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The Falcons have already made a major statement this season, surpassing the expectations of many by nabbing three wins in five weeks, but the team’s rookie quarterback, Matt Ryan, put an exclamation point on it. Ryan led Atlanta to its first road victory of the season, and just its second in 13 games, with a performance marked by his trademark poise. In front of more than 70,000 fans at Lambeau Field, he fired a 37-yard pass to WR Roddy White on the first play of the game and never looked back, completing 16-of-26 passes for 194 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the Falcons’ 27-24 win.
The PFW spin
Atlanta relied on Ryan to get rid of the road jitters, and he delivered. The Falcons had become too one-dimensional on offense — Ryan was playing well for a rookie, but RB Michael Turner was carrying the load, and opposing defenses knew it, leaving the team with a predictable, run-first attack.
That began to change early on Sunday, thanks to Ryan. He led the team to three scores (two touchdowns and a field goal) on its first four possessions and completed 13-of-18 throws for 154 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. The numbers don’t tell the whole story, however. Those five incompletions were a combination of a spiked ball to kill the clock, a toss out of bounds just before he would have been sacked, two drops by receivers and a throw to White that was knocked down by the Packers' defense. He was locked in during the first two quarters, and it helped the young team believe it had a chance in the most unlikely of environments.
As with each of Ryan’s starts this season, there were mishaps, but he seems to move beyond them. Instead of the bad, the good defined this showing. His fourth-quarter interception in the endzone was ugly. He had TE Ben Hartsock open but left the pass short, and CB Tramon Williams picked it off. Green Bay countered with a touchdown drive that tied the game, 17-all. Ryan and the Falcons responded on the ensuing possession, getting in position for a 41-yard Jason Elam field goal with 7:19 remaining after Jerious Norwood had given them outstanding field position with a 54-yard kickoff return. The Falcons held the lead for the rest of the game. By the end, Ryan’s passer rating — 94.1 — on Sunday far exceeded the ratings for his first two road games (29.6 and 60.8).
Our fantasy take
It’s not time to declare Ryan an every-week fantasy starter yet, but at the rate he’s progressing, he may become one for some owners toward the end of the year. For those who like to look ahead, it’s not a bad idea to add Ryan as a backup, if he’s available. Atlanta’s schedule gets tougher than it was in the first quarter of the season, but it’s far from overwhelming. If he keeps getting better with each week, there’s no reason why Ryan can’t step in and replace a starter down the stretch, and he’ll be a valuable commodity should your starting quarterback get injured.
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