Matt Ryan and the Colts: A match made in NFL heaven?
Veteran quarterback Matt Ryan is one player who polarises opinion in the NFL today. Players and viewers alike are split on Ryan’s talent and accolades.
On one hand, it could be argued that the Falcons legend may have a shot at the Hall of Fame, mainly due to his terrific MVP season in 2016.
But with just one playoff game since 2018 and an overall playoff record of four wins and six losses, many feel Ryan doesn’t quite have the pedigree to be remembered as elite. And of course, many point to Ryan’s disastrous 2nd half performance against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl ‘51 as one of the main reasons why New England managed to overturn a 28-3 deficit.
Regardless, it’ll be very interesting to see how Ryan gets on in 2022. The Indianapolis Colts are convinced Ryan is the guy. They sent a third round pick to Atlanta for him in the offseason.
Whilst that may be a steep price to pay for a 37-year-old player, Ryan still showed impressive stats on Atlanta’s bad and rebuilding roster in 2021.
As such, there is pressure on the Colts, and Ryan himself, to improve on last year. The AFC South is essentially a two-horse race between the Colts and the Tennessee Titans, who seem to have downgraded this offseason. The Colts need to reclaim the division. And Ryan needs to prove that he’s still a top quarterback in the league.
What have the Colts got to lose?
The Colts had one of the most shocking ends of the 2022 season.
Despite only needing to win one of their last two games, Indy lost against a dysfunctional Raiders team and then to a Jacksonville Jaguars team that had nothing to play for having only won two games all season.
Then-QB Carson Wentz deservedly drew criticism for his play. This included a QB Rating of just 4.3 from ESPN in the Jaguars game. It was surprising that the Colts traded Wentz after investing a third and an eventual first-round pick in him last year.
But having one of the best running backs in Jonathan Taylor, alongside a strong offensive line with players such as Quentin Nelson and Ryan Kelly should’ve made given Wentz the opportunity to cut out his errors, rather than increase them.
Despite this, the AFC South is still one of the most wide-open divisions in the NFL. The Jaguars and Houston Texans are rebuilding around their second year QB’s Trevor Lawrence and Davis Mills. And the Titans have lost their WR1 in AJ Brown, while star Derrick Henry is coming off a long-term injury.
As a result, making a move for a prove veteran makes sense for the Colts, rather than gambling on an unproven rookie. Indianapolis have a very strong roster and should definitely be in ‘win-now’ mode.
And with Ryan’s playstyle centering around getting the best out of his running backs and tight-ends, expect less risky throws compared to Carson Wentz last year. It’s hard not to expect the Colts’ offence to be less explosive but more efficient in 2022. This could lead to a better record and a playoff berth.
Of course, everything negative about the Colts last season isn’t immediately resolved by the Ryan trade. This is the same argument from last year after the Colts moved off Philip Rivers in 2020 for Wentz.
Infact, it’s going to be big year for a lot of people in Indianapolis. Head Coach Frank Reich will be on the hot seat this season due to that Jaguars game. He still has only one playoff win in his tenure.
Meanwhile, there are still questions surrounding the Colts’ lack of weapons outside of Jonnathan Taylor. Whilst Michael Pittman Jr. is an intriguing receiver due to his athletic ability, the rest of the receiving core includes unproven rookies such as Alec Pierce and Jelani Woods.
Thankfully for the Colts, Ryan’s record with rookie receivers is surprisingly good, with tight-end Kyle Pitts earning a Pro-Bowl in his first year in 2021 and Calvin Ridley led all rookies in 2018 in touchdowns and receiving yards for the Falcons.
With that, it will be interesting to see how Ryan attempts to elevate the rookie receivers in 2022. This could make the Colts a formidable force in 2022. A star-ridden defence, productive backfield and a really solid offensive line alongside.
How will this impact Ryan’s career
For Ryan, the trade is high-risk, high-reward in terms of his career. There will be less pressure for him to make throws due to a stellar running game and one of the best run-blocking O-lines in the NFL. But is his offensive weapons any better than they were in Atlanta? I’m not so sure.
2022 will be a crucial year for Matty Ice’s career. We have seen a trend of veteran QB’s being traded for a career resurgence and either massively succeed, like Matt Stafford or Tom Brady. Or they could immediately fade away, like Phillip Rivers with the Colts in 2020.
As such, Ryan and the Colts could be an unknown in 2022. The AFC conference is full of youth and talent. That uncertainty could prove costly to the Colts in 2022. Will they finally reach the playoffs in 2022? Or will the continued one-year veteran QB trend continue? Only time will tell.
