Second-year quarterbacks are expected to struggle in the NFL. However Ryan, who won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2008 while helping the Atlanta Falcons to 11 wins and an unexpected playoff berth, seems to be slightly regressing instead of progressing as he battles to get over the performance bar he raised with his stellar first-year play.

"I think a little bit of it is defenses having a familiarity with the player and game-planning accordingly," says NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock, who was bullish on Ryan prior to the 2008 draft and believes he has the potential to approach Peyton Manning's level.

"I think Matt's also on the edge of being a gunslinger."

Ryan, who threw just 11 interceptions last season, has been picked off 11 times in his last six games. With 12 interceptions in 2009, Ryan is tied for third-most in the league ... along with current rookies Mark Sanchez and Matthew Stafford.

"I think there are ups and downs of every season," Ryan said Wednesday. "There are a lot of things to learn from. You have to learn from your mistakes, bounce back."

Ryan also experienced rough patches at Boston College, where he was often in the position of carrying his team, something he's rarely been asked to do for the Falcons.

"I mean, he threw some interceptions at BC," says Mayock. "(But) last year he let the game come to him; this year, he's forcing it a little more."

Now four games back of the 9-0 New Orleans Saints in the NFC South, the wild-card route is probably the only viable road to the postseason for Atlanta (5-4). Ryan is seeking to lead the Falcons to consecutive winning campaigns for the first time in the franchise's 44-year history.

"The beauty of the NFL," Ryan said, "is it's such a long season that you have an opportunity week in and week out to get out there and make the adjustments."

Ryan isn't the only one laboring to match his strong first impression.

Denver Broncos wideout Eddie Royal led all rookies with 91 catches and 980 receiving yards in 2008. With 27 grabs for 253 yards in 2009, his production could be slashed by more than half in Denver's new offense.

Matt Forte and Steve Slaton both ran for more than 1,200 yards last year while Detroit's Kevin Smith finished with 976. None are on pace to reach the 1,000-yard plateau this season.

Forte, who's managing just 3.4 yards per carry for the Chicago Bears, has struggled behind a retooled line while seeing the offense often go airborne in the hands of new quarterback Jay Cutler.

It's been worse for the Houston Texans' Slaton, who led all rookies with 1,282 rushing yards in 2008 but has lost his grip — and starting job — in 2009, with a league-high five lost fumbles.

"He exploded out of nowhere," says Mayock. "There's no difference in him physically. But he's putting the ball on the ground, and they have no patience for that, and I don't blame them.

"I'm not sure he was ever a 20-25 touch (per game) guy. That's what surprised me about him last year. ... He just needs to hold onto the football."

But with the Texans pushing for their first-ever playoff berth, Slaton's teammates don't seem to be losing faith in him.

"You can't deny that he's a good back, and you can't deny that he's a great runner, and he's going to continue to have great runs in the future," said running back Ryan Moats, who started Houston's last game, but still believes Slaton is "going to be an important part of this offense for a long time to come."

Could the expectations these young stars are shouldering be too much?

"You realize how valuable you are to your team and it puts a little extra pressure on you," says NFL Network analyst Charles Davis, who has covered the past three drafts. "They'll make adjustments, and they'll be fine down the line. I truly believe that in Matt Ryan's case."

It could be worse.

New England Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo, the most recent Defensive Rookie of the Year, missed nearly a month with a knee injury early in the season and now headlines a unit answering questions as to why coach Bill Belichick opted not to punt on fourth-and-2 from his own 28 with 2:08 left to play and a six-point lead Sunday night rather than trust the defense to keep the Indianapolis Colts out of the end zone.

Washington's Chris Horton, a seventh-round pick in 2008 who led all rookie safeties with three interceptions, is on injured reserve after toe surgery.

Then there's kicker Steven Hauschka, who replaced veteran Matt Stover in his second year with the Baltimore Ravens. But Hauschka missed three of his last seven field-goal attempts, including a 44-yarder on the final play of the Ravens' 33-31 loss at Minnesota on Oct. 18.

Hauschka, who also missed from 36 yards in Baltimore's Monday night win at Cleveland, was waived Tuesday.

Enlarge By Bob Donnan, US Presswire Matt Ryan and the Falcons have stumbled and lost three of their past four games.