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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Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. throws the ball during warm-ups before the Atlanta Falcons and Caroline Panthers on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

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Rebecca Ramage-Tuttle, assistant director of the Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia, says the the DOE rule change is “a slippery slope” for civil rights. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC