Atlanta Falcons, 30 Seattle Seahawks, 28
The Atlanta Falcons dominated the first half. Mutterings of a 'statement win' were on the Georgia Dome conditioned wind. QB Matt Ryan looked unstoppable and even the timid Atlanta crowd got into the groove early in 2nd quarter or so. Meanwhile, the Seahawks made crucial mistakes inside the red zone; they rolled the dice on 4th and 1 and lost, then succumbed to clock management issues at the half, strolling into the locker room down 20-0.
Thats when the 2nd half happened. Matt Ryan lost his mojo and couldn't keep the Falcons offense on the field, throwing two interceptions and missing out on two crucial 3rd downs. Meanwhile, the Seahawks drove the field four separate times for four separate touchdowns. QB Russell Wilson was sublime, 266 2nd half yards passing (385 overall) and another 60 on the ground. RB Marshawn Lynch, TE Zach Miller and WR Sidney Rice also reversed course and played like superstars. S Earl Thomas provided a key interception late that led to to a beast mode Lynch TD launching an ecstatic Seattle to their first lead of the day, 28-27, with only 31 seconds to play.
It was a tale of two games. The Falcons’ 1st half and Seahawks’ 2nd half could be categorized as two of the most dominating NFL halves played all year, strangely woven into one game.
The epilogue, written into the final 31 seconds contained a surprise twist. Matt Ryan snapped out of his 2nd half lethargy and executed two lightening quick punches for 22 and 19 yards that set up the game winning 49-yard kick. Just like that, Atlanta saved themselves from 0-4 in the playoffs and earned their first win.
KEY PLAY: Many Seattle fans lament the 4th-and-1 decision in the 1st half that would have ended up being a game-winning field goal but the key plays were Matt Ryan's darts to WR Harry Douglas and then TE Tony Gonzalez, a total of 41 yards in 25 seconds with their season on the line. Not very many passing games in NFL history could do that.
MVP: I'll give it to QB Matt Ryan who led a massive 1st half slaughter and then a lightening spark victory march but he also was a large reason they were so soundly dominated in the 2nd half. But the MVP should have been Wilson, who announced himself as the real deal today, in both halves, just like Flacco and Kaepernick yesterday, the future has arrived.
New England Patriots, 41 Houston Texans, 28
After the dramatic weekend, one could almost welcome the predictable Patriots blowout. The NFL audience (outside of Houston) accepted the familiar as inevitable and we all relaxed to enjoy our Sunday night. This may seem insulting to the Texans but were they not overmatched? Surely you can't say it's a coincidence that New England has handled the Texans 83-42 in two games, can you? The Texans just aren't in the same tier.
QB Tom Brady was methodical, at times positively vicious with big plays followed by surprisingly quick snaps and big runs. RB Shane Vereen was this week's Patriot role player thrust into centerpiece mode, recording 3 touchdowns and 124 total yards.
The Patriots deserve credit beyond the standard 'they were going to win anyways'. This is not the New York Yankees spending their way to consistent contention or the Miami Heat with Lebron and Wade. This is a 6th round quarterback and a defensive minded coach who have had 12 winning seasons in a row and 17 playoff victories amidst the golden age of parity in the NFL.
KEY PLAY: Texans S Daniel Manning returned the opening kickoff inside the 10, the Texans failed to capitalize, settled for the field goal and never again threatened competition. CB Devin McCourtey made the tackle, hustling after the slower Manning, essentially a 4-point tackle that reversed the tone that an away-team opening kickoff return would have set.
MVP: It’s almost dull to select QB Tom Brady (344yds, 3 TDs, 0 INTs) as the MVP of a postseason win, his 17th such victory (17-6 for reference) but to appreciate a master, we must step away from what we take for granted. This was another divisional masterpiece.
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