ESPN analyst Herm Edwards, a former NFL head coach, had a message for the football world.
“Don’t fall asleep on the Atlanta Falcons,” Edwards said in recent interview. “I like the Atlanta Falcons.”
The Falcons (11-5) are set to face the Seattle Seahawks (10-5-1 in the regular season, 1-0 in the playoffs) at 4:35 p.m. Saturday at the Georgia Dome.
While the Falcons didn’t attract much national attention while powering their way to the NFC South title and the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, folks are starting to take notice.
While Edwards likes the Falcons, he said that it will be tough for them to advance against a rugged Seattle defense.
“I know one thing about Seattle, their defensive travels well,” Edwards said. “You’re not going to score a lot of points on Seattle. Maybe not the 34 you are averaging, but I do know this, you have to put pressure on this defense. You have to take shots down the field as well as use your running backs.”
Former NFL executive Gil Brandt, who’s an analyst for NFL.com and Sirius NFL Radio, also is high on the Falcons.
“I think this is going to be a close game,” Brandt said. “I think the Atlanta Falcons will win because of their offense. I don’t know if they can stop the run after I saw Seattle last week. Two weeks ago, they hadn’t run at all.”
Former Falcons coach Dan Reeves, the only coach to guide the franchise to the Super Bowl, also has been impressed.
“They’ve done a great job all year of putting pressure on the other team because they do score so many points,” Reeves said. “They’ve done it against some really good defensive teams and they’ve still put up points.”
Edwards believes that Falcons running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman could play key roles in a victory.
“With Freeman and Coleman, not only can they run, they are excellent pass catchers out of the backfield,” Edwards said. “So now, you put the stress on Seattle’s linebackers to cover running backs out of the backfield, so you’re not going to try to attack their secondary, you’re going attack the middle of their defense, the linebackers. Can they cover these two running backs?”
Seattle is making its fifth consecutive playoff appearance and won the Super Bowl after the 2013 season and lost in the Super Bowl after the 2014 season.
“They have pedigree,” Edwards said. “They have playoff experience. They have that going for them.”
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who’s the leading MVP candidate, has a 1-4 record in the playoffs.
“Atlanta, there’s a lot of pressure on Atlanta, especially the quarterback, Matt Ryan,” Edwards said. “He knows he has a good football team and hasn’t fared well in the playoffs. He’s got the best team that he’s ever had thus far. … He knows the pressure in on him to beat this Seattle team.”
Brandt also has been impressed with the Falcons’ offensive wizardry.
“The coordinator (Kyle Shanahan) should be the man of the year because I think the guy has done a fantastic job,” Brandt said. “I think the head coach has done a fantastic job.”
Brandt, a former personnel guru for the Dallas Cowboys from 1960-88, liked some of the Falcons moves.
“The head coach (Dan Quinn) is really good,” Brandt said. “The guy that he drafted from Florida (Keanu Neal), everybody said, ‘why would you draft that guy?’ He’s played pretty darn good for them.
“I think there is a good chance that the Atlanta Falcons will be playing at home against Green Bay or in Dallas.”
Reeves still follows the Falcons closely.
“When they played them earlier and had a great chance at the end to win the game,” Reeves said. “That’s in a tough place to play in Seattle.”
Reeves also marvels at the Falcons’ offense.
“You never know what the Falcons are going to do offensively, and that’s the thing,” Reeves said. “You have to give Kyle Shanahan an awful lot of credit and their offensive staff. They come out with a different (game plan) every time.
“Whether it’s bubble screens, boot legs one way or they don’t even throw to Julio (Jones) one week and the next time they throw five or six straight passes to him. You never know what they are going to do because they have so many weapons and they use them so well.
“I’m excited about watching this game.”
Here’s what other analyst were saying about the matchup:
On Inside the NFL on Showtime about the Falcons, Phil Simms said, “Atlanta is in the playoffs. They are the No. 2 seed. We never talk about them and it’s a shame because Matt Ryan, I hope, and I think he deserves to be the MVP in the NFL.”
Boomer Esiason said: “What can Atlanta do? They can run the football. They are physical. Kyle Shanahan will be a head coach in this league—if is not this year, it will be next year. He will be the offensive coordinator of the year, the assistant coach of the year… and yes, Matt Ryan will be the MVP… I like Atlanta, they are a real deal offensive team.”
Brandon Marshall said: “This game comes down to Julio Jones and Richard Sherman. I hate to do it, everyone is talking about it, but it’s true.”
Simms added: “One big star that is not playing in this game, and it’s real and it can’t be over-talked, that’s Earl Thomas. Not playing safety, it definitely changes their defense. He is the greatest eraser I’ve seen at safety in a long time.”
NFL Network analyst Charley Casserly addressed how the Seahawks would have to block Falcons All-Pro linebacker Vic Bealsey:
“They have a problem now. This offensive line has developed as a run-blocking offensive line but they’re going to struggle in dropback pass protection. Garry Gilliam at right tackle, George Fant the rookie at left tackle – they will struggle one-on-one with Beasley. You’re going to have to get another man on him, whether it’s a tight end or a back chipping. These guys can’t handle Beasley one-on-one.”
Casserly on the Falcons facing the Seahawks defense: “I think they’ll be able to run on this team and you have to stay with the run because you can wear them down. That’s the book on that front seven. However, you can throw the ball against this secondary. Let’s start with [Richard] Sherman. How do you throw on him? You get him running deep and then you break off the route. He’s a long strider and has trouble changing directions, but you have to get him to run and turn his back. Then you go to the other corners, Jeremy Lane and DeShawn Shead. Both of these guys are vulnerable. Again, get them running and get them to change direction in that 10, 12-yard area. You can throw on this secondary. And finally [Kam] Chancellor, he’s a great player but people isolate this guy in coverage. Again, you can beat these guys. You just have to run the right routes against them.”
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