WATCH: Matt Ryan records arguably greatest losing QB performance in NFL history against Cardinals
There's a discussion going on around Atlanta, at least among Falcons fans on Twitter, that Matt Ryan is part of the problem with the Falcons and their 1-5 start to 2019. One publication, which I won't mention by name, went as far as to suggest the Falcons should trade Ryan before the trade deadline passes at the end of October.
There's really no excuse for a take like that, but it looks even more silly after Ryan's performance in Week 6 against the Cardinals.
Ryan finished 30-for-36 with 356 passing yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions. He completed passes to nine different receivers and touchdown passes to three different pass-catchers.
For those into more of the analytical stats, Ryan posted a 144.9 passer rating and 80.0 quarterback rating. Remember, those scales are out of 158.3 and 100, respectively.
With those numbers, Ryan joined elite company, becoming the 28th quarterback since 1950 with a completion percentage of at least 80, more than 300 passing yards, at least four touchdowns and zero interceptions in the same game. However, the previous 27 signal callers to reach those figures all won their games that day.
That's right, Ryan made NFL history Sunday as the first quarterback with those numbers -- 80 percent completion percentage, 300-plus passing yards, four or more touchdowns and no picks -- to lose a game.
If there was ever a stat indicating that Ryan isn't the problem in Atlanta, it's that horrendous history the team helped him make against the Cardinals.