Overreaction Tuesday: Arthur Smith will nationally solidify Matt Ryan as a Hall of Famer

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL  |  By Jake Gordon  |  Last updated 2/16/21

In my personal opinion, Matt Ryan already is a Hall of Famer. He has been fantastic in the playoffs, and he will have some elite numbers when he calls it a career. Without accounting for Big Ben, Ryan is 7,674 yards shy of Philip Rivers for fifth place all-time in passing yards. He is 75 passing TDs shy of sole possesion of 5th all-time. All he needs is over 2,558 yards and 25 TDs for the next three seasons to rank top-five in both. To pass Brett Favre for fourth, Matt Ryan would need 16,072 yards and 161 TDs. That’s over 3,215 yards and 33 TDs for the next FIVE seasons. While that’s a tall task for a 36-year-old quarterback, I think Arthur Smith will create an offense that can get five more years out of Ryan.

After being labeled a bust, statistically speaking, Smith had Ryan Tannehill as one of the five best quarterbacks in the NFL.

These are just a few examples, but Tannehill was undoubedtly fantastic for the Titans. There’s also no question that he is nowhere near as talented as Matt Ryan. This draft and free agency period will be so critical in regard to finding an impact running back, defensive pieces, and help on the offensive line.

Ryan’s playoff success speaks for itself. His run in 2017 was legendary and will ultimately be forgotten by many because of the coaching and defensive collapse during the Super Bowl.

This isn’t his only example of playoff success. In two NFC Championships, Ryan has been the best active quarterback in the NFL.

Ryan stepped up in the Super Bowl as well, posting the highest passer rating over the last 30 years. The playoffs aren’t the only time he has been let down.

Really, most of the numbers speak for themselves.

Casual fans who don’t actually watch tend to overlook these things, but the success that Ryan will have under Arthur Smith will put him back into MVP discussions and remind the world of the quarterback that he is. He may never be 2016 MVP Matt Ryan again, but I think he can get very close, and Arthur Smith can get this team back to playing January football.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

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