Ryan will have tough act to follow — his own
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Matt Ryan reacted just the way one would expect of a rookie who just threw a 62-yard touchdown on his first NFL pass.
"He was frolicking down the field," said fullback Ovie Mughelli, as he recalled Ryan's celebration in last Sunday's win against Detroit. "That just shows his youthful exuberance and how excited he was for a touchdown."
It might have been impossible to script a more memorable debut for the No. 3 overall draft pick from Boston College. It also made for a difficult act to follow as Ryan and the Falcons prepare to visit Tampa Bay on Sunday.
"It was just one performance, and I think that's the biggest thing," Ryan said. "We have 15 more to go and we have to do everything we can to get better. There are a lot of areas for us to improve."
Ryan was 9-for-13 for 161 yards with the touchdown and no interceptions. After Ryan's big play on his first pass, Michael Turner dominated the rest of the game, setting a team record with 220 yards rushing and a career high with two touchdowns in the 34-21 win.
Poise will be important as Ryan makes his first road start, but his strong opening game helped convince his teammates he is ready for the next challenge.
"There's no real concern, and there never really ever was for Mr. Matty Ice," Mughelli said.
The opening performance came at home before fans eager to see the quarterback picked to replace Michael Vick as the new face of the franchise.
Mughelli says the rookie now has to brace for a different environment.
Even ice reacts to heat.
"It's going to be different in a road game in the regular season," Mughelli said.
"He's gotten over the hurdle of the first home game, but he's going to have to get used to the crowd noise and get used to the fans booing. He's gone through it in college, but it's different in the NFL."
The Falcons can simulate crowd noise in practice. It's more difficult to prepare for Derrick Brooks and the Buccaneers' defense.
"Certainly it's a defense that has been around for a while," Ryan said.
Better to bounce questions off the veterans than to bounce the veterans to the turf.
McClure says "we're going to get tested this week," but he says no one is worried about the way Ryan will react.
"I think for everybody, after working with him in training camp, we knew what he was going to be about and the confidence he has and the confidence we have in him," McClure said.
