Getty Former Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan could be on tap for an MVP season in 2022.
Matt Ryan is finally getting the positive media attention he deserves––post-Super Bowl LI, that is.
So much so, that ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes another MVP season is on the horizon for the 37-year-old QB.
Barnwell sees a potential bounce-back season with his new team: the Indianapolis Colts.
Fresh and Frosty. 🥶
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Ryan Has The O-Line Protection He Needs to Succeed
Ryan is bound to be in better hands in Indianapolis than he would have if he stayed another season with the Atlanta Falcons, who are still in the midst of rebuilding.
Not to mention that following his infamous 2016 season, which included a Super Bowl run, things began to spiral for the former MVP quarterback.
“Since winning MVP during the 2016 season, Ryan’s Total QBR has either declined or stayed stagnant in each of the subsequent five seasons,” Barnwell wrote. “The “stagnant” season saw him improve narrowly from 59.6 to 59.8 between 2019 and 2020. Ryan was all the way down at 46.1 a year ago, good enough for 21st in the league. He ranked 21st in DVOA and 18th in yards per attempt, passer rating, net yards per attempt and adjusted net yards per attempt. He wasn’t the problem with the Falcons, but Ryan wasn’t able to keep them afloat, either.”
Barnwell emphasizes that Ryan now has the protection and help he needs, to potentially get him back to his old self after he was sacked 40 times last season.
“Now, of course, things are different. Ryan was traded to Indianapolis, where the Colts can protect him on the interior and rely on heavy doses of running back Jonathan Taylor. Ryan moves from what had been one of the toughest divisions (NFC South) to arguably its weakest (AFC South), and he still gets the benefit of playing in a dome.”
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Colts Get An Odds Boost With Ryan Front & Center
It’s no secret that Indianapolis has been on the search for a quality starting QB ever since Andrew Luck retired in 2019. They almost had a chance with Philip Rivers, but that didn’t last long as he retired in 2020.
After that, Indy traded the Philadelphia Eagles for Carson Wentz.
Wentz, who spent just one season with the Colts, connected on 322 of 516 attempts (62.4%) for 3,563 yards last fall. He threw for 27 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. With Wentz at the helm, the Colts finished short of a playoff run with a 9-8 regular-season record, putting them second overall in the AFC South.
In comparison to Wentz, Ryan completed 375 of 560 attempts (67%) for 3,968 yards, while tossing 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The Falcons went 7-10 and finished third in the NFC South. However, keep in mind that these numbers came from a Falcons team with a weak offensive line and limited options to throw to since Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley were not in the lineup.
Ryan, who enters his 15th NFL career season, adds a lot more experience, stability and juice to the Colts’ offense.
Since his first start in 2008 as the Falcons’ No. 3 overall pick out of Boston College, no other QB in the league has played in more games than him (222). He remains the franchise all-time leader in wins (120), passing yards (59,735), passing touchdowns (367), interceptions (170), completions (5,242), and attempts (8,003). Plus, his 42-game winning drives in the 4th quarter are tied for the most in the NFL with L.A. Rams’ Matthew Stafford.
With all that said and with Wentz out the door and Ryan now front and center, the Colts’ Super Bowl odds get boosted from +3500 to +2500, per Bovada.
Now that doesn’t mean it’ll be a Super Bowl year for Indy, but you can certainly expect big things from Ryan’s fresh start in 2022.
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