It is hard to argue that no rookie in the NFL this upcoming season will be more scrutinized than Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.
From interviews I have heard with him, he seems like he is upbeat and ready for the challenge at hand---and he knows---it is a very big one. Replacing Michael Vick, in a city that came to, at one time adore him. Replace Vick, who led the Falcons from mediocrity to meteoric heights. He did it all with such style and an athletic sensibilty almost never seen before. Then, it all started going wrong.
These days, the face of Falcons is no longer the man who handed Green Bay their first ever loss at home in the postseason, it's instead a fresh face from Boston College, with loads of potential and perhaps even greater pressure.
With the topic of pressure, comes expectations. This is where I don't think Ryan is even the most scrutinized rookie with the name "Ryan"----seriously. To me, that falls to Ryan Clady, the offensive tackle drafted by the Broncos in the first round of the NFL Draft this past April.
Do I think Clady has more pressure on him than Ryan? At least in the short term, I do. Matt Ryan will have more pressure on him over long haul, but since the Falcons have struggled so mightily as a franchise over the last year, I think Ryan, like a lot of rookie quarterbacks will get a momentary break from scrutiny. After all, Troy Aikman was 1-15 his rookie year and Peyton Manning was 3-13 in his first year. Both went on to win the Super Bowl, in Aikman's case, he won it three times. However, even those two guys got the chance to grow and develop. Ryan, on a team many think isn't that talented to begin with and is starving for fans at the moment, should get a free pass at least this season. The odds really are stacked against his chances for instant football success and the timetable for a proper evaluation should reflect those obstacles, which will possibly take years to fix.
With Clady, the impact should be more clear. Mike Shanahan has named Clady the starter. They have not done that with Ryan in Atlanta yet. Clady will be expected to protect the blind side of Jay Cutler. I think its fair to say, that this team, may go as far as Cutler can take it. Clady's effectiveness in learning the team's system will be a huge factor in determining how successful Cutler can be this season. The way Shanahan more or less handed him the job, at least for the moment, shows they are expecting a huge year from Clady in 2008. The Falcons are expecting a huge year for Matt Ryan as well----maybe in the 2013 season.
See you on Wednesday, I hope. Have a great day.
-"z"
