It’s June and that means training camp is only a little over a month away for all 32 NFL teams. For the Atlanta Falcons, they have some work to do before that as they will have minicamp from June 19-21.
This will be an opportunity for Matt Ryan to show that he has improved from last season and is ready to take the Falcons to new heights in 2012.
Last year ended on a sour note for Ryan and company in the 24-2 defeat at the hands of the eventual Super Bowl Champion New York Giants.
Atlanta’s offense took much of the blame for the lopsided loss and when the finger is pointed at the offense, Ryan receives most of the heat.
With the loss to the Giants, Ryan is now 0-3 in postseason play and many are wondering if he is the right guy to lead the team to a Super Bowl title.
Photo Credit: Jimmy Cribb/AtlantaFalcons.com
There is no question Matty Ice has to improve in the playoffs. In the three postseason games Ryan has played in, he has thrown four picks to three touchdowns. And other than the Arizona game in 2008, the Falcons were not very competitive in any of the postseason games.
So asking if Ryan is the man to lead the team to the promised land is a fair question to ask. And the answer to that question is yes.
Why is he the man for the Falcons?
Because the same things they are saying about Matt Ryan are the same things they said about Peyton Manning. Like Ryan, Manning also started his career with an 0-3 postseason record. Moreover, Manning went to prove all the doubters wrong when he led the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl in 2006.
This is not to suggest that Matty Ice is in the same class as Peyton by any means. However, the 6-4, 217-pound quarterback, who is entering his fifth season, has all the tools to get the club over the hump.
With a new offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter, the Falcons are expected to have a more vertical passing game with Ryan throwing to Julio Jones and Roddy White on the outside.
Also, Matt Ryan, 27, has worked extra hard in the offseason putting on more muscle and working with his receivers to develop chemistry. This is something that had to be done because the Falcons are expected to use more of the no-huddle offense this season.
The no-huddle offense has been Ryan’s strength since he came into the league out of Boston College as the third overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft and fans wanted to see more of it last year.
Speaking of last year, Ryan is coming of his best season as a pro.
Ryan threw for 4,177 yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
His 4,177 yards is a franchise record and only five quarterbacks in the NFL threw for more touchdowns than Ryan in 2011. So with this being his fifth year, Ryan is poised to have a huge 2012 season.
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