One thing the Falcons didn’t want to happen against the Buccaneers was for Matt Ryan to have to throw the ball over 30 times. Unfortunately, that was the case on Sunday as Ryan completed only 13 of 33 passes en route to a 24-9 loss to the Bucs.
Ryan had a nightmarish start to the game, going 0-for-8 with a interception on his third attempt of the game that led to a Brian Griese 5-yard touchdown pass to John Gillmore to take the early lead. He threw another interception in the second quarter that led to a Matt Bryant field goal to make the score 17-0. The first interception was intended for Harry Douglas, but the pass was too high and fell into the hands of Aqib Talib. The second was a result of a miscommunication between Ryan and Michael Jenkins, and the pass fell into the hands of Sabby Piscitelli.
Throughout the game, Ryan was constantly pressured and could never get into a rhythm. However, the running game wasn’t close to what it was last week, as the team only rushed for 105 yards. Michael Turner only had 14 carries for 42 yards and Jerious Norwood had six carries for 18 yards. For that reason, Ryan had to make more plays with his arm, and Gaines Adams and the rest of the Bucs defense sacked the rookie four times.
POSITIVE NOTES
Although Ryan had a tough time getting anything going for the most part, he was able to make some big throws that led to Jason Elam kicking three field goals to keep the Falcons in the game. In the first half, Ryan completed three of the 15 passes he attempted. He looked anxious and clearly had happy feet in anticipation of the pressure of the Bucs D-line. The second half was a different story, as he completed 10 of his 18 passes and looked more relaxed and calm despite the fact the Tampa defense was continuing to apply heavy pressure.
Falcons fans might be disappointed in the way that Ryan and the Falcons played after such a promising first week. But what we saw today was a rookie quarterback starting his first road NFL game and improving dramatically in the second half. Ryan will only continue to get better as the season rolls on. When they face the Bucs again in the later stages of the season, Ryan and the Falcons offense will be ready for Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.
Jones can be reached at bjones@scoreatl.com.
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