After four good to very good seasons, Matt Ryan took a sizable leap into the upper echelon in 2012. The offense was fully in his control with Dirk Koetter taking over the reins as offensive coordinator. Not operating in a run-first offense anymore helped him throw over 30 touchdowns for the first time in his career. He was in the MVP conversation for most of the season. It was clear he established himself as a top-tier quarterback.
The Falcons had another outstanding regular season as the top team
in the NFC. Winning their first eight games made them feel more credible as Super Bowl contenders compared to the team that went 13-3 in 2010.
There was more offensive firepower with Julio Jones rapidly ascending. There were more defensive difference makers with Asante Samuel joining them and Sean Weatherspoon at his peak. It was a special group, led by a quarterback who was coming into his own.
Facing a 4-10 Lions in primetime doesn’t feel all that memorable when reviewing Ryan’s career. Analyzing the game itself in one of his best seasons ever raises the significance of this performance. Ryan played as flawlessly as it gets for a quarterback.
He secured the all-important home-field advantage in a stacked NFC with the 49ers, Packers, and Seahawks ready to make a championship push. What he did in Detroit capped off the significant strides he made in 2012.
Show out
Throwing four touchdown passes while only having seven incompletions tells the tale of how in command a quarterback is. There was full confidence in how the Falcons were operating offensively. That was evident on a 3rd and 1 on the second drive. In 22 personnel, Koetter decided to get aggressive, calling play action with Roddy White as the lone wide receiver going vertical.
Ryan didn’t hesitate in throwing a pinpoint bomb to White as he was matched up against their old pal Chris Houston. That 44-yard touchdown pass set the tone for a special night.
Detroit started blitzing more after the drive, knowing they didn’t have the personnel to cover Atlanta’s trio of exceptional pass-catchers. That’s something most defenses had to come to terms with when seeing White, Julio Jones, and Tony Gonzalez on the field.
Koetter countered the blitzes with more screens to get the ball out faster and capitalize on having more space. That strategy worked brilliantly as White galloped into the end zone untouched on a 39-yard touchdown. A terrific block from Sam Baker created the necessary space for the jailbreak screen to be perfectly executed.
After rarely running screens under Mike Mularkey, Koetter’s emphasis on utilizing screens was hugely beneficial for Ryan in his first year as offensive coordinator. It provided a strong counter to opposing blitzes with an array of playmakers to get the ball to and athletic offensive linemen to clear space. The terrific start only continued for Ryan as he was ready to deliver another highlight-reel touchdown.
Finishing touches
With less than 90 seconds remaining in the first half, the Falcons were in a prime position to build on their 14-3 lead. The trio of White, Jones, and Harry Douglas was overloaded to the right on 2nd and 9. With White in the slot, Ryan wanted to find him over the middle on his first read. The Lions weren’t going to allow White to score a third touchdown.
Ryan went to his next read as Jones accelerated past Houston to get to the back of the end zone. It would take an absolute dime for the throw to be completed in such a tight area. Ryan dropped it in there beautifully for Jones to make a spectacular catch with his signature toe-tap in getting both feet in bounds.
Those types of aggressive decisions and precise, tight window throws really elevated Ryan’s game. His ability to astutely read coverages and place the ball where only his playmakers can get it transformed the offense into one of the league’s best units.
The days of running the ball 25 times and operating frequently in heavy formations were over. This was Ryan’s offense to lead to glory. They did that in another definitive win to get homefield advantage.
Ryan ended up connecting with tight end Michael Palmer near the goal line off play action for his fourth touchdown to finish off a stellar game. On that drive, he hit White and Jones for four catches of 12 yards or more. Converting six of 11 third downs helped sustain long scoring drives to prevent Detroit from coming back.
While Calvin Johnson made history that night by setting the single-season receiving yards record, the Falcons handled business as they often did in 2012, led by their aerial attack and winning the turnover battle.
It didn’t take long for Ryan to produce another signature performance in his legendary career. A divisional round matchup inside the Georgia Dome was on the horizon. With Ryan being winless in the playoffs after three attempts, it was bound to be a career-defining game for him. It was time for him to overcome those playoff demons three weeks later against Seattle.
