Don't Call Him Rookie: A Profile Of Matt Ryan

"He's so far beyond his age, it's unbelievable...nobody even calls him Rook around here."--Chris Redman as quoted in Sports Illustrated.

With the third pick in the 2008 NFL Draft the Atlanta Falcons, under new GM Thomas Dimitrioff, selected Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan. 

Ryan was expected to be the spark that fired up the Falcons offense in the years to come. It only took six weeks for Ryan to turn that spark into a full fledged bonfire.

Ryan was considered the best QB in the college ranks but this years crop of QB's were considered far weaker than most other years.  Pundits all over the tube argued about his credentials and his touchdown to interception ratio (31/19) and whether he was worthy of being such a high draft choice in a draft with so many great peripheral players.

Falcon fans were torn.  The former starter for the Birds left in handcuffs and he still had a very strong following in Atlanta. Replacing him would be a difficult if not painful for a large percentage of the fanbase. The Falcons other choice was to go after Glenn Dorsey, secure the defensive line for years, and select a QB later in the draft.  Players like Flacco and Brohm being most commonly coveted.

Yet Dimitroff, a self proclaimed "QB snob", went after Ryan and his "it" factor.

The "it" factor.  I've heard that word countless times when someone described Ryan.  What exactly is "it"?  How does it differ from the "wow" factor and where does someone go to learn this "it"?  Is this something genetic?  Do I have to be a Sith apprentice to acquire this magical thing?

Even Coach Smith said last week that Matt had "it" but that he didnt know what "it" was.

What we do know is that Ryan has brought to the table what has been lacking in Atlanta for years, real leadership.  So far his statistics have been good but not stellar.  He has a  57.8 completion percentage and just over 1,100 passing yards. Five touchdowns against three interceptions and his rating of 82.9 isn't going to knock your socks off on paper but its on the field that you get to see who Ryan is...a true leader.

Has he made rookie mistakes, sure. His first pass against Carolina was picked off and run in for a score.  Thankfully it was negated by a penalty but it's instances like these where we see some of the rough edges he still has to hone.  Yet these faux pas are happening less and less each week and come far less often than you would expect from any other rookie.

Ryans on-field abilities are apparent in the coaching staffs confidence in him.  Do you recall a rookie QB who was not only given the start in his first season but also calls his own plays from a no-huddle offense?  I don't. Yet Smith and his staff have given that power to Ryan who has been using it since week 3.

Last week against the Bears Ryan showed a National stage what "it" really is. Pocket presence, grace under fire, poise, leadership, unrelenting drive, and a never say die attitude...all of these qualities wrapped up into a single QB...led the Falcons to their fourth win of the season. 

Unless you've been living in a cave you saw the highlights and while his stats weren't dynamic (22/30, 301, one TD), Ryan took command of his team and showed everyone why he was selected third and just what "it" is that makes him a different kind of rookie.

Ryan showed that a game can be won on his arm when the running game is shut down and proved that gone are the days when the Falcons were a one-dimensional team.  At 4-2 the Falcons have already exceeded this seasons expectations and after enjoying their bye week they, along with Ryan, will be in Philly to take on the Eagles.

As far as describing the "it" factor?  For future reference Websters can just list it as:

"IT" adjective; See Matt Ryan.