Matt Ryan returned to the Georgia Dome on Sunday and suddenly found his groove after a rough first week. Of course, the prevailing sentiment will continue to be Ryan is unflappable, and nearly unbeatable, at home. And on Sunday night, as the Atlanta Falcons faced the Philadelphia Eagles, Ryan looked every like a force, playing in the comfort of his home stadium while leading his team to a 35-31 win.
Falcons Vs. Eagles: Matt Ryan Leans On Tony Gonzalez To Break Philadelphia Defense
But take the home and away out of the equation. It’s a fun storyline, to be clear, but has also been beat into the ground. Ryan wasn’t perfect by any means, throwing two interceptions while completing 17 of 28 passes for 195 yards. It was far from a perfect stat line, but he did throw four touchdowns, helping the Falcons come back to down the Eagles.
Ryan benefited from superb play by Tony Gonzalez, who caught two touchdown passes and was a force in the passing game all night. Michael Turner also provided ground support, rushing for 114 yards and a touchdown that turned out to be the winning one.
So yes, Ryan was solid at home. But it was Gonzalez who helped unlock the Eagles defense. The Philadelphia secondary is strong, as we know by now, and has the ability to take receivers -- plural -- out of the game with lockdown corners.
Gonzalez was the outlet, and by far the leading receiver for the Falcons, as the Eagles locked down the outside. And thus, the mismatch. It’s why he’s still one of the best in the game.
For more on this game, check out our Eagles blog Bleeding Green Nation and our Falcons blog The Falcoholic. To catch up on NFL Week 2’s action, visit our StoryStream.
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