The Falcons will play Seattle in the divisional playoffs next Saturday at the Georgia Dome by virtue of the Seahawks' 26-6 win over the Detroit Lions Saturday. A few immediate thoughts on the match-up:
• This is a rematch of a divisional playoff game in 2012. The Falcons blew leads of 20-0 at halftime and 27-7 after three quarters, gave up three straight touchdowns to fall behind 28-27 then rallied to win 30-28 on a 49-yard field goal by Matt Bryant with 23 seconds left. That game would prove to be ominous foreshadowing for the NFC championship game against San Francisco the following week, when the Falcons led 17-0 and 24-14 but were shut out in the second half and lost 28-24. This year's Falcons' offense is better than the 2012 offense, but the team still has something to prove in the postseason.
• Question: Do the Seahawks ever have a pass interference call go against them? They benefited from at least two non-calls against Detroit (although that's not the only reason the Lions lost). The Falcons know about non-calls. Below are video highlights from the regular season meeting between the teams (won by Seattle 26-24 in October). Many of the highlights focus on the Julio Jones-Richard Sherman match-up. If you jump ahead to the 14:30 mark of the highlights, you'll see Sherman get away with an interference call after clearly pulling down Jones during a long pass play with 1:30 left in the game. A penalty (or catch) would've given the Falcons a first down around the Seahawks' 35-yard line, already in position for a potential go-ahead field goal. Seattle has one of the NFL's best defenses, but it's reputation for getting away with plays like this is well-founded.
• If the Falcons are going to win and advance to the NFC championship, they will need to run the ball better than Detroit. The Lions gained only 49 yards rushing on 15 attempts (3.27 per carry). Conversely, Seattle totaled 177 yards rushing, including 161 and a touchdown by Thomas Rawls. The Falcons have prided themselves on having a balanced off this season. They'll need to do more than ride the passing attack led by Matt Ryan and Julio Jones. Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman will need to play major roles against a Seattle defense that finished the season fifth in yards allowed, seventh against the run and third in points (18.3).
• The importance of Freeman and Coleman aside -- yes, Ryan will be the focus. He has had an MVP-caliber season with 38 touchdown passes, only seven interceptions, 4,944 yards and a league-bests of 9.26 yards per attempt and a 117.1 efficiency rating. However, he's only 1-4 in career playoff games (the win coming in that frantic finish against Seattle). In five playoff games, he has nine touchdown passes with seven interceptions, 11 sacks, an 85.2 rating and has averaged only 6.68 yards per attempt. Ryan has been the centerpiece of the league's highest-scoring offense (33.8 points) but he will need to have a strong game to validate the season he just had.
• Quarterback Russell Wilson, tight end Jimmy Graham and wide receiver Douglas Baldwin are all veterans who know how to win playoff games. They'll be a tough test for the young members of the Falcons' defense: Vic Beasley, Deion Jones, Keanu Neal, Jalen Collins and De'Vondre Campbell. The defense has been improving despite the absence of injured cornerback Desmond Trufant. But the Seahawks are better offensively than some of the teams the Falcons played down the stretch of the season (Kansas City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Carolina). They looked good for three quarters in the finale against New Orleans but allowed three fourth-quarter touchdowns (albeit, after the game was out of reach, 38-13).
The Falcons have opened as a four-point favorite. My pick: Falcons by a touchdown.
EARLIER: Want a parade, Atlanta? Falcons are your best hope
Subscribe to the, “We Never Played The Game” podcast with Jeff Schultz and WSB’s Zach Klein on iTunes. All episodes can be downloaded and heard on iTunes or via WSBRadio.com. New episodes every Monday and Thursday.
- Want a parade, Atlanta? Falcons are your best hope
- And so it begins: Hawks deal Korver, start their rebuild (podcast added)
- Suddenly, nobody wants the Falcons' Kyle Shanahan to leave
- Where do Quinn-Ryan rank on NFL's list of coach-QBs in playoffs? My list
- Julio Jones: Kiffin's departure is 'small thing' for Saban, Alabama
- Hawks need change and that may mean trading Paul Millsap
- Falcons welcome back Michael Vick, and expect more of this (podcast added)
- Never mind fade vs. Saints, Falcons look like Super Bowl team
- With upset of North Carolina, Pastner has brought pulse to Tech
- Georgia finishes season on a needed high note
- Eason's struggles should have been expected but he'll be better next season
- Kirby Smart hopes to end this season's learning curve with a win
- Quinn a coach of year candidate (and looking back at Rex Ryan)
- This could be Falcons' window in NFC South
- Why this will be my final Hall of Fame vote
- Strong finish could push Matt Ryan to MVP award
- Freeney's value to Falcons measured by more than sacks
- If Julio Jones plays, Falcons will lose a great coach
- Dogs beat Jackets in battle of Georgia but have a lot more to prove
- Players aren't wrong for valuing careers over bowl games
- McCaffrey, Fournette shouldn't be criticized for skipping bowl games
- Morning blog: Falcons close to clinching NFC South, suddenly have shot at bye
- Falcons are a different team since bye, just as Dan Quinn wanted
- Vic Beasley's strength goes beyond that of a pass rusher
- Chubb, Michel returning, and Smart's second season just got better
- It turns out Petrino isn't biggest pig in college sports -- it's his boss
- Podcast blog: Mark Fox sounds off on Dogs, expectations, recruiting
- Mark Fox's rebuild may be close to paying off at Georgia
- Falcons get a rare laugher -- so the panic stops for a week
- Vic Beasley (13.5 sacks) proving Falcons made right call
- John Schuerholz on Hall, Braves' struggles and future
- No reason to believe Matt Ryan won't rebound from misery
- Have Braves done enough to fix their starting rotation?
- It's time to expand college football playoffs, shorten regular season
About the Author
