Following another impressive showing against the Buccaneers on Thursday night, it’s clear that Matt Ryan has put 2013 behind him. One of the more noticeable differences is found in his deep-ball accuracy.
Our Deep Passing Signature Stat for quarterbacks tracks the success of passes attempted 20 or more yards downfield. Through three games this year, Ryan is off to a blistering pace… not even some pregame pyrotechnics to the eye could slow him down.
Below are totals of passing attempts of 20+ yards through the first three weeks of each season:
2012: 1 completion on 5 attempts for 29 yards
2013: 1 completion on 5 attempts for 81 yards
2014: 10 completions on 16 attempts for 267 yards
While Ryan’s pace may not be sustainable, he is already just five completions away from matching his entire 2013 total (15). One secret to Ryan’s success; targeting Julio Jones early and often downfield. Ryan has completed seven of 11 attempts of 20+ yard passes to Jones.
This week, Ryan and the Falcons face a Vikings defense that has yielded only four completions of passes attempted over 20+ yards; an intriguing match-up for the vertical Falcons’ offense.