Game 3:
Sunday, January 13, 2013
1:00pm – FOX
Seattle Seahawks @ Atlanta Falcons
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| Despite consistently being one of the best regular season quarterbacks in the NFL, Matt Ryan has yet to win a playoff game. He will try to win his first on Sunday against Seattle. Photo credit to SBRforum.com. |
This was a very tough one for me to dissect, as it is the
only Divisional Round game that is not
a rematch of a 2012 regular season game. The Falcons only game against the NFC
West this year was a narrow win over the Cardinals in Week 11. The Seahawks
lone meeting with an NFC South team was a 4-point victory in Carolina early in
the season.
Atlanta had a solid season. They were undefeated against all
non-NFC South opponents, losing in road games to New Orleans and Carolina and
at home in Week 17 to Tampa Bay. Speaking of that home loss, it was their only
loss at home this season and Matt Ryan has never lost consecutive home games in
his collegiate and professional career.
Seattle’s defense looked shaky on the road in Washington.
They were torched on their first two defensive drives and it’s hard to believe
that their later success wasn’t primarily because RG3 was not himself.
Atlanta is in the bottom half of the league defending both
the run and the pass, and that will play into Seattle’s favor. Marshawn Lynch
had a terrific game against Washington’s stingy defensive line and I don’t
expect much to be different this Sunday.
One piece of news that could affect that, though, is the
possible returns of John Abraham, Dunta Robinson and William Moore. Abraham
practiced Wednesday and Moore returned last Saturday. Robinson suffered a
concussion against Tampa Bay in Week 17 but may be cleared in time for Sunday’s
contest.
Seattle just does not play the same on the road and their
‘high-scoring offense’ is looking more and more like a three-week phenomenon.
The Redskins’ defense held them to 24 points. The Redskins! Seattle won’t get the same big plays through the air
they found in Washington and I’m not sure Lynch will be enough to get
back-to-back road wins for Seattle.
Puff’s Pick:
Seattle Seahawks – 17
Atlanta Falcons – 27
MVP: Matt Ryan
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