ESPN debates if Matt Ryan is better for Colts than Carson Wentz was
With Matt Ryan off to a slow start with the Indianapolis Colts, experts are asking if he’s actually a better option than Carson Wentz.
When the Indianapolis Colts traded Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders this offseason and traded for Matt Ryan, many argued that this was an upgrade for Indianapolis. It was understood that Indy still had things it needed to improve but the overall feedback was that the Colts had a better signal caller for what they wanted to do.
That was reaffirmed when Ryan actually got into the building and everyone started to rave about the veteran quarterback. From his leadership to his preparation and on-field accuracy, the Colts were confident they had the right guy to help them contend this season. However, things don’t seem all that clear now that the season has started.
Indianapolis has struggled to start the season and Matt Ryan is partially at fault. Indy has struggled to protect Ryan but when he is hit, he has been fumbling the football at an alarming rate. Between his fumbles and Indy’s record, people have begun to ask if Ryan is really a better option for the Colts than Carson Wentz was.
ESPN’s Stephen Holder dove into that question in a recent ESPN piece analyzing the first few weeks of the NFL season. Holder argues that despite Indy’s record, Indianapolis isn’t necessarily struggling because Ryan is a worse option than Carson Wentz.
Matt Ryan has different circumstances with the Colts than Carson Wentz
Holder acknowledged that Ryan’s turnovers have been bad but he believes Wentz benefitted from something that Matt Ryan doesn’t currently have. That’s a quality run game. Holder highlights how Jonathan Taylor led the NFL in rushing yards and rushing yards per attempt last season with great play from Indy’s offensive line.
Anyone who’s been watching the Colts play football this year knows that Ryan hasn’t been able to play off of that same elite run game because it hasn’t been present. Holder used stats to illustrate that, saying, “This season’s disastrous offensive line performance has the Colts sitting at 27th in rushing yards per game (87.8) and per carry (3.5) while Ryan has been under assault from pass-rushers.”
Holder makes a fair argument. While Matt Ryan obviously has to do a better job of protecting the football Indy’s biggest problem is their inability to run the football right now. Until that changes, the Colts and everyone involved will look bad.
