Getty Quarterback Matt Ryan will make his official debut with the Indianapolis Colts on September 11.
In the first regular season NFL quarterback power rankings from NFL.com, Indianapolis Colts signal caller Matt Ryan is ranked right where he’s been on most quarterback lists of the offseason — in the middle of the pack but ahead of former Colts signal caller Carson Wentz.
NFL.com’s Marc Sessler ranked Ryan at No. 16 on his NFL QB Index. That means Sessler considers Ryan just barely a member of the top half of the quarterback starters entering the 2022 season.
Still, he’s an upgrade over Wentz, who Sessler ranked at No. 20.
“Ryan’s MVP season with the Falcons was more than half a decade ago. He’ll never sniff those heights again, but he’s exactly what the doctor ordered in Indy,” wrote Sessler.
“He can still play, especially in an offense that sits as a far better fit than last year’s mess in Atlanta. In an ideal world, Matty Ice oversees a run-rabid attack centered around Jonathan Taylor with just enough through the air.”
Ryan to be an Average Quarterback in 2022?
It’s somewhat hard to believe a quarterback who’s thrown for at least 3,900 yards in 11 straight seasons can be considered only “average” as Sessler’s No. 16 ranking for Ryan suggests.
But the league is filled with exciting young quarterbacks, and veteran signal callers are playing longer than ever previously. On Sessler’s list, former Super Bowl winning quarterback Russell Wilson didn’t make the Top 10. Ryan also turned 37 in May and, at least currently, doesn’t appear to still be an MVP candidate like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.
Ryan experienced a down season last year, throwing for 3,968 passing yards and 20 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. It was the first time since 2010 that Ryan failed to throw for more than 4,000 yards.
But as Sessler noted, the Atlanta Falcons offense was a work in progress last year. Not only was Ryan in Arthur Smith’s system for the first time, the Falcons were without top receiver Calvin Ridley for much of the year.
Two of Atlanta’s top three pass catchers last year were tight end Kyle Pitts and running back Cordarrelle Patterson. Atlanta also struggled to run the ball, finishing third-to-last in yards per carry and second-to-last in rushing yards per game.
Wentz Ranked as QB No. 20
Like Ryan, Wentz went through a change before last year, moving from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Colts in a trade. But Wentz was returning to Frank Reich’s offensive system, which was supposed to allow the quarterback to hit the ground running.
That didn’t happen, as Indianapolis began 0-3 last year. Wentz played better in the middle of the season and finished with decent stats — 3,563 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and 7 interceptions — but he was inconsistent.
“It feels excessive to pile on what’s become such an easy target, but Wentz created many of his own on-field issues with the Eagles and Colts,” Sessler wrote. “That Washington sought him so desperately this past March is one of the NFL’s more puzzling offseason chapters.
In six NFL seasons, Wentz has won at least 10 games only once. He is 44-40-1 in his NFL career as a starter.
Outside of the 2017 season, Wentz owns a 33-38-1 record.
Colts Brass Praising Ryan, Taking Subtle Digs at Wentz
The Colts organization has had nothing but high praise for Ryan this offseason. Owner Jim Irsay compared Ryan’s leadership to a Navy SEAL while Reich said Ryan has “raised the bar” across the offense.
While those are complimentary words for Ryan, one can hardly ignore that they are also subtle jabs at Wentz.
One could read a comment from wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. the same way.
“Last year, we were out there, running the plays, but we were basically just playing football,” Pittman said to Zak Keefer of The Athletic . “I mean, we would just run around and make plays … this year, we’re trying to be organized, be at our spots and at our depths, because that’s how Matt likes it and how he commands it and that’s what he expects. So you better be there.”
Ryan and Wentz will square off against each other in Week 8 on October 30. That matchup could go a long way towards deciding who ends this season higher in the NFL.com QB Index.