Last week, the Seattle Seahawks, led by rookie quarterback Russell Wilson, traveled to Landover Maryland and defeated the Washington Redskins 24-14 to advance to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. This week they’ll Head to the Georgia Dome and take on the NFC’s no. 1 seed, the Atlanta Falcons.
Despite their 11-3 record and no. 1 seed, Atlanta has played inconsistently lately; losing two of their last four games to teams with sub .500 records. Seattle is clearly the hotter team here, as they come into this game firing on all cylinders; winning eight of their last nine games and six in a row.
Both teams feature a highly talented quarterback and running back and put up similar numbers on offensive. The key things that will be deciding factors in this game are:
Defense - The Seahawks’ defense is immensely better than the Falcons’; allowing 60 total yards, 40 passing yards and 20 rushing yards per game less than Atlanta. Seattle leads the league with only 25 touchdowns allowed and is giving up a meager 15 points per game. With Brandon Browner back from suspension, Seattle's’ secondary is at full strength: They play very physically and are the only secondary with the size and speed necessary to cover Atlanta’s big, talented receivers.
Quarterback - Matt Ryan is a talented, established veteran that has had a great season. But, his inconsistent play towards the end of the year, and his career 0-3 record in the playoffs raise a lot of questions about how he’ll play on Sunday. Wilson has had a phenomenal rookie campaign; tying Peyton Manning's rookie record for touchdown passes in a season. He had a great game last week, throwing for 187 yards and a touchdown, as well as rushing for 67 yards on eight carries. Wilson is a dual threat that Atlanta’s defense will have a hard time containing.
Running Back - Atlanta’s Michael Turner had a very disappointing season; only rushing for over 100 yards twice, and less than 20 yards four times. With the skill and talent of Seattle’s secondary, Atlanta and Turner will need to establish the run game to have success through the air. Marshawn Lynch, on the other hand, had a fantastic season. He was second in the league with 1,722 rushing yards and third with 12 touchdowns. He had an awesome game last week against the Redskins, rushing for 132 yards and a touchdown. Atlanta’s lackluster defense is allowing 123 rushing yards per game this season and will surely have a hard time slowing Lynch down.
Even though Atlanta is the no. 1 seed and only lost three games all season, I think the last few years have proven that sometimes an extra week off isn’t the best for teams who have stumbled their way into the playoffs. Couple that with their ability to score points in the postseason, and the Falcons are officially in trouble. Seattle is coming into this game on a real high from their win last week, and their defense, along with Wilson’s dual threat ability; should be too much for Atlanta to overcome.
Final Score: Seahawks 27, Falcons 17.