Matt Ryan Praised Following Rough Outing in Denver


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Matt Ryan Under Pressure Against the Broncos

Quarterback Matt Ryan has been one of the best throughout his career in terms of fourth-quarter comebacks. His knack for dramatic come-from-behind victories earned him the nickname “Matty Ice” early in his career.

Even after a disappointing outing and two turnovers from Ryan, head coach Frank Reich spoke highly of Ryan and the offense following the Indianapolis Colts‘ victory over the Denver Broncos. “The guy’s unflappable. I wish you could be down there in the fourth quarter. We’re talking about a quarterback who just passed Brett Favre for fourth quarter (comebacks),” said Reich of Ryan.

Matt Ryan’s Difficult Season Continues

Heading into Denver, Matt Ryan had taken 15 sacks. The Broncos continued that trajectory, racking up six sacks against Ryan and a struggling Colts offensive line. Ryan felt the pressure all night and it showed in his play.

Ryan looked rushed in the pocket for the majority of the game. On the night, he completed 26 of 41 passes for 251 yards and no touchdowns. But what matters is what he accomplished on the Colts’ final drive of regulation.

After a touchback, Ryan and the Indianapolis offense took over at their own 20-yard line. He had completions of 10, 11, and 17 yards to put the Colts in field goal position. The ice in his veins showed, and even in an ugly outing, Ryan did what he had to win the game.

“In four of the five games, we’ve obviously been behind, and he’s brought us back into the game, giving us a chance to win,” Reich said during Monday’s press conference. And after his 36th comeback, Ryan is now tied with Drew Brees for the fourth most fourth-quarter comebacks in NFL history.

Young Skill Players Earn Reich’s Praise

After only scoring 12 points, Reich was sure to sing the praises of the young skill players on the outside. “You want to accentuate the positives in a win and that is our young skill players… Alec Pierce could be as billed. You know, Pitt is as billed he’s a beast, he’s a number one receiver, he’s our main guy.” Reich also mentioned big plays by Paris Campbell and Ashton Dulin.

Pierce is starting to live up to his second-round draft stock. Pierce tallied 8 catches for 81 yards, including three on the game-tying drive in the fourth quarter. Over the past two weeks, he has 12 total catches for 161 yards. He has yet to catch a touchdown pass, but his play continues to improve every week.

Pittman Jr. continued his solid start to the season, adding 5 catches for 59 yards. In four games, he has 283 yards and a touchdown. With Pierce stepping up on the outside, defenses will not be able to key in on Pittman and his targets should increase as the season progresses.

After some questioned the youth of the receiving corps, it has been a nice surprise to see the investment in drafting receivers pay dividends. Gone are the days of guessing which free agent receivers the Colts could sign. Now analysts are questioning where the offense goes from here and how the offensive line improves.

 

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