Not really, but I have always held the notion that if Turner gets 100, the Falcons win. What about the notion of if Matt Ryan has a good day, the Falcons win? I was surprised to see this tidbit on Ryan:
Ryan finished [Nov 20 win over Titans] with a 110.9 NFL passer rating. Since his arrival in 2008, the Falcons are 19-0 when Ryan’s passer rating is at least 100.
That is pretty damn impressive, and in my opinion, Ryan has been under the radar. With that said, Turner is the key to making the offense click. Yes, Ryan is good, and the Falcons could not expect to just plug in any QB and get the same results.
The reality is that the Falcons are at their heart, a ball control, power running team. When ATL controls the clock, and moves the ball effectively on the ground, it opens up the passing game for Ryan. In order for the Falcons to be successful, Ryan has to capitalize on the open space gifted by Turner, and apparently Ryan has done a good job of this over the last three years.
I do not have the statistics to back this up, but I wager a Miller Lite that the games where Ryan’s passer rating is 100+, Turner has also put up solid numbers.
I’m not down or Ryan or taking anything away from him. In fact, color me impressed that Ryan has put together a solid season so far in the face of a piss poor offensive coordinator, an unlevel o-line, and some injuries to key personnel.
While Turner may be the heart and soul of the Falcons, Ryan is the face of the franchise, and is backing it up on the field.
Color me impressed.