Matt Ryan Goes To Indiana
What a whirlwind of an offseason, man.
The Colts have decided to continue their speed dating approach to QBs and at this rate in 10 years they might deserve their own hydra. Andrew Luck died and since then it’s been one year of Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, and now Matt Ryan. Ryan should theoretically stick around a bit longer than one year but Wentz was supposed to last year and whoopsie doodles on that one.
I feel like he’s probably got some juice left in the tank and won’t be a bad pickup. The Colts have a better roster than the Falcons do. But is anyone really thinking about Matt Ryan anymore? I feel like after the 28-3 season our collective respect for Matt Ryan has plunged into obscurity. Nobody will call him outright bad except like, Saints fans, but is anyone scared of him still? Might be a by-product of the Falcons being trash.
Anyway good for Indy and banner jokes will never stop being funny. According to sources, they still have that 2014 AFC Finalist banner hanging in the rafters. It was embarrassing enough to put it up there in the first place, but to not take it down after it became a laughing stock is certainly a choice. Maybe the guy who had to go up there to hang it quit, and they haven’t had any cause to hang a banner up there since, so they’ll never bother to take it down until they have to go back up.
Matt Ryan, one of the most whitebread-looking dudes in the league, is now a Colt. It got me thinking. What is the most whitebread NFL team? The whitest, most college prep ass franchise in the league? The Indianapolis Colts have to be up there. There’s nothing exotic or gungy about Indianapolis. The team is named for a small horse. Any midwestern franchise is probably a good candidate. The Titans? The Packers? The Vikings? Kirk Cousins is probably the most whitebread QB.
The Patriots horde white receivers like they’re made if gold.
They used to but now that Gunner’s gone I don’t think they have a single white WR on the roster right now.
GAH! Jackson and now Gunner? WTF, this is looking bad.
I’m not just saying this because I’m a fellow BC alum and watching Matt Ryan and Kiwi were some of the only highlights for our football program over the span of 2 decades. (F#&% you, Hasselbeck Brothers!)
But what are you talking about? Loss of respect? Are you blaming the 28-3 collapse on him when the coaching is what failed the team? He’s the 2nd most sacked qb since 2015. That his numbers in ’15 and ’16 (his MVP year) were so low really tells you that ’17 onwards has been a NIGHTMARE.
The reason why he fell into obscurity is because he’s a genuinely nice guy, has no glaring character issues, and he doesn’t throw baby tantrums during or after the game and chuck blame on all the people around him. Nobody cares about nice people that like – we need to hear about rape, theft, and plundering to keep our blood rushing.
I’m excited to see what Matty Ice can do with a better team around him. I won’t predict a Stafford-esque Super Bowl run, but I think he’s going to absolutely shine with Frank Reich.
Even within Falcons fandom Ryan had a hard time getting respect after the SB loss. Most people don’t realize his 2018 season was almost as good as his 2016 MVP season yet he didn’t make the pro bowl. The issue is and has been for the last 14 years, defense. The reason we blow so many leads is not because Ryan can’t score it’s because he does score but our D can’t stop a runny nose with any consistency. We had 18 sacks last year, I’m pretty sure I could complete passes against that anemic of a pass rush.
I’m glad Ryan got traded to a team he can compete with he deserves it after all he has given to Atlanta. The falcons are in for some dark years. FA’s don’t want to come to us and we can’t afford them if they did and in the last few weeks the front office has proven they are in over their heads. While I will root for the team still and do believe the FO will learn from these recent mistakes I don’t know if the roster will be good enough soon enough to keep them employed. Unless we somehow catch lightning in a bottle the Falcons are poised to be a joke for the next few years.
All the so called fans that hated Ryan purely because he wasn’t Vick (somehow this is still a thing in our fandom?) and think we just need to get a runner at QB again will soon remember the dark days of Pre Matt Ryan. That man kept a joke of a franchise floating for 14 years and I can’t wait to see him play well again with the Colts.
You pretty much nailed it here and said everything that I wanted to say. Matt Ryan hasn’t lost much respect. Most fans that I know still hold him in fairly high regard and I’m actually one of the contrarians that says that he’s not as good as he was back in 2018, but even then I still think that he’s a very solid QB overall and a massive upgrade over Wentz. What Matt Ryan lost was notoriety as you said. He’s just a good QB and a generally good guy, and that doesn’t net much attention from the media. Sucks that he’s a Colt, otherwise I’d be rooting for him 100%. Guess I’ll hate watch him, though.
This is the most accurate portrayal of Indians that’s ever been. Source: Am Hoosier
*Indiana, sorry
In terms of what’s the most whitebread NFL team, I’d have to say it’s likely the Packers since they seem to lean heavy into giving the (almost certainly untrue) impression that Lambeau Field’s ticketholders all live within 12 blocks and ambled over from their front porch to buy their season tickets. And their is a very fundamentals/the right way/mechanical win vibe about them similar to the Cardinals* (Baseball Cardinals obviously. I’ve always gotten more of a “Ahh fuck! How’d we squander a good hand?” vibe off the Arizona Cardinals).
Second
Idk the Packers remind me much more of a traditional English football club with their communal ownership as well as Green Bay being tiny.
While I don’t blame the team, Steelers fans also give off ” fundamentals/the right way/mechanical win vibe ” too
Most whitebread TEAM is the Vikings
Most whitebread FANBASE is the Patriots
And they’re each runner-up in the other category
No argument on Patriots fanbase or the white wide receivers. Obviously QB, coach, and kicker are white, but that just puts them with 90% of the league. Outside of that though for their stars (especially post-lone white defenseive starts Brusci and Vrabel)? Moss, Wilfork, Mayo, McCourtey, Ty Law, Richard Seymour, Asante Samuel, JC Jackson, Gilmore, Kevin Faulk, James White, Corey Dillon, Dion Lewis, Deion Branch. Revis Island was located there for a season. Even 2 of their 3 ring wearing DCs were Romeo Crennel and Brian Flores. That’s gotta be good for better than 2nd place as whitebread team, isn’t it?
I also think he can give some stability to the position. I think of him as someone who has carried more blame than he should for his teams failures. Not unlike Stafford, for whom i always has some regard, and i wondered how he would do on a better team.
As a Jags fan, the Anti-Jaguars Shrine is just lovely.
Does that say “Pooval” over the door?
I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for the Jags, save for the Urbs era.
As a Texans fan, fuck the colts…but man, those fried pork tenderloin sandwiches are awesome. Indiana is good for something!
As someone who was stuck living in Indiana for years, fuck pork tenderloin sandwiches. So you wanna take what prides itself as “the OTHER white meat” (i.e. second place), pound it flat to squeeze all the juice and flavour out of it, then fry it and serve it on white bread? It might as well come with a confederate flag (super popular in MANY rural areas of Indiana) or a KKK hood (the last lynching in the US took place in Elwood, Indiana)! If this is the best “signature” food your state can come up with, maybe just say “pass” next time someone asks
What is funny is Matt Ryan (20TDs/12Ints) was objectively worse than Carson Wentz(27TDs/7Ints) last year.
I’m so going to enjoy watching the Colts burn and go 4-13.
and the commanders
dont forget the commanders
Being a former MVP can do a lot for a player.
Uh huh. The team and coach around him were objectively worse, too. Funny how that works.
if you’re knowledge of football doesnt go beyond box scores thats correct
Every free agent that signs with or is traded to any team should get a free pig. The agents really need to step up here.
John Elway was right.