Atlanta Falcons’ Ryan vs Packers’ Rodgers is the best QB battle in the NFL
The games between the Atlanta Falcons’ Matt Ryan and the Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers since Ryan entered the league in 2008 and Rodgers became the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers in 2008 have been must see television.
I wrote a blog piece a couple of weeks ago regarding the emerging rivalry between the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks.
As I was typing it up, I thought about another team that the Atlanta Falcons had faced quite a bit over the years, the Green Bay Packers. I then thought about the amount of times Ryan and Rodgers have put on a show against each other. I also remembered that not many people have a winning record against Rodgers, but Ryan does. Ryan currently holds a 5-4 advantage in the series.
This made me think about all the times the teams have faced off in the playoffs and important regular season matchups. This leads us into this post about the rivalry between Ryan and Rodgers.
The first meeting came in 2008, when both guys were first time starters in the NFL. The Atlanta Falcons won the game 27-24 at Green Bay. Rodgers out performed Ryan, but Ryan still got the win.
The next meeting came in 2010. The Atlanta Falcons won 20-17 in Atlanta. Rodgers, again, outperformed Ryan, but lost yet again.
Their third meeting came in the NFC Divisional Round of the 2011 playoffs. The Green Bay Packers and Rodgers won 48-21, embarrassing the top seeded Falcons in Atlanta on route to a Super Bowl title. Rodgers, again (starting to sound like a broken record), outperformed Ryan.
The fourth meeting came late that year. The Green Bay Packers picked up a 25-14 win in Atlanta. Rodgers…sigh…outperformed Ryan again.
The fifth meeting came on Monday Night Football in 2014. The game was arguably the most exciting and explosive game of the year. Both quarterbacks gave it their all and put on a show. The Packers were able to sneak out of Green Bay, Wisconsin with a 43-37 win.
The sixth meeting came in 2016 in yet another exciting and fun matchup that saw the Falcons pull off a 33-32 win in Atlanta. Ryan and Rodgers, much like the previous matchup, both had great games and were basically even down the stat line.
The seventh meeting came in the 2017 NFC Championship game. The Falcons obliterated the Packers 44-21 in Atlanta, with the score not indicating just how big of an ass kicking this game was. Ryan had one of the best performances in Atlanta post-season history, outperforming Rodgers in every aspect, even rushing touchdowns.
The eighth meeting came in week 2 of the 2017 season in Atlanta. The Falcons won 34-23 in Atlanta, giving Ryan a third consecutive victory over Rodgers.
The most recent meeting came last season in Green Bay. The Packers won 34-20.
Next. Falcons should be favorited to win the NFC South. dark
Two great quarterbacks going at it to try and be the best. Ryan has won some and Rodgers has won some, each outperforming the other on multiple occasions. Some people may not look at these two quarterbacks as rivals, but I do. Very few quarterbacks are currently winning the head-to-head matchup against Rodgers and I think that’s what makes this a rivalry. The fact that Ryan can stand toe-to-toe with Rodgers and the two teams continue to play great games against one another is what makes this a rivalry.