What began as a lopsided series of games through the first two rounds has transformed into a playoffs with one of the strongest, most apparently even level of competition in many years. Each team is led by an undeniably elite quarterback, and every single offense is high powered. At least two or three of the remaining starting quarterbacks in this final four will go into the Hall of Fame, and three of them already have Super Bowl rings. The NFC Championship is up first and features two teams that with fantastic aerial attacks. Injuries have recently affected the available personnel for these aerial attacks, so let's take a thorough look at exactly how these injuries and other relevant factors might affect the outcome of this game.
The Packers appear to be far more banged up than the Falcons going into tomorrow afternoon's game. The big question mark for the Falcons earlier this week was Julio Jones after he was absent for practice on Wednesday. Jones has rehabbed a toe injury but insisted that he'll be good to go for the game. The Falcons have zero player other than Jones who were anything less than full participation on Friday's injury report, and that's rather miraculous at this point in the season. The Packers, on the other hand, have a laundry list of players that didn't practice on Friday and for much of this week including Devante Adams, Jordy Nelson, James Starks, Geronimo Allison, Morgan Burnett, and JC Tretter. I doubted Rodgers' ability to overcome the absence of Jordy Nelson last week against the Cowboys, and he promptly shut me up. With Nelson AND Devante Adams banged up, however, Rodgers' list of playmakers grows depressingly thin if you're a cheesehead.
Regardless of injuries to the Packers' weaponry, there are yet those who see Rodgers winning because of his own ability to make spectacular plays outside of the pocket and evade the pass rush. Rodgers will need that ability today as the Falcons possess basically one defensive strength--and that's rushing the passer. The last time these two teams met in Atlanta, the Falcons won an impossibly close 33-32 game. That was, of course, during a time where the Packers had no yet found their current groove, but the Falcons also had an up and down regular season. During that game, the Falcons outgained the Packers by just over 30 yards, but the Packers possessed the ball for just over three more minutes. The Packers rushed for 108 yards with 5.7 yards per carry, but 60 of those rushing yards came from Rodgers himself.
Part of Rodgers ability to scramble has to do with the fact that he's a threat to throw to some impressively athletic, effective targets such as Jordy Nelson and Devante Adams. With Nelson and Adams ailing the list of Rodgers' available receivers becomes so thin that the Falcons will have an easier time containing him as a runner with less to worry about in the secondary. Now Jordy Nelson and Devante Adams may very well attempt to play, but the injury report and also statements from the Packers' head coach, Mike McCarthy, would suggest that both receivers are so banged up that they wouldn't ordinarily be cleared to play under normal circumstances.
The Falcons have the advantage of being able to both run the football and pass all over the field with incredible ease. Matt Ryan is unquestionably better than Dak Prescott (who is no slouch himself) and will likely carve up the Packers' pass defense. It took an incredible catch and a field goal that just barely bent back between the goal posts allow the Packers to beat the Cowboys at the last second last week. As more and more of the Packers became beat up, Green Bay simply stopped scoring in the second half of last week's game, and the Cowboys nearly made a furious comeback despite being down 21-3 at one point. Unlike the Cowboys, the Falcons have the ability to both start and finish fast as they boast the league's most high-octane offense. The Seahawks had an unquestionably better defense than that of the Packers, and even they struggled to contain the likes of Devonta Freeman, Mohammad Sanu, and Julio Jones.
PREDICTION:
The Falcons are more offensively potent and far healthier than the Packers coming into this game. if Aaron Rodgers can pull of an upset without a healthy #1 and #2 wide receiver, he will solidify himself in my mind as the undisputed best quarterback in the league. The problem is that he gets little help from his defense, and Matt Ryan is playing nearly as well as Rodgers this season. The balanced offensive attack of the Falcons as well as Atlanta's pass rush will be enough to tip the scales in favor of Matt Ryan and company to send the man to his first Super Bowl. Let's just hope this one is exciting.
FALCONS 33-28
IT SADDENED EVERYONE IN RAVENS NATION TO LEARN ABOUT ZACHARY ORR'S EARLY RETIREMENT DUE TO INJURY, BUT THE RAVENS WILL FIND A WAY TO FILL HIS POSITION (HOPEFULLY CORREA STEPS WAY UP) AND CONTINUE TO GET BETTER AS A TEAM FOR NEXT SEASON. STAY TUNED OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT MONTH FOR MY 2017 NFL DRAFT WISHLIST!
AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!! (GO GET SOME PLAYMAKERS)
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