One useful lesson that Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff, the director of college scouting for the Patriots from 2003 to 2007, learned from former boss Bill Belichick: what to look for in a franchise quarterback. In 2008, with the Falcons reeling after QB Michael Vick was sent to prison for dogfighting, Dimitroff used the No. 3 overall pick to draft a college quarterback cut like Brady: Matt Ryan, known as Matty Ice for his cool under fire. Ryan immediately became the team’s starter, and the Falcons reached the NFC title game in his fifth season before faltering the past three years. But 2016 marked a resurgence: Ryan threw for almost 5,000 yards and is the leading candidate for league MVP. New England taught Dimitroff well. Maybe too well.
–S.G.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Breaking Down the 2024 Election Calendar
- How Nayib Bukele’s ‘Iron Fist’ Has Transformed El Salvador
- What if Ultra-Processed Foods Aren’t as Bad as You Think?
- How Ukraine Beat Russia in the Battle of the Black Sea
- Long COVID Looks Different in Kids
- How Project 2025 Would Jeopardize Americans’ Health
- What a $129 Frying Pan Says About America’s Eating Habits
- The 32 Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2024
Write to Sean Gregory at sean.gregory@time.com