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Respect the Greatness of Matt Ryan

ATLANTA – With all due respect to Falcons fans who constantly shout that Matt Ryan is the wrong guy to have as franchise quarterback, seek some help. No, the Falcons will not trade the former NFL MVP, nor will they even think about giving Michael Vick a second run as signal caller (yes, some fans have lobbied for that).

In the Falcons 34-29 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Ryan surpassed Joe Montana on the list of career touchdown passes.

Yes, that Joe Montana.

Ryan threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to running back Tevin Coleman in the fourth quarter to leapfrog over Montana and into 16th place all time, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. The Falcons were in a crucial situation when that occurred. Atlanta hadn’t scored in over a quarter-and-a-half and Tampa Bay had diminished the Falcons’ lead to just two points.

Understanding the situation, Ryan started the drive with a 32-yard pass to Julio Jones. Then facing third-and-9, the 33-year old quarterback dropped back to pass, could not find an open receiver, tucked the football, scrambled and absorbed a big hit to get a first down with a 13-yard run. Six plays later, you get the touchdown pass to Coleman that gave Atlanta some breathing room.

Not only that, but he twice led the offense into field goal range for clutch scores at the end of both halves against Tampa Bay.

Alone, Sunday’s game epitomizes the tough and competitive spirit of “Matty Ice.” But if that’s not enough for you, get this: In his last four games, Ryan has thrown for 1,432 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and zero interceptions.

These are MVP-like numbers and you cannot deny it. And before you bring up how many playoff games he’s lost and “28-3,” understand that the Falcons are sitting at 2-4 with Ryan playing out of his mind. That’s proof that quarterback wins are not a real stat.

What is real is the fact that Matt Ryan is playing some of the best football of his career. Recognize it.