FLOWERY BRANCH -- Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is on pace to have his lowest passer rating since 2015.
Going into the final three games of the season, Ryan’s passer rating is 90.3. Ryan and the Falcons (6-8) are set to host the Detroit Lions (2-11-1) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
In 2015, in his first season under former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, he had an 89 rating. His career-low was 80.9 in 2009, his second season in the NFL.
Ryan has not had seven games in a row without passing for at least 300 yards since the 2010 season. From weeks 10-16 that season, Ryan passed for 253, 197, 205, 227, 174, 148 and 236 yards.
Ryan has not passed for more than 300 yards in the past six games, since he passed for 336 in the 30-23 upset of the Saints on Nov. 7.
Also, Ryan, holder of 21 franchise passing records, needs two touchdown passes to surpass Eli Manning (366) for the ninth most touchdown passes in NFL history. However, Ryan hasn’t thrown two touchdown passes in a game since the win over the Saints.
Despite the slight down tick, the Falcons are not overly concerned.
“He’s been awesome,” Falcons offensive coordinator Dave Ragone said.
Ryan, while being the most-hit quarterback in the league, has completed 324 of 480 passes (67.5%) for 3,340 yards, 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He’s played most of the season without wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who’s away from the team to address his mental well-being.
Ryan has been sacked 29 times, hit 78 times and hurried on 37 other throws.
Earlier in the season, Ryan was firing away, throwing quick passes. The Falcons have been trying to establish their rushing attack so that Ryan and throw off of play-action fakes.
“I think what you see is we don’t become one-dimensional,” Falcons coach Arthur Smith said. “We can keep them off-balance. It opens up a lot of different things you can do. Certainly, when you’re playing a really good front four, which San Fran (who defeated the Falcons 31-13 on Sunday), they are. They’ve got a lot of good players up there. You try to mitigate your risk, not just sit in the same spot in the pocket.”
Some teams have taken those quick routes away, and Ryan has needed more time from his offensive line.
“So, it all goes into it, and then also the things and the coverages you’re seeing behind it in the way you try to manipulate the underneath (routes),” Smith said.
The offensive line has been up and down this season.
“Certainly, we had felt the last couple of weeks we had been playing better,” Smith said. “I’d argue Carolina has a pretty physical defense, and I think they were second in the league at the time when we played them. We went up there and played pretty well, especially upfront.”
The group regressed against the 49ers. They couldn’t convert in short-yardage situation, and Ryan was sacked three times and hit 10 times.
“It was kind of the polar opposite (against the 49ers),” Smith said. “You look at going up to Carolina, I thought we played really well on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Go out to San Francisco, or Santa Clara, and they got after us on both sides of the line of scrimmage.
“We’ve made progress, certainly, (against the 49ers) wasn’t what we wanted. We’ll continue to work at it. We’ll continue to look at every option on the table. Like everything we’re trying to do, we’re trying to improve this football team, but they certainly won the game upfront.”
Ryan, who turns 37 in May, has two years left on his contract and has plenty of support from the new coaching staff.
“I’ve said that from Day 1,” Ragone said. “You always, when you are on different teams and you’re coaching that position, you obviously study guys throughout the league. Matt has been one just because of the similar offenses that Matt has run, that we, at that time were running in different places that we were at. I would use Matt in the (film) cut-ups. I would show his footwork. I would show his eyes. I would show his ballhandling.”
Ragone has an even greater respect for Ryan after watching him up close through 14 regular-season games.
“To be able to now work with him and see how much pride that he takes in every detail that goes into just preparing himself for practice, let alone a game, you have much appreciation for someone like that from afar,” Ragone said. “But when you a chance to actually watch him, sit their and observe and coach him, he’s everything that you can imagine in terms of (being) a professional. He goes about it the right way.”
Ryan will try to close out the season strong.
“He never cheats the game,” Ragone said. “What I mean by that, if it’s a practice rep or if it’s a game rep, he is giving you everything that he’s got on every play. That’s carrying out a fake. That’s getting in the right check or whatever it is mentally or physically, he never cheats a snap.”
Falcons quarterbacks coach Charles London also is a big Ryan supporter.
“I don’t think people understand the preparation that he takes every week to play a game on Sunday,” London said. “He’s just doesn’t roll the ball out there, show up and go. His preparation is unbelievable.”
Ryan also is a video-room junkie.
“The amount of time that he goes back researching things, it is what a professional quarterback does,” London said. “He’s the consummate pro. His preparation is what has really impressed me the most.”
The Falcons also like the bond that Ryan is developing with rookie tight end Kyle Pitts, who was named to the Pro Bowl team Wednesday.
“Just the two of them working out and figuring each other out,” London said. “Kyle figuring out where Matt is going to throw the ball and Matt figuring out where Kyle is going to be. You keep doing it day after day, after day, after day.
“You see the trust that Matt has in Kyle. Look, I’m going to put this ball to a spot, and he’s going to up and get it. ... That’s just the trust that the two of them have developed. The more they continue to work together, the better it is going to get.”
Credit: ArLuther Lee
Credit: ArLuther Lee
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