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The Atlanta Falcons officially have named rookie Matt Ryan the starting quarterback for the commencement of the 2008 regular season.
“We have evaluated Matt through OTAs, mini-camp, training camp and over the course of three preseason games,” head coach Mike Smith said. “After reviewing Matt’s progress, we feel like he has won the starting job.”
”I think you have to take starting in stride and keep working hard the same way I have been,” Ryan said. “I will keep doing what I have done to get to this point. It is only the beginning. I am excited to get things started.”
Ryan, the third overall pick in the 2008 draft, beat out Chris Redman and Joey Harrington.
There are different schools of thought as to whether it makes sense to throw a rookie quarterback into the fray. Some think that a bad first-year experience can hurt the quarterbacks development. Others believe in letting them get a proverbial baptism by fire.
August 24th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Quite honestly, I think that a rookie QB should start if - and only if - his offensive line can prevent him from being killed. Had Jonathan Ogden not retired, for example, I could see a move to start Joe Flacco in Baltimore; considering all of the chaos on the Ravens’ offensive line, I think it’s probably best for them to sit him for most of the year.
A team with a bad offensive line not only places its young QB at (increased) risk for injuries, but quite possibly develops bad habits from all the pounding (see David Carr and Joey Harrington’s happy feet). A good positional coach also helps…then again, teams with good QB coaches and solid offensive lines usually aren’t the ones picking QBs in the first round!
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Rating: 3.85 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
August 24th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Redman stay loose!
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Rating: 3.65 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
August 24th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Dead man walking.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
August 24th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
I can’t wait to see what Peppers does to him…
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
August 24th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Take heart Falcons fans. If I learned anything from the 2007-2008 college football season coverage on ESPN, it’s that Matt Ryan’s stare cures all known illnesses.
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August 24th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
This is irresponsible on the part of the Falcons, even if Matt Ryan is indeed the best quarterback on the roster. The fact of the matter is that, despite his preseason successes, he hasn’t come close to seeing an opposing team’s defense throw its very best out there. Atlanta’s offensive line is in no way equipped to protect a rookie signal caller who figures to undergo a steep learning curve, regardless of his talents and skill set.
If you ask me, the Falcons are setting the stage to effectively make a “David Carr” out of Matt Ryan. k
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
August 25th, 2008 at 12:48 am
OVERRATED CLAP,CLAP,CLAP,CLAP,CLAP OVERRATED CLAP,CLAP,CLAP,CLAP,CLAP
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
August 25th, 2008 at 1:02 am
From the games I have watched, Ryan has made good reads and has made solid adjustments throughout games. But, I have to agree with Hurricanes in the fact that he hasn’t seen a true NFL defense.
Dimitroff and Smith probably have a good idea with what they are getting though. It will be a run heavy offense, probably a 65/35 split. On top of that, for the O-Line, it is a hell of an incentive to play their butts off in order to protect the multi million dollar golden boy.
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August 25th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Hey, JKR….how do YOU know he is overrated when he hasn’t even played a regular season game yet? He was GREAT in college! Yes, we’ve seen great college QB’s fail multiple times when they go pro, but give the guy a chance. I think he will have a probably less than average season in ‘08, but will not make a ton of mistakes, and when he gets more talent around him, he’ll be great! Atlanta is not as bad as all the critics are saying anyways!!!
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August 25th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
“Ryan, the third overall pick in the 2008 draft, beat out Chris Redman and Joey Harrington.”
That’s some tough competition right there.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)