/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/50251645/usa-today-9410470.0.jpg)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan isn't a selfish football player. Notwithstanding his lackluster 2015, I can assure you Ryan is not primarily concerned with improving his own image. He's a team player, and nothing is more important than winning games.
Ryan is not a dumb guy. Fundamentally he knows the Falcons need to score points to win. In a league that tends to emphasize offense, you won't win much if you can't score. So when asked during his media time today whether he thinks the Falcons can score 30 points a game in 2016, Ryan didn't hesitate. (Credit to ESPN's Vaughn McClure for the quote.)
"Absolutely," Ryan said Friday. "There's no question. I feel like we have a really good receiving corps. We've got great running backs. We've got a really good offensive line; tight ends across the board. Of course we can. If you have the mindset that you can't, you have no chance. And I believe we've got the guys to do it. We've got the system to do it. Absolutely I think we can do it."
This is one of those soundbites we love to highlight. It's also a "yeah, what would you expect him to say?" situation. But don't be so quick to underestimate exactly what he's saying here. If you read McClure's entire article, it's clear that Ryan isn't boasting. He's talking about holding himself accountable and he's talking about others holding themselves accountable. To me that's more important than anything.
Your thoughts?