Falcons Fever Spreads Far and Wide
Judging by the number of posts and comments on Facebook alone, it seems Falcons Fever has infected those who are die-hard football fans as well as those who may just be casual followers of the professional game.
Atlanta’s convincing win against Seattle in the divisional playoff round last weekend now has the Falcons one win away from the Super Bowl and has the entire state buzzing about the possibility.
Adding to the excitement has been the fact that Green Bay’s upset (and exciting) win against Dallas in the other NFC division playoff game has allowed Atlanta to host the conference championship game this Sunday. It means one more game for the Georgia Dome and immediately meant the Falcons were announced as a somewhat narrow favorite to advance.
It’s hard to truly say how this game will turn out though. Green Bay is on a very impressive roll right now and in defeating the Cowboys last week eliminated the team that many felt would represent the NFC. The Packers earned that win on the road so there will be no fear from their players and coaches that another road win can’t happen this Sunday.
Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers is one of the players mentioned as a possible league MVP for 2016 although most say the award will go to Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan. Still, Rodgers clearly was a major part in the Packers instant classic victory in Big D.
The NFL is a funny thing. Going back to the preseason there were many questions about this Falcons team and just how much it could accomplish. Would Ryan be able to lead this team to the playoffs or even to a winning record? Did the team have the right offensive coordinator? What would happen if the 2016 season ended up a disappointment?
Things can turn so quickly, even over the course of three or four weeks in the NFL. The same goes for Green Bay in 2016. The Packers were in danger at one point of having their season go down the tubes but when you have a quarterback like Rodgers you can never be counted completely out.
To me that’s what this Sunday’s match-up will come down to. You have two of the league’s top quarterbacks going at it. On paper, Green Bay due to a ton of injuries probably shouldn’t be able to keep track with Atlanta. After all, the Packers’ top running back is actually a wide receiver.
The Falcons have more healthy offensive weapons and should have no problem scoring at least 38 points.
That’s how it looks on paper anyway.
However, football games, whether at the high school, collegiate or professional level, are not won or lost on paper. They are played on the field. That’s what will happen this Sunday in the Georgia Dome.
Green Bay has shown a remarkable ability to win games it really shouldn’t. Can the Packers do it one more time? Of course they can. However, you have to wonder if they didn’t use their remaining amount of magic in last week’s win against Dallas.
It’s probably very risky for me to predict an outcome on this game, as I have never been very good at forecasting winners. However, I’ll risk it and say the Falcons will win 38-31 and advance to the Super Bowl for only the second time in franchise history. Who will their opponent be? My guess on that one will be the New England Patriots and another quarterback legend in Tom Brady.
Enjoy the game everyone. Kickoff is set for 3:05 p.m. this Sunday, Jan. 22.
Monticello native Chris Bridges is a long-time newspaper columnist. He welcomes feedback from readers of The Monticello News at pchrisbridges@gmail.com.