Top 5 Atlanta Falcons 2017 Offensive Performances: No. 5

#5. Matt Ryan - 22/29, 215 yards, 2 TDs, INT 104.3 QB Rating (Week 10 vs. Dallas)

In a season where the quarterback play saw a drop-off from his outstanding 2016 MVP season, 10-year veteran Matt Ryan turned an important NFC showdown with playoff positioning on the line into one of his better weeks of the 2017 regular season. Coming into the contest, the Dallas Cowboys were without their star running back and their elite left tackle, which grabbed headlines early. Not to mention, a certain performance by a Falcons defender also garnered attention often throughout the contest.

Ryan tossed an interception on the Falcons initial drive of the game on his very first pass. With the way that the season played out at that point, many, including myself, felt that was an indicator to how the afternoon would eventually play out.

Ryan bounced back on the team’s very next drive to go 6-for-7 for 51 yards and led the team to their first score, which was a 50-yard field goal by the majestic Matt Bryant. During this contest, Ryan also reached an historic milestone by surpassing 40,000 passing yards in the fewest amount of games, which was 151.

Ryan’s beautiful touchdown pass to receiver Justin Hardy in the third quarter gave the Falcons a 17-7 lead and stretched a lead that seemed to be daunting for the shorthanded Cowboys. By the time Ryan connected with tight end Austin Hooper on a 1-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter, it was the capper for what was an overall dominant performance by the Atlanta Falcons. The season was not flooded with video game like outings from Ryan but his game against Dallas was easily one of his best performances of the 2017 regular season.