“[Matt Ryan]‘s grown as a quarterback. He’s grown as an individual. He’s obviously a great team leader. People recognize that and identify with him. He’s exactly what you would want in the CEO of a business. He’s the first to work and the last to leave. He works the hardest and studies. He provides all kinds of leadership on and off the field. I’m thrilled where he is….He understands this, that to become an elite quarterback in the league, you’ve got to win playoff games.”

-Arthur Blank, Atlanta Falcons owner

It kills me to agree with one of Mike Florio’s cronies at ProFootballTalk.  It’s like 2 steps above willingly agreeing with Peter King, which is just 1 step above willingly agreeing with Hitler.  But Michael David Smith put the translation of this quote perfectly: “So Ryan may be everything you could want in a CEO, but he’s not everything you could want in an elite quarterback.”  Yup, I’m not gonna beat that.  Well played, Smith.

One great nugget to pick out of Arthur Blank’s gigantic backhanded compliment to Matt Ryan: since when is “off field leadership” relevant in any way to on-field success?  Like, Yes, Arthur.  I’m thrilled that Matty Ice provides all that off-field leadership.  You know who doesn’t?  Ben Roethlisberger.  In fact, he generally spends his off-field time dodging the police at bars, beating sexual assault raps, and crashing his motor cycle into old ladies without a helmet on.  But he’s got two rings and manages to nut up enough not to post a career playoff statline of 71.2 QB rating, 5.31 YPA, 195 yards/game.

Now I wouldn’t be deeply moved if Big Ben was killed in that motorcycle accident.  But if you’re asking who I want throwing the ball in January?  That’s not a tough call.