FALCONS FLIGHT: Atlanta sees a bit of itself in Giants

Most people would say the Falcons had a disappointing season because they finished the year at 10-6 instead of 13-3, the record they had in 2010.

However, the Falcons are back in the playoffs for the second consecutive year, so what they did in the regular season doesn’t matter because their record now is 0-0.

The Falcons will face the New York Giants in the Wild Card round on Sunday, and this game could be the most tightly contested games in the playoffs because both teams are fairly even.

The Giants are the NFC East champions but had to make a December run in order to win that title. The Giants won three of the final four games and two of those wins came against their NFC East rival, the Dallas Cowboys.

One of the reasons for Giants success is the pass rush they generate. Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora make up one of the most athletic defensive lines in the NFL and will look to take advantage of a Falcons offensive line that has had issues protecting Matt Ryan in the early stages of the season.

The offensive line for the Falcons has gotten better the last three games, only allowing one sack during that span. Ryan also looks to keep his hot streak going as he has throw an interception in his last four games.

But in order for the Falcons to win, they will have to run the ball effectively which is something they have struggled with down the stretch. The Falcons hope to get the running game back on track this Sunday against a Giants team that was ranked 19th in rush defense during the regular season. As good as the defensive line is for the Giants, the linebackers have had their issues and the Falcons offensive line hopes they can get some good blocks on Michael Boley, Chase Balckburn and Mathias Kiwanuka to spring Michael Turner, Jason Snelling and Jacquizz Rodgers.

On the flip side, the Giants offense has been clicking recently because Eli Manning is not making mistakes. Despite throwing three interceptions in a loss against the Washington Redskins on Dec. 18, Manning has been hot, throwing nine touchdowns in his last five starts.

His go-to guy all season has been Victor Cruz. The wide receiver from UMass has caught 82 passes for over 1,500 yards and nine touchdowns. The Falcons defensive line has to get pressure on Manning, who has been sacked seven times the last three games. Defensive end John Abraham who is the Falcons sack leader with 9.5 sacks, will see a lot more playing time on Sunday. The coaches have counted his snaps all year long, but will cut him loose on Sunday to garner better pass rush.

One of the most interesting matchups will be when Cruz faces Brent Grimes. Normally, the Falcons play a lot of zone defense so Grimes along with Dunta Robinson are not assigned to cover a certain receiver. But there will be times when Grimes and Cruz will face off, so will Manning try to attack Grimes who is coming off and knee injury, or will he look for someone else and try to attack Robinson and reserve corners Christopher Owens and Dominique Franks?

The Giants have not run the ball well this season but will probably need to start doing that in order to win on Sunday. They were ranked last in rushing offense and only averaged 3.5 yards per carry. The Falcons rush defense was ranked sixth in the NFL and only allowed one 100-yard rusher all season long. They will need to continue that trend on Sunday in order to have Abraham and Ray Edwards to rush Manning and try to put pressure on him.

Breaking it down, the Giants are the favorites to win because they are playing at Giants Stadium, they are healthy and some would argue they are peaking at the right time. However, the Falcons have won six of their last nine games and are doing everything they can not to be one-and-done in the playoffs for the second consecutive time. If the Falcons can control the clock and protect Ryan, they will move on to the Divisional round of the playoffs. But if they turn the ball over and not get any pressure on Manning, then it will be a long ride home from East Rutherford, N.J.