There’s been a lot of talk regarding Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady as potential MVP candidates. And even though both quarterbacks have been excellent this year, no one deserves the award more than Matt Ryan.
As Kevin Durant would say, the Falcons quarterback “is the real MVP”. The numbers don’t lie, as Ryan has been among the best signal callers the entire season.
The 31-year-old threw 38 TDs against only seven interceptions, posting a 117.1 rating. He didn’t reach the 5,000-yard mark, but his 4,944 were a career-high for him. And to make things even better, he completed 69,9 percent of his passes. The nine-year veteran had a career year in completion percentage, total yards, yards per throw, touchdowns, interceptions and rating. If that’s not MVP worthy, I don’t what it is.
If we compare Ryan to Brady and Rodgers – the two other main candidates for the award – then we will see that Ryan fared much better. Atlanta’s quarterback has been consistent all year long, while the other two haven’t. And we can’t forget Rodgers’ slow start to the season and the fact that Brady missed the first four games.
If the numbers aren’t enough, there’s also the fact that Ryan was the leader of the league’s most prolific attack. The Falcons averaged 295,3 yards through the air and ranked third in the league while scoring 33,8 points per game. Atlanta ranked near the top of several offensive categories, and it’s no secret that the Falcons’ strength was their offense.
The fact that Atlanta won the NFC South with a 11-5 record while having the 25th ranked defense makes his case even stronger. Ryan literally carried the team to the Division crown.
Sure, Brady and Rodgers are better overall players than Ryan. But no one was more important to his team than the Falcons quarterback, and I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t have won the division hadn’t it been for him. He’s the best example of an MVP-caliber player, and he deserves to win the award after a spectacular 2016 season.