By Evan Biancardi
The National Football Conference has had multiple front-runners throughout the postseason. The Giants were only four-and-a-half point underdogs at Green Bay, but many bet on the Packers to pull off the upset in the Divisional Round, even though the Cowboys were the top seed in the conference. On the other side of the draw, the Falcons were only five point favorites over a Seahawks team that entered the game 3-3 in its last six games of the regular season. Although the Falcons were the second-best team in the conference, many didn’t have them going very far.
Atlanta went 11-5 this season and entered Sunday’s game having won five in a row and eight of its last 10, including a one-point loss to the Chiefs in early December. So why is this Falcons’ run to the Super Bowl surprising to so many? Nobody doubts just how good the Falcons’ offense is. It was second in the league in offensive yards this season and led the league with 540 points, 71 more than the next-best scoring team.
Much of the doubt surrounding the Falcons is a result of Matt Ryan’s inconsistent career. Ryan is in the conversation for the league’s Most Valuable Player, but many people don’t realize just how effective he’s been throughout much of his career. Ryan has had over 4,000 yards in each of the last six seasons and has been in the top five in passing yards every year since 2012. His critics will give all of the credit to Julio Jones, but why should Ryan be treated differently than any other elite quarterback with great receivers? Yes, he has thrown his fair share of interceptions, but his completion percentage has been well above average throughout most of his career. His league-best 83.3 quarterback rating and 38 touchdowns this season cannot go unnoticed. There is a reason why he is called “Matty Ice.”
The Falcons have also been criticized for their defensive line. The Falcons finished the regular season 25th in the league in total yards against and gave up just over 25 points per game. However, the Falcons were fourth in the league in point differential behind the Chiefs, Raiders and Patriots. This is a fancy way of saying that they take care of the football. They’re a mediocre team when it comes to forcing turnovers, but when it comes to taking care of the football on offense, they’re the best in the league.
Considering all of this, it’s confusing to hear people still questioning the Falcons’ chances. Sure, the defense may not have the star power that Kansas City or Seattle has, but Atlanta’s defense is still relatively young. And when it comes to Ryan and the offense, there shouldn’t be any uncertainty. If the Falcons can control the football on offense and force turnovers like they did against the Packers, do not be surprised to see the Falcons walk away Super Bowl LI champions.
