NFL 2014: Looking Back at the 2008 NFL Draft: Matt Ryan & Joe Flacco
NFL 2014: Looking Back at the 2008 NFL Draft: Matt Ryan & Joe Flacco

 

The Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens each used a first-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft to select a quarterback.

The Falcons took Boston College's Matt Ryan with the third overall selection and the Ravens drafted Delaware's Joe Flacco with the No. 18 overall pick. Ryan and Flacco were the only two quarterbacks selected in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

This Sunday, when Atlanta visits Baltimore, the two quarterbacks will face off for the second time in their careers. In the first meeting (November 11, 2010), each QB threw three touchdown passes and Ryan's Falcons were victorious by a 26-21 score.

Player Att Comp Pct Yards TD INT Rating
Source: NFL
Joe Flacco342264.72153199.5
Matt Ryan503264.031630101.8

 

Ryan and Flacco both started as rookies and each one led his team to the playoffs. They became the first two rookie quarterbacks in NFL history to start 16 regular-season games and lead their teams to the playoffs.

Now in their seventh seasons, Ryan and Flacco have enjoyed success at the NFL level and proven to be worthwhile first-round picks.

Flacco (first with 62 wins) and Ryan (tied for second with 60 wins) have the most wins by a starting quarterback in his first six NFL seasons since the 1970 merger.

Player Team Seasons Wins
Source: NFL
Joe FlaccoBaltimore2008-1362
Matt RyanAtlanta2008-1360
Ben RoethlisbergerPittsburgh2004-0960
Tom BradyNew England2000-0558

 

And, since entering the NFL in 2008, Flacco and Ryan rank among the league's best during that time. Flacco's 66 wins are tied for the most in the NFL while Ryan's 62 victories are tied for fifth.

Player Team Wins
Source: NFL
Tom BradyNew England66
Joe FlaccoBaltimore66
Peyton ManningIndianapolis, Denver66
Drew BreesNew Orleans65
Aaron RodgersGreen Bay62
Matt RyanAtlanta62

 

Since 2008, Ryan and Flacco are two of only five quarterbacks to start at least 100 games.

The five quarterbacks since 2008 to start at least 100 games (ranked by passing yards):

Player Team Games Att Comp Pct Yards TD INT Rating
Source: NFL
Drew BreesSaints1004,0022,71067.731,466238101100.6
Philip RiversChargers1023,3572,20665.727,4371928199.9
Matt RyanFalcons1003,5222,24263.725,3221658490.8
Eli ManningGiants1023,3952,06760.925,28516311286.1
Joe FlaccoRavens1023,3232,00960.523,1411338184.7

 

With at least 100 starts and more than six years of NFL experience, both Ryan and Flacco have already produced impressive resumes. A few of their highlights:

Matt Ryan

Ryan was named the 2008 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, has been selected to two Pro Bowls (2010 and 2012 seasons) and has guided the Falcons to the playoffs four times (2008, 2010-12), including two division titles. He holds franchise records for career passing attempts (3,522), completions (2,242), completion percentage (63.7), passing yards (25,322), passing touchdowns (165) and passer rating (90.8). Ryan is one of five quarterbacks in NFL history with at least 25,000 yards in his first 100 career games.

"Matt from Day 1 has shown he's an elite quarterback in the NFL," says Falcons head coach MIKE SMITH, who took over the team in 2008, Ryan's first season. "I go back to his very first pass back in 2008, a 62-yard touchdown. His first throw was a good one, and he's had a lot of them since then. The arrow is still going up. There's a lot more out there."

Joe Flacco

Flacco guided the Ravens to a victory in Super Bowl XLVII and was named the Super Bowl MVP. During that postseason run, he threw 11 touchdown passes and no interceptions, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer JOE MONTANA (1989) as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to accomplish the feat. Flacco has guided the Ravens to the playoffs five times (2008-12) and is the only quarterback in NFL history to win a playoff game in each of his first five seasons. He holds franchise records for career passing attempts (3,323), completions (2,009), completion percentage (60.5), passing yards (23,141), passing touchdowns (133) and passer rating (84.7).

"I think Joe is going to become one of the premier quarterbacks in the history of the National Football League," says Ravens head coach JOHN HARBAUGH, who joined Baltimore in 2008, Flacco's rookie season. "I've said that many, many times."

The career stats for Ryan and Flacco:

Player Team Games Att Comp Pct Yards TD INT Rating
Source: NFL
Matt RyanAtlanta1003,5222,24263.725,3221658490.8
Joe FlaccoBaltimore1023,3232,00960.523,1411338184.7

 

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NFL 2014 - Looking Back at the 2008 NFL Draft: Matt Ryan & Joe Flacco