Just how dangerous are the 2017 Falcons, the defending NFC champions, who open the playoffs against the third-seeded Los Angeles Rams at 8:15 p.m. Saturday at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum?

"With (Matt) Ryan, (Julio) Jones, and an array of other offensive weapons, the Falcons could be one of the most dangerous six seeds the NFL playoffs have ever seen," wrote Mike Florio of NBC and Pro Football Talk earlier this week.

Who’s on the hot seat? Who’s the X-factor?

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Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris (left) and New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore shake hands after an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025, in New Orleans. (Gerald Herbert/AP)

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Cooling towers for Units 4 and 3 are seen at Plant Vogtle, operated by Georgia Power Co., in east Georgia's Burke County near Waynesboro, on Wednesday, May 29, 2024. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

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