Bomani Jones gets it wrong about Matt Ryan once again

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan continues to catch hell from all angles for no apparent reason other than being really good at his job.

By now, you’ve probably seen the raging debate on Twitter, about whether Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan belongs in the Hall of Fame. ESPN contributor Bomani Jones seemingly spent all of his Monday afternoon making the case against the current Atlanta Falcon. And yet, with each point, he seemed to get it wrong.

Let’s start with the base of the argument, does Matt Ryan belong in the Hall of Fame?

Right now, he’s on the brink. He’s already eclipsed the 50,000 yards passing mark, more than Aaron Rodgers by the way. He’s number 10 all-time and sixth among active quarterbacks. And he will without a doubt pass Eli Manning in the next two years.

Here are the quarterbacks to have thrown for 50,000 yards and 300 touchdowns in their first 12 seasons – Matt Ryan and Peyton Manning. That’s it, that is the full list.

Oh, and touchdowns, Matt Ryan is 11th all-time. Another two full seasons, he will undoubtedly be in the top 10. And right now, he has more than Hall of Famers John Elway, Joe Montana, and Johnny Unitas. Also, don’t come with the stat padding bull jive.

The man is Matty Ice for a reason, already has 30 fourth-quarter comebacks. That’s just six fewer than Tom Brady, five fewer than Drew Brees, and one less than John Elway.

Not to mention Ryan has more career wins than Joe Namath, Kurt Warner, and Jim Kelly. But still, Bomani Jones doesn’t think Matt Ryan belongs in the Hall of Fame. For starters, Ryan has at least three more solid years in him. Jones likes to make the argument that Ryan hasn’t been consistently one of the best quarterbacks in the league. And that even after his first playoff win, people were more impressed with Rusell Wilson than him.

But think of this, the Seahawks won their Super Bowl on the strength of their defense. As did the Steelers for Ben Roethlisberger. As did the Ravens with Joe Flacco. Matt Ryan has never had a defense within sneezing distance of those other teams. Yet, he’s still found a way to get into the playoffs six out of 12 seasons.

So what’s the biggest knock against Matt Ryan?

He’s a Pro Bowler, an all-pro, an MVP, an offensive player of the year, what’s missing?

A sole championship.

That’s what separates him from entering the talks with Drew Brees (who has one and also a one-time all-pro), Aaron Rodgers (who has one), Russell Wilson (who has one and has never won an MVP or beaten Ryan in the playoffs), and Kurt Warner (who has one). His resume puts him just a tier under other quarterbacks who had far stellar careers.

One could say he’s the Reggie Miller of quarterbacks. Miller never won a championship, never won an MVP, only made five all-star games in his 18 years, but yet, he sits among the best. And Matt Ryan has carried the Falcons at times when they shouldn’t have even been in games.

He may not be a shoo into the Hall of Fame just yet, but he is getting damn close. And Bomani Jones, you should respect that.