As is the case every year, a lot of rookies came into the NFL with a lot of hype for various reasons; Darren McFadden was the twice-runner up to the Heisman Trophy. Chris Long has football in his bloodline
. Very few players could match up with the intensity that Glenn Dorsey was supposed to bring to the field.
None of the above-mentioned players have lived up to their high-draft billing thus far, but Matt Ryan has looked like a star all through the season, right from his very first pass, a 62-yard touchdown heave to Michael Jenkins. He's a Tom Brady/Peyton Manning type who can win multiple Super Bowls,
commented Jenkins.
The way the pundits talked, you would have thought that Matt Ryan had bust written all over him...these are the same pundits who said, I think when you look at (David) Carr and (Joey) Harrington 3, 4 years down the road, you are not going to call any one of these two players a bust or a disappointment.
Matt Ryan's success stands alone. Chris Johnson has made a hefty case for himself, but he plays for the Titans whose system has always relied heavily on the running game (primarily because none of their receivers can catch the ball).
As such, you can't call Ryan the product of a system
because his system is brand new. Likewise, you can't say he's benefiting from a star-studded supporting cast, because less Michael Turner he's leading the same offense that went 4-12 just last season. So what makes Matt Ryan special? His nickname Matty Ice
might serve as an answer to that question.
He's cool, in more ways than one. Cool by quickly making friends and building rapport with his teammates.
Cool by staying calm enough under pressure to put his team in a position to win a two-point game against the Bears with one second left on the clock.
Cool by being the young kid, leading his team to victory, and all the while staying humble.But what might make his story so compelling is that just over a year ago, the Falcons organization was busy trying to rid itself of the stain of Michael Vick's dog fighting controversy. The fans and team, however, remained supportive of Vick. Matt Ryan has come into this community and won over the support of Atlanta's fanbase the only way he's ever known how - winning and performing at a higher level than anyone has expected of him.
Though a case could be made to argue that Chris Johnson is deserving of the rookie of the year, the learning curve from college to professional football for a running back is much smaller than that for a quarterback, and Matt Ryan's quick development into a reliable week-in week-out starter is nothing short of spectacular. With his success this season, it wouldn't surprise many if he takes a team all the way in the near future (yes, even the Atlanta Falcons).
