Until now, it’s been almost too easy for Matt Ryan. He was an MVP candidate as a rookie, leading the Falcons to a surprising playoff berth.
He started off his second year playing even better as the Falcons let him throw more. He’s finally hit an inevitable bump in the road the last two weeks.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution points out that Ryan has thrown multiple interceptions and recorded a quarterback rating below 70 in back-to-back games, both firsts for his career. The Falcons were lucky to get a win against Chicago at home two weeks ago, but they will have to play much sharper for a chance to beat the Saints this week.
Atlanta’s issues certainly don’t start with Ryan. The team’s secondary is thin after losing Brian Williams. The offensive line is struggling to protect Ryan, and Michael Turner looks like just another guy carrying the football.
Ryan had two monster games against the Saints last year, but that was before Gregg Williams re-made the defense into an attacking unit. With little margin for error, Ryan will have to get back to an MVP-caliber level of performance Monday night to keep the Falcons alive in the NFC South race.