Sunday afternoon was just another example of what it's like to be a fan of the Atlanta Falcons. You start out the game thinking you have a pretty good chance to win, through the entire game it seems as if you actually are going to win and then all of a sudden, the dirty birds have lost again and the way it happens doesn't even surprise you because it's happened countless times before.
Atlanta was tied with the Los Angeles Chargers by the score of 17-17 with just under four minutes to go. Matt Ryan would then throw an interception, but who's surprised? Somehow though the game was not over, the Falcons picked off Justin Herbert with just under ONE minute to go. Atlanta ran three plays and just like that... Matt Ryan threw ANOTHER interception. The Chargers would get down the field and kick a game winning field goal as time expired. All of this in the last FOUR minutes of the game, brutal, just brutal.
So now let's talk about the headline, Matt Ryan was bad yesterday. Wide receiver Russel Gage looked more accurate on his touchdown throw on a trick play than Ryan did all day. He threw three interceptions, two in clutch time. He had a QBR of 41.1, and is still the king of not being able to escape from pressure and extend plays. I have defended Matt Ryan for a long time, but he has looked really inaccurate as of a late and doesn't have any athleticism to bail him out.
So what about Julio? Oh we wasn't playing again, he missed his fourth game of the season with a hamstring injury that has seemed to just be lingering around all season. Julio has been great when he's on the field so his performance isn't the issue.
It's good to be clear here, I have always loved both of these guys, and coming into the season would have never even thought about this idea. As the season has went on though a lot of things have changed with the Atlanta Falcons. The head coach and general manager have been fired, we've looked really bad for stretches, really good for other stretches, and sometimes you just don't even know. Raheem Morris has looked better than Dan Quinn, but there still needs to be a culture change and that's why Matt and Julio have to be parted with.
Both of these players are worth as much as they're going to be worth the rest of their careers. Matt Ryan can still produce on a team that has pieces around him and is better coached. A perfect example can be San Francisco where Kyle Shanahan is, the man who got Matt Ryan his MVP and took the Falcons to the Super Bowl. The 49ers are reportedly trying to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo anyway so that could work out really well. There's also some other suitors that could need a quarterback: Patriots, Bears, and maybe Colts if they move on from Rivers. Matt Ryan could easily be worth a significant player from another roster and a couple draft picks.
Julio would also be likely to get traded to a competing team, the possibilities there are endless and the Falcons could get whatever they wanted back. Julio will be turning 32 by next season but still has plenty in the tank when he's fully healthy. He would be huge in mentoring any young receivers on a new team as well and depending on where he goes to he could essentially improve the offense.
This is all reliant on what happens with a new head coach and general manager. If they want to keep the two franchise players and try to make it work then that's what we'll do, but I think it's more likely that they will want to start their own culture in Atlanta. Getting a good amount of picks and younger players for two proven players that have done probably as much as they will ever do for the organization is a good start.
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