NFL Wild Card Game Preview: Falcons at Rams
Gridiron Experts Staff Wild Card Preview
Atlanta Falcons at LA Rams -6.5 | O/U 48.5
Anthony Cervino – The Atlanta Falcons will travel to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Saturday to face the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wild Card Round of the NFL Playoffs. This intra-conference matchup features two teams entering the postseason hot — in their last six games since Week 12, both the Falcons and Rams were 4-2. However, if the Rams didn’t elect to rest their starters in the season finale against the 49ers, and assuming they would have won the game, they would have closed out regular season play winning three consecutive contests. But that’s neither here nor there. While the Falcons stepped up when it mattered the most to earn their playoff berth, their offense is no longer the threat that it once was in 2016.
Although the talent remains in place, the Matt Ryan and Kyle Shanahan magic is no more — Shanahan is making Jimmy Garoppolo a stud with the 49ers — while the veteran signal caller is having difficulty finding his way in Steve Sarkisian’s offense. In fact, Ryan had his worst statistical season since 2012 this past season. His 64.7 completion percentage is his worst since 2011 (61.3 percent), his 4,095 yards passing was his worst total since 2010 (3,705), his four 300-yard passing games total was his worst since 2010 (one) and his 20 touchdowns were his lowest total since his 2008 rookie campaign (16). As a result, I don’t believe the Falcons’ offense could go blow-for-blow with the Rams. Why? Well although the Falcons beat out the Rams in total net yards — they concluded the regular season ranked eighth with 5,837 yards while the Rams finished 10th with 5,784 — Los Angels finished regular season play as the top scoring team with 478 points while Atlanta finished in the middle of the pack, closing the year ranked 15th with 353 total points.
If the Rams come out firing on all cylinders, and I fully expect them to, I believe they will be victorious. However, if Marquand Manuel’s defense somehow comes out and stymies Jared Goff in his first career NFL playoff start and this game is close, the Falcons have a chance to come out on top. Still, I’m trusting the Rams and the coaching tandem of Sean McVay and Wade Phillips to bring their A-game on Saturday. Pick: Rams 27 Falcons 17.
Andrew Erickson – The 2016-2017 season was the year for the Atlanta Falcons, and they blew it agaisnt the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Now fast forwarding to this season, the Falcons go to LA to play against one of the best offenses in the league if not the best. I honestly do not think Atlanta can keep up with the Rams. Matt Ryan has been nowhere near at the level he was playing last year, so it is hard for me to have confidence that he can get the offense going versus an underrated Rams defense. I am taking the Rams. Pick: Rams
Michael Hauff – It may not have been a seamless road to the postseason but nevertheless, the Falcons were able to avoid the Super Bowl hangover. Now that they are here, they will need to take on a Rams team that has flipped the script from a year ago. Rookie coach Sean McVay has taken the Rams from scoring a league-low 224 points in 2016 to a league-high 478 in 2017. This is due in large part to Todd Gurley who led the NFC in rushing this season. The Falcons had their struggles offensively without Kyle Shanahan as they went from leading the league in points per game in 2016 to fifteenth this season. What helped keep the Falcons afloat was the defense that played better this season behind linebacker Deion Jones. Ultimately, of all the road teams this weekend, the Falcons pose the biggest threat for an upset. That being said though, between their offensive inconsistencies and Wade Philips leading the Rams defense, I love the Rams in this one. Pick: Rams
Brad Castronovo – This game should be fun to watch. The Falcons have their chance at redemption after sneaking into the playoffs with the #6 seed. The Rams, on the other hand, should be fresh after resting their starters last week. Sean McVay’s squad touts the league’s top scoring offense, averaging just about 30 ppg. Todd Gurley is scary to watch right now, Jared Goff has been efficient all year, and has a healthy Robert Woods leading the receiving corps. While Atlanta certainly has some firepower, they’ll need their stars to shine bright to keep up with the Rams in this one. Atlanta’s success will be predicated on whether they’re able to get Devonta Freeman going. With Aaron Donald manning the middle of the defensive front, the Falcons’ line will have to be at their best and allow Freeman room to run. If they can’t, then the defense will be able to key in on stopping Matt Ryan, devoting fewer men to the box, and opening up the potential for double coverage on Julio Jones. I like Gurley and Goff to continue their magic and for the Rams to win a high scoring affair. The ghost of 28-3 will live on for another year. Pick: Rams
Graham Hackney – The Rams are the better team. They have a running back at the top of his form, both running the ball and when called upon to be a receiver. They have, arguably, the best defensive player in the entire league. They have a quarterback who escaped relatively unharmed from the horrors of the final Jeff Fisher season. They have the coach I expect to be named coach of the year. Yet….yet I can’t shake the fact that the Falcons will consider themselves to have earned the right to banish the nightmare of 11 months ago. They won 6 of the final 8 regular season games following an inconsistent start and they will use their recent experience of winning playoff games despite what happened in Houston last year. I should pick the Rams as that is what logic is telling me to do, but I’m not, I’m picking the Falcons to sneak it, by no more than a field goal, and advance to play the Eagles. Pick: Falcons
Jason Willan – Is it weird to think the once-mighty Falcons offense doesn’t have enough firepower to keep pace in this game? Atlanta hasn’t topped 24 points since Week 12 and Matt Ryan hasn’t had a multi-touchdown game since November 20th. Meanwhile, the Rams were averaging 32.5 points per game in the five contests preceding Week 17’s rest-fest, with Jared Goff playing extremely well and Todd Gurley putting up video-game numbers as of late. I look for that trend to continue this weekend, with a comfortable 31-20 victory for Los Angeles. Pick: Rams
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