Atlanta Falcons: 3 Bold predictions vs. Vikings, Week 1
3. Matt Ryan will throw for over 300 yards
The first bold prediction when it comes to looking ahead to Atlanta facing off against Minnesota on Sunday in Minneapolis is that Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan will start the year off with by throwing for over 300 yards in the contest.
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Ryan, a four-time Pro Bowler who is entering his 12th professional season, put together another strong 2018 season while playing and starting in all 16 games for Atlanta. The former MVP and third overall pick tallied 422 completions on 608 attempts to gather a completion percentage of 69.4 percent. Along with 35 touchdowns, Ryan threw for a total of 4,924 yards while throwing just seven interceptions a year ago.
Throughout the 2018 campaign, Ryan surpassed the 300-yard mark in a single game a total of eight times out of his 16 appearances. The Falcons finished 4-4 in games when he surpassed that mark.
On Sunday in Minnesota, it’s likely that we see Ryan kick off the fresh season with another game like that while having basically every one of his offensive weapons returning to the team from a year ago.
Throwing for over 300 yards won’t be an easy feat for Ryan to accomplish in the season opener on the road, however, as he and the Falcons are squaring off against one of the top defenses in the league on the other side of the field.
In 2018, the Vikings gave up a total of 3,140 passing yards, which ranked third-best in the NFL. They also allowed a total of 15 touchdowns throughout the course of the regular season, ranking No. 1 in the league.
Regardless, Ryan has too many weapons on offense to be held in check for a majority of the game and could quickly turn this game into an offensive-heavy contest early and often at US Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon.