The Atlanta Falcons continue to operate under the radar despite being unbeaten and untied through seven games.
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Matt Ryan has so much to do with that. There has been zero adjustment period during the quarterback's first season in Dirk Koetter's offense. Ryan has taken the wheel and dominated games.
The Falcons' offense ranks 13th in the NFL, a number tinged by their 24th-ranked ground game. This passing attack is dropping 271 yards and nearly 29 points per game on opponents. The Falcons followed form Sunday in a 30-17 thumping of the Philadelphia Eagles in which Ryan threw for 262 yards and three touchdowns.
"He ran the offense as about as well as it could be run," Falcons coach Mike Smith told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I thought there was probably one throw early in the game that he would've liked to have had back. It was really the first throw of the game, but Matt is running the offense extremely well."
That problematic first pass? A second-down incompletion over the middle intended for Michael Turner. If that's your biggest mistake in the game, good luck to the challenger.
Ryan ranks third in passer rating (103.0), and he has thrown multiple scoring passes in every game but one in 2012. He has 17 touchdown passes on the season, compared to just six interceptions. Ryan is more than a top-five quarterback. He's soaring toward MVP honors.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.