Four days after outdueling Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan produced another memorable performance in the national spotlight. It was another big divisional game against a team that had previously beaten the Falcons earlier in the season. After squaring off against one of his main quarterback foes in Rodgers, he would be taking on two of his former biggest allies.
It was the second time Ryan was facing Mike Smith and Dirk Koetter. While there was nothing but respect between the two sides, many wondered how
their familiarity would factor into the matchup. It was only less than two years ago that Smith was the head coach and Koetter was the offensive coordinator in Atlanta.
In the first matchup on opening day, Ryan played a solid game but was outplayed by Jameis Winston, who had a history of playing like a five-time All-Pro when facing the Falcons. Ryan had to step up to help compensate for a struggling defense trying to find its identity under Dan Quinn. The future 2016 NFL MVP did exactly that to add to his resume in an extraordinary season.
Building up
Despite scoring ten or more points in every quarter, the Falcons’ offense endured some setbacks in the first half. They failed to score in the red zone after De’Vondre Campbell forced a fumble on former fan favorite Antone Smith, which was recovered by Brian Poole, to put them within striking distance of scoring.
Ryan failed to protect the ball after being sacked by a swarming Gerald McCoy, resulting in a disappointing turnover. William Gholston sacked him on third down at the end of the half to prevent them from adding a field goal. For all those unfortunate moments and miscues, they still scored 20 points and effectively moved the ball.
The game started with a bang, as Ryan maneuvered around a muddled pocket to find Levine Toilolo downfield for a 32-yard touchdown. His ability to use his feet to make more out-of-structure plays substantially improved in 2016. Both Toilolo and Austin Hooper would have expanded roles, as it was the first game without starting tight end Jacob Tamme, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against Green Bay. They both delivered with touchdowns and explosive plays downfield.
Eventually, Ryan started connecting with Julio Jones across the middle of the field. The superstar wide receiver has a long history of dominant performances against Tampa Bay. It was another one of those standard games in the office for him, producing 111 receiving yards on eight catches. Continuously finding him on in-breaking routes, Ryan was targeting the middle of the field, dissecting Smith’s heavy zone coverage.
He did have his shining moments throwing outside the numbers. An outstanding 26-yard completion to Taylor Gabriel showcased his arm strength, as the dynamic wide receiver beat former fan favorite Brent Grimes on a deep out. After connecting with Hooper to convert on third down, a well-timed jet sweep to Gabriel went for a nine-yard touchdown. It ended up being one of the play calls that Steve Sarkisian tried to replicate in 2017, only for the Patriots to completely squash it on a fourth down at the goal line in the Super Bowl rematch.
Although there were some mistakes, Ryan was in total command against his former head coach. He was making all the right reads in picking apart Tampa Bay’s defense. With better pass and ball protection, the second half had all the makings of an offensive takeover.
Cooking a 40 burger
A six-point game at halftime quickly became lopsided in classic 2016 Falcons’ fashion. They scored three consecutive touchdowns on drives of nine plays or more in the second half. It started with Ryan completing four straight passes to Jones of 11 yards or more.
Jones had four receptions for 59 yards on a drive where Tampa Bay had no answers, whether they tried to have a safety shadow him or reverted to playing Cover 3. Ryan connected with the stellar Patrick DiMarco on a play-action fake near the end zone to find him open for the easy score.
The Falcons’ offense started taking over with 20+ yard pass plays across the field. Mohamed Sanu got in on the action with a 20-yard reception off a nifty choice route, where Ryan threaded the needle to hit him in stride to convert on 3rd & 6. Ryan threw a terrific ball down the seam to Hooper for a 28-yard completion.
The drive ended with a goal-line fade to Jones, which was perfectly placed and caught to make what is considered a low-percentage play look effortless for a touchdown. Kyle Shanahan deserves enormous praise for what he did in Atlanta. Finding ways to get the ball to Jones in the red zone to score touchdowns must be appreciated, especially considering the frustrations Jones had scoring in his final four seasons as a Falcon.
After Keanu Neal unleashed a ferocious hit on Mike Evans that will forever be remembered, Ryan got back to business with another 20+ yard pass. He found Sanu open downfield off two play fakes to get Tampa Bay’s defense discombobulated.
Ending the night in style was bound to happen, as Shanahan dialed up a sharp rub route concept using Sanu’s frame and savviness to create space for Hooper as the primary target on Ryan’s fourth passing touchdown. Another pinpoint throw led the rookie tight end into the end zone for the finishing touches on the victory.
In what ended as a 43-28 win, six pass catchers had receptions of 21 yards or more. Ryan was getting everyone involved within the offense in a definitive divisional victory. How he consistently placed the ball where the defender couldn’t make a play on it was hugely impressive. The touch he put on certain throws left defensive backs and linebackers no chance in stopping the Falcons from imposing their will.
It was a near-flawless performance on a short week. That’s how high of a level Ryan was operating at in 2016. He would go on a dominant run in the final two months of the regular season to become the 2016 NFL MVP. The phenomenal performance level in the regular season needed to transfer over into the playoffs. A battle-tested Seahawks team that had recent playoff history against the Falcons would be the first challenge in Ryan’s quest to bring a championship to Atlanta.
The Matt Ryan Masterclass Series List
Rookie heroics against Chicago
