One of the best games of the regular season will get a deserved rematch, but a change of venue, when the Atlanta Falcons host the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday. Seattle won the regular season battle between these two sides, but Atlanta felt rightfully hosed after video replay showed that Richard Sherman had pulled down Julio Jones on Atlanta’s last gasp effort. The Falcons have been wanting a taste of revenge ever since this game and will have the perfect opportunity for it on Saturday afternoon.
Don't miss this NFL playoff game from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia at 4:35 p.m. ET on Saturday. Catch every moment of the game live on FOX.
NFL Playoff Odds at BookMaker.eu
Falcons -4.5
Seahawks +4.5
Over/Under 51
When the Falcons Have the Ball…
Atlanta had the best offense in the league this season according to DVOA and potential league MVP Matt Ryan was the catalyst behind that offense. He threw for almost 5000 yards this season and was picked off just 1.3 percent of the time he passed, making him one of the least turnover prone quarterbacks in the NFL.
Kyle Shanahan has been given a lot of the credit for Ryan’s success and it’s no surprise that he is expected to be a head coach somewhere else next season. He has already interviewed for a handful of openings and will likely interview for more in the days to come, but the Falcons are hoping his mind isn’t distracted with dreams of his future dancing in his head.
Shanahan has been great at figuring out how to exploit mismatches with his skill position players this season. It doesn’t hurt to have a world-class athlete like Julio Jones on the perimeter, but Shanahan has been able to get playmakers in space. Particularly, he has been able to spread out defenses with the way he uses Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman out of the backfield. KJ Wright will have to be able to cover Freeman and Coleman in space or they will tear up Seattle’s defense.
When the Seahawks Have the Ball…
Thomas Rawls picked a great game to have his best performance of the season last week against Detroit. For the first time all year, he proved that he can handle the load, carrying the ball 27 times for 6 yards an attempt. The diminutive running back has been hampered by injuries throughout his short career, but he can carve up an Atlanta run defense that was ranked 29th in the league by DVOA.
The other big part Seattle’s plan is going to be finding ways to get Jimmy Graham the ball. Graham has been a monster at times this season and although he hasn’t had a big game in a month, his presence is felt any time he is on the field. Russell Wilson knows that Graham can catch the ball in space and make a move or post up on a smaller defensive back and win a jump ball like he did in his basketball days.
The X Factor
Seattle’s secondary is going to be the main factor in determining the outcome of this game. The Legion of Boom has not been the same without Earl Thomas, but it’s still one of the top secondaries in the league. Kam Chancellor has been phenomenal in his traditional slot and he always has the potential to be a difference maker.
When these teams met in Week 6, Sherman was matched up on Jones for much of the afternoon, but Jones got the better of him throughout the game. Jones ended up catching 7 passes for 139 yards and a score and was almost impossible to stop. It’s unclear whether or not Sherman will play that same role again this time or if he will stay on the left side of the defense, but if he can’t cover Jones, Seattle is going to find it hard to stop this offense.
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