A stat that reinforces how prolific Matt Bryant has been for the Falcons

Matt Bryant’s excellence is the sort of thing that defies easy explanation. Kickers simply haven’t gone over the age of 40 and kicked so well, and it’s rare that any player turns in the best stretch of his career after his 30s have already begun. But here we are with Bryant, nearly a decade into his stint with the Falcons, still kicking away with the same eerie calm and consistently great results.

I know we praise guys like Bryant, Matt Ryan, and Julio Jones a lot here, because so much of what they’re doing is historic, and I think we don’t often take enough time to appreciate that history. This tidbit in particular is pretty striking, as it illustrates that in four more games as a Falcon, Bryant has 223 more points to his name than the great Morten Andersen, who recently entered Canton.

Sure, it’s a different era. There are more scoring chances than when the Dane kicked his way through the NFL during his long and varied career, and particularly for these Falcons, who didn’t always boast the most impressive offense when Andersen was in town. But there’ll always be eras to adjust for, and the truly timeless players stand out in spite of that. Bryant is one such player.

We don’t know when his ride will end, but it’s always worth taking a moment to marvel at it. With any luck, 2018 will be yet another notch on Bryant’s belt, and yet another year making it clear that he’s the best to ever kick for Atlanta.