Matt Ryan gets intercepted by Kyle Shanahan during practice (video)
Training camp practice results need to be kept in context, good or bad. But Matt Ryan being intercepted by his offensive coordinator, if only for comedic purposes, stands out.
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The Atlanta Falcons started 5-0 in 2015, before losing seven of their next eight games to fade from the NFC playoff picture and finish 8-8.
There’s plenty of blame to be passed around for the Falcons’ downturn last year, and quarterback Matt Ryan is an easy scapegoat. The team’s collapse coincided with a drop-off from Ryan, as he had one or zero touchdown passes in six of the final nine games with 10 interceptions and three lost fumbles over that span. Overall for the season, Ryan accounted for as many turnovers as he had touchdown passes (21).
Improvement defensively is important for the Falcons this year, but better play and improved consistency from Ryan will be the biggest key to their season.
During training camp practice Thursday morning, Falcons’ offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan decided to step in and play defensive back. The result was potentially troubling, from a certain perspective.
Some fault could go to the receiver there, since he surely didn’t want to make an aggressive move for the ball and risk taking out Shanahan. But Ryan will struggle to live this mistake down with his teammates, even if there’s some chance he did exactly what he intended to do.
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