Successful Rookie QBs - Matt Ryan & Joe Flacco

NFL 2009 Matt Ryan led the Falcons to an 11-5 record en route to being named AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
Matt Ryan, QB Atlanta Falcons

Quarterbacks Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons and Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens have officially raised the bar for all rookie quarterbacks.

Last season, Ryan and Flacco each started all 16 of his team's games, the first time that has been done in a season during the Super Bowl era (since 1966).

Ryan led the Falcons to an 11-5 record en route to being named AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and Flacco led the Ravens to the AFC Championship Game following an 11-5 regular-season mark. They became the only quarterback rookies to lead their clubs to the playoffs in the same season since the 16-game schedule was instituted in 1978.

Combined, the two QBs posted a 22-10 (.688) record, the best mark by two rookie quarterbacks in a single season during the Super Bowl era (minimum eight starts each).

NFL 2009 Joe Flacco led the Ravens to the AFC Championship Game following an 11-5 regular-season
Joe Flacco, QB Baltimore Ravens

"You haven't seen, maybe ever in the league, two rookie quarterbacks like that," says NFL Network analyst MIKE MAYOCK.

Their exploits did not end at the conclusion of the regular season. Ryan led the Falcons to seven more wins than the previous season while Flacco's Ravens amassed six more victories than the club had in 2007. Those marked the biggest one-year increases in team wins by rookie quarterbacks.

The duo also became the first two rookie QBs in the Super Bowl era to start a playoff game in the same year.

Ryan and Flacco make up a quarter of the list of rookie quarterbacks to start playoff games in the Super Bowl era. Ryan's Falcons were defeated by the eventual NFC champion Arizona Cardinals in the Wild Card round, while Flacco became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to win two playoff games before the Ravens fell to the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game.

"It is unprecedented what they did," says Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback STEVE YOUNG.

Matt Ryan & Joe Flacco Rookie Season Statistics

Player Completions - Attempts (.Pct) Yards TDs INTs QB Rating Record
Source: National Football League
Joe Flacco257-428 (60.0%)2,971141280.311-5
Matt Ryan265-434 (61.1%)3,440161187.711-5

 

NFL 2009 Preview | Successful Rookie QBs - Matt Ryan & Joe Flacco