Proof that Matt Ryan could still be a quality starting quarterback in the NFL
Matt Ryan has 12 million reasons to not retire after he officially announced he would join CBS Sports. If he retires, then he loses out on a lot of money that the Colts owe him after releasing him. So while it seems unlikely that he will get back in pads, there is still substantial proof that he can be a quality starting quarterback in the NFL.
Also Read: Is Matt Ryan hinting at wanting to join the Atlanta Falcons again?
Matt Ryan had a disastrous season with a disastrous Indianapolis Colts team. It was hard to watch and the organization attempted to blame Ryan (twice) only to find out that the problem was rooted deep in their roster.
Most fans are saying that he is washed up and completely incapable of leading an NFL offense but these four stats would say otherwise.
1. Matt Ryan had the 10th-highest on-target % and the 10th-lowest bad throw % in the NFL
Most people will be shocked to hear that Matt Ryan had the 10th-highest percentage of on-target passes while also having the 10th-lowest percentage of bad throws.
His on-target percentage of 76.7% was tied with Tua Tagovailoa and was higher than guys like Kirk Cousins, Dak Prescott, Jared Goff, Trevor Lawrence, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, etc.
Ryan's bad throw percentage of 13.5% was better than Jalen Hurts, Aaron Rodgers, Trevor Lawrence, Patrick Mahomes, Tua Tagovailoa, Josh Allen, Tom Brady, Dak Prescott, and Lamar Jackson, among others.
Matt Ryan was not a bad passer and these two stats show it. He is a player who can deliver an accurate pass to any wide receiver in the NFL.
2. Matt Ryan ranked 2nd when kept clean, 10th when under pressure, and 3rd altogether, in adjusted completion percentage
We all know how finicky completion percentage can be. Drops can completely screw up a stat like that, so Pro Football Focus lists each quarterback's adjusted completion percentage for a more accurate representation and Matt Ryan dominated.
Let's start with his adjusted completion percentage when he had a clean area to throw the ball. Only one player had a percentage better than Matt Ryan's 82.3%, and that was Daniel Jones. It was better than Patrick Mahomes, Trevor Lawrence, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and dozens of other NFL QBs.
While his percentage didn't rank quite as high when he was under pressure, he still ranked 10th at 67%. And then as a whole, he was 3rd in adjusted completion percentage (78.6%). Only Daniel Jones and Justin Herbert were better in that area.
3. Matt Ryan was 14th in passing first downs despite playing in only 12 games
One of the main goals of an NFL quarterback is to keep the chains moving on your way to the end zone and that is something Matt Ryan did remarkably well last season despite being in a dysfunctional offense.
Matt Ryan was able to pass for 156 first downs which tied him with Daniel Jones for the 14th most in the NFL.
However, that does not tell the whole story. Every player ahead of him played in more games. Tua Tagovailoa (who was throwing to some explosive receivers) is the only player above him who played in less than 15 games. Eight of those players played in all 17 regular season games, three played in 16 games (including Daniel Jones), and two played in 15 games. The 13 first downs per game pace he was on would have landed him seventh on the list if he were to have played in all 17 games.
To make it even more impressive, Matt's receivers had the third-lowest average yards after catch in the NFL. He did as much as he could with as little as he had.
4. Matt Ryan was 2nd in 4th quarter comebacks and 5th in game-winning drives
Matty Ice has often been criticized for "melting" in games but that couldn't be further from the truth. He isn't the one melting, his teammates are.
The Indianapolis Colts had their eyes set on a Super Bowl and instead, they got the third-overall pick. I feel like a broken record but it was a complete disaster. With that being said, they likely wouldn't have won a single game last season as they went 4-7-1 with Ryan under center and 0-5 with their other two quarterbacks.
Matt Ryan even willed them to win those games as he had 5 fourth-quarter comebacks (which includes the overtime tie) which was the second most in the NFL. Kirk Cousins was the only QB with more.
Ryan also had four game-winning drives which was fifth behind Kirk Cousins (8) and Tom Brady (5), Justin Herbert (5), and Daniel Jones (5).
Needless to say, Matt Ryan, even at age 38, is still an accurate, opportunistic, clutch quarterback who can still be a good starter in the NFL.