Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has played six games in his career against teams quarterbacked by Tom Brady. And Ryan’s Falcons are 0-6 in those games.
The losses include the Falcons getting swept by the Buccaneers last year, and four Falcons losses to the Patriots. Most famously, Ryan’s Falcons blew a 28-3 lead and ended up losing 34-28 in Super Bowl LI.
But as Ryan prepares to face Brady’s Buccaneers on Sunday, he says it’s not about him and Brady and that the past remains in the past.
“Of course we want to win. It’s not going to make up for that,” Ryan said, via ESPN. “You know, it’s one of those things. It’s part of your past, it’s part of what happened. But it’s got no bearing on this week.”
Ryan said he knows a team with Tom Brady will always be a formidable opponent, but his focus is on the Buccaneers’ defense.
“Regardless of how games shake out, he’s mentally tough and does a great job of staying in the present and operating at a high level,” Ryan said. “So you know you have to be at the same level on your side. But it’s about their defense. The defense they are playing with creates a lot of issues for us and we’ve got to find ways to attack it.”
The Buccaneers are 12.5-point favorites on Sunday, meaning the Falcons are highly likely to drop to 0-7 in Ryan’s starts against Brady’s teams.