As special as 2016 was for Matt Ryan and the Falcons, it took time for them to become the electrifying powerhouse that consistently scored over 30 points per game. They had their moments scoring at will against Carolina and New Orleans in the early part of the season. Beating the reigning Super Bowl champion Broncos in Denver was another signature win. Despite their early success, they did lose two consecutive games in October.
Narrow defeats to the Seahawks and Chargers had them at 4-3 going into
a nationally televised showdown against the Packers. While they played well in both defeats, a team that set the bar so high starting the season 4-1 couldn’t afford to lose three straight games.
Ryan missed some opportunities in the previous game against the Chargers. A repeat couldn’t happen again with Aaron Rodgers on the other side, who previously had one of his greatest performances ever in the Georgia Dome.
The Falcons had plenty to prove as they continued their rise back to contender status. Ryan needed to keep playing at a high level following a disastrous 2015 season. It was clear that his rapport with Kyle Shanahan had significantly grown.
Who would have imagined the gradual progression would translate into a historic season? Performances like this one proved why Ryan became the 2016 NFL MVP and why Shanahan firmly established himself as one of the sport’s best offensive minds.
Overcoming injuries
Ryan threw for three or more touchdowns in seven games during the regular season. What made this one of the top three-touchdown performances was how he stayed composed with his premier weapon hobbled and losing his starting tight end on the first drive. Julio Jones was hampered by a hamstring injury, limiting him to three catches on five targets for 29 yards. Jacob Tamme suffered what proved to be a season-ending shoulder injury.
Jones and Tamme were the Falcons’ two leading pass catchers in 2015. Although the Falcons were thriving offensively, they didn’t exactly have consistent pass-catching weapons behind them.
Mohamed Sanu got off to an underwhelming start in his memorable time in Atlanta. Taylor Gabriel and Austin Hooper were finding their niches within the offense. Justin Hardy and Aldrick Robinson were viable role players, but not pass catchers who could be primary options.
The uncertainty didn’t faze Ryan. He responded on the second drive with an exceptional throw to Gabriel in between multiple defensive backs for a 47-yard touchdown. Ryan’s arm strength and deep ball accuracy had been heavily criticized in 2015. Those critiques were being silenced with precise bombs like that. That touchdown enhanced Gabriel’s role in the offense, who developed into a consistent dynamic difference maker.
Ryan did a masterful job of getting the ball out quickly and spreading the ball around. Sanu was at the center of the aerial attack by finding space across the middle of the field and exploiting the Packers’ sluggish defense. Hooper stepped up for Tamme to make a few key plays to keep drives going. No matter what coverage the Packers threw at Ryan, he responded with an accurate pass for solid yardage to sustain long drives.
That efficiency led to his second touchdown pass, hitting Devonta Freeman on a well-executed tunnel screen. Scoring 19 points with Jones severely limited and Tamme injured showed Ryan’s ability to acclimate in keeping the offense flowing. He would need to do more to outduel Rodgers, who was firing on all cylinders, torching a young defense that was a work in progress.
Smooth operator
Outside of the touchdown pass to Gabriel, Ryan didn’t complete a pass longer than 17 yards. Green Bay’s defensive coordinator Dom Capers tended to play two-high coverages to limit big-play opportunities. With Jones as a decoy, being overly aggressive downfield wasn’t a sensible way to move the ball. The drives had to be methodical to score touchdowns and keep Rodgers off the field as long as possible.
A 14-play, 80-yard drive would do the trick with Terron Ward emerging as the next unexpected difference maker. He capitalized on his opportunity with Tevin Coleman sidelined. Ryan’s belief in unheralded young players is one of his best traits as a leader. Regardless of the player’s background and capabilities, the four-time Pro Bowler will do everything he can to maximize their skill set.
The Packers eventually scored after two consecutive drives stalled to take a 32-26 lead with less than four minutes to go. It was another situation where the Falcons needed their leader to rise to the occasion to earn a massive win.
Ryan attacked the middle of the field, targeting Green Bay’s slow linebackers with completions to Sanu, Hardy, and Freeman. There was no hesitation in his processing, as Shanahan did his standard terrific job of targeting an opposing defense’s biggest weaknesses.
Even with Jones playing hurt, he still commanded attention to create space for his teammates to capitalize on. Sanu made the most of his opportunities, running behind Jones to break free for a 12-yard gain on 3rd and 2. The versatile wide receiver caught five passes for 50 yards on the final drive.
The growing connection between Ryan and Sanu was capped off with an 11-yard game-winning touchdown. By bending his route behind Jones, he glided past linebacker Jake Ryan to make an emphatic catch for the victory.
This was Ryan’s only fourth-quarter comeback of the season. That’s how dominant the Falcons became following this win. They won seven of their last nine games to finish 11-5. They scored 28 or more points in every matchup in November and December, except in a 24-15 loss to the Eagles.
Beating Green Bay was a turning point in an epic season. Ryan picked his spots and put on a tremendous performance, throwing for 288 yards and three touchdowns. Considering Jones had only 29 of those yards, it showed Ryan can adjust and elevate the players around him to beat one of the top teams in the NFC. This wasn’t the last time these teams squared off that season. It also wasn’t the last special performance Ryan had against the Packers.
The Matt Ryan Masterclass Series List
Rookie heroics against Chicago
Five touchdowns are not enough
