The Falcoholic midseason awards: Offensive MVP

We are officially midway through the 2021 regular season, as the Atlanta Falcons are at .500 with a 4-4 record. This week at The Falcoholic we will be reviewing the halfway point, looking at the contributions of certain players and some predictions for the remainder of the season.

First up is the prestigious “The Falcoholic Offensive MVP award” which is given to the player who has been the most valuable to the offensive side of the ball. This one came down to two of the most consistent contributors to the team’s success on offense so far in 2021, with all-world weapon Cordarrelle Patterson and quarterback Matt Ryan topping our lists.

Who would you vote for? Read on and then give us your choice.

Cordarrelle Patterson

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This one was a tough call for me. Matt Ryan is playing brilliant football right now, having shaken off a slow start to the year to pilot this team to wins and plenty of big moments despite an inconsistent supporting cast. He deserves his roses for that, and if he keeps playing like this the Falcons are going to be at minimum a very frustrating opponent.

That said, how can you deny Patterson? All he’s done is come in with what we all thought would be a smallish role on offense and blow everyone away as a receiver and runner, scoring eight touchdowns and putting up over 700 combined yards in the first eight games of the season. In a year where almost every top weapon in the offense has either missed time or struggled, Patterson delivers something special on a weekly basis, proving to be too big, too fast and too clever for any team to contain. He fits Arthur Smith’s offense like a glove, and I don’t think it’s any exaggeration to say his unique and well-rounded skill set has helped make this offense as good as it is. My vote for offensive MVP, as close as it is, definitely goes to Cordarrelle Patterson. — Dave Choate

There’s a few candidates for this year’s prestigious Mid-season Offensive MVP award here at The Falcoholic. As deserving as they all are, I’m not sure how Cordarrelle Patterson doesn’t take home the honors. Halfway through the season, Patterson leads the Falcons in rushing yards (546) and is 2nd in receiving yards (459), only behind Kyle Pitts. In 2021, the offense is essentially flowing through Patterson and regardless of the matchup, Patterson seems to always have a solid day. As the season progresses, it’s possible Kyle Pitts takes over or Matt Ryan, who is having a great season, finishes strong. But for the first half of the season, Patterson has stood out as a true offensive weapon. — Evan Birchfield

It’s hard to go against Patterson here. Ryan has had some brilliant games but he’s also mixed in some bad ones. Jake Matthews and Chris Lindstrom deserve recognition for the strong seasons they’re having, but no one has been as consistent (and surprising) as Patterson. He’s easily one of the best free agent signings of the past several years for the Falcons and without him, this team wouldn’t be at .500 right now. The only question is what the team does about keeping him here for the long-term. - David Walker

If you would have told me when the Falcons signed Cordarrelle Patterson that a few months later I’d be seriously mulling buying a Patterson Falcons jersey, I would have thought you were full of it. But here we are. Patterson has been the Falcons’ most consistent and well rounded offensive weapon so far. Arthur Smith has unlocked the best ways to feature Patterson’s deadly combination of size and speed in both the run game and the passing game, and Patterson has made watching the Falcons this season a lot more fun. - Jeanna Kelley

Matt Ryan

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I have absolutely no problem arguing the Matt Ryan side of this equation. He’s been far better than many expected him to be in 2021, and he’s been perhaps a tick or two above what we usually get in an average Ryan year. His completion percentage this year of 69.4 percent is tied for fourth-best among qualified NFL passers, and he’s still making plays downfield despite missing his top two receivers from the last few years.

Ryan currently has the seventh-best PFF grade among quarterbacks, and he’s really demonstrated leadership for an offense that has mounted several comebacks this year. Ryan has thrown for at least 300 yards and two touchdowns in half of Atlanta’s games this year, which is remarkable considering the instability of the weapons around him. Cordarrelle Patterson has been a God-send for Ryan, no doubt. But No. 2 is really running this ship, and he’s done so impressively thus far. - Will McFadden

This is a tough battle between Ryan and Patterson. Both have exceeded expectations and are invaluable to the team’s success this season. I really love seeing Patterson having his career year despite being an under-the-radar signing. However, no one has done more with less than Ryan. The franchise quarterback has had some disastrous offensive line play and his wide receiver group started problematic and got significantly worse. Throw in some ill-timed Feleipe Franks “gadget” plays and a defense that can’t stop a nosebleed, and you have a single player carrying the team to their .500 record. - Matt Chambers