2016: Matt Ryan (BEST)
Why He’s Here: After years of being solid but rather unspectacular, Ryan finally put forth an outstanding season in 2016 that earned him MVP honors. His numbers suddenly skyrocketed from steady and boring to undeniably impressive, averaging over 300 yards per game for the first time in his career and throwing at least one touchdown pass in every game. He also averaged an amazing 9.3 yards every time he threw the ball. The receivers in Atlanta deserve a little bit of the credit, but there’s no denying that Ryan put on a master class on how to play the quarterback position in 2016.
Team Success: After guiding the Falcons to an 11-5 record, Ryan continued to play at a high level for two and a half playoff games, helping Atlanta take what appeared to be a commanding 28-3 in the Super Bowl. Of course, for a multitude of reasons, the Falcons failed to hold the lead and ended up losing 34-28 in overtime without Ryan getting a chance to touch the ball in the extra session.
By the Numbers: Completed 373 of 534 passes (69.9%) for 4,944 yards with 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions.