There’s a new offensive coordinator in Atlanta this season and that means quarterback Matt Ryan is going to have to incorporate some different things into his game.
High on that list is the rise in the number of plays that call on Ryan to make throws while on the move out of the pocket. Ryan has attempted just over 93 percent of his passes from the pocket over the last three seasons, but Kyle Shanahan’s scheme has called for quarterbacks to show more mobility. Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports that such plays show up three times as often in this year’s playbook, but the quarterback isn’t concerned about making the adjustment.
“I think it’s a good fit,” Ryan said. “Obviously, I’ve been able to move around at different times in my career. It wasn’t a featured part of what we were doing with Dirk [Koetter] here. If you look early in my career with Mike Mularkey, we did a lot of outside-the-pocket movement and a lot of throwing on the run. When we had that running and rolling with [running back] Mike Turner, it was more effective. I feel like I’m capable of doing it. I’ve got no issues with that. Like I said, I think it will be a good fit.”
Putting Ryan on the move could put him at risk of taking some big hits, but the poor play of the offensive line the last two years hasn’t made the pocket a particularly safe place in Atlanta the last couple of years. If the Falcons can solve that issue, things should be better on offense in Atlanta wherever Ryan is delivering his passes.