A certain Falcons quarterback ranks 6th in Total QBR since 2008

You may not believe it these days, but it isn’t all bad for the Falcons’ starting quarterback.

Matt Ryan apparently ranks 6th in Total QBR since he came into the league.

Here’s what Mark Sando’s ESPN Insider article noted:

Ryan ranks sixth in Total QBR behind Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Tom Brady since he entered the NFL in 2008.

That’s pretty good company. It also means the ninth-year veteran has the highest QBR of quarterbacks without rings.

Ryan’s ranking is pretty impressive, particularly when you consider last season’s fairly tumultuous outing.

With all of that said, I’d be remiss if I didn’t include the not-so-great part of the article:

Ryan finished last season with one TD pass and 10 INTs on passes thrown between the hash marks. He had 13 TDs with two INTs on those throws when targeting Tony Gonzalez from 2009 to '13. Firming up the middle of the field with center Alex Mack could be a start, but it's unclear what Atlanta will get from rookie tight end Austin Hooper.

There’s certainly room for improvement in that area, to say the absolute least.

If Ryan is able to surpass last year’s numbers and toss more than 21 touchdowns (his lowest mark since his rookie year) and fewer than 16 interceptions (the second highest of his career), then the Falcons have a shot at returning to the postseason.

We’ll see what happens.