Atlanta Sports Fan Blog

The quarterback nicknamed “Matty Ice” hasn’t been as cool or efficient in his sophomore season. Welcome to the harsh reality of the NFL, Matt Ryan.


The Atlanta Falcons quarterback has been intercepted seven times in the past three games, including three times in Monday night’s 35-27 loss at New Orleans. That performance caused the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Mark Bradley to question Ryan’s true potential.

“What if he’s a good NFL quarterback, but not a great in the making?” the columnist wrote.

The Redskins – Atlanta’s opponent Sunday at the Georgia Dome – would love to have a “good NFL quarterback” right now. After leading the Falcons to an 11-5 record and a surprise playoff berth last season, however, the bar has been set high for Ryan.


Click here to read the full article – By Guy Curtright of Washington Times

Atlanta Falcons Sports Memorabilia
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Below are links to memorabilia available for Matt Ryan.

Birds Rip Gold Rushers Apart

Well, many Falcons fans certainly got this one wrong in expecting one of the toughest games of the season in traveling out west to play the upstart 49ers. This one was pretty much over at halftime. The Falcons showed how great they can look when every aspect of the team, offense, defense, special teams, and coaching comes together all at the right moment. Matt Ryan and Roddy White had career days, and the defense played a magnificent game in holding the 49ers to 10 points. Many wondered if the Falcons and coaches got their problems corrected on the bye week, and I think the final product speaks for itself.

Matt Ryan had a career day throwing the ball with 329 yards passing, 3 TDs (2 passing, 1 rushing), with 1 interception. Critics and fans alike have been calling for the vertical passing attack to come into play, and it certainly did today. Ryan connected with White on a 31 yard touchdown pass to go up 14 – 0 in the first quarter and united again on a 90 yard touchdown pass, with White racing 80 of the yards after shaking loose from CB Nate Clements. Ryan finished 22 for 32, completing 68.75% of his passes, breaking out against one of the best defenses in the NFL.

Click here to read the full article – By Dawson Devitt of AJC.com

Atlanta Falcons Sports Memorabilia
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Below are links to memorabilia available for Matt Ryan.

While Matt Ryan is getting a taste of what it’s like to be star NFL quarterback, the adulation is nothing like his Falcons predecessor Michael Vick received as an Atlanta celebrity.

When Vick made public appearances for the Falcons, community admiration was palpable. Fans clamored for his attention. Little kids rushed to hug him. Adults flashed cameras and shouted his name.

That’s hardly the case for Ryan, who gets treated more like just another player rather than the 2008 offensive rookie of the year.

“Yeah, it’s part of the job, no question about it,” Ryan said this week. “I would never go seeking it. You know what I mean?


Click here to read the full article – By GEORGE HENRY of ledger-enquirer.com

Atlanta Falcons Sports Memorabilia
and other Atlanta Falcons Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for Matt Ryan.

The Falcons’ offense is as good as advertised: From their second play (a 43-yard run by RB Michael Turner) to their last (a 14-yard touchdown pass from QB Matt Ryan to TE Tony Gonzalez), Atlanta’s starters looked unstoppable. In just two series, the Falcons’ first-team offense accounted for 147 yards and two touchdowns.

Jason Smith has a lot of work to do: The Rams’ first-round draft pick (No. 2 overall) had some good moments, but he showed plenty of room for improvement. On back-to-back second-quarter plays, the offensive tackle gave up a sack and whiffed on a run block, receiving a holding penalty in the process.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of NFL.com

Atlanta Falcons Sports Memorabilia
and other Atlanta Falcons Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for Matt Ryan.

Roddy White apparently wants Larry Fitzgerald-type money, but there’s a problem: Roddy White isn’t Larry Fitzgerald. Roddy White on his best day is among the NFL’s top five receivers. Larry Fitzgerald on his worst day is the best in the business.

At first the folks in Flowery Branch sort of shrugged at White’s holdout, but now they’re getting irritated. He needs to be in camp for several reasons, and here, in no particular order, they are:

• In years past, some Falcons seeking more money figured, “Arthur Blank will just disregard his lieutenants and pay me what I’m asking.” That’s not happening this time.

• Every day White is away is another day for Matt Ryan to think of Tony Gonzalez as his new default receiver, a status previously afforded White.

• Every day White is away, another of the Falcons’ higher-ups starts to think, “You know, Michael Jenkins and Harry Douglas aren’t bad. We can win with them if need be.”

Click here to read the full article – By Mark Bradley of AJC sports

Atlanta Falcons Sports Memorabilia
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Below are links to memorabilia available for Roddy White.

Matt Ryan is done basking in the afterglow of his very fine rookie season. Things got off to a great start with the first part of his career going for a touchdown and it just seem to keep getting better as he led the Falcons to 11-5 record and a few ticks away from the NFC South crown.

Now, what does he do for an encore? Just don’t mention the notion of a sophomore slump. The Falcons’ brain trust wasn’t to push him toward elite status in the league. To achieve that goal, they want Ryan to improve on his decision-making and his accuracy, despite completing 61.1 percent of his passes last year. During the offseason workouts, Ryan showed and even firmer command of things.

Click here to read the full article – By of falconinsider.com

Atlanta Falcons Sports Memorabilia
and other Atlanta Falcons Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for Matt Ryan.

“What a difference a year makes” is a phrase often uttered in conjunction with the Atlanta Falcons 2008 season and the season that preceded it.

The same is true this offseason as the team heads into the 2009 season with high expectations, skyscraper-high compared to the predictions most gave the team last offseason. Theirs was not exactly a formula with a history of success: rookie head coach, rookie quarterback, and a franchise with an unfortunate history.

Click here to read the full article – By Daniel Cox of examiner.com

Atlanta Falcons Sports Memorabilia
and other Atlanta Falcons Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for Matt Ryan.

Going into the 2008 football season, the Atlanta Falcons where a team looking for a leader, a coach, and an identity. The season was already labeled as “rebuilding” and several experts said they would be as bad as the 4-12, 2007 campaign.

And now, the 2009 version of the Atlanta falcons look to do something that no other falcon team has ever done: Make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. It’s possible, but it will come down to the defence playing solid and two players on offence stepping up. Those players are tackle Sam Baker and WR Michael Jenkins. The reason I say they need to step up is because Michael Turner and Roddy White both had career seasons; Matt Ryan had an incredible rookie season and will be even better in year two; the offensive line was among the best in the league.

Click here to read the full article – By Dylan Reichert of bleacherreport.com

Atlanta Falcons Sports Memorabilia
and other Atlanta Falcons Gifts and Collectibles
Below are links to memorabilia available for Michael Jenkins.