He's Only A Rookie? Matt Ryan Impresses in Playoff Debut

Yesterday Matt Ryan proved why the Falcons made him the No. 3 pick in last year’s NFL draft. He also proved why he’s a rookie.

For all of Matt’s greatness throughout the NFL regular season, the Cardinals exposed him for what he is: An NFL rookie. And that is OK; Matt Ryan had one of the great NFL quarterback rookie seasons on record. He took a team that was in danger of lurking in the basement of the NFL for years to come, to a potential perennial playoff team.

And he's only a rookie.

Matty Ice had a pretty good stat line. Out of 40 passing attempts, he completed 26 of them. He threw for a respectable 199 yards with two touchdowns and two picks. Not bad for a first year guy playing his first playoff game.

And he’s still a rookie.

While Matt’s statistics from yesterday's game won’t impress or repulse you, it should tell you that he needed a little bit more to beat a Cardinal team that was determined to expose him for what he is: A rookie. He threw a couple of costly picks and never seemed in rhythm for the entire game.

It also didn’t help that Michael Turner had a paltry 42 yards rushing and his offensive line chose to mail it in right before one of the biggest games in franchise history. The Cardinal’s defensive line was in Ryan’s face all day. They stuffed the run and didn’t let baby Andre Rison beat them deep (except for that wide open bomb he dropped).

And through all of this, Matt Ryan is only a rookie.

This Atlanta Falcon team has a ton of upside. A stellar running game, improved offensive line, great quarterback, decent defensive front, and pretty good special teams group. What’s not to like about these dirty birds?

If Roddy White keeps this pace up, he’ll be the greatest wide receiver in club history. As long as the O-line protects Matty Ice and opens holes for Michael Turner, they’ll compete for another NFC South title.

And I say again, he's only a rookie.

Can you imagine what Marino could have done with this running game? Remember what happened to Elway when Terrell Davis showed up? He won a couple of Super Bowls. The philosophy to win in the league is simple. Dominate on both sides of the line, have a good; consistent quarterback, and a running back who runs like a horse. The Falcons posses all the attributes. Ryan just needs to continue to mature and the Falcons need to shore up a couple of holes on defense.

I say all of this and Matt Ryan is only a rookie. How much upside can one team and one rookie have at one time? Only time will tell if we are right or wrong about the Falcons. But judging by the way this team came on this past season, we could talking about the Atlanta Falcons for a long time.