Atlanta Falcons: Fans Should Stop Whining About Matt Ryan, Trust His Abilities

There seems to be a lot of ill will in Atlanta these days because of the its pitiful sports year. Their multiple sports failures culminated in another early playoff exit for the Falcons, which did not sit well with the fans.

In the middle of this crossfire sits Matt Ryan, who some allege is not performing as well as he should be. This is hogwash.

Let's look at some of Ryan's accomplishments. These include a 43-19 record (best of any starting Atlanta QB), a Pro Bowl invite in four short years and three playoff appearances. He was the first Falcons QB to lead the team to back-to-back winning seasons and made the playoffs as a rookie. Certainly, his regular season has not been disappointing.

Here is where we get the objections from the detractors. While Ryan's regular season career is stellar, I will admit that he has struggled in the postseason. But it is way too soon to start questioning his ability.

First, all the teams he lost to all made it to the Super Bowl. Two were the eventual champions. Second, he still performed admirable in those games. It wasn't his best work, but he still helped the team more than he could ever hurt.

The last and most important thing to remember is that success does not come instantly. Yes, it is time for the old point of "Manning didn't win his first playoff games." But it's true. I'm not saying Ryan is Peyton Manning, but postseason success does not come immediately to elite QBs. 

Ryan is a fantastic QB (I would say elite) who has performed very well for the Falcons. He consistently improves and holds a high level of play. Just have patience with him and he will lead the Falcons to the promised land.

Long story short: Stop whining, sit back and watch Ryan go to work for years to come.