The Matt Ryan Masterclass Series: Motown Saturday night fever
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. 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. 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 [... truncated ...]