NFC DIVISIONAL PREVIEW: SEATTLE SEAHAWKS at ATLANTA FALCONS

Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons moved the ball against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 6 when the Legion of Boom still had All-Pro safety Earl Thomas in the lineup.

With that game still firmly entrenched in our minds, we fully expected the Falcons to employ a similar strategy on Saturday when the Seahawks visit Atlanta for a divisional playoff round game.

“I don’t feel like the center of attention at all”. Williams played six games over two seasons with Seattle in 2008-09).

Speaking further to Seattle’s dominance the last few years, the 4-point spread is the third-largest against the Seahawks since the seventh game of Wilson’s rookie season in 2012. “I wanted to create our own Atlanta”, Quinn said during his Tuesday morning conference call. “My wife would tell you I’m getting better”. Last year’s four divisional-round games were completed in an average of 3:14, and only one went overtime. Now in his second season, Quinn finds himself in the playoffs and the number two seed in the NFC. “It was the same scheme that we’ve run all year”. The Atlanta Falcons have the No. 1 offense in the playoffs this season and ranked behind only the New Orleans Saints for all regular season teams.

If (and for now if continues to be “if”) Ed Werder is right and he’ll see Richard Sherman in the NFC championship game, the question is where that game will be – and, more importantly, who it will be against? That led to a season-high 40 points.

The Falcons were one of the top offensive teams in the National Football League: 1 in points, 2 in total yards, 3 in passing yards and 5 in rushing yards. Make them work just as hard for it. Wilson had eight TD passes and eight interceptions on the road.

Against Detroit, the Hawks got back to their ground and pound sensibilities with Thomas Rawls looking like Marshawn Lynch, on the stat sheet (27 carries for 161 yards) and on camera, with that uniquely low centre of gravity, all defiant, bitter hips and shoulders. Along with Ryan, the Falcons have numerous playmakers including WR Julio Jones, and RBs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. Since the current 12-team playoff format was launched in 1990, home teams have won 77 of 104 divisional-round games. The game was marred by a controversial no-call when Sherman, the Seahawks’ top cornerback, got away with grabbing Jones late in the contest. In breaking off a 101-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the first game of preseason, he showed promise. You see young guys, guys out there that were okay players, now I see them out there in Atlanta and they are out there balling. The Falcons have three rookies starting in the defensive backfield, and they have steadily improved this season, but they have struggled at times. Bennett’s five hits on Ryan that day tied for his most in Bennett’s four seasons with Seattle. I think when you can do that, Pete [Carroll] does a great job of that, you can put people in the position where they can be great, they can do great things on the field for you.

“After we lost, we thought maybe we’d have a chance to face them again if both teams would play well throughout the regular season”.