The Atlanta Falcons just can't convince the majority of the public they are winners yet. The team is a historic home underdog according to Las Vegas and the guys out West as they host the San Francisco 49ers at the Georgia Dome for the NFC Championship game on Sunday.
Matt Ryan and the Falcons don't really care about the line for the game, but it still offers an interesting wrinkle in what should be another fantastic game.
"You're already amped up for the game, but guys get a little more amped up for championship games," San Francisco defensive lineman Ray McDonald told the team's official website. "When you're growing up, these are the kind of games you want to be in."
Since the playoffs expanded in 1978, the Falcons are the biggest home underdog for any number one seed in any round of the playoffs and are also the biggest home underdog in any conference championship round since that date. For Ryan and company, it just means another group of people to convince they are wrong.
The Falcons are coming off of their first playoff win in the Matt Ryan-Mike Smith era and will be looking to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1999 when they played against Denver Broncos, losing 34-19 to quarterback John Elway.
Atlanta was the best team in the NFC record-wise and was 7-1 at home during the course of the year, losing only to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 17, which came after the Falcons already clinched their playoff spot and division title. It is the second time in three years that the Falcons have the best record in the NFL, the last time coming two years ago when the team lost to the Green Bay Packers en route to their Super Bowl champion.
The team rebounded from last year's 26-2 loss in the opening round to the New York Giants after defeating the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday 30-28 after making a last-second field goal. Ryan was 24 of 35 for 250 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions in his first-ever playoff win and is hoping to lead the Falcons to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1998 season.
"Our goal is not to win one playoff game," said Matt Ryan. "Our goals are still in front of us. We still have two more games to go. That's the mindset I have. That's the mindset this team has."
The Falcons had a big lead over the Seahawks last Sunday, going up 20-0 at halftime and extending the lead to 27-7 before Seattle made a ferocious comeback. The Seahawks took a 28-27 lead after a late touchdown, but Ryan was able to move the Falcons down the field to set up a game-winning field goal for Matt Bryant.
"We were very fortunate to make the plays there at the end of the game and get the win," head coach Mike Smith said.
The Atlanta defense will be on edge after Sunday's game since they gave up nearly 400 yards passing to quarterback Russell Wilson and will be focused hard on Colin Kaepernick, who broke out big time last weekend against the Green Bay Packers, setting a record for quarterbacks by rushing for 181 yards.
Kaepernick completely dominated the Green Bay defense, throwing for 263 yards and two touchdowns while also adding another two scores on the ground. The young quarterback rebounded from a
"It feels good," Kaepernick said. "We're one step closer to where we want to be. I feel like I had a lot to prove. A lot of people doubted my ability to lead this team."
Atlanta defensive coordinator Mike Nolan was head coach of the 49ers and went 18-37, adding another wrinkle to the championship game. It will be up to Nolan and the defense to stop Kaepernick, who went 6-2 as a starter after head coach Jim Harbaugh decided to bench Alex Smith.
Kaepernick's passer rating was 98.7 in his eight starts and he has averaged 13.1 yards per rushing attempt, often out of the pistol formations. The team also has running back Frank Gore, who gained 119 yards in the divisional round. The Falcons averaged 123 rushing yards allowed, ranked 21st, during the season, but allowed just 46 to bruiser Marshawn Lynch against Seattle.
The Falcons are allowing a league-worst 8.9 yards against quarterbacks this season in similar situations and gave up 60 on the ground to Wilson last weekend. Cam Newton has been compared to Kaepernick and he played against the Falcons twice, gaining 22 yards over two games, while scoring two touchdowns.
"He can take a play that looks like a broken play, and looks like we have covered up, and turn it into a 70-yard touchdown run," Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson said of Kaepernick to the Contra Costa Times. "That's something that we're definitely cognizant of."
Prediction: 49ers 31, Falcons 24. This game could easily go the other way, but the 49ers are playing like crazy right now and Kaepernick looks unstoppable. The defense is better than the Falcons and the 49ers are not a team that will have issues with traveling to the east coast, as they have already done than and won this season. The 49ers suffered a brutal 20-17 lost last year against the Giants in overtime in this game and will not want to suffer the same fate again.
