In Kyle Shanahan's new offense, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan threw one interception per game last season. And, so far this training camp, Ryan's reportedly thrown "a handful of interceptions," which coach Dan Quinn says doesn't concern him.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank also seems unconcerned.
Blank: Matt Ryan and Kyle Shanahan have really worked on their communication and I expect Matt will have comfort in Year 2 of Kyle's system.
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) August 4, 2016
Oh, by the way, here's a video of Shanahan -- the team's 36-year-old offensive coordinator -- intercepting Ryan -- the team's franchise quarterback -- during practice:
Contrary to rumors, Kyle Shanahan & Matt Ryan do work well together. #Falconspic.twitter.com/vWK6jOUaqS
— Knox Bardeen (@knoxbardeen) August 4, 2016
Nice.
In defense of Ryan, we don't really know the context behind the pick. Was Ryan supposed to throw the ball to Shanahan? Did a receiver run the wrong route? Was Ryan going easy on his coach for the sake of their relationship? Was Ryan trying to make his coach look better? Were they practicing what Ryan should not do during games this fall?
Or, does Matt Ryan actually kind of stink in Shanahan's offense that actually kind of stinks?
UPDATE, 5 p.m. ET: Context has arrived. Matt Ryan doesn't stink.
According to Knox Bardeen, a digital content producer and on-air host for 92.9 The Game, a CBS Sports Radio station, the Falcons were practicing the depth of their routes. I'll let him explain, as he did to me via email:
Rookie TE Austin Hooper ran the right route but at the wrong depth and Shanahan jumped it and grabbed it. He immediately turned to Hooper and let him know what had gone wrong. This wasn't a case of Ryan making a mistake or Shanahan trying to make him look bad. It was a teaching moment.
So, there you have it: Ryan doesn't stink and Shanahan is doing his job as the team's offensive coordinator.
