Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich heard tales of quarterback Matt Ryan and the accuracy he’s shown throughout his career but seeing it in person has given him a different perspective on the veteran.
With OTAs beginning this week, the Colts were on the field for the first time this offseason. One of the biggest takeaways Reich had from his quarterback room was the top-level accuracy that Ryan showed off.
“I always knew that he was a great passer, but his accuracy, it’s insane. I mean, it’s insane accurate,” Reich said Wednesday. “So, it just reminds me of the Peyton Mannings of the world, the Philip Rivers of the world, just his accuracy – how smart he is, what a natural leader he is.”
No one is or should be expecting Ryan to play like Peyton. That would be unrealistic. But getting a closer version of Rivers in 2020 proved to be beneficial for the offense.
Ryan has been as consistent as possible at the quarterback position over last decade or so. Since the start of the 2011 season, Ryan has dipped below 4,000 passing yards just once (2021) and has thrown fewer than 26 touchdown passes in a season just three times (2015, 2017, 2021).
While we shouldn’t expect Ryan to come close to his MVP numbers of 2016, his fit in the offense should be one that leads to less volatility. That, coupled with a strong offensive line and run game, puts Ryan in a secure spot moving forward.
“For a guy that smart, he really keeps it simple and he wants to keep it simple. Some guys want to keep adding to the offense, you know what Marcus (Brady), Matt (Ryan) and I and the rest of the guys, we’re talking about what can we take out? Let’s just eliminate the clutter. Let’s just get to the plays that we like,” Reich said. “We build a thing over four years, now’s a chance to reset. I know we’ve had a different quarterback every year, but Matt is really, ‘Let’s dial it back, get good at the basics and get to know our guys and put our guys in the best position,’ which is what we’re always trying to do, but I think he’s going to help us with that.”
Ryan will be a key part of the success of the Colts in 2022—however far that takes them. But his consistent accuracy on a play-to-play basis should be beneficial for the offense as a whole.
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