Philly-Area Man Has Chance to Take Down Patriots in Super Bowl
USA Today Sports
One Philadelphia-area man can prevent the Patriots from winning the Super Bowl with just his arm.
That man is Matt Ryan, Exton native and quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons. Ryan, a 2002 graduate of Penn Charter, led the Falcons to a 44-21 win in the NFC Championship yesterday. He’ll face the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Yes, a guy from Philly can stop the Patriots from winning their fifth Super Bowl. Since every Eagles fan knows our team will never, ever win one, this is something we can all get behind.
Ryan threw for 4,944 yards and 38 touchdowns against just seven interceptions this season, and is one of the favorites for the NFL MVP award. He threw for 338 yards and three TDs in a divisional-round win over Seattle, then went for 392 yards with four TDs in yesterday’s win. He’s completing more than 70 percent of his passes in the postseason.
Ryan was remembered by teammates in an Inquirer story as a team-first player who set aside individual goals. He threw for just 1,048 yards as a senior at Penn Charter, handing off the ball extensively in the team’s triple-option offense.
He’s also, the New York Times reported, a regular at family basketball games at Bill Henfey Park in North Wildwood. See? Exton may be an hour outside Philadelphia, but Matt Ryan is definitely From Here.
And, amazingly, the Eagles beat the Falcons, 24-15, earlier this year. A win for Atlanta in two weeks would be a win for all Philadelphians.