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The Biggest Difference Matt Ryan Can Bring to the Indianapolis Colts

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics | By Noah Ashley | Last updated 7/3/22

A Quarterback is tasked to lead the Offense with poise and confidence, especially when the game is on the line. Matt Ryan has displayed that he can bring this ability. A direct quote from Peyton Manning, “For Matt in particular, he kind of mentioned that Atlanta was looking for possibly a trade and he was asking about Indy. I just kind of really liked that match. I thought it would be great for Matt in this second chapter for him, and I thought it would be really good for the Colts, who I think are really close and have a lot of pieces and just could really use a veteran leader.” If The Sherriff thinks that Matt is the right fit then most Colts fans do too.

Matt Ryan Can Bring a Clutch Factor to the Colts Offense

When it comes to Clutch Matt Ryan is that. Matt Ryan ranks seventh all time on both career game-winning drives and fourth-quarter comebacks list, with 42 and 33 respectively. Carson Wentz on the other hand has ten game winning drives and 9 fourth quarter comebacks. All stats are per pro-football-reference.com. In the 2021 NFL season Matt Ryan had four GWDs and three 4QCs, while Carson Wentz had zero of both statistics. A clear difference is seen in Ryan and Wentz’s clutch factor when looking at these stats.

Matt Ryan Can Allow the Defense to Stay Off the Field

If a Quarterback can control the pace of the game, he has a huge advantage against the opponent. Matt Ryan has the clock management and game awareness to achieve this. As an Offense sustains a long drive, the opposing defense tends to lose stamina. This can become most apparent in the final minutes of the contest. Similar Colts Defenses in the past three seasons have played very differently in the late stages of close games. Phillip Rivers in 2019 was a great clock manager, his short passes helped lengthen drives while running quite a number of plays. This if anything, allowed the Colts Defense stay fresh. The same thing did not happen with Carson Wentz. Drives with Wentz at QB frequently ended in a quick punt. This showed up late in games when the Colts let close games slip away.

What Could These Differences Mean to the Colts?

These Differences could mean making the 2022 NFL Playoffs. Matt Ryan could be the difference the Colts need to win the AFC South. The future looks brighter with Matt Ryan. His veteran leadership could change the course of a franchise looking to capitalize on a team full of prime talent. Matt Ryan brings differences to the team that Colts fans can base their expectations on. The next Colts difference maker could still be siting in Free Agency, who knows?

This article first appeared on Gridiron Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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