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After the Atlanta Falcons defeated the Miami Dolphins 30-28 in Week 7, head coach Arthur Smith said that veteran quarterback Matt Ryan was underrated — actually much worse than underrated.
“He’s a special player,” Smith said in the post-game press conference on October 24. “I personally think he’s criminally underrated if you look at his career here in the National Football League.”
Flash forward to Week 9 and the Falcons defeated the New Orleans Saints 27-25 at Caesar’s Superdome. Ryan completed 23 of 30 passes for 343 yards and two touchdowns, which marked his 73rd career game with 300 or more passing yards. He’s now tied with Phillip Rivers (73 games) for the fourth-most in NFL history behind only Drew Brees (123), Tom Brady (103) and Peyton Manning (93).
His season-best performance so far, plus a win over Atlanta’s biggest rival, may or may not have finally earned him the respect he deserves — for at least this season.
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NFL Twitter Reacts to Ryan’s Outstanding Performance
When ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes notices you, you’re doing something right. “Matt Ryan is balling yet again,” she wrote on Twitter.
And the guys from the UK are extremely satisfied:
If only fans could consistently be Matt Ryan fans:
Yes, he’s still got it, with at least one fan blaming the coaches for any lapses in performance. “Today is a prime example of him balling out and his coaching letting him down,” one fan tweeted.
That is our mobile QB for you — “absurd”:
So you’re saying it was never Ryan’s fault:
Say it louder for the people in the back:
Fans were impressed that he had zero interceptions:
Ryan deserves a dozen roses and more:
Sometimes simplicity is all you need for a compliment:
Times 1,000:
Ryan Credits Teammates for Comeback Win
When the Falcons win, they never make it easy — especially this time.
Atlanta was ahead by 18 before allowing the Saints to score three back-to-back touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
But thanks to some important stops by the Falcons’ defense and Younghoe Koo‘s 29-yard field goal as time expired, the Falcons pulled it off.
“We just like to give our fans a heart attack. … Gotta keep them on their toes. Make sure they’re paying attention,” Falcons running back/wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson joked after the game, according to Falcons insider Tori McElhaney. He also noted that the Falcons had to “stop” doing that.
This nail-biting victory marked Ryan’s 41st fourth-quarter comeback win, and he credited his teammates for pushing through to the final whistle.
“I’ve been lucky to play with great players. That part has really helped,” Ryan said after the game.
He added, “I was excited. We needed to make a play. We needed to win that game. I’m proud of the guys for getting the job done.”
The win put the Falcons at 4-4 on the season and was a very important victory for a young team with a new head coach and no Calvin Ridley.
Next up for the Atlanta in Week 10 is another road game, this time against the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas’ Week 9 story didn’t end happily ever after like the Falcons’, as they were blown out by the Denver Broncos, 30-16.
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