite Brent Grimes on a deep out. After connecting with Hooper to convert on third down, a well-timed jet sweep to Gabriel went for a nine-yard touchdown. It ended up being one of the...
