January 8
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is 43-19 during the regular season, but is 0-2 in the playoffs. He will be on the hot seat against the New York Giants to lead the Falcons to a playoff breakthrough. Even owner Arthur Blank has said that quarterbacks are defined by their play in the fourth quarter and the postseason. Ryan said he doesn't feel any additional pressure. "Not that much," Ryan said. "I think the past doesn't really make a difference. We had opportunities; we didn't take advantage of those."
January 4
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Matt Ryan will be judged, in part, by playoff wins. Right now, the Falcons quarterback is 0-for-2. There is inescapable scrutiny that comes with the failure to advance in the NFL postseason, especially for the leader of the offense. Call it pressure. Call it heat. Call it over-analysis. It's there. Remember Steve Young imploring "someone take the monkey off my back, please," in the final seconds of the 49ers' Super Bowl XXIX victory?"
January 4
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist D. Orlando Ledbetter
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The pressure will start to ramp up for the playoff game today. Most of the Falcons have not spoken to the media since their win over Tampa Bay. Today, we also get Matt Ryan's only media availability before Sunday's game and it will likely take up the entire 45-open locker room period. While Ryan has posted a 43-19 record as a starter over four seasons, he's 0-2 in the playoffs and has played spotty in both games. Another bad performance and the Falcons are at home watching the divisional round."
January 2
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan unleashed a dizzying array of offense in less than two quarters before he was removed from the 45-24 win over Tampa Bay on Sunday. Ryan completed 6 of 9 passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns to help build a 42-0 lead. "I thought we started off as a team very fast today; offense, defense and special teams did exactly what we needed to do early on and then finished it off in the second half," Ryan said. "We took care of the business that we wanted to today." Ryan got the offense in rhythm before entering the playoffs. "We had opportunities the week before; we just didn't make those plays," Ryan said. "Today, we came out , we made the plays and that's what we"
December 30
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons coach Mike Smith believes that fourth-year quarterback Matt Ryan, who became the second quarterback in team history to pass for 4,000 yards in a season, has reached elite status among NFL quarterbacks. "His maturation process continues to accelerate and he's becoming, in my mind, one of the elite quarterbacks in this league," Smith said. Ryan needs 79 yards passing against Tampa Bay on Sunday to break the franchise's record for most yards passing in a season. Ryan, who has passed for 4,065 yards, is set to break the record of Jeff George, who passed for 4,143 yards in 1995. "That'd be a great honor and an individual honor for Matt," Smith said. "But again, all those individual"
December 19
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist Mark Bradley
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Fair's fair. If we criticize Matt Ryan for not throwing the best deep ball and for authoring a tepid start to this season — and we have on both counts — we must also say this: The guy's got it going now. (Maybe not on the deep pass, but on everything else.) It's not as if Ryan is throwing more, or even more accurately. His totals for attempts and completions from those first seven games to the past seven are almost identical. What's different is the effect. By whatever means — slightly deeper throws, more yards after catch — the Falcons have become more pass-productive. Numbers geeks insist the single most important stat in football is yards per attempt, and through seven games the"
December 17
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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It's hard to find fault with the Falcons offense the past two games. It rolled up 373 yards in a 41-14 victory over the Jaguars on Thursday night. That performance came four days after it churned out 394 yards in a 31-23 win over the Panthers. Leave it to Matt Ryan to not be fully satisfied with the recent results. "I still think we can be a lot better; I really do," the quarterback said following Thursday night's rout. "When we turn on the film and look at things after games, there are three, four, five, six plays that we look at that we could have executed better. We could have run this route better, could have thrown this ball better. "That's what we are trying to get to, but I think we"
December 11
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has made a habit of dragging his team from the fire and carrying it to victory. He earned his nickname "Matty Ice" in college, and his flair for dramatic comeback victories has continued in the NFL. Over his 58-game NFL career, he has posted 15 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime. He has posted comeback wins against Philadelphia and Carolina this season. But against Houston last weekend, his pass into the end zone as the buzzer sounded hit Julio Jones' hands before falling harmlessly incomplete. There would be no thrilling comeback, and the Falcons went down 17-10 to the upstart Houston Texans."
December 10
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has made a habit of dragging his team from the fire and carrying it to victory. He earned his nickname "Matty Ice" in college, and his flair for dramatic comeback victories has continued in the NFL. Over his 58-game NFL career, he has posted 15 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime. He has posted comeback wins against Philadelphia and Carolina this season. But against Houston last weekend, his pass into the end zone as the buzzer sounded hit Julio Jones' hands before falling harmlessly incomplete. There would be no thrilling comeback, and the Falcons went down 17-10 to the upstart Houston Texans. "We always expect to win in those types of"
December 6
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Thanks to a 17-10 loss to the Houston Texans, the Falcons' chances of repeating as NFC South champions are on life support. At 7-5, they trail the New Orleans Saints (9-3) by two games with four to play. Realistically, they are in a battle with Detroit (7-5), Chicago (7-5) and the New York Giants (6-6) for one of the two wild-card bids. What we learned 1. Falcons can't hit the deep ball. The Falcons had a great plan to attack the No. 1-ranked defense with some deep surgical strikes. But when quarterback Matt Ryan missed on early passes to Roddy White and Julio Jones and didn't execute a flea-flicker play with precision, Houston safeties Glover Quin and Danieal Manning were free to stalk"
November 28
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan turned in a stellar performance against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, completing 27 of 34 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns. His passer rating of 128.2 was his highest of the season. His previous best was 120.7 in a 31-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 6. "I don't put a whole lot of stock in the rating, but I thought we played efficiently," Ryan said. "We kind of took what they gave us. That's a good defense. Their front seven is as good as any in the NFL at stopping the run and getting after the pass. I thought our offensive line did a great job." The Falcons were 3 of 3 on their trips to the red zone against the Vikings; they were 3 of"
November 26
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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For three seasons, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and his former position coach, Bill Musgrave, were nearly inseparable. If you saw Musgrave walking across the practice fields, Ryan wasn't far behind. If Musgrave was studying film late, Ryan was with him. When Musgrave would drive out of the complex, Ryan's car was not far behind. It was the perfect picture of the young and eager student trying to soak up all of the knowledge he could from the wily and experienced mentor. The relationship — personally and professionally — blossomed. They got along off the field, and Ryan's NFL career exploded on the field. Ryan credits much of his success, which includes three consecutive winning seasons,"
November 9
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is a finalist for the FedEx Air NFL player of the week honors after his performance against the Indianapolis Colts. Also, rookie wide receiver Julio Jones is a finalist for the Pepsi NFL rookie of the week award. Ryan is a finalist with Miami's Matt Moore and Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers. Ryan passed for 275 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in the Falcons' 31-7 victory."
November 3
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is his own toughest critic. But it was rather telling that after surviving a physical game against Detroit and having his ankle accidentally stepped on by offensive tackle Will Svitek, Ryan's self-critique was not glowing. "I'd like to be playing better," said Ryan, who went to the Pro Bowl last season after guiding the Falcons to a 13-3 mark and the NFC South title."
October 19
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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If you listen, you just might hear the collective exhale coming from Falcons headquarters. The first three weeks of this season the organization watched as their $72 million investment in quarterback Matt Ryan got pummeled like a well-worn punching bag. Thirteen sacks and 23 hits in three games had management, coaches and players holding their breath."
October 6
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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As soon as the ball left his right hand, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan wanted the pass back. You could hear the excitement zip out of the Georgia Dome as Green Bay cornerback Tramon Williams broke on the ball, gathered it in and raced 70 yards for a touchdown to put the Packers ahead 28-14 as the second-quarter clock expired in the teams' divisional playoff game Jan. 15. Instead of being in a 21-17 dogfight, the No. 1-seeded Falcons found themselves teetering on the edge of a blowout, trailing 28-14 at the half. They would fall over the ledge in the second half on the way to a 48-21 "upset" at the hands of the No. 6-seeded Packers."
October 3
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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After being dumped 13 times in the Falcons' first three games, Matt Ryan stayed mostly upright in Seattle yesterday, as the Seahawks were unable to sack him. Partly because of that, the Falcons found the end zone on three of their first four drives, building enough of a lead to hold off the surprisingly resilient Seahawks 30-28 at Century Link Field. Ryan had a predictably productive afternoon, completing 28 of 42 passes for 291 yards. Besides the fact that he remained mostly upright for 60 minutes, the only other surprise was that Tarvaris Jackson had a statistically better day with three touchdown passes and a higher quarterback rating. But Ryan's team won, which was obviously more"
October 2
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who has led the team to one touchdown in eight quarters on the road this season, hopes to light up the scoreboard in Seattle. Here's a brief Q&A involving Ryan and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's D. Orlando Ledbetter. Q: How do you feel after taking so many hits? A: I feel good. Body feels good, and I think our guys up front are playing hard. We're going to continue to get better at all phases. Q: Which players on Seattle's defense present the most problems? A: I think [Chris] Clemons, their defensive end, does a great job. He's fast off the ball, good in pass rush. [Marcus] Trufant is a good corner, a solid guy, been around for a long time, a savvy vet."
September 26
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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He'd had three wretched quarters, but history teaches that Matt Ryan cannot be judged on his first three quarters. In three NFL seasons, he has engineered 14 winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime, and three of those had come against Tampa Bay. And here he went again, Matty Ice in rally mode with the Buccaneers scrambling to hang on. This time he stitched together three fourth-quarter drives, but the first and last finished without point. Down by 13 points after three quarters, the Falcons lost by six. This time Ryan and his team only came close. "We just have to start faster," Ryan said afterward. "That's something we try to do every week. Against good football teams, you can't"
September 25
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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If recent history is a guide, the NFC South opener for the Falcons and Buccaneers will come down to a fourth-quarter stare down. While the Falcons have won the past five contests, the games have been excruciatingly close. The division foes, both off to 1-1 starts, will meet at 4:15 p.m. Sunday at Raymond James Stadium. The contest will pit two of the up-and-coming quarterbacks in the NFL. Both are building solid resumes for leading their teams to victory with fourth-quarter magic."
September 23
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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For the second consecutive day, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was limited in practice with a knee injury on Thursday. He received substantially more work with the first-unit than he did on Wednesday and is expected to start on Sunday when the Falcons (1-1) face Tampa Bay (1-1) at 4:15 p.m. Sunday at Raymond James Stadium. Also, center Todd McClure did not suffer a setback and also participated more in practice than he did on Wednesday. He's expected to be available for Tampa Bay."
September 22
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who has been under duress through the first two weeks of the season, was limited in practice Wednesday with a knee injury. "We rested him [Wednesday], and we are hoping that he'll be out here tomorrow," Falcons coach Mike Smith said. "We have to see how ... hopefully he'll have more participation tomorrow than he had today.""
September 22
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Philadelphia defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins confirmed to the Philadelphia Inquirer that he was fined $15,000 for a helmet-to-helmet hit Sunday on Matt Ryan. "You can punch somebody and only get fined $10,000," Jenkins said. "You do an honest mistake, it's not like I launched at him …""
September 15
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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It may sound strange considering Matt Ryan won 33 games in his first three seasons, won games that got the Falcons into the playoffs, won games in the fourth quarter and has beaten Green Bay (twice), New Orleans (twice) Baltimore and the New York Jets, among others. But a win Sunday would be the biggest of Ryan's career. The Falcons play Philadelphia, a potential Super Bowl team. More importantly, the game is the first meeting between Ryan and Michael Vick as starters. (Ryan was injured during the first meeting between the teams with Vick coming off the bench; Ryan started the second meeting but Vick was injured.)"
September 13
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist Orlando Ledbetter
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The Falcons have played in the Eagles in each of the past two years, but Matt Ryan and Michael Vick have not been on the field at the same time. In the 2009 meeting, Ryan missed the game with a turf toe injury. Vick, was in his first season back in the league after serving his sentence in the notorious his federal dogfighting case. He came on late in the 34-7 Eagles victory to score on a 5-yard run and throw a 5-yard pass to Brent Celek."
September 12
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The hallmarks of Mike Smith's three previous Atlanta Falcons' teams have been their propensity for solid and smart play mixed in with a heavy dose of solid tackling. In their 2011 debut against the Chicago Bears Sunday, the Falcons didn't resemble those teams that posted three consecutive winning campaigns and went to the playoffs in two of them. The Falcons, most everyone's favorite to repeat as the NFC South champion, looked lethargic on offense and unsure on defense as Bears quarterback Jay Cutler rifled holes in their zone defense. With nine penalties, several missed tackles and three turnovers, the Falcons were made to look very ordinary, as they were routed 30-12 by the Bears at"
September 12
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Falcons didn't lose Sunday's season opener against Chicago solely because Matt Ryan played poorly, any more than they lost a playoff game to Green Bay last January solely because Ryan was a turnover machine. But doesn't it always start with the quarterback in football? The Falcons' 48-21 playoff loss to the Packers in the Georgia Dome was punctuated by Ryan's three turnovers (two interceptions, one fumble), including a pivotal 70-yard interception return by Tramon Williams just before halftime. Their equally ugly 30-12 loss to the Chicago Bears to open the season Sunday included two more turnovers by Ryan, an interception and a fumble that both led to touchdowns. The fact Ryan"
September 12
Chicago Tribune
columnist Steve Rosenbloom
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The Bears defense took one look at the new and improved Falcons' offense, and then destroyed it. The Bears sized up quarterback Matt Ryan and his new rookie receiver and his established star on the other side, and blew them up. Blew up all the Falcons, in fact. Almost beheaded Ryan while they were doing it. It was all you could eat for the Bears' defense. Julius Peppers was all over the line and all over the Falcons backfield. Henry Melton matched Peppers' two sacks, looking as special as Lovie Smith said he would. Amobi Okoye had a sack, as well."
September 5
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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During his Falcons career, quarterback Matt Ryan's film-room attendance has been well known. That's where he finds solace in self-critiques and comes up with various improvement plans, and where he finds what works league-wide and incorporates into the Falcons offense. This offseason, however, Ryan stepped outside the film room out of necessity. During the 132-day lockout, Ryan was the main organizer of the players-led practices at Buford High and taught the playbook to rookie wide receiver Julio Jones, working hands on. With no coaches around, Ryan helped lay out plans for what the offense would look like this season. Ryan found some positive things the unit could carry forward from a"
August 16
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has taken the Falcons to the playoffs in two of his first three seasons in the league, but doesn't consider himself one of the elite quarterbacks in the league. "If you get caught up in those kinds of things and worrying about how you rank and where you fit in in the league, that can be a distraction," Ryan said. "For me, I always just try to play the best I can week to week to give ourselves a chance to win." In three seasons, Ryan has posted a 33-13 record during the regular season, which is tied with Dan Marino for the most wins by a quarterback in his first three seasons since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger."
August 9
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Over the offseason, the Falcons talked about adding more explosive plays on offense. They must throw more deep passes, and everyone from Matt Ryan to Roddy White has arrived at that conclusion. What's the use in drafting a fleet receiver like Julio Jones if you're not going to air it out more? There are other factors, like the line holding its blocks longer and the backs picking up blitzers. But when it all blends together, more passes have to go deep. Last season, the Falcons didn't ask Ryan to air it out often. They might now. "We just have to make plays when they are there," Ryan said. "When we have opportunities to make explosive plays we have to make them." On passes thrown from 31"
August 8
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Over the offseason, the Falcons talked about adding more explosive plays on offense. They must throw more deep passes, and everyone from Matt Ryan to Roddy White has arrived at that conclusion. What's the use in drafting a fleet receiver like Julio Jones if you're not going to air it out more? There are other factors, like the line holding its blocks longer and the backs picking up blitzers. But when it all blends together, more passes have to go deep. Last season, the Falcons didn't ask Ryan to air it out often. They might now. "We just have to make plays when they are there," Ryan said. "When we have opportunities to make explosive plays we have to make them." On passes thrown from 31"
August 3
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist Jeff Schultz
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The oldish-looking coach who has been accused of putting his quarterback in leg shackles and handcuffs insists that his reputation is undeserved. "Everybody may have this vision that coach Smith is a 50-plus-year-old, gray-haired conservative guy," Mike Smith said Tuesday. "But that's not the case. By nature, I am not a conservative person. We are going to be aggressive and we are going to be physical." With Smith as their head coach and Matt Ryan as their quarterback, the Falcons have gone 33-15, easily the best three-year run in franchise history. So criticism obviously is in short supply. But with two quick playoff exits and Ryan fizzling in both postseason games — four interceptions,"
July 30
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan met with the media after the morning practice. Here's the chat session: Q: How did the first practice go? A: It was a walk through this morning. I thought it was good. It was productive. I think with the new schedule we're going to have to be productive with our walk throughs. I think we did a good job out there. Guys were focused. Everybody is really excited to be back, players and coaches. There was a really good energy. Q: What has the week been like since learning that the lockout was lifted? A: It's been busy. Everybody was very well prepared. Both sides of it, players and coaches. We had a conditioning test last night. Guys came back in great"
July 27
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who was married over the offseason, is due a nice wedding present from the Falcons in the form of a $11.25 million bonus. Ryan was one of the first players to arrive at the team facilities Tuesday. "It feels good to be back," Ryan said. In May 2008, Ryan signed a six-year, $72 million contract that included $34.75 million in guarantees. He has guided the Falcons to three consecutive winning seasons and two trips to the playoffs. "I was very excited to get up here," Ryan said. "We put in a lot of hard work this offseason as players. I know that the coaches put in a lot of hard work this offseason as well." Also, Ryan wanted to chat with Bob Bratkowski, the"
June 15
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons Pro Bowl wide receiver Roddy White didn't want to chat after taking part in his first players-only practice on Tuesday. Perhaps, he was tired after running several 100-yard sprints because the offense lost a challenge to the defense at the end of practice. "No interviews, baby," White said. "I came out here to work. The first day of training camp, y'all got me." White has attended two other workouts, but wasn't comfortable with the field turf. Also, last week he held a football camp in his hometown of Charleston, S.C. He's been working out alone and appeared to be in great shape. "He's been having a really good offseason," Ryan said. "I thought he was really productive today. He"
May 5
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was in Houston for Matt Schaub's charity golf event earlier this week and he's been in touch with wide receiver Julio Jones. "I talked to him just via text just after the draft and just said 'I'm excited to have you, ready to get to work whenever we end up getting to work,' " Ryan said to Matt Rybaltowski, the Texans reporter for CBSSports.com. "I think it was a great move by Thomas Dimitroff and our staff to kind of move up and get him and fill up one of the spots we felt like we needed to fill. I'm excited to play with him." Most thought the Falcons were looking to improve their defense in a draft that was expected to be rich in defensive talent. But a few"
April 5
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan received a nice wedding present from his fans. While he and his bride, the former Sarah Marshall, went to great lengths to disguise their wedding, the fans helped him dodged the Madden Curse. According to The Buzz by Jennifer Brett, Matt and Sarah used the names "Kevin and Sierra" to throw off the media. At least he can go on the honeymoon and not have to worry about the Madden Curse. He is officially out of the running to be on the cover of EA Sports' Madden 12. He was "defeated" in the competition by Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis, 51 to 49 percent in round two of the voting. All 32 NFL teams had one player represented. The voting is being"
March 30
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Most football fans want nothing to do with a player from their team appearing on the cover of the John Madden football game. Everybody knows about the Madden Curse. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has a shot to appear on the cover of EA Sports' Madden 2012. But why would he want to be on the cover? He advanced out of the first round of this bracket styled contest. If you are a true Falcons fans, you'll vote him out of this madness as quickly as possible."
January 31
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Twice during the Pro Bowl telecast on Fox, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was shown gawking over his talented Pro Bowl receivers. Who could blame him for wanting Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald and Detroit's Calvin Johnson? After throwing a 25-yard touchdown pass to Fitzgerald, they showed Ryan on the sideline telling some teammates that he liked throwing a high pass to Fitzgerald and how he'd love to have him. He could be a free agent in 2012. If he gets the franchise tag in 2012, he's set to make $23 million."
January 19
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist Mark Bradley
"
A month ago we wondered if Matt Ryan might be the NFL's MVP. Now we get to spend the next eight months pondering whether Matty Ice might be overhyped. (Google his name and "overrated." You'll get the drift.) He has led the Falcons to three consecutive winning seasons - before Ryan arrived, no Atlanta quarterback had managed even two - but twice he has saved his worst for last. Ryan's playoff numbers: A total of 385 yards passing; an average of 5.7 yards per pass (which is awful); three touchdowns; four interceptions; two fumbles lost; eight sacks. He was a rookie on the road against Arizona in January 2009, but Saturday he was a fully blooded professional working in the building he has"
January 17
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan wishes he could have one pass back. His throw to Roddy White along the sideline that was intercepted Green Bay's Tramon Williams and returned 70 yards for a touchdown kicked the Packers' 48-21 rout into overdrive. "It just was not a very good decision on my part," Ryan said. "In that situation, we're in field-goal range and we needed the points. I just needed to throw the ball away." The Falcons had another opportunity to check Green Bay's power surge, but faltered. On their opening drive of the second half, the Packers had a third-and-13 situation from their 17, but quarterback Aaron Rodgers escaped the blitz and found James Jones for a15-yard completion."
January 14
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Matt Ryan is much like his team. He does little to make you go, "Wow," at least until you look at the won-loss record. He doesn't blow you away with his arm or his legs or his sound bites. His shoe would be, "Air Beige." If you walked into a music store, Ryan would be the equivalent of the vinyl in the far left corner, not the digital music players to the right that can hold everything on the floor, as well as possibly wax the floor. Vinyl still sounds better. The Falcons are in the playoffs for the second time in Ryan's three years. The biggest reason they're here is the maturation of their starting quarterback, who is 33-13 in starts for so many reasons other than being able to throw"