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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has been forced to endure some unfair criticism this year. Three and a half weeks ago, the Falcons were 4-4, and pundits couldn’t stop talking about how much the offense had regressed in Kyle Shanahan’s absence. The word “disorganized” was bandied about. Nearly one month later, the offense is humming, and Ryan has the believers believing again.
Since an early week five bye week, the Falcons are 4-3, which isn’t all that impressive on its face. It’s more about momentum, specifically regained momentum, for this team right now. But I stumbled across an interesting tidbit today. Ryan himself has been red hot ever since the Falcons bye. An eye test will confirm that suspicion. Dig a little deeper, and you’ll like what you find. According to Pro Football Focus, he’s the league’s highest rated quarterback since week six began. Ryan is literally dominating the competition, notwithstanding the transition to a new offensive coordinator.
Impressed? You should be.