Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons are entering the 2020 NFL season with the hope of getting back into serious playoff contention. Along with Ryan, the Falcons’ offense is looking very dangerous. Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, and Todd Gurley are all expected to have big years, assuming they stay healthy.

Last season, the Falcons finished the year with a 7-9 record. They struggled to begin the year, but started coming on strong later in the season.

Now, Ryan has made a very bold prediction for Ridley entering his third NFL season. He is expecting big things from the Falcons’ No. 2 target.

“That’s the development you can get with a guy now going into Year 3,” Ryan said. “But you really can only get there if you have this extended amount of time and this one-on-one venue to work at. He’s a guy I think could explode going into a year like this. He’s in phenomenal shape, he’s been running great and I think his grasp of the offense and his mastery of our system is so much further along than it was last year.”

Atlanta needs Ridley to step up this season. Jones is still one of the top playmakers in the game, but he needs some of the pressure taken off of his shoulders. Ridley would be able to free him up more.

During the 2019 season with the Falcons, Ridley ended up catching 63 passes for 866 yards and seven touchdowns. Those numbers show a glimpse of the potential that the 25-year-old wideout possesses. A big leap forward in 2020 would lead to much bigger numbers.

Can you imagine an offense where defenses have to contend with Jones and a version of Ridley that can rack up over 1,000-1,200 yards and 10 or more touchdowns? The Falcons would be extremely difficult to stop.

Expect to see Ridley take a big step forward in 2020. His teammates are expecting big things from him and the Falcons should be excited to see what he brings to the field.