Jan 20, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) throws in the pocket against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game at the Georgia Dome. The 49ers won 28-24. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

For the last five years, we Falcons fans have been blessed.  Thomas Dimitroff came in here, took Matt Ryan as the future quarterback, and started the five year run that kept the Falcons as a major contender every single year.  Although the Falcons have what many teams might consider “weapons of mass destruction,” the most explosive part about the Atlanta offense is Matt Ryan.  He’s consistent, he’s clutch, he’s consistently clutch, he’s what any good team needs.  But what I love most about Matt Ryan is his ability to improve on his weaknesses.

Coming out of college, one of the biggest concerns was his high interception rate.  That still shows up here and there, but his interceptions are considerably down.  In his last year of school at Boston College, he threw 19 interceptions.  In Atlanta, he has never thrown over 14 in a 16 game season.  Barring outlier games where he threw 5 or 3 in one game, you’re looking at MVP caliber numbers.

A strange statistic that people tend to overlook is scrambling ability.  Matt Ryan has sneaky athleticism.  He doesn’t look like a runner; he’s a long, and lanky passer.  He ran a quick (not fast) 40 in the combine that would prove that he could run if he needed to.  But could he really?  In his senior year at Boston College, he attempted to run 68 time

s and only got 2 yards.  That’s not very promising.  Last year, he attempted 34 rushes and got a grand total of 141 yards.  TD did not draft a scrambler, but we know that if a lane is open, the receivers are covered; he’ll take that opportunity and at the same time be safe and smart about it.

Then there’s my favorite improvement.  As long as I can remember, Matt Ryan’s arm strength was criticized.  As accurate as he could be, he couldn’t throw the deep pass with a ton of accuracy.  Last offseason, Ryan committed to adding strength.  He did, and as a result, I don’t know how many times I’ve seen him launch the ball that landed perfectly into the arms of a Julio Jones running for a touchdown.  Matt Ryan now has the long ball.

The real question is “What will he improve on next?”

I’m betting on Interceptions.  I don’t think he’ll throw another 14 interceptions in 2013.  I would even bet the number is below 10.  As usual, his accuracy will be a little better, his consistency will be a little better, his arm strength will be a little better, and when all those littles are put together, we’re looking at a quarterback that will be in the MVP talk the entire season.  I think his numbers improve while the amount of yards stays relatively similar.  With a new and improved running game, Ryan won’t have to pass as much, but with fewer interceptions and an improved defense, he’ll be on the field long enough to make up for those passes.

Matt Ryan 2013 stats: 430 completions out of 600 attempts for 72%.  4, 800 yards, 35 Touchdowns, 9 Interceptions with a quarterback rating of over 100.  This Year, I think Matt Ryan finally proves that he is a top 5 quarterback.

What do you think?  Will Matty Ice be better, or worse than my prediction?

Matt Ryan is set to get an extension sometime during this off season and it will most likely be the most exciting news Atlanta Falcons fans will hear in the next couple months. We don’t know numbers yet but this contract will surely be a very high and lengthy deal for the young quarterback. This deal should happen sooner rather than later so we shouldn’t have to wait long to get our Falcons fix.

Free Agency is also still happening and although Atlanta has used most of their salary cap thus far you never know when Thomas Dimitroff will make another move. The draft is over and there are improvements that still can be made to the roster.One guy who is highly unlikely to rejoin the team is John Abraham but the longer he remains available the more confidence I have he can return. If the price is right the Falcons should be more then willing to add depth to an already dangerous Atlanta Falcons roster.

Even when the Atlanta Falcons aren’t making first page stories Blogging Dirty is always there to give us Falcons Fanatics different perspectives and new content to read up on so we can keep in touch with the team we love.Atlanta should make more headlines before the first snap of the regular season but until then we can only look forward to the force we will be when that time finally comes.

Professional Actor Demonstrates "Talon Clench"

Welcome back to continuing coverage of me throttling the neck of “The Dirty Bird”. In this follow-up (link to previous article), I would like to resurrect the bird, although I would like to give him a better name. In plain words, the Falcons organization has a new identity, and it is time that we as fans use the right labels and displays to reflect that. The old “Dirty” has to go. “Dirty”, when applied to the Atlanta Falcons, has had a connotation of lawless, lewd, or self-defeating behavior. While I personally value all of these qualities, I much prefer to see them in rappers, rock stars, and Charlie Sheen. I hate to see them in my football team because the competition is too fierce to produce a “Dirty” champion at the professional or even collegiate level. As I said in part one, the “Dirty Birds” were a team satisfied with a fortunate Super Bowl berth. I am not on that team. I am on the team of Matt Ryan, Mike Smith, Thomas Dimitroff, and Arthur Blank. We hunger for the Lombardi Trophy and we will rip the throats out of those who stand against us! That’s right, and I’m speaking on behalf of all five of us.

So where do we go from here? We are vicious, but we are not dirty, and in fact, we are beautiful. Fortunately, for Falcons fans, our mascot embodies the perfect compromise.

The falcon is a bird of prey on a freakish level. It can fly at over 200 mph, diving in your general direction, and then, at the very last instant, it can change its flight path dramatically and gouge out your eye with one of its large talons. Do you think it is hard to swat a housefly? That turd-gobbler is capable of bursting to 15 mph when threatened. Scientists recently clocked the falcon at 242 mph. It is the fastest living thing, period.

What will you do when the Falcon decides that your eyeball would look good on his thumb talon? You should be very vigilant. Try to detect the Falcon before he strikes. It will be hard for he is not large. You could perhaps spot him at 50 or 100 yards. The problem for you is that when you see him from that distance, he can see you as though he were five or ten yards away. His visual acuity is at least ten times greater than yours. Yet, you still feel secure. The falcon is weak compared to you. You have the strength of a Chicago Bear, a Detroit Lion, or a Tennessee Titan. Ha-ha-ha! The Falcon laughs at your strength. What good is your strength when you have no eyes? The Falcon will strip every inch of your flesh if it takes from August to February.

You never even considered it, but in the UFC of NFL mascots, the Falcon wins (don’t try to argue for the Chargers, I have that one COVERED…. $#*@ – a charger is defined as something used to charge batteries, a war horse, or a decorative platter – if you want to ignore the definition and focus on the bolt symbol, then in order for a lightning bolt to compete in the UFC of NFL mascots, it must have a will of its own, which is of course, one absurdity heaped upon another). The falcon is at the apex of the food chain, meaning it has no known predators, including man. If you are considering hunting one, leave the shotgun at home. Napalm is a better option, but the falcon would probably escape that as well. You guessed it – to kill a falcon you will probably have to exercise the nuclear option.

Therefore, my point is that, once you understand the falcon’s alpha dominance, you do not have to make up silly nicknames for it to be a special mascot. I say that we give it a fierce nickname that reflects the vicious glory of the animal. The falcon is the world’s most widespread bird of prey, or raptor (no, raptors are not eight foot tall genius dinosaurs that made Jeff Goldblum speak in choppy sentences in the nineties – don’t tell Toronto, but that was pure Hollywood). Raptor is from the same Latin root as the words rape and rapacious. So why don’t we build on the word raptor for a fun nickname? How about the Red and Black Raptors? That is so simple, why didn’t I think of that? Even more fierce, is Black Raptors, which kind of sounds like black rappers, which may or may not be a good thing. You decide. The Ravens cannot call themselves that because they are classified as scavengers, not raptors. They are stout birds, but pussies compared to falcons. I think that will suffice. Let us focus on the fierceness of the raptor rather than the dirtiness of the bird, whatever that was. Now, let us build on the “Raptor Revolution”.

One fun motto for the Raptor Revolution can harken back to Napoleon Dynamite who asked, “Do the chickens have large talons?” Unfortunately for Napoleon, the question was never answered because the farmer didn’t know what a “talon” was. For our motto, we can answer his question. “We Have Large Talons” can be a fun slogan for fans of the Red and Black Raptors.

But wait, there’s more!!! Instead of doing the stupid “dirty bird” dance, you can show your Falcons pride by “showing your talons”. To do so, simply extend your thumb, index, and middle fingers while clenching the other two (see pic above – it is really made of four talons, but the shape is three-pronged). You can do it palm facing out like you are snatching prey. Try it – suddenly you are doing it repeatedly like the “tomahawk chop”! My dream is a sea of fans all doing the “talon clench” in unison (I considered calling it the “talon snatch” but restrained myself). If you really want to get freaky, belt out your best high-pitched “caw” as you strike at the air.

But that is not all you get!!! To be even more aggressive, fully extend all three talons and face the palm inward, like you are “flicking the bird”. Do this while making a tough face, and you are “flicking the raptor”. I don’t know about you, but when I do it with my hand and face, it looks pretty fierce.

“Flicking the raptor” will serve three purposes. First, it will serve as the Falcons fan’s universal response to chants of “Who Dat” (hopefully, at least one person will get stabbed because of this). Second, it is a way to wake up fellow Falcon fans who are not participating in the “Raptor Revolution”. If you see someone occupying a dome seat who is not yelling and cheering like their hair is on fire, perhaps you should “give them the talons” in a serious yet encouraging way.  Finally, “showing your talons” will be a way for fans to salute one another in any situation.  For example, when I wear my Falcons hats and t-shirts in public, I would like to have a way to say hi to others who are wearing Falcons gear.  Up until now, I usually just said “Go Falcons” which made me feel a little proud but a lot awkward.  For some reason, I think it would be much smoother to flash my talons at my fellow fan, and if he/she is not paying attention, I will demand it with a fierce “Caw!”  I leave you with some sounds and images of the way the “Raptor Revolution” feels about the other 31 NFL franchises. Finally, if you still doubt the alpha dominance of the falcon, go here.