He finished the season with 3,440 passing yards, 17 touchdowns (one rushing), and 11 interceptions. He and fellow rookie Joe Flacco were the first rookie quarterbacks to lead their teams to the playoffs after starting all 16 games of the season. He is one of twelve rookie quarterbacks to throw for over in their rookie season. On December 31, Ryan was named the AP NFL Rookie of the Year. In addition, he was named to the All-Rookie Team for the 2008 season, joining Steve Bartkowski (1975) and Doug Johnson (2000) as the only Falcons quarterbacks to ever claim this award.