Matt Ryan needs a breakthrough playoff win

As a rookie, Matt Ryan guided the Falcons to the playoffs and ran into gunslinger Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals. Last season, Ryan guided the Falcons to a 13-3 record and the No. 1 seed in the NFC, but he couldn't win a shootout against Aaron Rodgers and the high-scoring Green Bay Packers. He's 43-19 in the regular season. He's 0-2 in the playoffs and in need of a victory to lend some credibility to his worthiness into the Elite Quarterback Club. New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning was facing similar pressure after he started out 0-2 in the playoffs. He changed the perception of his status by guiding the Giants, who were a No. 5 seed, to the Super Bowl title after the 2007 season. Ryan plans to draw on his previous experience to help the Falcons take down the Giants. "I think it helps," Ryan said. "I think anytime you've been in the position before, the things you learn from it, they're invaluable. I think we have a much more experienced football team coming in this year and I think that bodes well for us." He's not fond of the comparisons to Manning. "He won a Super Bowl," Ryan said. "I think he did pretty well on his third trip to the playoffs and certainly has had a great career and has made some clutch plays. It's going to be important for our defense to play well against a great player and really a clutch fourth quarter player." Ryan believes that preparation will be the key. "I think one of the biggest things I've learned in my two chances at the playoffs is to not let all the outside things that come along with it affect your preparation and affect your approach to playing on Sunday," Ryan said. "I think I'm a lot better served. I'm a lot more mature than I was a couple of years ago and even last year, and I think that's going to help out." Ryan's not sure where he belongs in the quarterback pecking order. He does know that he needs a playoff win. "To be honest with you, I don't spend a lot of time evaluating myself vs. other quarterbacks," Ryan said. "Most of my time is spent trying to prepare myself to play against them. But with that said, when you think about a guy like Eli (Manning), certainly some of those plays that he's made in the postseason factor into your thinking. I think he's a really, really good quarterback, one of the best in the League and has had a great year."