NFL Playoffs 2017: Takeaways from Seahawks vs. Falcons and Texans vs. Patriots

We now know the first half of the NFL's final four.The divisional round of the 2017 NFL playoffs got underway Saturday, and in at least one respect it followed the same script as Wild Card Weekend.There wasn't much nail-biting or suspense.Just as happened a week ago, the higher-seeded teams emerged with victories.And just like a week ago, those wins came in emphatic fashion.It didn't appear things would be that way when the Seattle Seahawks took the opening kickoff and drove 89 yards for a touchdown. But the rest of the day belonged to the Atlanta Falcons, as a surgically precise offense and hard-hitting defense paved the way for a 36-20 win.The nightcap was a game everyone expected to be a routa 14-win New England Patriots team taking on a Houston Texans squad they blasted 27-0 at Gillette Stadium earlier this season. For a half at least, Houston's defense kept things close, but the Texans faded in the second half and fell 34-16.Now that Saturday's NFL playoff action has drawn to a close, let's take a look at what we learned from the beatdowns in Atlanta and Boston.Begin Slideshow
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