The Colts enter the 2022 season with a renewed vision and focus after acquiring Matt Ryan five days into the new league year.
The timing of the pairing is intriguing, with Ryan coming off a difficult final season in Atlanta and the Colts still reeling from a Week 18 loss to the Jaguars that eliminated them from postseason contention.
Speaking with NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero during the Annual League Meeting in Florida, Colts coach Frank Reich said Sunday he believed Ryan’s arrival in Indianapolis couldn’t have come at a better time.
“I think everyone saw from the outside that this is a good fit,” Reich told Pelissero. “Like, people can universally agree you got a guy who’s still playing at a high level with a team and roster that is built to make some noise. We needed each other.”
In 2021, the Carson Wentz-led Colts finished No. 9 in the NFL in points per game (26.5), and No. 16 in total offense (347.1 YPG). Ryan, a former league MVP, now stands to inherit an offense that includes sensational All-Pro Jonathan Taylor, second-year breakout Michael Pittman and a stout offensive line led by All-Pro Quenton Nelson.
Ryan, 36, proved last year that he’s still capable of competing at a high level despite playing with a less-than-stellar roster. While the 7–10 Falcons missed the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year, Ryan completed 67% of his passes for a solid 3,968 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Reich, the leader of a squad with a league-high seven Pro Bowl nods in 2021, expressed his eagerness for the chance to collaborate with Ryan on the team’s offensive approach.
“I’m looking forward to digging into that this offseason with Matt, with our coaches,” Reich said. “It’s going to be 80 percent of what we’ve done in the past, 90 percent, but then there’s going to be tweaks. We will look through all of his film. We’ll pull out concepts that he’s done a lot in Atlanta and he’s been successful with. We’ll listen to how he’s thought about those things, how they compliment what we do and then we’ll find ways to integrate some of those things. Then I’m sure together, I can already tell in a few short discussions with him, that we will create some things together.”
Indianapolis finished second in the AFC South in 2021 at 9–8. The Colts have reached the playoffs in just two of the last seven seasons.
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