Matt Ryan: The NFL's Stephen Strasburg?

While watching yet another Pittsburgh Pirate strike out at the plate.....

It was the first time the ball left his hand, the home crowd waiting in anticipation, it stood in mid-air for what seemed like an eternity.  Flash bulbs filled the stadium as the ball made contact with its target past the overmatched opponent. 

Instantly, everyone knew that something different was taking place for a moribund franchise, that history was being created right in front of their eyes.

Though I could very easily be describing the exhilaration that occurred last night at Nationals Park with the debut of Washington Nationals phenom pitcher Stephen Strasburg, it reminded me of the very first time Falcons QB Matt Ryan threw a pass in an NFL regular-season game against the Detroit Lions in 2008.

With every 101 MPH fastball and 95 MPH sinker that flew past the Pittsburgh hitters, the fans of Washington DC saw something more than a commanding presence on the mound, they witnessed a new era beginning within the nation's capital. 

It reminded me of when Ryan completed the first pass of his career to WR Michael Jenkins for a 62-yard touchdown.  Everyone watching on that Sunday afternoon in September at the Georgia Dome understood that this wasn't their father's or even their brother's Atlanta Falcons. 

Much like Strasburg, Ryan came into that game with not only a great deal of hype, but with an almost savior-like status applied to him before he even went into the huddle.  The Falcons had become a national joke, similar to the way the Nationals have been viewed in the past.

Why the comparison of these two individuals?  It's because from Game 1 of their respective careers they established three important qualities: leadership, presence and the the ability to gain the confidence of their teammates.

I think about how Matt Ryan has already changed the culture of the Falcons.  When he steps into the huddle the rest of the team knows that he's going to get the job done. 

Go back to last year at the Meadowlands.  Twice on the last possession in the 4th quarter, against both the Jets and Giants, Ryan threw for clutch touchdowns.  Although Atlanta lost against the Giants, the team knew that Ryan had "it". 

"It" cannot be defined by mere stats.  "It" separates average QBs from the great ones.  Having "It" basically means that when a player steps on the field, everyone knows they mean business. 

Throughout his first two seasons, Ryan has already made the NFL stand up and take notice. 

Opponents now see the Falcons as a serious threat.  ESPN's Colin Cowherd picked Atlanta to go to the Super Bowl (more on that in another column), in large part due to the growth of Ryan and his maturation process at quarterback.

When I see Matt Ryan, I see a leader. I see hope. I see the franchise moving from obscurity to championship caliber when he walks into the huddle. 

Critics may pick apart any aspect of his game (moves too slow, doesn't throw deep enough etc.) if they wish, but he has already shown that he is a winner. And in today's NFL, that is all you need to be successful.

Leaving the ballpark last night I saw the next great thing in Major League Baseball. But then again, we've seen it all before in Atlanta!