A Mike & Mike for the ages

[Bert Macklin]

Mike Greenberg spent at least five minutes comparing Matt Ryan to Peyton Manning.

He went through their respective stats and playoff records through age 27. I can't go into detail in how lovingly he was talking about Ryan.

If you missed it try to hear the podcast. A sports journalism masterpiece not to be missed.

Wait, now he's making Michael Jordan comparisons?

Vince Young is a former nfl superstar?

[Scotty D]

Maybe not super star but Vince Young was big time after his rookie year. Especially coming off the Texas-USC game which was one of the better football games I can remember watching.

[Splat]

Was he kissing the mic as he talked? That always creeped me out your lips don't have to be on the mic.

[A Perfect Score]

Originally Posted by Scotty D

Maybe not super star but Vince Young was big time after his rookie year. Especially coming off the Texas-USC game which was one of the better football games I can remember watching.

That's still probably my favorite football game I've ever watched. What a night.

[WCH]

I remember early in Vince Young's second NFL season, Florio argued that he was already the best QB in the NFL.

Good times.

[SolidGold]

Originally Posted by WCH

I remember early in Vince Young's second NFL season, Florio argued that he was already the best QB in the NFL.

Good times.

LOL...gotta love all the mooks out there that somehow become expert football analysts yet are not held to any standard of accountability

[ViperVisor]

I got that in the mail just before this happened.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=310115001

Since then I always reference him as Mathew Icicle.

[BeerBaron]

Originally Posted by Scotty D

Maybe not super star but Vince Young was big time after his rookie year. Especially coming off the Texas-USC game which was one of the better football games I can remember watching.

I think Greenie called that the greatest football game ever played (or one of them.)

But yeah, I was watching as he made the Ryan/Peyton comparison this morning before work. (It's all the more ESPN I watch other than live games.)

His points were completely legit and the supporting evidence was fantastic. Their similarities as guys who lack elite physical tools but are great cerebral QBs and genuinely intelligent human beings.

I'd offer a rebuttal on a few points, but it would be nowhere near as eloquent. Overall, he made a great case for the comparison and Falcon fans should hope he's right about this one.

[Ness]

I'll just say that as much heat as Ryan gets for not winning a playoff game yet, it took Manning up until his sixth season to finally get one. A lot of people forget that.

[phlysac]

I'm beginning to think that many of these "analysts"/personalities engage in dialogue that is essentially scripted.

On NFL Network, Darren Sharper was asked who will be Defensive MVP and he emphatically declared a guy that should be "inducted into the HOF after only one season", "JJ Wyatt!" When the female on set instantly corrected him, saying "JJ Watt" he yelled back "No, JJ Wyatt!"

If you feel so strongly about a player, you'd think you'd know their name. I'm convinced it was written for him to argue for Watt, and he just didn't know who he was.

[Ness]

I think it's always been scripted. Which is why on ESPN they ask analysts who they think will do this or that and at the exact moment they answer a clip is shown on television of the player that just popped into their mind. Obviously this is impossible.

I remember when the Steelers/49ers game had that blackout and Monday Night Football cut back to the studio with Berman, Carter, Johnson, and whoever else was there and they barely talked trying to pass the time until the game resumed. Obviously that was something done on the fly so you can't put too much blame on them. But yes those shows seem like they're scripted to a degree.

[BeerBaron]

Originally Posted by Ness

I think it's always been scripted. Which is why on ESPN they ask analysts who they think will do this or that and at the exact moment they answer a clip is shown on television of the player that just popped into their mind. Obviously this is impossible.

I remember when the Steelers/49ers game had that blackout and Monday Night Football cut back to the studio with Berman, Carter, Johnson, and whoever else was there and they barely talked trying to pass the time until the game resumed. Obviously that was something done on the fly so you can't put too much blame on them. But yes those shows seem like they're scripted to a degree.

No. Even if it's not scripted (I believe that it is for the most part,) they would still discuss what they're going to cover before the show so the graphics people can have it ready. It's what every other show anywhere ever does.

So if analyst A is choosing player A as his MVP pick, he'll let the production people know that before hand in a pre-show meeting or something so they can have the clips ready.

[Bert Macklin]

How does Peyton not have elite physical tools? 6'5 230 rocket arm.

[Ness]

Originally Posted by BeerBaron

No. Even if it's not scripted (I believe that it is for the most part,) they would still discuss what they're going to cover before the show so the graphics people can have it ready. It's what every other show anywhere ever does.

So if analyst A is choosing player A as his MVP pick, he'll let the production people know that before hand in a pre-show meeting or something so they can have the clips ready.

Yes. What I meant was that it isn't a show that is done on the fly. They obviously tell the production crew what they're going to say before it's aired. That's what I meant by scripted. Not that they're literally reading from as script all the time, but that it's prepared. It's different than what they do on the radio where you can tell that they're obviously thinking and can do whatever they want with the time allotted for the program.

[BeerBaron]

Originally Posted by Bert Macklin

How does Peyton not have elite physical tools? 6'5 230 rocket arm.

I hope you're being sarcastic, otherwise, we have a problem.

[Bert Macklin]

Originally Posted by BeerBaron

I hope you're being sarcastic, otherwise, we have a problem.

I want someone in this thread to tell me what QB has "elite physical tools".

[Ness]

I don't see how Peyton Manning doesn't have elite physical tools for his position and what he's paid to do. This is part of the reason why he was billed as the top pick in the 1998 NFL Draft.

[bigbluedefense]

Peyton's arm is bigger than Ryan's. Always has been. Peyton has elite tools. He's tall, and has an NFL arm that can make every throw. That's elite tools.

The comparison has been a joke from day 1.

[NotMyJob]

But he doesn't run fast.

[ShutDwn]

Does anyone think, if Matt Ryan becomes a free agent in 10 years, he'll have teams chasing/courting him and he'll get a $96M contract?

If I have a good defense, Matt Ryan doesn't worry me.

[jsagan77]

Matt Ryan is going to crush the NFL this year IMHO...

[Bert Macklin]

Originally Posted by Ness

I don't see how Peyton Manning doesn't have elite physical tools for his position and what he's paid to do. This is part of the reason why he was billed as the top pick in the 1998 NFL Draft.

Thank you sir

[K Train]

Come on now, Leaf had the better physical tools that year. Peyton had better everything else

Ryan and Peyton arent that far off, especially in arm strength...in raw strength both are upper middle of the pack QBs, not cannons but not noodles either. Im kinda excited to see ryan in this offense with roddy and julio. I see the comparison though, thats why they were being compared when ryan was being drafted. Peyton was very reminiscent of peyton, and i think in a few years we'll be talking about how similar Eli Manning and Andrew Lucks abilities are and they drew an awful lot of comparisons over the last year

[Shane P. Hallam]

I agree with Greeny in a lot of what he said. I think this is Ryan's year to really step up a la Matthew Stafford of last year and the Falcons are my pick to go to the Super Bowl. I feel like Ryan has only improved each season and continues to improve each season. Is he Peyton? No, he won't be that good or successful, but I don't think he is as far away as a lot of people believe.

[Ness]

It's always hard for me to pick a dome team to go to the Super Bowl unless they have homefield advantage through the post season. Those teams just seem to crumble on the road.