QB Matt Ryan - Atlanta Falcons

6-4, 228

Born: 5-17-1985

College: Boston College

Drafted: Round 1, pick 2008

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Photo: Brett Davis, US Presswire

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From the upgrade/downgrade report (Mon Dec 2): Ryan mostly put up numbers in garbage time, but got a ton of attempts and that might not change down the stretch, keeping him in low QB1 consideration against the Panthers this week.

Week 14: vs Carolina Panthers

All QB vs CAR

FBG says: Neutral matchup. Matt Ryan has been productive throughout 2019 on a raw-numbers level. He's averaged 309 yards per full game, and he's thrown multiple touchdowns in 7 of those 10 starts. But from an efficiency standpoint, he's mostly muddled through another lost Falcons season. It's taken a ton of volume to hit those good-not-great numbers; Ryan is posting his lowest yardage per attempt since 2010. And he's even trending downward, with much of his recent production coming in pure garbage time. On Thanksgiving, he needed 50 attempts to reach 312 and 2 scores. In the meantime, he absorbed nine sacks and handed over three back-breaking turnovers. Ryan excelled in this matchup back in Week 11, but it's hard to project another blowout win by this flailing Falcons team. It would be even harder for Ryan to rebound without Julio Jones and Austin Hooper, though both look probable for Sunday. Even so, there are quite a few roadblocks at play here. With so many injuries in the way, a porous line up front, and a nonexistent running game to boot, this attack looks like little more than a volume-based fantasy stab. That high early-season ceiling looks like buried history right now. The Panthers pass defense has been decidedly up-and-down throughout 2019. Five of their 12 opponents have topped 300 yards, and 9 different receivers have recorded 95 or more. Against these Falcons in Week 11, Calvin Ridley and Julio Jones combined to turn 16 targets into 232 yards and a touchdown). Still, it's worth noting that the Panthers have faced one of the league's toughest pass-game schedules. And while they've allowed quite a few big games, they've also shown well in matchups with Aaron Rodgers (233 scoreless yards), Deshaun Watson (160), and Jameis Winston (208 and 1 touchdown). Outside cornerbacks James Bradberry and Donte Jackson have both been Pro Bowl-caliber in coverage, while free safety Tre Boston has bounced back into great form on his own. With a strong pass rush up front (a league-high 46 sacks), this is not an easy unit to beat down the field. Matt Ryan and company may find raw-numbers success Sunday, but it's hard to project much efficiency as things stand.

Recent Stats and Projections

WEEK	OPP		oSNAP	CMP	ATT	YD	TD	INT	RSH	YD	TD	FumL	Pts
10	at NO		79	20	35	182	2	1	2	13	0	0	17.4
11	at CAR		64	21	31	311	1	0	2	0	0	0	19.55
12	vs TB		76	23	46	271	0	1	1	8	0	1	11.35
13	vs NO		93	35	50	312	2	2	3	21	0	1	21.7
14	vs CAR		0	20	34	313	2	0	1	8	0	0	24.45
14	vs CAR	PROJ-Dodds	*	26	39	*	*	*	2	*	*	*	*
14	vs CAR	PROJ-Tremblay	*	26	40	*	*	*	2	*	*	*	*
14	vs CAR	PROJ-Bloom	*	26	35	*	*	*	1	*	*	*	*

Weekly Performance vs QB 1, QB 12, QB 24

Percentile ranks

Matt Ryan's percentile rank in each category, among QB with more than 50 fantasy points.

Recent Game Summaries

2019 Week 13 vs NO (35 / 50 / 312 / 2 / 2 pass, 3 / 21 / 0 rush)

Beginning the game in an empty set, Ryan took a sack off left tackle after Ryan held onto the ball too long in the quick game and lost seven yards. Two plays later, Ryan settled for a quick check-down to Calvin Ridley for a four-yard gain on a 3rd and 13, leading to a punt that Taysom Hill blocked and gave the Saints a short field. A cornerback blitz ended the second series when Ryan tried to bring the ball down and during the pressure and re-fire but the target arrived short of Christian Blake in the flat and forced a second punt. Ryan found Blake on a short slant to set up a third-and-short early in Atlanta's third series and followed up with a second slant to Blake to convert. A personal foul on Marshon Lattimore after the play, the cover corner on Blake, gave Atlanta's offense another 15 yards and put them in Saints' territory. Ryan took another sack when he slipped trying to break the pocket from a Camo Jordan rush two plays later. Ryan and Ridley drew a pass interference call later in the drive to get Atlanta inside the red zone at with a little more than a minute left in the first quarter. Ryan targeted Blake on a fourth-and-one in the end zone but coverage blocked off the break path and the ball sailed incomplete, leading to a turnover on downs. Ryan had Calvin Ridley wide open on this two-man combination route but targeted the covered receiver, Blake. Ryan overshot Blake on a deep out while under pressure after a seven-step drop to begin the fourth series. Left guard James Carpenter left the game at the end of the third series and didn't return. Ryan then underthrew a wide-open Ridley on a deep fade on the following drive, but Ridley drew a defensive pass interference call to save the play and get Atlanta into the red zone. Ryan found Jaeden Graham up the right seam for a touchdown with a well-played throw over the linebacker off play-action and Graham caught the ball at the two and forced his way into the end zone. The Saints faked the blitz on a drive late in the half and Ryan had to pull down the ball when he didn't see the coverage look he expected and was forced to hold onto the ball and take his third sack of the half. Ryan took a fourth sack, the second by Marcus Davenport, to begin the third quarter on a third-down passing play where his first read--a receiver screen--didn't come open. This forced another punt. Ryan hesitated to target a wide-open slant to Christian Blake late in the third quarter and wound up throwing the ball behind a covered Calvin Ridley. Ryan threw an interception to defensive lineman Shai Tuttle, who picked off a side-arm attempt of a check-down to Freeman late in the third quarter and Tuttle returned the ball up the sideline to the Atlanta 49. Ryan targeted Kenjon Barner on a scramble drill check-down seven-yards behind the line of scrimmage rather than checking the ball down during a fourth-quarter drive near midfield. After losing seven on the play, Ryan misread the coverage over the middle and delivered his second interception, which the Saints took up the right sideline to the Atlanta 29. The Saints extended the lead to 14 with a 42-yard field goal off that turnover. During the subsequent drive, Ryan converted a third-down with a run up the middle but had the ball punched loose and turned over the football near midfield once again. Ryan rolled away from pressure to his right and delivered a deep cross to Graham inside the 20, taking a hit that somersaulted him to the turf and he needed assistance but walked off the field on his own. Craig Robertson ran through Freeman on a blitz to sack Ryan late in the game after Atlanta recovered an onside pick.

2019 Week 12 vs TB (23 / 46 / 271 / 0 / 1 pass, 1 / 8 / 0 rush)

On the opening drive, he found Jaeden Graham for 53 yards on the second play of the game. Once in the red zone, Ryan threw the ball away twice while under heavy pressure and couldn't connect with Calvin Ridley on a slant inside the five due to double coverage that broke up the target. Ryan had Ridley and Julio Jones doubled on this play. During the next series Ryan dealt with increased edge pressure. Still, he found Julio Jones for 31 on a third-and-three slant up the right sideline against man coverage. Two plays later, Ryan shrugged off Shaq Barrett's reach and found a way to throw the ball away. Ryan hit Ridley again on a fade but Ridley let the ball bounce off his hands on a third-and-long pass up the right sideline while dealing with pressure. After forcing the ball under pressure to Calvin Ridley on a well-defended pass, Ryan avoided Barrett again on third down to reach the Atlanta five for a first down. He made a good anticipation throw for 13 on the out early in the second quarter. Devin White earned a free lane up past Brian Hill up the A gap for a sack. Hill could not earn position as he executed a play fake. Barrett followed up with a dip-and-rip under left tackle Jake Matthews with a sack and near-fumbled forced. Pressure forced Ryan to rush a crossing route to Jones midway through the second quarter and the defensive back Mike Edwards broke up the pass. White sacked Ryan on the next play, stunting through the right tackle and forced a punt with five minutes in the half. Ryan nearly had a crossing route to Christian Blake undercut with 30 seconds remaining in the half. Jones suffered a shoulder injury late in the first half and deemed questionable to begin the third quarter. Ryan began his first drive of the second half with a 19-yard completion up the left seam to Gage. He then threw the ball up for grabs to Ridley with heavy pressure in his face. Ridley nearly caught the sailed ball on the post route but safety Carlton Davis pulled the ball away from the receiver. Lavonte David nearly cut off a pass over the middle while Ryan climbed the pocket from pressure. On the next play, Ryan nearly hit Ridley on a go route at the back of the end zone but a Jake Matthews hold would have nullified the play even if Ridley got the second foot inbounds. Once again, Ryan threw a ball into tight coverage cutting off the ball but it went through the corner's hands and into Ridley's hands on the out route that resulted in a first down in the red zone. Vita Vea sacked Ryan in the red zone with a swim move past James Carpenter. On the next play, pressure compressed the pocket and Ryan had his pass tipped and nearly intercepted while he was hit during the throw. Carl Nassib sacked Ryan--the fifth of the day on the Falcons--to begin a drive later in the fourth quarter. Jason Pierre-Paul stripped the ball from Ryan for the sixth sack of the day and Ndamukong Suh recovered and returned for the game-sealing score. Atlanta inserted Matt Schaub for cleanup duty for a final drive after going down by 21 points.

2019 Week 11 vs CAR (21 / 31 / 311 / 1 / 0 pass, 2 / 0 / 0 rush)

He began the game with the conversion of the third-down on an easy slant against off coverage to reach the Atlanta 40 and followed up with a tough throw under heavy pressure from Bruce Irvin on a play-action comeback to a wide-open Calvin Ridley for 34 yards to cross midfield. Mario Addison earned his eighth sack with a tackle of Ryan in the red zone during Atlanta's second drive, setting up a second field goal attempt from 38 yards that he missed off the right upright. Ryan had just enough time to look at one read before Addison wrapped him. Ryan seemed reticent for two third-down throws in a row to target the middle of the field when Carolina used two high safeties and on the second attempt, Shaq Thompson nearly picked off Ryan's check-down attempt to the flat. Ryan found Calvin Ridley on consecutive passes to cross midfield during a fourth drive and nearly delivered a scoring pass on a scramble to his right to Russell Gage who dropped the ball after contact from safety Tre Boston. Ryan returned to Gage over the middle while climbing the pocket from pressure, leading to a first down inside of the two-minute warning. On the next play, Gerald McCoy sacked Ryan for a loss of six after the line gave up quick pressure. He followed up with a deep seam to Julio Jones matched with Luke Kuechley for 47 yards with Mario Addison in his face. Ryan found Ridley for a six-yard score to go up by 26 after climbing from pressure and sliding to his left midway through the third quarter. Dontari Poe sacked Ryan to end a third-quarter drive near midfield--the third Carolina sack of the afternoon on Ryan. Ryan once again delivered under pressure in the fourth quarter, hitting Ridley on a fade for 42 yards.

2019 Week 10 vs NO (20 / 35 / 182 / 2 / 1 pass, 2 / 13 / 0 rush)

Atlanta ran the ball for most of the Falcons' first drive and got inside the Saints 15 before the offense earned three penalties during the next five snaps. Ryan could only muster a quick out for three yards on 2nd and 19 and then threw the ball away while falling to the ground against heavy interior pressure on 3rd and 16. This led to an opening-drive field goal of 37 yards. He sailed the ball over the head of Austin Hooper on an out route to begin the second drive. He found Ridley on third down on an out to the opposite side of the field for the conversion. Ryan later found Devonta Freeman on a blitz check-down to the left sideline for seven and then was a little high and wide to Freeman on the out on third down, leading to a fourth and four. Ryan, on his bad ankle, gimped his way around left end for a first down on a keeper. Ryan found Julio Jones late in the half on an over route where cornerback Eli Apple got picked off by his own coverage while trailing Jones, leaving Jones open for a 54-yard gain. Ryan took a sack late in the drive and forced another field goal. Ryan began the second half with a deep shot to Ridley that he underthrew while taking a hit. Interior pressure in Ryan's face on 3rd and 15 forced a high throw to the boundary and a punt. Ryan earned another first down on a third-down run to right end in the third quarter. Jones and Ryan had a miscommunication on the placement of a deep target up the left sideline on 3rd and 11 midway through the fourth quarter that resulted in an incomplete pass and a subsequent punt. Atlanta lucked out with a roughing-the-kicker call that renewed Atlanta's drive. After Atlanta's defense foiled Drew Brees but Ryan didn't account for the safety playing center field on a seemingly wide-open look to Ridley up the sideline on a deep shot. The safety intercepted the ball at the Saints' 11.

2019 Week 7 vs LAR (16 / 27 / 159 / 0 / 1 pass, 1 / 2 / 0 rush)

Ryan completed passes to Jones on a crossing route and Ridley on an out route during the first drive. He also ducked out of a Dante Fowler grab and prevented a sack near midfield to throw the ball away. The run game led the way during the first drive and after Ryan missed Ridley due to heavy pressure on third down, the Falcons kicked a 52-yard field goal for the early 3-0 lead. Fowler sacked Ryan with a strong inside move on the right tackle to sack Ryan on second down to force a 3rd and 17 during Atlanta's second drive. Corey Littleton came on a blitz on the next play, overloading the left side and putting Jalen Ramsey on Julio Jones, which resulted in a second straight sack and an Atlanta punt. Ryan found Jones and Gage during Atlanta's third drive to get Atlanta across midfield but pressure on third down forced Ryan to throw the ball well over the head of Jones with Ramsey playing tight. Ryan overthrew Julio Jones inside the five against Jalen Ramsey late in the half after finding Jones on Ramsey for 36 yards earlier in the drive. Dante Fowler earned two straight pressures on Ryan late in the half, including a forced fumble after beating rookie right tackle Caleb McGary around the corner. Down 20-3, run double clutched a screen to Mohamed Sanu and wound up with a wide throw that bounced off Sanu's hands and the Rams intercepted. Fowler beat Jake Matthews off the left side and sacked Ryan early in a drive late in the third quarter that led to a three-and-out while down 27-3. Aaron Donald sacked Matt Ryan with an inside move and knocked the ball loose during the fourth quarter and recovered the ball. Ryan was limping off the field, favoring his right leg after the sack.

2019 Week 6 vs ARI (30 / 36 / 356 / 4 / 0 pass, 2 / 7 / 0 rush)

How the Falcons offense handles defensive pressure continues to be a key issue for the unit. Ryan flushed left on the first play of the game and found Julio Jones for a first down on a comeback route. He also hit Austin Hooper on the backside of the formation that led to a strong gain after the catch to get Atlanta across midfield. A pair of offside penalties put Atlanta into scoring position and Ryan finished drive with a flat route to Calvin Ridley dressed up with pre- and post-snap motion towards the quarterback before reversing field back to the flat. Ridley committed a pass interference penalty to end the second drive of the first quarter, but it was a designed clear-out play for Julio Jones that Ryan was late to throw the ball and it contributed to Ridley's block being illegal. Rodney Gunter sacked Ryan on third down during Altanta's third drive, forcing a punt after a good first-down run by Devonta Freeman. Ryan found Jones up the seam a couple of times midway through the second quarter to mount a drive past midfield. He then hit third tight end Jaden Graham on a flea-flicker for 21 yards up the left sideline. Down 27-10, Atlanta began the third quarter in hurry-up mode. Ryan completed passes to Jones and Hooper before overthrowing a third-down target to a wide-open Ridley on and out. This led a 44-yard field goal. Ryan and the Falcons picked on Cardinals' linebacker Hassan Reddick with passes to Austin Hooper than and a Hooper-Freeman route combination on the back side of a trips formation to find Freeman underneath for the score that cut the game to a 20-27 deficit. Ryan continued picking on Reddick and the linebackers with play-action passes to Hooper, including a deep seam route and a short cross for the subsequent touchdown that tied the game 27-27. After the defense stopped Arizona's offense in the middle of the fourth quarter, Ryan could not get Atlanta past its 30 and took a sack on third down that forced a punt. Ryan found Freeman against a cross blitz of linebackers, which left the flat open for the runner to walk the ball in for Ryan's third score and another potential tie--until Matt Bryant missed a rare PAT.

2019 Week 5 vs HOU (32 / 46 / 330 / 3 / 1 pass, 3 / 7 / 1 rush)

Ryan found Julio Jones twice during the Falcons' second possession, including a third-down crossing route where J.J. Watt's late hit on the quarterback put the ball inside the Texans' 15. Ryan found Mohamed Sanu two plays later on a crossing route and San dove across the goal line for Atlanta's first score. Ryan got bailed out by Mohamed Sanu on a third-down throw while on the run from pressure that was intended for Calvin Ridley but Ridley fell down and the Texans were in position to intercept it until Sanu cut off the pass. Ryan later found Ridley for a 22-yard out to reach the Texans' red zone. Watt foiled a touchdown drive on 3rd and 4 by running through the rookie tackle Kaleb McGary and hitting Ryan during his release on a pass intended for Austin Hooper. This forced a field goal. Ryan escaped a Watt sack attempt on 3rd and 5 but D.J. Reader chased Ryan down when he tried to extend the play late in the third quarter. Ryan took a third-and-inches sneak for a touchdown to cut the lead to 10 points. He cut the lead to 8 with a scramble and throw to Austin Hooper. Ryan worked free on a roll to the right and found Ridley for a 28-yard score at the right boundary of the end zone and Ridley worked free of Jonathan Joseph, who thought he pushed the receiver out of bounds. Ryan threw his seventh interception of the year--a pick-six on a final drive when he threw the ball behind Austin Hooper with less than a minute left.

2019 Week 4 vs TEN (35 / 53 / 397 / 0 / 0 pass, 2 / 18 / 0 rush)

After moving Atlanta past midfield on a pair of drives, Ryan lost the ball while trying to avoid interior pressure during the Falcons' third series. Starting right guard Jamon Brown suffered a concussion early in the second quarter and the line was forced to go with third-string guard Wes Schweitzer. He moved Atlanta up and down the field but all but one drive stalled out in Titans terriotyr in the first half. He dealt with consistent pressure early in the third quarter but a screen pass to Devonta Freeman and an over route to Mohamed Sanu got Atlanta into the red zone. Calvin Ridley and Sanu dropped red zone passes and forced another field goal attempt. Ryan was sacked for the third time on a 4th and 1 play-action pass late in the third quarter.

2019 Week 3 vs IND (29 / 34 / 304 / 3 / 1 pass, 2 / 3 / 0 rush)

He completed a pair of short passes to his tight ends during the first series but he and Julio Jones were not on the same page with the depth of his break on a corner route on 3rd and 15. Ryan started the next drive with two play-action passes up the middle. As the drive reached Colts' territory, Ryan overshot Luke Stocker by a large margin and Clayton Geathers intercepted the target inside the Colts' 10. This was Ryan's sixth interception in the first 10 quarters of the football season. He also overshot Austin Hooper late in the half in the end zone. This led to a 3rd and 11 throwaway while under heavy pressure and forced a field goal attempt just before the two-minute warning. Ryan got hot in the third quarter. He found Julio Jones for 34 yards on an out-and-up and Matt Ryan underthrew it to guarantee a catch when the cornerback fell down. This got Atlanta inside the 12 of the Colts where Ryan found Hooper in the middle of the field on a play-action pass and Hooper took it to the end zone. On the next drive, Ryan found Jones on a stop route on third down to extend the series. Ryan was 10-for-10 to begin the third quarter and found Jones and Sanu for third-down conversions to drive Atlanta inside the Colts' 30 on the series after its first touchdown in the second half. He found Julio Jones for his third touchdown on a corner fade between two defenders.

2019 Week 2 vs PHI (27 / 43 / 320 / 3 / 3 pass, 2 / 3 / 0 rush)

Ryan faced pressure throughout the first quarter but it wasn't as intense as the Vikings game. He managed to move Atlanta downfield with throws to Austin Hooper, Calvin Ridley, and Mohamed Sanu that led to a field goal early. Fletcher Cox nearly intercepted Ryan in the middle of the second quarter on a zone blitz. Ryan followed up with a deep fade to Julio Jones for 27 yards. Soon after, Ryan lost starting right tackle Caleb McGary in the middle of the second quarter to a knee injury but Ty Sambrallo held up in relief. Ryan overthrew two receivers in a row on targets in the endzone to Ridley and then Justin Gage on a post route. This led to a 50-yard field goal attempt that Matt Bryant missed. Still, Ryan showed emotional resilience. He delivered a good pump fake to set up a completion Ridley for the second of two passes to the receiver to get across midfield. A few plays later, Ryan found Ridley for a deep post for a 34-yard score. With 0:41 left in the half, Ryan threw the ball behind Sanu and Sidney Jones intercepted the pass. However, Ryan found Jones for the score on the third play of the third quarter on a designed roll and scramble drill in the back of the end zone. Ryan underthrew a deep go route up the right sideline while under pressure against an all-out blitz, leading to his second interception and a return into Atlanta territory. Ryan threw an interception in the end zone on a red zone play at the end of the third quarter when he tried to fit the ball into coverage he didn't see because he was throwing over a line that had compressed Ryan's pocket and a defender hit his arm during the release. Ryan threw off his back foot to Freeman on a third and three late in the game while fading away from pressure. Late in the game, Ryan connected with Jones on a screen pass for a game-winning, 54-yard play.

2019 Week 1 vs MIN (33 / 46 / 304 / 2 / 2 pass, 2 / 24 / 0 rush)

Minnesota's blitz packages wreaked havoc on Atlanta offensive line and when Ryan wasn't sacked or forced to throw the ball away, he made a pair of throws with pressure in this face that led to interceptions. The first was a crossing route intended for Julio Jones that Anthony Harris pulled away from Jones for an interception. The second was a route to the back pylon in the end zone that Luke Stocker did not continue and it gave Harris a chance to run down the ball. The Vikings gave up flat routes to Austin Hooper when the game was still a contest. By the fourth quarter, the game was out of reach and Ryan was able to find Calvin Ridley on two big-play throws--including a touchdown thrown to the front pylon and a crossing route where Ridley made multiple defenders miss until he reached the Vikings' two. Middle pressure or pressure in Ryan's face has always been the best way to break-down Ryan's game and the Vikings succeeded this week.

Latest News

Falcons | Matt Ryan effective in winning effort (Sun Dec 8, 06:18 PM) - Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan completed 20-for-34 passing for 313 yards, two touchdown and no interceptions vs. the Carolina Panthers in Week 14 on Sunday, Dec. 8.

Our View: Ryan was solid against the Panthers and a 93-yard pass play to Olamide Zaccheaus made his fantasy afternoon. Calvin Ridley got banged up and San Francisco is up next, so we might not go to Ryan in Week 15.
link to story

Falcons | Matt Ryan won't be shut down (Fri Nov 29, 09:33 AM) - Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan won't be shut down for the final four games, according to head coach Dan Quinn. Ryan has been sacked 15 times over the last two games.

Our View: Ryan has had an ok statistical year, but it has been a disastrous season for his team. It's possible that he has a new head coach and offensive coordinator next year.
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Falcons | Matt Ryan battered in loss (Fri Nov 29, 01:28 AM) - Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan threw 50 passes, completing 35 for 312 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs during the team's loss to the New Orleans Saints on Thursday, Nov. 28. Ryan also ran three times for 21 yards.

Our View: Ryan had the ball most of the night but couldn't get it done when it mattered in the loss. He was a solid fantasy play on volume and that will be the hope in Week 14 against Carolina, with a prayer candle lit for Julio Jones getting back on the field.
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Falcons | Matt Ryan takes part in practice (Mon Nov 25, 05:44 PM) - Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan (ankle) fully participated in practice Monday, Nov. 25. The Falcons did not hold a practice Monday, so this is an estimation.

Our View: Ryan should be good to go against the Saints on Thanksgiving night. With this injury hampering his play, Fantasy GMs should consider him a low-end QB1 in Week 13.
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