Matt Ryan had a day to forget when the Atlanta Falcons were beaten 30-17 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Except Ryan likely won’t forget Week 13’s game in a hurry. Not when he has so many bruises to remind him of the beating he took at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The veteran quarterback was feasted on by a swarming pass rush that collected five sacks and hit Ryan another 11 times, according to Tori McElhaney of the team’s official website.
If Ryan’s looking for sympathy, he should avoid NFL Twitter. Safe to say not many had much consolation to offer the 36-year-old, even if a few observers were willing to level some of the blame at a shaky offensive line.
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Ryan Knew What He Was in For
It wasn’t a stretch to imagine the Bucs having a field day against a statuesque quarterback playing behind weak protection. The Falcons have allowed 26 sacks this season, per stats from the league’s official site, with 21 of those being doled out before Sunday.
Those numbers indicated disaster against a Bucs’ defense that’s now posted 32 sacks. Pocket-collapsing defensive tackles Vita Vea and Ndamukong Suh, along with edge-rusher Shaquil Barrett, had Atlanta’s beleaguered quarterback firmly in their sights.
Not surprisingly, Ryan knew what was coming:
“We knew coming in that it could be tough sledding.” Matt Ryan said the Falcons were well aware of the fact that the Bucs defensive front could put the pressure on the protection. And, well, they did.
The punishment Ryan took came on the heels of being on the receiving end against the New England Patriots in Week 11. An opportunistic Pats defense bludgeoned Ryan with four sacks during a 25-0 rout.
Ryan’s scars are starting to mount, as Fox 5 Sports’ Miles Garrett was only too happy to point out:
Matt Ryan vs. the Patriots
Matt Ryan vs. the Bucs
That was as close to sympathy as Ryan would get, though, with others content to pile on. Among them, Sports Illustrated‘s Michael Fabiano bemoaned Ryan’s dire Fantasy Football output:
Matt Ryan had no TD passes and scored 12.1 fantasy points today. He is the QB11 on the week so far.
Meanwhile, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe took the quarterback to task for often surrendering precious real estate when he takes a sack:
Matt Ryan has to lead the league in “sacks that take you out of FG range”
Some also felt that, despite the pressure, Ryan missed too many throws he should make:
Picture on the right is where Matt ends his drop back, either get the ball to the running back or Patterson coming across. I’m one of the biggest Matt Ryan fans but there were options. Can’t be scared to go for it on 4th. #DirtyBirds
An inability to deal with pressure has created a vicious catch-22 for Ryan and the Falcons. Quicker decisions from the pocket would ease the burden on the struggling blockers in front of him, but Ryan barely has any time to wait for his receivers to get open.
Offensive Line Bears Brunt of the Blame
There are issues all along the Atlanta offensive line, but handling interior pass-rushers has been a season-long problem. It began with nose tackle Javon Hargrave logging two of the Philadelphia Eagles’ three sacks when the Falcons were beaten 32-6 in Week 1.
The same problem showed up against the Bucs, with the ESPN box score revealing Vea and Suh combined to notch four of Tampa Bay’s five sacks:
Vita Vea and his chipped tooth just ate Matt Ryan.
Once again, there was a decent split between people prepared to blame Ryan and those eager to pin breakdowns like this on the five guys in front of him.
SB Nation’s Falconholic Matt offered some not-too-helpful advice to Ryan:
Meanwhile, Atlanta Falcons UK thought the game was a good moment for some irony. Specifically, they reminded people just how bullish rookie Jalen Mayfield ahead of being selected by the Falcons in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft:
It’s safe to say Mayfield’s boast hasn’t aged well during a torrid debut season in the pros for the 21-year-old guard. When you talk big but don’t back it up, you leave yourself open to a lot of criticism:
Jalen Mayfield when Matt Ryan gets sacked:
How Ryan must wish he didn’t need to rely on a line underpinned by inexperienced players like Mayfield. He’d likely much rather throw his passes with the same protection afforded his opposite number on Sunday, Tom Brady.
Brady’s been a sacked a mere 14 times through 12 games. That’s one reason why he’s continued to dominate Ryan:
Most losses to Tom Brady since 2008
Ryan Fitzpatrick 9
Matt Ryan 8
5 players tied 6
*includes postseason
Fixing the issues in front of Ryan has to be the Falcons’ priority ahead of facing another NFC South foe, the Carolina Panthers, in Week 14. The Panthers have also recorded 32 sacks this season, including three when the two teams met in Week 8, a 19-13 road win for Carolina.
Ryan looks like he’s in for another rough Sunday.
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NFL Twitter Reacts to Matt Ryan Taking a Beating in Falcons vs. Buccaneers