Wow, when you look at this way

[BCEagleATLFalcon]

I thought this was pretty interesting. If you're talking about rookies who have actually started ALL regular season games, the Falcons DO have, without argument, the greatest rookie QB ever.

I guess someone could attempt to argue for Manning, but of course you're going to have more yards and touchdowns than Ryan when you threw 28 interceptions.

Rookie quarterbacks Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan are in rarified air

04:37 AM CST on Tuesday, December 16, 2008

• E-mail

As rookie starters in the NFL at quarterback, Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan are unique. Their success makes them even more unique.

The two first-round draft picks were Day 1 starters for their respective teams this season – Flacco for the Baltimore Ravens and Ryan the Atlanta Falcons. They have each started 14 games and have their teams in wild-card playoff contention with 9-5 records.

There have been 40 rookie quarterbacks who have been primary starters for NFL teams since the inception of the 16-game schedule in 1978. “Primary starter” is defined as a player who has started more than half of his team’s games.

If Flacco and Ryan finish out the season as starters – and barring injury, they will – they would become the fourth and fifth rookie quarterbacks in NFL history to start all 16 games of a season, joining Rick Mirer at Seattle in 1993, Peyton Manning at Indianapolis in 1998 and David Carr at Houston in 2002.

But Flacco and Ryan are the only quarterbacks in that fraternity to manage winning records as rookies. Here’s a look at how those 16-game starters fared and how Flacco and Ryan compare:

Year QB, team Com-Att. % Yards TD-INT Record

1993 Rick Mirer, Sea 274-486 56.4 2,833 12-17 6-10

1998 Peyton Manning, Ind 326-575 56.7 3,739 26-28 3-13

2002 David Carr, Hou 233-444 52.5 2,592 9-15 4-12

2008 Matt Ryan, Atl 242-389 62.2 3,146 14-9 9-5

2008 Joe Flacco, Balt 223-380 58.7 2,525 13-12 9-5

[TonyGonzotim2]

I thought this was pretty interesting. If you're talking about rookies who have actually started ALL regular season games, the Falcons DO have, without argument, the greatest rookie QB ever.

I guess someone could attempt to argue for Manning, but of course you're going to have more yards and touchdowns than Ryan when you threw 28 interceptions.

Rookie quarterbacks Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan are in rarified air

04:37 AM CST on Tuesday, December 16, 2008

• E-mail

As rookie starters in the NFL at quarterback, Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan are unique. Their success makes them even more unique.

The two first-round draft picks were Day 1 starters for their respective teams this season – Flacco for the Baltimore Ravens and Ryan the Atlanta Falcons. They have each started 14 games and have their teams in wild-card playoff contention with 9-5 records.

There have been 40 rookie quarterbacks who have been primary starters for NFL teams since the inception of the 16-game schedule in 1978. “Primary starter” is defined as a player who has started more than half of his team’s games.

If Flacco and Ryan finish out the season as starters – and barring injury, they will – they would become the fourth and fifth rookie quarterbacks in NFL history to start all 16 games of a season, joining Rick Mirer at Seattle in 1993, Peyton Manning at Indianapolis in 1998 and David Carr at Houston in 2002.

But Flacco and Ryan are the only quarterbacks in that fraternity to manage winning records as rookies. Here’s a look at how those 16-game starters fared and how Flacco and Ryan compare:

Year QB, team Com-Att. % Yards TD-INT Record

1993 Rick Mirer, Sea 274-486 56.4 2,833 12-17 6-10

1998 Peyton Manning, Ind 326-575 56.7 3,739 26-28 3-13

2002 David Carr, Hou 233-444 52.5 2,592 9-15 4-12

2008 Matt Ryan, Atl 242-389 62.2 3,146 14-9 9-5

2008 Joe Flacco, Balt 223-380 58.7 2,525 13-12 9-5

no ones gonna argue manning to have a better rookie qb season they went 3-13 how ever ben roethlisburger has an argument he won 13 strait games.

[VikesR4Real]

You are truly a homer dude. Do you think those 'rookie' qb's you mentioned had the #1 rushing team? lol. Don't you think having a great run game opens up the pass play? Most falcon fans seem pretty coherent, but you my friend are truly a Homer

[Jp7833]

poor David Carr...

What happened to his career?

But on the main note.

Ryan of course is the best

[natedogg1109]

Don't you think having a great run game opens up the pass play?

NO, look at your team...you have AP and your QBs suck :P

[BCEagleATLFalcon]

You are truly a homer dude. Do you think those 'rookie' qb's you mentioned had the #1 rushing team? lol. Don't you think having a great run game opens up the pass play? Most falcon fans seem pretty coherent, but you my friend are truly a Homer

First of all, not a dude. Second, I'll be the first to admit to some homer leanings when it comes to Matt Ryan, that's fair enough. :P

But, c'mon, you cannot possibly, coherently (to use your own word) tell me that Ryan is not one of the all-time greats for a rookie.

But hey, why not give it a try? I could use a little humor before lunch.

[Falcsfan55]

i still think Rothleisberger and Marino were better rookie QB's than Ryan. That's a plus because look how they turned out, I only hope Ryan is more like Ben because well Ben won a superbowl and Marino didn't haha.

[VikesR4Real]

NO, look at your team...you have AP and your QBs suck :P

Was I crowning Tjack the best rookie ever? I am talking in context to the comment posted originally. Any moron will agree that our QB's suck, average at best, but I still think we havn't seen the best of Tjack. I never once was saying our qb's are better than Ryan, just stating that in comparision to the rookies made, I doubt they had the #1 rushing offense to back them up. Comprende?

[Theyhateme : )]

First of all, not a dude. Second, I'll be the first to admit to some homer leanings when it comes to Matt Ryan, that's fair enough. :P

But, c'mon, you cannot possibly, coherently (to use your own word) tell me that Ryan is not one of the all-time greats for a rookie.

But hey, why not give it a try? I could use a little humor before lunch.

I'm thinking Ben R. and Dan Marino...may have been better than Ryan when you look at all the tangibles. But the intangibles....Ryan is far better than most.

[SetzerFalcon]

You are truly a homer dude. Do you think those 'rookie' qb's you mentioned had the #1 rushing team? lol. Don't you think having a great run game opens up the pass play? Most falcon fans seem pretty coherent, but you my friend are truly a Homer

Normally I wouldn't respond to this kind of post, but for some reason this induced in me a desire to educate:

Matt Ryan is the greatest rookie QB of all time. Yes, better than Dan Marino. Yes, definitely better than Ben Roethlisberger. I will explain why:

In both Marino and Roethlisberger's cases they found themselves on teams that needed upgrades at QB and very little else. Big Ben, I think, can easily be tossed out of the argument simply by virtue of his being little more than the much-feared "game manager" of his rookie season. He did very little besides hand the ball off and make the occasional easy throw. As for Marino, he certainly was an amazing QB his rookie year but the Dolphins had just made the Super Bowl the year before. Also, Marino was not "thrown to the dogs" immediately the way Ryan was which counts against him as well.

You make the argument that the Falcons rushing offense makes Ryan look better. Let me tell you now I counter this with Ryan makes the rushing offense better. It's standard NFL Defensive strategy to stuff the box against a strong running team. I'm sure the Falcons will do so this Sunday against your Vikes. That strategy? It doesn't work against Matt Ryan. Conventional wisdom says that forcing a rookie QB to make key passes will almost inevitably result in failure. Peyton Manning is a first ballot Hall of Famer -- his rookie year he threw INT after INT when forced to make passing decisions. By being so inexplicably ahead of the curve the Falcons force opposing defenses to pick their poison. If Ryan played like a standard rookie QB I can assure you the Falcons would not have the best rushing offense in the league. Cause and effect -- Ryan being able to torch opposing defenses through the air allows the Turner/Norwood combo to torch those defenses on the ground.

Bear in mind, the Falcons were nearly universally considered to have the worst roster in the NFL this season, and one of the worst rosters in NFL history. What changed? Absolutely nothing. This is the same group of men who were supposed to be terrible. Most of our players are absolute no-names to anyone else in the league. By excelling Ryan has made the entire team better. Did Ben Roethlisberger do that? No. Did Dan Marino do that? I don't think he did.

The only real question is whether Ryan is better than Joe Flacco, who deserves all the praise in the world for what he's done in Baltimore. But Flacco, while not a "game-manager" like Big Ben was, is also not the core of his team. The defense is. Flacco has excelled but does he make everyone around him better? No, Ray Lewis as old as he is does that. One could reasonably argue right now that, after only 14 games, Matt Ryan IS the heart and soul of the Atlanta Falcons. We were supposed to be 2-14 at best. Instead we're 9-5 and our road to the playoffs leads through Minny.

Sometimes an argument in favor of your "side" is not homerism. Following the 2007 season I thought Adrian Peterson was the best RB in the league. Did you? It wasn't homerism on your part to feel that way, Adrian Peterson IS the best RB in the league. And Matt Ryan IS the best rookie QB of all time. That I'm a Falcons fan doesn't make it any less true.

[Tandy]

Actually in 2004, when Roethlisberger started his rookie year (only 13 games though - did not play first 3) - the team was ranked #1 in the league in rushing and the #1 ranked defense as well. Peyton was in a pass first team - Ryan can not possibly match the number of TD's he had based on the number of throws - but it also explains Peyton's number of interceptions. You'd have to go more by completion percent to compare them than actual numbers - and QB rating. I don't see the QB rating, though.

Doesn't matter though - we know what we have.

It impresses me more to hear the defensive players after the games we play or after they've studied tapes than to listen to the analysts.

I mean - when a player like Ronde Barber says that Ryan will set the standard for QB's by his 3rd year - that's a complement. Go back and review the comments from the defenders - some of them excellent defenders this year. That's impressive.

When you hear comments like - they stop the tape and just look at each other - how did he do that? They are very impressed - and that lets me know that we are extremely lucky with this pick.

[BCEagleATLFalcon]

^^^^^^

To setzertopia, could not have POSSIBLY argued it any better myself. I just didn't have the time to write anything of real length while at work. What you wrote was truly everything I was thinking when I created this topic...that Ryan already has the edge on the QB's who did not start a full season (due to intangibles and due to the fact that this team was expected to go 1-15) and thus, that if his numbers are that impressive against the only other rookie QB starters of all time.....well, that places him d*mn near close the top of the list.

Thanks for the incredible defense of my argument and of our Falcons' QB. Can't wait to see him pass against Minny on Sunday!!! :P

[natedogg1109]

Was I crowning Tjack the best rookie ever? I am talking in context to the comment posted originally. Any moron will agree that our QB's suck, average at best, but I still think we havn't seen the best of Tjack. I never once was saying our qb's are better than Ryan, just stating that in comparision to the rookies made, I doubt they had the #1 rushing offense to back them up. Comprende?

So then you agree with me that having a great running game doesn't make your QB great....either your QB sucks, average, or the best rookie ever (which we have)

[falconsfan1987]

Ryan might just pass Manning yard wise. If he has two games with 300 or more yards. This guy is special no one should have to defend him because he has taken this team to new heights or should I say he has taken the Falcons into flight.

[Tandy]

Ryan might just pass Manning yard wise. If he has two games with 300 or more yards. This guy is special no one should have to defend him because he has taken this team to new heights or should I say he has taken the Falcons into flight.

Don't forget - post season counts as well. If we win the next 2 and go into post season - he most likely will pass the yardage. Don't see a chance for the TD's though.

[ThunderCookie]

Normally I wouldn't respond to this kind of post, but for some reason this induced in me a desire to educate:

Matt Ryan is the greatest rookie QB of all time. Yes, better than Dan Marino. Yes, definitely better than Ben Roethlisberger. I will explain why:

In both Marino and Roethlisberger's cases they found themselves on teams that needed upgrades at QB and very little else. Big Ben, I think, can easily be tossed out of the argument simply by virtue of his being little more than the much-feared "game manager" of his rookie season. He did very little besides hand the ball off and make the occasional easy throw. As for Marino, he certainly was an amazing QB his rookie year but the Dolphins had just made the Super Bowl the year before. Also, Marino was not "thrown to the dogs" immediately the way Ryan was which counts against him as well.

You make the argument that the Falcons rushing offense makes Ryan look better. Let me tell you now I counter this with Ryan makes the rushing offense better. It's standard NFL Defensive strategy to stuff the box against a strong running team. I'm sure the Falcons will do so this Sunday against your Vikes. That strategy? It doesn't work against Matt Ryan. Conventional wisdom says that forcing a rookie QB to make key passes will almost inevitably result in failure. Peyton Manning is a first ballot Hall of Famer -- his rookie year he threw INT after INT when forced to make passing decisions. By being so inexplicably ahead of the curve the Falcons force opposing defenses to pick their poison. If Ryan played like a standard rookie QB I can assure you the Falcons would not have the best rushing offense in the league. Cause and effect -- Ryan being able to torch opposing defenses through the air allows the Turner/Norwood combo to torch those defenses on the ground.

Bear in mind, the Falcons were nearly universally considered to have the worst roster in the NFL this season, and one of the worst rosters in NFL history. What changed? Absolutely nothing. This is the same group of men who were supposed to be terrible. Most of our players are absolute no-names to anyone else in the league. By excelling Ryan has made the entire team better. Did Ben Roethlisberger do that? No. Did Dan Marino do that? I don't think he did.

The only real question is whether Ryan is better than Joe Flacco, who deserves all the praise in the world for what he's done in Baltimore. But Flacco, while not a "game-manager" like Big Ben was, is also not the core of his team. The defense is. Flacco has excelled but does he make everyone around him better? No, Ray Lewis as old as he is does that. One could reasonably argue right now that, after only 14 games, Matt Ryan IS the heart and soul of the Atlanta Falcons. We were supposed to be 2-14 at best. Instead we're 9-5 and our road to the playoffs leads through Minny.

Sometimes an argument in favor of your "side" is not homerism. Following the 2007 season I thought Adrian Peterson was the best RB in the league. Did you? It wasn't homerism on your part to feel that way, Adrian Peterson IS the best RB in the league. And Matt Ryan IS the best rookie QB of all time. That I'm a Falcons fan doesn't make it any less true.

Ummm... **** just ****...

I think you just convinced me.

[takeitdown]

Just to add to your excellent comment, sertz...

If you want to compare apples to apples, take Ryan's first four games out and look at the rest. Make it as if he got a few weeks to get up to speed before he started the game. This isn't arbitrary as it's not picking and choosing games. It's just saying "after the first month in the NFL, how'd he do? His numbers are pretty eye popping. YPA, INT% etc. are excellent. To the point they're really all you can expect for a 10 year veteran. You give me a QB with a YPA over 8, a completion percentage over 60%, and an INT% of less than 1 INT every 300 yards, and I'll take that all day.

In fact, since first four games:

Comp: 65.8%

YPA: 8.7

QBrating: 97.1

With over 200ypg average

[Emmitt]

i still think Rothleisberger and Marino were better rookie QB's than Ryan. That's a plus because look how they turned out, I only hope Ryan is more like Ben because well Ben won a superbowl and Marino didn't haha.

Marino is debateable, but he also played in a very pass happy offense with great wideouts. I think people over rate Rothleisberger. Most games he threw the ball like 12 times. It's should be easier when you play like that. To me he really hasn't improved. In fact he might have gone backwards with the way he holds on to the ball. The reason they win, is because of the defense. He would be a completely average QB at best on a team with no defense. I must also say that I like Pittsburge. They are my second favorite team.

Emmitt

[DirtyBird2274]

I mean - when a player like Ronde Barber says that Ryan will set the standard for QB's by his 3rd year - that's a complement. Go back and review the comments from the defenders - some of them excellent defenders this year. That's impressive.

When you hear comments like - they stop the tape and just look at each other - how did he do that? They are very impressed - and that lets me know that we are extremely lucky with this pick.

For once i actually got to watch a Falcon's game this past weekend. ( I live in Wyoming so I usually get stuck with Broncos games).

I was really impressed to hear what Ronde Barber said. It's one thing to have your coach or teammate say something like that. But, to have not just a defender but a verteran defender of that caliber say something like that truly shows Ryan's talent. This season isn't even over yet and I am anxious for next season to get started. i know that Matt Ryan is just gonna get better and continue to amaze people. i am sure it's even more impressive in person than on TV

[Jimsmusic™]

i still think Rothleisberger and Marino were better rookie QB's than Ryan. That's a plus because look how they turned out, I only hope Ryan is more like Ben because well Ben won a superbowl and Marino didn't haha.

marino and roethlisberger came into elite teams.

ryan did not, they're still playing 1st season with eachother, most of the team.

thus ryan = best rookie QB ever

[Jesus]

marino and roethlisberger came into elite teams.

I hear this too much. Guess what we are an elite team now. Sounds crazy but look the Falcons aren't as bad as every thought, we are actually quite good. So this throws out that excuse. Of course Ryan has had a hand in that eliteness...

The fact is Ryan is very very good probably the best ever. Sorry the vikes don't have that....but you know it happens, just ask the Chiefs. In '83 they took Todd Blackledge when Jim Kelly and Dan Marino were still on the board.

[Jimsmusic™]

I hear this too much. Guess what we are an elite team now. Sounds crazy but look the Falcons aren't as bad as every thought, we are actually quite good. So this throws out that excuse. Of course Ryan has had a hand in that eliteness...

The fact is Ryan is very very good probably the best ever. Sorry the vikes don't have that....but you know it happens, just ask the Chiefs. In '83 they took Todd Blackledge when Jim Kelly and Dan Marino were still on the board.

we never knew this team would be an elite team, they're teams was already an elite team

[octoslash]

I don't how many of y'all are near my age (probably not many), but I saw firsthand, Dan Marino's and Peyton Manning's rookie seasons, game by game.

Obviously they were both destined for NFL greatness and they shined throughout much of their debut seasons, but neither one had the advanced grasp of the game, the accomplished defense-reading prowess, or the confidence to go no-huddle on the road that Matt Ryan possesses.

And call me a 'homer' if it makes you feel puffed-up (stupid though since I'd say this even if Ryan played for the...gag.....SAINTS...) but my honest opinion is Matt Ryan is the best rookie quarterback I've ever seen.

[Jesus]

we never knew this team would be an elite team, they're teams was already an elite team

Yep and no one expected either the dolphins or steelers to improve with their rookies and they did.

Also the Steelers were 6-10 the year before they drafted Rothlisberger. Doesn't sound so elite to me.