The Atlanta Falcons have had an impressive season, as they won the NFC South with a 11-5 record and earned the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoff structure.After a week off to heal from the bumps, bruises and injuries of the regular season, the Falcons face a critical game in their development. Head coach Dan Quinn knows it's one thing for his team to play impressively in the regular season, but it's quite another to play a solid postseason game against a strong and accomplished opponent.The Falcons got to this level in 2012 against the Seattle Seahawks, and they managed to hang on for a 30-28 victory at home. However, they were stopped the following week when they lost to the San Francisco 49ers at home in the NFC Championship game.The Falcons went into a funk after that, and this is their first time back in the playoffs since then. They will be depending on quarterback Matt Ryan to remain calm and in control for 60 minutesand to make big plays when he sees them.Ryan certainly had an excellent regular season as he completed 69.9 percent of his passes for 4,944 yards with 38 touchdown passes and just seven interceptions.While the Falcons have a prolific passing attack, and Julio Jones is one of the top receivers in the game, the attack is anything but one-dimensional. The Falcons will come at the Seahawks with Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman at the running back slot, and those two combined for 1,999 yards and 19 touchdowns.Freeman is a powerful runner who can break the long play once he gets past the point of attack, while Coleman has game-breaking speed and can shock a defense with his initial quickness.Jones is a powerful receiver who combines his eye-opening athletic ability with outstanding receiving skills. He is at his best in one-on-one situations where he can use his size and strength to wall off the defender to make a big play. Mohamed Sanu has been an excellent addition and is a fine complementary receiver.In years past, the Falcons would haveproblems against quality opponents, because they simply didn't have enough strength on defense to hold the line. While they still have issues when it comes to size and power, they are very competitive and hard working, and they are a team of battlers on defense.The Falcons also have a big-time playmaker in Vic Beasley, who had a remarkable regular season with 15.5 sacks and is a major force. Middle linebacker Deion Jones led the team with 108 tackles, and he also had three interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns.The Seahawks struggled during the final two weeks of the regular season when they dropped a home game to the Arizona Cardinals and barely beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-23 in the season finale.They seemed to find their game in a 26-6 victory over the Detroit Lions in the wild-card matchup, but Detroit was not at its best as quarterback Matthew Stafford was playing with a tendon injury on the middle finger of his passing hand, and the Lions' offense was limited.Seattle has an excellent leader in Russell Wilson, who knows how to handle the pressure of the postseason. He has one Super Bowl victory to his credit and another Super Bowl appearance. Wilson is often at his best when the game is on the line.The Seahawks unleashed a surprisingly powerful running game against the Lions as Thomas Rawls had 161 rushing yards and a touchdown. If he can come close to that against the Falcons, that will help Seattle maintain possession of the ball and improve their chances of picking up the road win.The defense has provided the backbone for the Seahawks throughout the Pete Carroll era. The presence of Michael Bennett up front, Bobby Wagner at middle linebacker and Richard Sherman at cornerback gives the Seahawks a chance to assert themselves against nearly every opponent.The Falcons are five-point favorites and the total in this game is 51.5 points, according to OddsShark. Playing in the Georgia Dome means the playing conditions should be perfect. Unless the Seahawks can play an overwhelming defensive game against the No. 2-ranked offensive team in the league, the over would seem to be the way to go for total players.We also like the Falcons to assert themselves in this game and outlast the Seahawks. This game should be tight for three quarters, but look for Ryan and Jones to take over in the final 15 minutes as the Falcons win by at least seven points.
Click here to read full news..
