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PHILADELPHIA – This was the third quarter and the Falcons receiver Julio Jones – as is often the case – was open on the left touchline near the end zone. Quarterback Matt Flacco did not see him.
Uh, sorry, Matt Ryan. It's hard to tell the difference sometimes.
There are many people who will tell you how great Ryan is. It's almost like a cottage industry. An army of apologists who launch all the statistics and data of Matt Flacco, as well as film footage, such as grenades.
Oh, my bad, I did it again. Sorry, Matt Ryan.
Ryan's apologists are all over. Ready to pounce. To tell you that he is in the same elite category as Cam Newton and Russell Wilson and Drew Brees. They will stomp, cross their arms and insist.
And they will surely call Ryan and the opening of the Falcons season against the Eagles. They will say that they brought the reigning Super Bowl champions to the final game of the game before losing 18-12 in a poorly played match that was ultimately fun.
They will say that Ryan deserves credit for leading the Eagles in the final moments. Eat that, hateful.
But let me ask a question.
Do you really trust this quarterback? Do you really trust this team of Falcons?
For me, they seem likely the same as the "Falcons", and it looks like the same "Flacco".
Sorry, Ryan. I said Ryan. R-Y-A-N.
The game was ugly. It was one of the least officiated games you could see. There was a total of 26 penalties for 236 yards. In addition to being a Thursday night game, which is traditionally bad anyway, it was also the first game, and the rust showed.
Yet, we saw Nick Foles help his team win. It was not pretty. He had only 19 out of 34 for 117 yards and one interception. But he continued to take what the defense gave him, even if it meant continually sending him back to Nelson Agholor. He was 3-in-3 for 17 yards on the winning record, nothing special, but exactly what was needed to support the Philadelphia match, which carried Atlanta's defense. I never felt that Foles was going to lose.
Think about that. A career mate who had a great stretch last year, and you could see him one way or another, somehow he was going to win.
Brett Carlsen / Getty Images
He has skills, of course, but Foles also has confidence. He trusts knowing that eventually, perhaps in a few weeks, he could be replaced by Carson Wentz. He does not seem to care. Nothing seems to bother him.
The opposite seems true with Ryan. He has everything around him. He has a good racing game – led by Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman – and perhaps the league's second best receiver in Julio Jones. His line is good and his defense is not bad.
And on Thursday, he did what he does so often – which those who defend him so often point out. He won the statistical battle by throwing 251 yards 21 out of 43 people passing by).
But he also had the opportunity to change the story of him and the Falcons, to win, and he lost. It was the last game of the game, at the Eagles' 5-yard line, and they are short again.
What happened in the red zone in this game is a microcosm of what this Falcons team is and why it is almost impossible to trust. Ryan was 1-in-9 with an interception there.
After the match, Ryan was asked at length about the difficulties of the Falcons red zone. He patiently answered all the questions but continued to make the same point.
"It's a match," he said. "It's the size of the sample we're having right now – it's disappointing not to have done them tonight." It's not a season not to score affected. "
In these short and short games, the Falcons do not seem able to win the intense fights. That was the case last season and it is still this year.
"You will not make me say anything bad about Matt Ryan," said Eagles defensive back Malcolm Jenkins. "He is a great player, but we also have great players."
"Do not panic on the sidelines," said Eagles coach Doug Pederson, about his team, "Resilience: The guys are together".
For once, just once, it would be nice to hear Ryan and the Falcons call resilient.
The Eagles are a tough and talented football team. They are not a fluke, and they are 10-1 at home, including the playoffs, since the start of last season.
Again, it was Ryan's game to take.
The best quote from anyone, maybe ever, about Ryan did not come from one of the lockers of the postgame. It was Hall of Fame member Steve Young on ESPN.
"He's a solid player," Young said. "It's not out of date, I think it's ahead of the game." What I want to do is say: "Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan. "That's what I want to do, but it still does not happen … I want Matt to intervene and make the last drive."
"Matt has been playing football for a long time, but there's something about this last visit to Everest," said Young. "This last camp up until Matt just needs to get on his own."
Brett Carlsen / Getty Images
This quote is the truest thing about any league player you could hear all season.
The hawks will be good. They will put numbers and be a threat. Ryan will have his usual supporters and apologists.
The problem will remain nevertheless. We still can not trust Matt Flacco.
Dangit.
Mike Freeman covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @mikefreemanNFL.
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