Getty Quarterback Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons and quarterback Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens.
Atlanta Falcons’ longtime starting quarterback, Matt Ryan doesn’t get to respect he deserves, he doesn’t even get it from his own fans. But he did get it from a Ravens best writer and fan. Well, if you call this a compliment.
Russel St. Report and CBS Sports writer, Michael Telford published a tweet last week comparing Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco.
“I don’t know what #Falcons fan needs to hear this, but Matt Ryan is just a ringless Joe Flacco,” Telford tweeted out to his followers and credited his buddy Damien Guillon for the thought.
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A Look at Flacco’s & Ryan’s Stats Over the Years
The Atlanta Falcons drafted Matt Ryan in 2008 but many expected it to be Joe Flacco. Ryan ended up going third overall and Flacco went at No. 18 to the Baltimore Ravens.
While the two were nearly identical in college, it seems to be that one has outshined the other in the NFL. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get enough credit for it simply because he doesn’t have a ring to show off.
Matt Ryan
189 games, 109-80 record, 4460/6817, 65.4% completion, 321 touchdown passes, 147 interceptions, 7.5 yards per attempt, 94.7 quarterback rating, 369 sacks, 418 carries, 1,295 rushing yards, 9 touchdowns, 72 fumbles
Joe Flacco
171 games, 98-71 record, 3670/5932, 61.9% completion, 218 touchdown passes, 141 interceptions, 6.8 yards per attempt, 85.1 quarterback rating, 359 sacks, 367 carries, 831 yards, 16 touchdowns, 88 fumbles
It also should be noted that last season Flacco was placed on the injured reserve list so he wasn’t able to finish out the season. Matty Ice has been fortunate when it comes to injuries.
No Ring No Respect?
In 2012, Joe Flacco led the Baltimore Ravens to the Super Bowl where they barely defeated the San Francisco 49er’s 34-31.
Matt Ryan couldn’t do the same in 2016 when they blew a 28-3 lead against the New England Patriots. And that’s where he gets all his backlash from. If they would have won that game, Matt Ryan would more than likely be rated a top 3 QB right now.
While Ryan doesn’t own a ring, he still has MVP, First-Team All-Pro, and four Pro Bowl invites to his name. Just a few things Flacco can’t relate to aside from his Super Bowl MVP.
At Least Madden Thinks Ryan is Top 10
Falcons QB Matt Ryan stands at No. 7 in the Madden 2021 QB ratings. At least he finally received the credit he deserved from a video game as a top 10 QB and didn’t get booted off of the list as he is on google search.
Joe Flacco didn’t make the top 10 list, probably due to his injury last season. Flacco received a rating of 69 and I couldn’t even tell you his rank because it’s that far back.
If all goes as planned on paper, Matt Ryan and the Falcons 2020 season will blow these Madden ratings out of the water.
What If Atlanta Wound Up With Flacco?
Well, then Flacco would be Matt Ryan without a ring. Just kidding, but seriously Flacco could not have stepped up like Matt Ryan did when he first got to Atlanta.
Don’t get me wrong, they would still have been successful considering he’s still a quality and first-round quarterback and fairly durable. However, Flacco wouldn’t have been able to come out with the same season records as Ryan did regardless of a terrible offensive line and poor defense.
The Falcons are lucky to have Matt Ryan and his name deserves nothing, but respect.
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