Spurs Meltdown Unfairly Drags Matt Ryan, Falcons' 28-3 Collapse Back Into Spotlight

As the San Antonio Spurs watched a 29-point lead evaporate in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, social media couldn't help but draw comparisons to the Atlanta Falcons and their failure in Super Bowl LI.

His watch has ended. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/xXhbCx3O3S
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) June 11, 2026

There's an old saying that quarterbacks get too much credit when a team wins and too much blame when they lose. As the face of the Atlanta Falcons through much of this century, Matt Ryan's image is associated the most frequently with a record-breaking collapse on the game's biggest stage.

With over $300 million in career earnings, according to Spotrac, Ryan has been well compensated for being attached to that game, even if blaming him for the loss is patently absurd.

Ryan was 17 of 23 passing for 284 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, which translated to a 144.1 passer rating. Tom Brady won MVP of the game with a 95.2 passer rating after throwing 62 passes, completing 43 of them for 466 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Ryan's 144.1 rating places him No. 4 all-time in the Super Bowl behind Phil Simms (150.9, XXI), Joe Montana (147.6, XXIV), and Jim Plunkett (145.0, XV). Troy Aikman's 140.7 in Super Bowl XXVII comes in at No. 5 with a 140.7 rating, and those are the only five players to have posted better than a 135.0 passer rating in Super Bowl history.

So, out of 120 quarterback performances in Super Bowl History, Ryan's ranks No. 4.

But it gets better.

Out of the top 10 passer ratings in Super Bowl history, the Falcons were the only team that lost the game.

Wait. We're still not done.

The other nine quarterbacks in the top 10 not only won the game, they were named MVP.

Name	Team	SB	Rating	MVP
Phil Simms	Giants	XXI	150.9	Yes
Joe Montana	49ers	XXIV	147.6	Yes
Jim Plunkett	Raiders	XV	145.0	Yes
Matt Ryan	Falcons	LI	144.1	No
Troy Aikman	Cowboys	XXVII	140.7	Yes
Steve Young	49ers	XXIX	134.8	Yes
Patrick Mahomes	Chiefs	LVII	131.8	Yes
Doug Williams	Redskins	XXII	127.9	Yes
Joe Montana	49ers	XIX	127.2	Yes
Tom Brady	Buccaneers	LV	125.8	Yes

Remove Matt Ryan, and you have a 100% chance of winning the Super Bowl and having the quarterback named MVP if you break a 125.0 passer rating.

Context matters, of course. Ryan wasn't simply stat padding in the first half. His second touchdown pass came in the third quarter to put the Falcons up 28-3. His clutch throw for a super-human catch to Julio Jones in the fourth quarter should have set up the field goal that would have iced the game.

This throw and catch from Matt Ryan to Julio Jones should be remembered as one of the best in Super Bowl history… pic.twitter.com/1YRArDcUQD
— Nick Penticoff (@NickPenticoff) April 12, 2024

You'd have to go down a long list of reasons why the Falcons blew that game before you got to Matt Ryan, including Kyle Shanahan's obsession with passing, Devonta Freeman's whiff, Dan Quinn's prevent, and many more.

The New England Patriots had the No. 1 scoring defense in the NFL going into that game. Ryan put up historic numbers against the No. 1 defense. The Falcons' defense was 27th in scoring.

That was a pretty common theme in Ryan's career, though. In 17 seasons, Ryan played with three top-10 defenses: 2010, 2012, and 2017. The number 17 strikes a chord because Brady played with 17 top-10 defenses in his 23-year career.

The worst defense Brady had in his seven Super Bowl wins was No. 8, in 2014 with the Patriots and 2020 with the Buccaneers.

This isn't to take anything away from Brady; Matt Ryan just deserves more respect.

Matt Ryan's Hall of Fame credentials go beyond the gaudy passing stats. He was at the helm as the Falcons rose from the bottom of the NFL into a top-10 franchise. #Falcons #AtlantaFalcons pic.twitter.com/4gcFA5w6go
— Scott Kennedy (@ScoutKennedy) May 19, 2025

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