Two underdog teams advanced through the Wildcard round of the playoffs last night. The Tennessee Titans overthrew a Chiefs team who have long been dominant in the regular season and inconsistent in the playoffs, while the Falcons caught fire at exactly the right time as they seek vengeance for what happened in the Super Bowl one year ago. A 26-13 win over a fairytale Rams team have elevated Atlanta to the next round of the playoffs, meaning they’ll face off against the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round of the playoffs. Here are five quick thoughts on the crucial matchup.
What Vegas says:
The Eagles open up as 2.5 point underdogs in this matchup. The number one seed in the NFC is an underdog against a #6 seed Falcons team who are playing on the road against a team who have lost just one home game all season long. If home field is labelled as a 3 point advantage, this would suggest that the Eagles are +5.5 on a neutral field. This line should move towards a pick’em, but this doesn’t look good. The Falcons were able to keep Todd Gurley and Jared Goff under wraps…does Nick Foles really stand a chance?
Opposite ends of the spectrum:
The Falcons come steamrolling into the matchup having won 4 of their last 5 games. After a start that embodied a ‘Super Bowl hangover’, the Falcons have exploded. Conversely, the Eagles looked atrocious offensively in their last two games. Sure, one was a week 17 loss where starters were rested, but both games showcased an offensive stagnation that simply cannot be overlooked. Over their last three games, the Falcons have averaged a total of 4.3 opposing third down conversions per game. The Eagles have inherently struggled to move the chains during this period, setting up a matchup where the only thing really favoring the Eagles is a sold out Lincoln Financial Field. If Atlanta can get past the Rams pass rush, they will be confident they can surpass that of the Eagles.
Corners face a huge challenge:
Julio Jones has been beyond punishing this season, as we’ve come to expect. With over 1,400 receiving yards to his name, Jones entered the playoffs hot and came out hotter, catching 9/10 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. The Rams paid a lot of respect to Jones, allowing him a blanket of space to work with…and that became their downfall. The bad news for the Eagles is that their corners have played that way all season. When you factor in the biting on double-moves, a big slot matchup in Mohammed Sanu and a red-zone threat in RB Tevin Coleman, the Eagles corners have plenty to worry about. If the Eagles are to dominate the trenches, they’ll need reliability on the outside against a Falcons team who thrive on ruining exactly that.
Last time out:
The last time the Eagles met Atlanta, the team came out swinging and flew out of the opposing birds nest in a 24-15 win. The Birds held Atlanta to a season low 15 points and 48 rushing yards, while chaining Matt Ryan to a 78.7 QB rating. The Eagles backfield exploded for 208 rushing yards in a statement game. The Eagles match up well against the Falcons, but can they make it count in the playoffs?
Matty ice cold?
Matt Ryan is 1-3 when playing at the Linc. His lone win came against a Defense that was then coordinated by Juan Castillo. No Dome here. A sold out Lincoln Financial Field will be a tough stage for the man who has ties to the area to perform on. Can the Eagles make life problematic as they did one year ago?
Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports
