Matt Ryan Named NFC Offensive Player Of The Month, Proving Falcons Need Home Field In Playoffs

Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan has earned the NFC's Offensive Player of the Month award for November. Not only have the Falcons not lost since mid-October, they haven't turned the ball over since Oct. 24, and Ryan is a big reason for both. He threw for 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns in that span, with a passer rating over 100 in three of those games.

This illustrates perfectly why winning home field advantage in the playoffs would boost the Falcons' chances more than it would for other teams. Three of these past four games were home games, with the other against the St. Louis Rams in a dome. Two were wins over playoff-caliber teams, the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens. The Falcons' record in outdoor games this year? 1-2. Ryan is a different quarterback inside than he is outdoors.

And that's not to suggest he can't handle the elements. He's from Boston College, born in Pennsylvania. Rather it should imply that he's a pro at enduring crowd noise [LOL crowd noise Atlanta bad sports fans joke]. The Birds' upcoming stretch will tell us more about Ryan's growth, as their next two games are outdoors and the third is in that weird kind-of outdoors deal the Seattle Seahawks have going.