The Colts are in
a mode right now
where they have a good team.
They just can't get certainty and continuity at
the quarterback position and they really were lost as of a week
ago.
What were they going to do? We're going to give up too much
to get Jimmy Garoppolo.
Where they going to bring in Baker, Mayfield and have some
of the similar issues that they had with Carson Wentz. What
were they going to do this? Matt Ryan think falls out of
the sky.
It's Manna From Heaven.
For Chris Ballard, Jim. Irsay and Frank Reich.
It really is. You're right about that. I was sitting
there, you know, last week. You're right. Just sitting
there going man. What are the Colts going to do? I mean, are
they really gonna go
the Jimmy Garoppolo route, that's where? I was kind of
like bringing my mind and because it seemed like it was
kind of dwindling down to That's the only option and
I kept sitting there going. I don't know if that makes sense.
If that's really a good fit there.
Are they going to want to do that? And
again, rolling the dice on a Jimmy Garoppolo? I thought it
was a little, like Carson, Wentz and Baker, Mayfield. And
how that's why they got, you know, got out of that.
This was an unbelievable blessing for the organization.
It really was and a guy like we talked about. Yeah, he's not
one of the young superstars of the league, but damn, good can
carry your team and tough moments during a football game.
Game
and and get them over the hump when you're kind of stalled out
and then of course is going to be the professional and
the leader that you want in your locker room and everything.
They're just they hit the jackpot here. It fell into
a scenario. That
was about as good as I think they could have imagined
is in an Indianapolis this year. If I could say that right
in Indianapolis this year.
Yeah. That's the old March Madness commercial with was it.
Charles Barkley saying Indianapolis? Yeah,
Indianapolis Indianapolis. They were driving to a nap.
Because Charles thought it was in the Annapolis.
Here is Matt Ryan in the Annapolis yesterday talking
about why he chose the Cults when the opportunity to leave
Atlanta arose.
I mean, like everything I heard but
you know, you don't, you know, you don't always like what year
sometimes but they,
you know, were professional and handled it really. Well.
I knew,
you know, at some point I was going to need to make
a decision on whether or not I wanted to stay.
And as I looked into it, I knew there was only one spot. I want
it to go.
And
there was no doubt that if I were to make a move, this is
exactly where I want it to be.
Yeah, it's a no brainer. It's an upgrade. The only problem is
it's in the AFC. That's the only downside. If the Cults
just happened to be in the NFC, like they used to be in
the NFL. They were one of the NFL teams that got moved to
the afl's conference during the
merger, along with the Steelers and the Browns and several
others. If I sit and think about it long enough, but they
would be very happy
if they were in the NFL /. NFC right now because it would be
a lot easier to compete with that team. They are going to be in
the meat grinder. Under they make the cult stronger.
Matt, Ryan makes the Colts stronger. And
hey, they could, they could kick the Titans to the curb. Now,
in the AFC South the definitely, I think there are
a team that's kind of looking to play like Tennessee, right?
I mean, it's that it's hey, balanced football. We're going
to run the ball, you know, we're going to take our shots
down the field. We're going to have
a really good defense. You're going to have to play
a well-rounded football game to beat us and and our
quarterback, you know, as smart knows how to take care of
the ball and it As you know, going to hit the bullseye more times
than not, there's a lot of similarities there
and and again, you know, Matt Ryan. The interesting thing is
if they're Colts weren't available. Where what was he
going to do? He's probably going to stay stand Pat, right.
If this this situation is isn't available like this because
the other options out there, I don't think her for a guy like,
Matt Ryan, he was going to look at and go. Oh, whoa, that's
a significant upgrade from where I am. I'm going to go there.
No.
All the other options out there. Got a lot of
you know, if Some Bots and question marks and everything
like that. So that's where it's great for him and makes a lot
of sense.
Quarterbacks. Usually, no crossover film
got the right coaches to talk about as far as
hey, let me figure out
what a team really is. And let me do a little,
you know, due diligence on looking into the team, scouting
it myself talked to a few coaches and people, I know that
that I trust, that really can evaluate a football team, and
I'm sure he looked into that even though he had, they
haven't
played. The Colts that I don't think in the last two years. He
went. Whoa,
there's some stuff here to like about this football team. And
this is the spot to go. If I get out of town and hey, it's
it's you know, another mood we're looking at, we put them
in the category. Could this be Stafford and Brady? Can they be
it?
The problem is, we got like five of those
stories this year, that could be Stafford or Brady.
Well, that's right. It could be Russell Wilson in Denver
and it definitely could be not will be, but it could be Matt
Ryan and Indianapolis. That was one of the things he talked
about yesterday. Here he is on
this Dynamic of Veteran quarterback switching. Team
winning Super Bowl right away like Stafford did in 2021 and
Brady the year before that when he went to Tampa. Here's Ryan.
Yeah, it looks pretty good. You know, the romance that looks
really good. What Matthew Stafford did in La last year,
you know, making that transition playing so well,
and what Tom did? You know? I saw that firsthand in division
the year before?
Hopefully, you know, we bottle up some of that momentum and we
can make a push here.
I really believe we can't, I think this rosters built
really well, their sound across the board built with, you know,
really High character football players
guys, who work hard.
I mean,
it's amazing to me in sending a bunch of tax and talking to
some guys yesterday. Just back and forth. How much they care
about winning,
you know, in every one of their first text messages. It was
about winning.
That's Unique, you know, it really is and that fires me up
so
I hope we can, you know, like I said ride that Trend that's
been going on and
make it work for us
it makes you wonder whether or not the Falcons players, sent
text messages to each other talking about winning. Maybe
they didn't based upon the way we have gone there in recent
years. No cult. There hasn't been much. Yeah, exactly. There
has it. They're just,
you know,
I really do believe that.
After the 2:32 debacle that is something so historic and so
depressing. And so earth-shattering for franchise
that it really doesn't
go away
until everyone connected to it is gone and then you rebuild.
And I felt that way about the Seahawks after Super Bowl 49.
Although it was a different
type of a collapse and Calamity. They had the game won
at the very end and it was snatched away from them. Based
upon the disputed run versus pass question. This 2:32 worst
collapse we've ever seen
and I, I feel like it does send an organization into
a tailspin. Yeah,
and they're still working their way out of it and maybe this is
a necessary step Julio Jones last year. Goes this year,
it's, Matt, Ryan
and they're going to. I feel like they're going to grope for
a while as I try to decide where they're going and who
they're going to be. But
I think it was Bad that day and it stays with that team.
You just need to hit a reset button at some point and you
don't, you can't do it all at once because the reality is
a salary cap, but over a five-year period. You turn over
everything and and you hope that you can just finally
forget about that and move forward. Yeah, I think that's,
that's
a real thought. It's the worst loss and the history of
the NFL.
That's really bottom line. There it is. That's the banner
statement. And that's it is tough to overcome. They They
rode the momentum, the next year, going into Philadelphia
lost a close playoff game. They were still a really
talented good team,
you know, but then it was oh,
we just missed out on the playoffs and it all started to
fall apart. And the lifeline of that team was over. It was
done. You're right. We started to question
Dan Quinn within that Super Bowl. Well, he did not a manage
that. Now you start to question him going forward in
the future.
The Falcons are are in a total rebuild frame face. That's why
I think they did that made this move. They realize like wait.
We're not going anywhere right now. We're totally trying to
start a new culture. Arthur Smith has got things on
the right
track. The new GM's got things on the right track, but they
got to flip over that team. So they made that move the time
was now. Yeah, they forwarded with the Sean Watson that
messed up and messed up, relationship up with Matt Ryan.
They had
to make the move good for them,
Matt Ryan, what he said, right? This,
you know, hopefully we can bottle up,
you know, this move and ride the momentum. Yeah. This is
the kind of move that does give it a organization a lot of
momentum. And again now people in the front office
last year. Hey, it's cool. We got Carson Wentz. We got
a quarterback. He's got a talent. He's got potential this year.
It's we got Matt Ryan.
We got Matt Ryan guys,
you know that that's all they have to say.
Chris Ballard, a people in the front office. They can walk
around with their chest. Puffed out there going down. We got
a guy that, you know,
we don't have to worry about it anymore. We don't, he's gonna
be a machine. And the one thing I've heard about, Matt Ryan,
you know, over the last year or two,
because I think there was a little
faith, In his career, where people thought all, he's kind
of a know-it-all, you know, he's got everything in has been
coached. Well, he's a pretty good professional. He doesn't
want more plays or more thoughts on
his plates. He kind of wants to stay in his comfort zone.
The things I've heard, you know, with people connected
down in Atlanta, you know, through Arthur Smith and then
even talking to Dave Reagan, a few times, the quarterback
coach down in Atlanta, who just couldn't Rave enough about
what? Matt Ryan was down there and how
He couldn't get over
how accepting he was of coaching
and that he was still the hardest worker on the football
team in the first guy in there every day. Like he had
something to prove and I think Matt Ryan still does have
a fire underneath this but in a real way and he's trying to
chase that Super Bowl and I think he got to a point of
the career where he said, okay
enough loyalty, you know, I'm out of here. They're not that
loyal to me. I'm getting the hell out of here. I'm gonna go
try to win one.
It really was jarring in recent years. I would interview him.
He always does some sort of a media thing right before
the start of the season and Question comes up about playing
for another team. When you see all the transition that's
happening for older quarterbacks. Its more common
than uncommon
at this point and he never ever suggested anything other than
a desire to stay with the Falcons for the rest of his career.
That's what makes this one. So jarring, Matt Ryan, leaving
the Falcons was on, no one's bingo card, you know, this offseason,
right. And
even as of a week ago, eight days ago, it really started to
pop on Wednesday, I think. And then we started to put together
the stability that, yes, they could get the Sean Watson
and then, as of Thursday,
that's when it first dawned on me, and if they don't get him,
it may be Matt Ryan out of Atlanta and that's all timidly
what they get.