BY JOSH BAGRIANSKY
hat do Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer, Michael Vick and Tom Brady all have in common? They’re all young quarterbacks who took the league by storm early on in their careers. But the legacies of all four would go in drastically different directions soon after, as Manning and Brady will go down as two of the greatest quarterbacks to play the game, while Vick and Palmer are both looking to get their games back on track, though their derailed careers arose from very different circumstances. Last year, Atlanta Falcons rookie signal caller Matt Ryan joined the long list of quarterbacks that seemed “destined for greatness.” But the question remains whether he will go the way of the likes of Brady rather than the way of the long list of promising youngsters who never lived up to their billings. The similarities between Ryan and Brady are striking. Their styles of play certainly have much in common. With both having strong arms, Brady and Ryan can put some real zip on the ball to squeeze it into tight areas. Then there’s the deep ball, a throw Brady has mastered during his career. Ryan isn’t quite there yet, but neither was Brady early in his career when many of his passes were of the shorter variety. And much like his counterpart, Ryan has the strength and smarts to put that perfect touch on the long throw. Perhaps most impressive was the poise both exhibited as young quarterbacks. Many a young QB has turned the ball over in bunches as they adjust to the speed and strength of NFL defenses. That was not the case with these two. Sure, they both made their fair share of mistakes in their first seasons under center. But you would be hard pressed to find a loss you could pin on either. Brady threw just 12 picks in his first season starting, Ryan only 11. The quarterback ratings of the two indicated that as well,
2008 SEASON STATISTICS Passing
G CMP ATT PCT YDS AVG TD 16 265 434 61.1 3,440 7.9 16
INT 11
RATE 87.7
RUSHING
ATT YDS AVG TD 55 104 1.9 1
with Brady checking in at a solid 86.5 and Ryan at 87.7. It’s that calm and unflappable swagger that made many gush over the futures of both players. However, by far the strongest correlation is the surprisingly strong performances of the two’s respective teams in their first years as starters, a category where a quarterback’s success should truly be measured. The best have typically been on winning teams,
as their leadership and direction can rejuvenate not just an offense, but a football team altogether.
STEPPING RIGHT IN … As you surely already know, Brady took over the reigns for an injured Drew Bledsoe in 2001 with the Pats sitting at 0-2. New England made a run after the Michigan man made his move up the depth chart, finishing the year on a tear at 11-5. But Brady wasn’t done yet, as he led his team through the playoffs and capped it off with an incredibly clutch final drive in the Super Bowl to set up Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning field goal. Ryan didn’t get himself a ring in his first season. But like Brady, his team surprised the league with him at the helm. The Boston College alum took over for a team viewed to be in dire straights after a terrible year that included the imprisonment of Vick, the flight of head coach Bobby Petrino before the 2007-08 season even ended, and an awful 4-12 overall record. Enter Ryan. Atlanta selected him with the No. 3 pick of the draft and never looked back. In the end, the re-vamped Falcons took the NFL by storm. With an up-and-coming offense headed by Ryan, and pro bowlers Roddy White and Michael Turner, the Birds established themselves as one of the league’s top units. The overall performance was nice, too. Atlanta finished 11-5 before losing in the first round of the playoffs to the future NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals in Phoenix. While Ryan’s first-season quarterbacking stacks up with some of the greats, there is no telling whether he will indeed join that elite group as his career continues. Nevertheless, people are already talking about just how good Ryan can be. And like Brady, he surely has the ability and intangibles to get it done. So is Ryan the next Brady or Manning? Or will he head down the paths of so many others who never lived up to the hype? Only time will tell.
First Two Full Seasons 2001 2002
Passing
RUSHING
G 15
CMP ATT PCT YDS AVG TD 264 413 63.9 2,843 6.9 18
INT 12
RATE 86.5
ATT YDS AVG TD 36 43 1.2 0
16
373 601 62.1 3,764 6.3 28
14
85.7
42
110 2.6 1