Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan Clarifies Comments on Play-calling

Atlanta Falcon’s training camp is still in the early stages and with news understandably slow in the NFL many pundits are questioning if Matt Ryan took a shot at his former offensive coordinator.

Early in Atlanta Falcon’s camp news is slow and Matt Ryan is the latest causality to have an interview picked apart. After being interviewed earlier in the month and dealing yet again with being questioned about the Super Bowl collapse Ryan had this to say:

“Kyle’s play calls — he would take time to get stuff in.  As I was getting it, you’re looking at the clock and you’re talking 16 seconds before it cuts out.

You don’t have a lot of time to say, ‘There’s 16 seconds, no, no, no, we’re not going to do that. Hey, guys, we’re going to line up and run this.’ You’re talking about breaking the huddle at seven seconds if you do something along the lines.”

Many articles were published questioning whether or not Ryan was taking a veiled shot at their former offensive coordinator. Kyle Shanahan was the best offensive coordinator in football leading him to get another job as a head-coach. Ryan is well aware of that and has continued to clarify his comments letting fans and the media know that there was no intention in the comments of insulting Kyle and has been defensive of his former coach.

Reading in-between the lines of Ryan’s statement you take away that the Falcons will get plays called in faster this season. That is the only take-away that should be talked about his statement. The over analyzed spin that the media took from Ryan’s comments are far from factual and continue to point out the focus  on the Super Bowl collapse.

Next: Braves Off-season Targets

While it may be hard to put in the rear-view it is important to remember that the Falcons were barely expected to be a playoff team last season and ended up giving the dynasty that is the New England Patriots all they could handle for three quarters. Super Bowl losses will follow any team but the narrative of Ryan insulting Shanahan lacks the thing most important for any good news story and that is facts.