Matt Stafford will be a ZONETASTIC Pro QB

Matt Stafford v Matty Ice. I got into this debate with IJ Rosenberg on the Score Atlanta Scoreboard show this past weekend and I think i hit a nerve. He was captain of the MATTYICE-FULLSPEEDAHEAD boat, while I was slurping the Matt Stafford kool-aid (because red is a color, not a flavor of Kool-aid!).
IJ is under the impression that Matty Ice will be the better pro QB and was trying to convince me that he was a better college QB than Stafford. Apparently, Stafford's incredible record on the college level (25-6) and his taking the team to the Sugar Bowl, complete with #2 final ranking was not as impressive as Matty Ice's 20 INTs last season. He was trying to make the point that Ryan took his team to play for an ACC championship while Stafford has never even won his own division (when I pointed out that he actually shared the SEC East last week, I was shot down because Tennessee played for the title.) I pointed out that perhaps, if the Falcons were to take QBs that take their teams to the ACC championship game before losing, then why didn't Atlanta invest in Reggie Ball? Listen, Stafford doesn't need to pass for 300+ for his team to win. Run the ball, pass when you want to for 225+ and finish in the top 10 while playing an SEC SCHEDULE, and that is good enough for me. If Stafford was in the Mizzou offense, he'd be passing the ball 45 times a game, for 90000 yards and we'd be calling him a system QB. Happy medium please..

As far as how they will play as Pros, there is a reason he has scouts drooling ever since high school. have you SEEN his arm? Possibly the best since Elway. Maybe better than Favre's. yeah, I said it. He is a gun-slinger like Favre is/was too. He is going to have a few picks. So did #4 of the Packers. He also won a few MVPs and a Super Bowl, if I recall correctly. Tony Romo is a pretty good QB too. When I look at Stafford and his rocket arm, I see the next Elway. (Unless Jay Cutler beats him to it!) When I look at Matt Ryan, I see the next Matt Hasselback. Sorry, Falcons fans. But I do. And don't get me wrong, there is NOTHING wrong with a Pro Bowler, but please don't try and sell me that Ryan's potential is higher than Stafford's is. I think Ryan is peaking right now. He will play AT THIS LEVEL for his career. And that is great, but his ceiling isn't as high as Stafford's with his arm, footwork, ability to read the game, oh yeah his arm (i said it twice because we SHOULD mention it twice.) This guy isn't Ryan Leaf or Jeff George. He certainly isn't JaMarcus Russell, and PLEASE don't try and tell me Michael Vick had a big-time arm too. he couldn't make the throws and he didn't trust himself. Stafford, despite the INTs v Florida was making BIG LEAGUE THROWS. I had an Ohio State fan call me during the game to say that despite the 88 yard pick, that was the best arm he had EVER seen in college and better than ANYTHING the Big 10 had seen in a LONG time. Matty Ice got picked apart by VaTech the second time they played them last season. IT IS A FACT. Sorry.

So give Ryan his props for this season. Rookie of the year-WOOOHOOO! WHEN Stafford comes out after this season and the Chiefs take him in the first round, watch out for him to have a pretty big career. He will have quality receivers in Bowe and Gonzalez, a strong running game if LJ can stop spitting on and slapping women, a developing line with Branden Albert, an improving defense with Glen Dorsey and Williams and co (and another 1st round pick from Minny, if my memory serves me correctly...) Stafford, if he gets signed early might even be the starter from day one like Ryan was. That would be smart of Herm Edwards, who PLAYS TO WIN THE GAME! Put Stafford back there and tell him to rock it out. In the AFC West, he might be appearing in the playoffs in two years time.
Matt Ryan meanwhile, I wish him luck, but I know that his ceiling isn't Stafford's. Ryan will be good; Stafford will be Zone-tastic!