Atlanta Falcons' Matt Ryan Solidifies NFL MVP Case in Wide-Open Race

Go ahead and tell everybody; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is the man. 

In a quarterback-driven league, Ryan's body of work throughout the 2016 campaign warrants recognition as the NFL's MVP. 

His dominance was on full display Sunday during a 38-32 victory over the New Orleans Saints at the Georgia Dome. Ryan completed 75 percent of his passes for 331 yards and four touchdowns. In doing so, the Falcons captured a division crown and the NFC's No. 2 seed.  

With a stellar performance in the regular-season finale, the Falcons quarterback built on a resume already worthy of the league's top honor. 

Ryan's near-flawless performance broke his own franchise record, as he set a new Falcons single-season mark with 4,944 passing yards.

Atlanta's franchise player operated with the precision of a surgeon: 

The quarterback's efficiency has been staggering. In fact, his performance registers among the best in NFL history.

There are great seasons within the past 12 years that redefined how the quarterback position is played. 

Everyone remembers when Peyton Manning broke Dan Marino's record for most touchdown passes in a season and Tom Brady topped Manning three years later. Aaron Rodgers' 2011 campaign still stands as the most efficient ever. 

Ryan's 2016 season can be considered as good as each of those. 

Entering Sunday's contest, Ryan already held a 115.5 quarterback rating, which placed him fourth all-time, according to NFL Stats: 

He actually improved his previous standing with a 139.9 rating against the Saints. As the tweet notes, the three other quarterbacks listed (Manning twice) each won MVP awards. 

Ryan isn't operating in a dink-and-dunk offense, either. 

Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan likes to challenge defenses vertically to keep them honest against the team's rushing attack. Plus, the presence of Julio Jones doesn't allow teams to pin their ears back and simply attack Ryan.

As such, the Falcons offense allowed Ryan to push the ball downfield. He's done so beautifully with a league-leading average of 9.26 yards per attempt. That's better than anyone else in the league by more than a full yard. According to Football Outsiders' Scott Kacsmar, it's the highest ever for a quarterback who played an entire 16-game slate with 350 or more pass attempts. 

The Boston College product's average ranks among the best in league history alongside luminaries such as Sid Luckman, Otto Graham, Kurt Warner, Len Dawson and Ken Stabler. Ryan even achieved something none of those greats ever did, per Kacsmar: 

Heading into the weekend, Ryan sat third in passing yardage and only 18th in attempts, per the Falcons Twitter account: 

Those numbers didn't drastically change after Sunday's contest, but Ryan did finish second overall in yardage and moved to 17th in attempts. 

He's providing more with less in the modern pass-happy NFL. 

Overall, Ryan left Sunday's contest with a league-leading 38 touchdown passes and only seven interceptions. He also completed 69.9 percent of his throws—which was good for third overall. 

An argument will ensue stating Ryan benefits from the game's most physically dominant wide receiver. As good as Jones is, the quarterback and his target make each other better. 

Ryan is quite capable of playing at a high level without Jones flanking him. 

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

The wide receiver missed two contests in Weeks 14 and 15 due to injury. During that span, the quarterback completed 68.6 percent of his passes for 523 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. 

Jones' presence affects the entire roster, but the Falcons offense isn't a one-trick pony. There are other weapons Ryan can and has exploited whether it's a pair of talented running backs out of the backfield, a reliable Mohamed Sanu, the speedy Taylor Gabriel or a rookie tight end in Austin Hooper. 

Atlanta's signal-caller doesn't lock onto his targets. He spreads the ball to all of his available options by working through proper progressions. 

In fact, Ryan accomplished something never previously seen at the NFL level, per ESPN Stats & Info: 

Just like Ryan's willingness to entertain multiple options, competition for this year's MVP runs deep. 

The New England Patriots' Tom Brady and Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers are the primary alternatives. However, Rodgers' stats don't quite stack up to Ryan's, while Brady's absence during the first four games due to suspension can't be overlooked. 

Ryan's consistency through a full 16-game slate separates him from two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Neither can claim the same type of impact as the Falcons signal-caller, and Atlanta's quarterback heard the chants of "M-V-P" during Sunday's game. 

"It was nice of our fans to do that," Ryan said, per ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure. "It felt really good."

The Falcons are Super Bowl contenders, and their MVP-caliber quarterback is the biggest reason why. This season, Ryan is the man among men.

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @brentsobleski.