Matt Ryan: What is Wrong with the Franchise QB?

The Atlanta Falcons defeated the Tennessee Titans on Sunday to move to 6-1; however, in recent weeks, Matt Ryan‘s production took a hit.

The Atlanta Falcons overhauled their coaching in the 2015 offseason, bringing in new head coach Dan Quinn and new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. Dan Quinn brings a defensive-first mind to Atlanta after being the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks last season. Also, Kyle Shanahan spent time with the Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins over the past few seasons, and he likes to implement a run-first approach to open up the passing game. However, that approach seems to be negatively affecting Matt Ryan.

With Kyle Shanahan’s offensive scheme brought to Atlanta, Devonta Freeman emerged as one of the league’s-best running backs. Shanahan likes to control the clock, as the Atlanta Falcons have the highest time of possession out of any team in the NFL. Thus, the team relies heavily on the run game to open up the passing game. Although the Falcons are winning games, Matt Ryan and Roddy White are suffering through one of the worst seasons of their career. Through seven games this season, Matt Ryan threw for only nine touchdowns against six interceptions.

Outside of strong performances through the first four weeks, Matt Ryan’s production diminished significantly over the last three. In the first four weeks of 2015, Ryan averaged 301 passing yards per contest; however, over the past three, he threw for 267 yards. Also, in his last three games, Ryan recorded multi-interception games on two occasions. He put out a strong performance in week-six at New Orleans, but despite his performance, the Falcons lost the game.

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In the week prior to the loss at New Orleans, Matt Ryan suffered his worst week of the 2015 season, throwing for 254 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions. To rub salt in the wound, Pro Football Focus rated Matt Ryan as the worst offensive player in the NFL for week-five. The Falcons managed to win in overtime despite the weak performances on the offensive side of the football. Matt Ryan needs to turn his performances around from here-on-out.

The Atlanta Falcons are 6-1; however, they continue to win games late. Thus, that is a recipe for disaster. Roddy White expressed his displeasure with the amount of targets he is receiving through the first few weeks of the season, and many people thought that was on Ryan’s shoulders. However, Kyle Shanahan seems to provide some shaky play-calling for the team, and the problem may lie on Shanahan’s scheme more than Matt Ryan’s desire to look at Jones and Hankerson.

Despite Matt Ryan’s recent struggles, ESPN still ranks him as the seventh-best quarterback in terms of QBR on the season. We all know that ESPN’s QBR has glaring problems, but it is still a semi-accurate way to measure a quarterback’s performance and influence on a game. However, notably, Brian Hoyer ranks ahead of Matt Ryan, even though the Houston Texans are horrendous this season. Perhaps going forward, Kyle Shanahan will lean on Ryan to make plays to open up the running game, instead of the reverse scheme.

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Matt Ryan is the Atlanta Falcons’ franchise quarterback and deserves to be the player that keeps the offense ticking. If a team shuts down the Falcons’ run-game, that leaves the team one-dimensional, and Ryan is in a position to fail. Next week, the Falcons host Tampa Bay, and this game poses and opportunity for Matty Ice to regain traction. However, the Buccaneers rank in the top-five for both yards allowed per game and passing yards allowed per game, but the Bucs allow almost 30 points per game.

If the Atlanta Falcons want to make a strong playoff push, they need the offense clicking on all cylinders. Matt Ryan needs to regain his form and be a steady contributor for the Falcons if they intend of competing for a Super Bowl. There is no question the Falcons know how to run the ball and possess the clock, but a one-dimensional team is bound to run into bumps in the road over the duration of the NFL season. Look for Matt Ryan to get back on track in the upcoming weeks.

Next: Atlanta Falcons: Is This Team Good or Lucky?

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