Upon meeting quarterback Matt Ryan for the first time at February’s college scouting combine, some NFL people said that Ryan carried himself the way Peyton Manning did.

Both were polite, astute students of the game, quite similar in their approaches and dispositions.

Now there is one more similarity.

Just as Manning studies tape of opponents ad nauseum, Ryan has been studying tape of Sunday’s opponent, the Detroit Lions, for the past few weeks. At least. Ryan decline to admit exactly how long he has been honing in on the Lions, but it would not be surprising if it were going on throughout training camp.

If Ryan fails Sunday, or over the course of his career, it will not be for lack of preparation.