It’s incredibly rare for a player who was once the face of a franchise to take on an executive position within the organization after retiring. John Elway was the first to do so by becoming Denver’s general manager and executive vice president of football operations in 2011. He handled those duties for a decade.
Doug Williams became a personnel executive in Washington from 2014 to 2016. He was elevated to being the senior vice president of player personnel from 2017 to 2019. The Super Bowl XXII MVP
transitioned to a senior vice president of player development position in 2020 before taking a senior advisor role in 2021.
For Matt Ryan to join them on the short list of franchise greats turned front office leaders as Atlanta’s new President of football is admirable. Instead of continuing to thrive in his analyst role on CBS, the four-time Pro Bowler will be at the center of trying to revive the team he led for 14 years. Ryan always had a strong connection with the city of Atlanta. His longevity as a top player, leadership, and community work made him beloved.
I am producing a ten-part series to celebrate the legacy of one of the all-time greatest Falcons players. There will be ten game reviews of Ryan’s best performances. These will not be specifically ranked or published in chronological order. Similar to my series last year in honoring Julio Jones, this is about appreciating the greatness of a player who made a monumental career decision this year.
Let’s start things off in November 2010, as Ryan was gradually gaining more command in his third season. The Falcons were flourishing at 6-2, winning all four of their home games. That undefeated record would be tested by one of the NFL’s perennial contenders in Baltimore.
To go with the high stakes on primetime, this was the first meeting between Ryan and Joe Flacco. No debate is needed when matching up the 2008 1st-round quarterbacks. There was plenty of anticipation going into the game as the Falcons faced a huge litmus test.
Taking control
In his first four seasons, Ryan was normally able to rely on the running game. Handing the ball off to Michael Turner in his prime is something every quarterback would be grateful for. Behind an All-Pro fullback in Ovie Mughelli and a punishing offensive line, the Falcons were built to pound most teams into submission. The Ravens were one of the lone exceptions.
Their stellar defense limited Turner to 39 yards on 17 carries. His longest carry went for eight yards. Not being able to run the ball put Ryan in several third-and-long situations. He responded by leading the Falcons in converting 12 of a whopping 20 third downs. Being that efficient against a defense led by future Hall of Famers in Ray Lewis and Ed Reed showed Ryan’s growth in taking more on us as a quarterback.
Ryan attempted a season-high 50 passes against the Ravens. Completing 32 of them and not committing any turnovers in a matchup with numerous third-down scenarios and an ineffective running game was hugely impressive. While Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez were playing at an elite level, the passing game didn’t have much else.
They didn’t have explosive weapons to stretch the field outside of Harry Douglas, who was still finding his niche after tearing his ACL in 2009. Michael Jenkins and Brian Finneran were serviceable veterans. Ryan had to depend on his entire supporting cast to succeed with what became a one-dimensional attack.
Timely plays with conviction
None of Ryan’s three touchdown passes were overly impressive. It was more his overall performance against a top-tier opponent that made this game so memorable. His extraordinary rapport with Roddy White was on full display, connecting with him in tight areas to keep the chains moving.
That played a substantial role in the Falcons controlling the ball for over 35 minutes. Having a possession advantage for over ten minutes will always put you in a strong position to win.
By getting the ball out quickly and being sacked only twice, Ryan was able to sustain a rhythm without receiving much production from Turner. Sharp decisions led to touchdowns, from Jason Snelling capitalizing on a coverage bust and bulldozing past Dawan Landry for a classic big Snelling play to hitting White on a sprint right to score in the red zone. Ryan was decisive in one of the biggest challenges of his career at the time, on a short week.
Despite operating in a run-first offense in his first three seasons, Ryan already produced ten fourth-quarter comebacks/game-winning drives going into the game. “Matty Ice” isn’t just a catchy moniker. The 2008 Offensive Rookie of the Year delivers when it matters most.
He connected with Jenkins on a beautifully thrown deep corner to get the game-winning drive going. After finding White for a 15-year completion, he targeted Gonzalez across the middle to exploit a mismatch, leading to linebacker Tavares Gooden being penalized for defensive pass interference.
There was plenty of debate about the game-winning touchdown on whether White should have been penalized for offensive pass interference against Josh Wilson. Both players were battling for position, where White unsurprisingly won the physical battle. Good luck finding a cornerback not named Darrelle Revis who could outmuscle White in his prime.
Ryan found a wide-open White to earn an emphatic 26-21 victory for the Falcons. It proved to be one of their most impressive wins in a tremendous 13-win season. It showed Ryan was capable of leading the offense while the running game struggled against one of the best teams in the league.
The caliber of opponent and difficult circumstances make this a standout game in Ryan’s career. It boosted his confidence, as he was competing against the NFL’s elite and maintaining his composure when having to throw more than anticipated. Ryan would eventually take full control of the offense by 2012 as huge workloads and age caught up to Turner. That led to one of his finest seasons ever.
