Somehow the Falcons, one of the least-effective rushing teams in the NFL this season, rejuvenated their running game against Seattle’s stout run defense in Sunday’s divisional playoff victory.
The Falcons will face another tough run defense against the 49ers in the NFC Championship game Sunday. At least now they have proof they can run effectively against that kind of defense.
“I think it was our attitude,” running back Michael Turner said. “We were determined to run the ball. We knew we were going to have to be able to run and pass against Seattle to beat those guys. This week, we have the same plan. I hope we can go out there and execute it.”
The Falcons rushed for 167 yards on 26 carries (6.4 yards per attempt) against the Seahawks. The total rushing yards and average per carry both were better than in any of their 16 regular-season games.
The performance came as a surprise because the Falcons’ per-rush average during the regular season was better than just three teams, and the Seahawks tied for fifth in yards allowed per carry. The Falcons have largely depended on passing this season.
“If you are a quote-unquote ‘passing team’ you are still going to have to run the football at some point,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said.
The 49ers were even better than Seattle against the run during the regular season. In addition, San Francisco has a talented defensive line that could aggressively rush quarterback Matt Ryan if the Falcons’ running game poses no threat.
“This is a team that if you come too one-dimensional, they can be scary,” Falcons center Todd McClure said. “You’ve got to be able to run the ball. We did that last week and hope we can carry over. It’s something we are focusing on and it’s going to be an emphasis.”
