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Friday, December 26, 2008
Playoff FEVER: Silencing of the Rams
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
FLOWERY BRANCH - Playoff FEVER! Can you feel it?
The Falcons have to take care of business and hope their old pals, the New Orleans Saints, come through with a big favor in order to wrap up the No. 2 seed and a bye week.
The Falcons have been ready to play in all 15 games so far this season. So you’d think a letdown in Game 16 with the No. 2 seed on the line, would be near impossible.
But the Rams are bad. They have dropped nine straight. Who could blame the Falcons for looking down on the Lambs, I mean Rams.
Obviously, having a letdown is not a part of THE PROCESS and won’t be tolerated by coach Mike Smith. So expect the Falcons to handle their business.
Now, on to the Carolina at New Orleans game. There’s a general consensus that the Panthers and the New York Football Giants are the two best looking teams from the NFC going into the playoffs. That was a heck of game they played last Sunday night.
The Saints could slow down the Panthers run game. It would be difficult, but at least that could happen. But the Saints don’t appear to have a plausible answer for the wide receiver Steve Smith and the Panthers’ passing attack. He should be wide open all day.
Stranger things have happened in the Crescent City. The Saints are undefeated at home this year and Drew Brees is 401 yards shy of the all-time single-season passing mark. There’s reason for Falcon fans to keep hope alive.
So, if we’ve got this playoff deal down right, a Falcons win and Carolina win means the Falcons are the No. 5 seed and headed to Phoenix week.
If the Falcons drop to the No. 6 seed - this would entail losing to the Lambs, I mean Rams - they’d be off to Minnesota or Chicago.
Isn’t this much more fun, talking about the playoffs instead of the top three players in available in the draft? It’s pretty good not to have Mel Kiper and Mike Mayock on speed dial, too. Can the Saints beat the Panthers? Tell us how? Will former Falcon exec Billy Devaney (super nice guy!!) be able to turn around the Rams?
