The Atlanta Falcons defeated the Green Bay Packers 44-21 Sunday afternoon to win the NFC Championship Game and get to their second Super Bowl in franchise history.
Quarterback Matt Ryan of the Falcons (392 yards, four touchdown passes) led a potent Atlanta offense that scored at will on the Green Bay defense. With weapons such as receivers Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu, and running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman, the Falcons were a clear mismatch for the Green Bay defense.
The Falcons scored early and often, not giving the Packers’ defense time to breathe or relax. Particularly in the secondary, the Packers were vulnerable, as numerous players were called upon to step up and fill in. Needless to say, they proved not to be up to the job.
Julio Jones torched the Packers all game long, scoring this 73-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Photo courtesy of Yahoo.com.
At the start of the second half, with the team already leading 24-0, Ryan found Jones for a heart-breaking 73-yard touchdown strike that all but cemented the victory. Even with a whole half to play, the Packers’ fate was sealed.
Aaron Rodgers, quarterback of the Packers, played fairly well (287 yards, three touchdown passes, one interception) given the circumstances. Under duress from a young and fast Falcons’ defense, Rodgers was not able to get comfortable until it was too late. Rodgers led the Packers in rushing, which is never a good sign. He was running for his life against the Falcons’ pass rush all game long. The normally dominant offensive line of Green Bay had appeared to meet their match.
Having start receivers Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams not being 100 percent also did not help matters. Playing with receivers not fully healthy, coupled with an offensive line that could not protect Rodgers, and a defense that was getting it handed to them, there was little hope for Green Bay from the onset.
Atlanta’s offense, led by offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, took advantage of the opportunities presented to them. With their diverse attack in the passing game and ground game, the Packers were not able to key in on one area during the game.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers faced havoc all day from the young and energetic Falcons’ defense. Photo courtesy of Rick Wood/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK.
Moving forward, the Falcons will play the AFC champion, the New England Patriots, in Super Bowl LI. Quarterback Tom Brady of the Patriots will be looking to supplement his position in NFL immortality by winning what would be his fifth Super Bowl as a quarterback. Currently, he is tied with former NFL quarterback greats Terry Bradshaw of the Steelers and Joe Montana of the 49ers. Many believe if Brady wins, he will pass Montana as the NFL’s best quarterback, and quite possibly, as the best player ever.
For Matt Ryan of the Falcons, a win would result in the culmination of what has been a resurrecting and defining season in his career. Criticized for not winning the big games or playing well in the clutch, Ryan has erased most of his haters’ complaints with his MVP caliber performance, both in the regular and post season. Winning his first Super Bowl against Tom Brady would not be a bad way to end his historic season.
The Patriots will be trying to win their fifth Super Bowl, while the Falcons will be trying to get into the record books with their first title.
Super Bowl LI is set to take place Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. on FOX.
Some information in this article was obtained from ESPN.com.
Anthony Bracken is the Sports Editor of The Picket. He can be reached at abrack02@rams.shepherd.edu