Is Matt Ryan overrated in 2022
By: Jake Rajala
Matt Ryan has been a steady sharpshooter at the quarterback position since he was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons third overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. Matty Ice threw 4,000+ passing yards for 10 straight seasons (from the 2011 season through the 2020 campaign). The clean-cut QB has also thrown six seasons of 28+ passing touchdowns. In 2016, he even won the holiest award (MVP) by throwing 4,944 passing yards, 38 passing touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and having a 69.9 completion percentage. Furthermore, he led his team to the big dance in the 2016-2017 season (despite it not ending well). It should also be noted that Drew Brees, Troy Aikman, and Russell Wilson don’t even possess an MVP ring.
However.
Ryan’s baggage tells a different tale.
The god in the 2-minute drill didn’t oust a winning season in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. He also hasn’t thrown 30+ passing TDs since the 2018 season. Without Julio Jones, the former Falcons QB registered 3,968 passing yds (fourth-lowest in career), 20 passing TDs (second-fewest in career), and 12 ints in 2021.
I anticipated Ryan to excel in a Colts uniform, but it was clear that he couldn’t uplift his young wideouts & new offense in Week 1. The rook Alec Pierce dropped a pass in the end-zone for an easy touchdown. In a less appetizing fashion, Ryan unleashed an interception to DE Jerry Hughes in Week 1, as well.
At this point, I do feel Ryan is a tad overrated. I don’t love that he failed to put down the Houston Texans — even with a productive Jonathan Taylor. It’s worrisome that he doesn’t have Alec Pierce next week & that his WR group with or without Pierce isn’t sexy. I would be ecstatic if the Colts signed OBJ – which would bring a lot of optimism to the Colts fan base.
I’m not also a big fan of how the Colts QB compares to other AFC field generals. I wouldn’t be blind-sided if Tua Tagovailoa and Carson Wentz (which is a bit ironic) have a more robust 2022 campaign with their new weaponry. Ryan may very well be a future Hall of Famer & he could find a groove with the Colts at some point, but it doesn’t look like he will mow down opposing defenses and be a Top-10 QB in the near future.
