Sunday, January 8, 2012

Playoff Recap: Falcons/Giants

It's time for day two of the playoffs!  I'm definitely ready.  Each game yesterday was close through the first half and crumbled in the second half.  I think we will see one good game today and one that's decidedly less close.  I'll let you figure out which game I'm placing in each category.  First up is Atlanta visiting the New York Football Giants.

1.  It was a pretty uneventful first quarter, with the defenses stealing the show.  However, the second quarter started with a bang.  I'm shocked the Falcons would leave points on the board in field goal territory.  After a huge surge by the Giants' defensive line, the Falcons squander a good drive on the road.  That may haunt Atlanta, as not only do they not have points from the drive, but the Giants now have momentum.  (Update: The Giants didn't do much with that alleged momentum.  2-0 Falcons).

2.  Aren't the best reffing crews supposed to be rewarded with the opportunity to call playoff games?  Why then have I seen so many bad calls regarding forward progress this weekend?

3.  The Giants' D is looking terrific out there.  That's now two huge fourth and inches stops because of the line push.  If I'm Mike Smith, I'm wishing I could take a mulligan on both of those calls.  It would be a two point game (in all likelihood) if he had opted to kick each time.  Instead, it's still and eight point affair.  The way the New York defense is playing, it's not going to be easy to get eight points.

4.  Check that.  They now need fifteen.  What an individual effor by Nicks on the slant, more specifically, the run after the catch.

5.  Amazing pass and catch on the Manningham touchdown to make it 24-2.  The shame of it is that with the exception of maybe four plays (at most), the Falcons defense has played rather well.  Their performance however is being completely overshadowed by their counterparts on the Giants.  One stat pretty much tells the whole story here:  The Atlanta defense has scored two points, and the Atlanta offense has scored none.

6.  The Giants look dangerous, and I expect them to give Green Bay all it can handle next week.  Recall 2007 when they were underdogs in the NFC Championship game in Green Bay.


-FSG

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