Bleacher Report - Matt Ryan

Falcons QB Matt Ryan Out for Eagles Game

steve tisch — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:49:36 -0500

Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan suffered a turf toe injury in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, yesterday, and will not play this week.

The Falcons are three point underdogs for their home game vs. the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. According to various reports, Ryan will not play because of the injury, which was suffered during the first series of the game vs. the Bucs.

Atlanta came away with a 20-17 victory over Tampa Bay but they failed to cover as 13-point faves.

Since 1984, the Falcons are 3-6 ATS in nine home games against the Eagles and in their last nine games when an underdog of four points or less, they have gone Over seven times.

The Total for the Eagles game currently sits at 45.5.

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Falcons QB Matt Ryan Out Week 13

Ryan Lester — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:09:15 -0500

It's never too early to start planning for next week's fantasy match-up, especially as the fantasy playoffs draw near. Even though their is an epic Patriots-Saints game tonight, those of you that own Matt Ryan have other issues on your mind.

The second-year QB has already been ruled out for Week 13. Maybe they learned their lesson after the way they handled Michael Turner's injury. He should have never played last week, but that's a different story for another day.

It's nice to know he's out before waiver claims are set. Ryan owners don't have to hold out hope like Big Ben and Kurt Warner owners did last week.

So who should you pick up?

Chris Redman, Atlanta Falcons
In deep leagues you won't many choices, especially not ones with Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez at their disposal.

David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars
If he's available in your league, he's a nice plug-in play this week. He plays extremely well at home, which is where the Jags play this week.

Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers
The Niners have turned into a pass-first team because of their personnel. They play the Seahawks who have been fantasy-friendly to opposing QBs.

Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos
The long rest between games should do his ankle well. He's a nice play against Kansas City this week.

Vince Young, Tennessee Titans
I don't see VY throwing for a ton of yards against the Colts, but he should produce with his feet and do enough with his arm to be a decent emergency fantasy play.

Originally published at LestersLegends.com .

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Jay Glazer: Falcons' Matt Ryan Ruled Out Against Eagles With Turf Toe Injury

Bob Cunningham — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:52:07 -0500

Jay Glazer, who is rarely wrong, tweeted today that Matt Ryan will be out when the Eagles head to Atlanta for an NFC showdown that will most certainly have playoff implications for both teams, win or lose.

Glazer goes on to say that Ryan has turf toe and will be visiting a specialist in Charlotte. Turf toe could mean that Ryan will not only miss this game, but possibly the next few depending upon the severity of the ligament damage.

It's bad news for a struggling Falcons team, but great news for a struggling Eagles team. With Ryan out, the Falcons will most certainly start Chris Redman. Redman, while a decent backup in his own right, is not a quarterback capable of beating the Eagles defense.

The Philly defense is struggling right now, but if the Bucs could put up a fight against Atlanta, then the Eagles defense should be able to dominate. Add that onto the fact that Michael Turner could miss this game with a high ankle sprain and that Jerious Norwood is less than 100 percent and you have a recipe that equals no excuses for this Philly defense.

In fact, if this is anything less than total domination, Philly will start to question if this is really a defense that can carry this team deep into the playoffs. The Falcons still have some weapons, so a shutout is by no means expected. But anything more than 14 or 17 points would be unacceptable.

This could be a very good game for Philly as a whole to gain some confidence, some momentum and really get them in gear for domination in December.

On the other hand, this could be a trap game. With Ryan and Turner most likely out, it wouldn't be shocking to see this defense become complacent and lay an egg, so to speak. On top of that, it's difficult to bury a team when they're against the ropes. Especially a well-coached and talented team like the Falcons.

It will be on the coaching staff and the leaders of this team to prevent that from happening.

Update: Coach Mike Smith has confirmed the report; Ryan is out.

This article was originally featured on 2 Minutes to Midnight Green.

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NFL Quick Hits (Nov. 30th): Fred Jackson, The New Starter In Buffalo?

kevin roberts — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:46:47 -0500

Matt Ryan "Day to Day" With Sprained Toe

Ryan sprained his toe early in Atlanta's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and ended up missing the rest of the game. Back-up Chris Redman stepped in and threw two touchdown passes, including the game-winner as the Falcons came back and beat the Bucs.

Ryan is considered "day-to-day", and should be closely monitored if you are depending on him for Week 13.

DeAngelo Williams Sprains Ankle in Loss

This isn't major news, even though it usually would be, as Williams played through the injury in Carolina's loss to the New York Jets.

He's unlikely to miss any time, but stay updated with reports on his status leading up to Week 13.

Fred Jackson Bills New Starting RB?

Jackson has reportedly stolen the starting running back duties from franchise back Marshawn Lynch, and it could end up being a permanent move. Jackson made great use of his touches in Week 12, totaling 120 yards in a 31-14 Buffalo victory.

Lynch had been battling nagging injuries and inconsistency for weeks, and as long as Jackson is playing well, Lynch's role figures to be weak enough to kill his fantasy value. He touched the ball just five times against the Dolphins, making him a strong candidate to drop from your roster, if you haven't done so already.

Cedric Benson Slated to Start in Week 13

Head coach Marvin Lewis officially announced that Benson will resume his starting role in Week 13, and that he is fully recovered from a hip injury that cost him the last two weeks.

Benson is a safe Flex play in all leagues next week, but there is a good chance that Cincinnati will field all of it's running backs against the Detroit Lions, giving Benson a low ceiling and quite possibly a diminished workload.

Jake Delhomme Benching Coming?

Delhomme has a fractured finger and will undergo tests to determine if he'll miss any time, but considering his four interceptions in Week 12 and the fact that back-up Matt Moore will be taking first team reps, it's not looking good for him to keep his starting job.

Moore is not a fantasy option in fantasy leagues, and despite Delhomme's terrible play, there's no guarantee that he's an upgrade at quarterback.

Clinton Portis Ruled Out Again For Week 13

Portis is still having side effects from his concussion, and is now ruled out of his fourth straight game. This doesn't bode well for his chances to return this season, and could even potentially harm his career.

He still has enough value to hold onto, as he should have a prominent role in the Redskins offense if/when he returns. Rock Cartwright should continue to carry the load for Washington, and is a decent Flex play.

Browns Lose DT Shaun Rogers For Season

The nature of Rogers' injury hasn't been fully made available, but it's an ankle/Achilles injury, and he is believed to be done for the season.

This drops the Cleveland Browns overall defense–especially their run defense–even further than it was, and makes any running back facing them a potentially elite fantasy option.

For more breaking news and fantasy advice, head over to TRZR.

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Falcons' Ryan: Twinkle, Twinkle Falling Star

Mike Franklin — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:59:34 -0500

If you read the comments around the Atlanta Falcons’ official website message board, and a few of those to the various bits of birdseed around the web, you will quickly note how far Matt Ryan’s star value has fallen since the beginning of the 2009 campaign.

The young signal caller came into the season riding a tsunami of confidence within both the Falcons’ organization as well as their long suffering fan base. In fact, as recently as the game against the Patriots, Ryan was being compared to the likes of Tom Brady on the field and Joe Montana, who now plays the hallowed halls of Canton.

But the times, they have been a-changing and so too all that friendly patronage. The network desk jockeys and stadium booth apes are now more apt to note the guy behind center for his ability to toss air balls and interceptions.

Hey, that’s just life, right?

Football, like most all sports, has a fickle following. Win and you could end up on a box of Wheaties and grace the breakfast tables of America. Lose and, well, you’ll earn the scorn of every adolescent booger-flinger, his Dad and their pet Airedale.

History, though, is ready to offer us a little relief via a lesson in the person of former Falcons QB, Steve Bartkowski.

Selected #1 in the first round of the 1975 NFL Draft, he went on to earn Rookie of the Year honors as well. (Sound familiar?) But the next two seasons that followed saw injuries as well as a combined 22 interceptions against an anorexic 7 total TD tosses.

Of course, we all know that Bart overcame his problems. He went on to a great career and is today on the Falcons Board of Directors.

So, the lesson is clear even if the future is not. What is required now is a dash of patience and then, a little good luck wouldn’t hurt a thing either.

Matt Ryan is undoubtedly a very talented player and if the Falcons manage to keep him healthy, he could, conceivably, end up in Canton as well someday.

Oh, and along the way, who knows? We, as fans, might also find a reason to cheer for him again, too.

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Week 12 Fantasy Football Versus: Coin Flip

kevin roberts — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:39:17 -0500

Even with all the Start/Sit and Waiver Wire advice in the world, sometimes fantasy owners are left to be frantic, panicking over their decisions going into Sunday's games .

In Fantasy Coin Flip, we take a look at three different positions and a possible matchup between two players of solid value that could be fighting it out for a spot in your team's line-up this week. Read on for some information and analysis that could help push you in the right direction:

Donovan McNabb , QB, PHI (vs. WAS) VS. Matt Ryan, QB, ATL (vs. TB)

This is an interesting matchup, as McNabb would be the usual consensus pick, but with his last performance against a reasonably tough Washington pass defense in mind, Matt Ryan definitely deserves his argument to be heard here.

McNabb had a great day against the San Diego Chargers two weeks ago and had another solid performance against the Chicago Bears, but after seeing how the Redskins held Tony Romo and the Cowboys passing offense in check for almost four quarters, we're not in love with McNabb's chances.

His inconsistency, past performance, and the Redskins defensive potential beg us to consider all options.

Ryan, on the other hand, has been progressing in recent weeks, and was solid last week in a loss to the New York Giants. His stud receiver, Roddy White, looks to be fully healthy, and his star running back, Michael Turner, could possibly return this week.

Verdict: Regardless of their individual arguments, Ryan is going up against a still pathetic Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense, and has to be the play this week, making him a "coin flip" suggestion for the second week in a row.

Cedric Benson, RB, CIN (vs. CLE) VS. Michael Turner, RB, ATL (vs. TB)

It's the battle of the injured studs . The question isn't necessarily which will perform better against his scheduled cakewalk match-up, but more, which will play? And even if both play this Sunday, which can we expect to have a bigger role?

Benson is reportedly "ready to play", while head coach Marvin Lewis seems unwilling to commit to a status for the star running back for Week 12. Benson's hip figures to be almost (if not completely) 100 percent, but with an easy opponent like the Cleveland Browns, it wouldn't shock us to see the Bengals sit him for the second consecutive week.

As for Michael Turner, while he hasn't practiced all week, his high ankle sprain is reportedly healing faster than expected, although head coach Mike Smith isn't saying anything about it.

The word is that Jason Snelling is going to be the starter this week, especially considering the Falcons haven't even begun to discuss a timetable for Turner's return.

Verdict: Both running backs hold good value if they play this week, and both have a decent shot at a return. However, we're leaning toward the guy that has the hip injury, and not an ankle injury that can easily be re- injured. Run with Benson if you must.

Lee Evans, WR, BUF (vs. MIA) VS. Terrell Owens, WR, BUF (vs. MIA)

This is the matchup between the Bills top two receivers, pitting the guy Ryan Fitzpatrick used to be enamored with (Evans), against the guy he hooked-up with constantly in Week 11. Will Evans get the bulk of the looks like usual, or has T.O. truly broken out?

The noodle-armed Ryan Fitzpatrick was unwilling to go deep to Terrell Owens when he first took over as the starter two weeks ago, and it was the same story in spot duty before that. However, he and Owens connected on a 98-yard scoring strike last week, while Owens ended the game with 197 yards receiving.

Verdict: We like Evans to garner some more attention due to his better catching ability and Fitzpatrick's tendency to throw shorter passes, but Owens' potential should have him being your choice as an elite WR3 this week.

For all of our Week 12 Fantasy Player Rankings and more fantasy advice, go here .

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