Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matthew Thomas Ryan has had quite the year. He was named MVP right before the Super Bowl and now, ten months later, he’s back to being a Pro Bowl alternate. Elite but not the best in the league.
Ryan probably doesn’t miss all the attention from the media. He probably doesn’t miss all the chatter comparing him and Tom Brady. He probably doesn’t miss the extra pressure that almost always accompanies MVP candidacy. To be frank, 2017 is business as usual for Ryan. He just wants to quarterback his football team and win.
To be sure, winning was something the Falcons did before they drafted Ryan in 2008. They’d been to a Super Bowl with Chris Chandler under center. They’d been to an NFC Championship Game with Mike Vick under center. But sustained success had always eluded them. Looking at Ryan’s body of work, he brought that to Atlanta. He taught Falcons fans what it’s like to win and keep winning.
Falcons have clinched back-to-back winning seasons for the fifth time in franchise history (first since 2012).
— Mike Conti (@MikeConti929) December 19, 2017
All five back-to-back winning seasons have been in the Matt Ryan era.
This is impressive, even if he hasn’t won a Super Bowl. It’s impressive if he never wins a Super Bowl, though I wouldn’t bet against him, if I were you. It’s probably not good enough for a lot of Falcons fans, but that’s their prerogative. It’s certainly good enough for me.
Discuss!