ATLANTA (AP) — There are plenty of reasons why the Atlanta Falcons have endured three consecutive losing seasons, but quarterback Matt Ryan has generally been one of the consistent bright spots.
That was hardly the case in a 20-17 loss in Los Angeles on Sunday when Ryan threw three interceptions, the last two costing the Falcons a chance to take a late lead. Both passes were to his right side, short attempts to Hayden Hurst and Calvin Ridley that gave the Chargers an easy path to the ball in Los Angeles territory.
At 35, Ryan insists he’s still the same player who was the NFL MVP in 2016. But he has eight picks in his past six games, and an intentional grounding penalty cost the Falcons a chance to score early in the fourth quarter.