Will the Sophomore Slump Hit Joe Flacco or Matt Ryan?

 

 

The proverbial sophomore slump happens ever season to some NFL players in year number two. Last season, two rookies had very good seasons, leading their teams to the playoffs. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco and Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan both exceeded expectations in their first season in the league. Chances are that one of these quarterbacks will take a step back this season, but will it be Flacco or Ryan?

Flacco threw for 2,971 yards with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season. The Ravens quarterback struggled towards the end of the season with only two touchdowns and five interceptions in his last six games (including playoffs). Last season, Ryan threw for 3,440 yards and 16 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. Including one playoff game, Ryan threw four touchdowns and six interceptions in his last four games.

NFL defenses started putting more pressure on the rookies at the end of the season and at times both rookies struggled. Now that the Falcons added Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez, I expect Ryan to play more consistent and make the Pro Bowl in his second season. The Ravens also added a tight end in the offseason in former Philadelphia Eagles tight end L.J. Smith. The former Eagle was a good security blanket for Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb at times, but Gonzalez is a huge improvement for the Falcons. Did defenses have to game plan for Falcons tight end Justin Peelle? The answer is no and defenses will have a hard time this season trying to stop Gonzalez, wide receiver Roddy White (assuming he stops his holdout at some point) and running back Michael Turner.

Gonzalez and Ryan have already developed good chemistry and Turner even commented on how much Ryan has improved in the offseason. I like what the Falcons did in the offseason and I don’t like what the Ravens lost in the offseason. After losing defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, linebacker Bart Scott and underrated safety Jim Leonhard to the New York Jets, I don’t expect the Ravens to create as many turnovers as they did last year. While I expect running back Ray Rice to take a big leap forward, I still am not a big fan of the receivers on the Ravens. Not every player has a sophomore slump, but Flacco is more likely to have one this year than Matt Ryan.