Seahawks vs. Falcons: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2017 NFL Playoffs

The Seattle Seahawks mounted a come-from-behind effort to take down the Atlanta Falcons at CenturyLink Field in Week 6, but the NFC South champions refused to let their foot off the gas Saturday with a trip to the NFC Championship Game on the line.

In a 36-20 win over the Seahawks at the Georgia Dome, the Falcons rode the production of quarterback Matt Ryan and an energized front seven to clinch their first berth in the NFC title game since January 2013.

Ryan, widely considered the league's MVP front-runner, was locked in throughout and completed 26 of 37 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns in an efficient display that was unprecedented against the Seahawks under head coach Pete Carroll, according to NFL Research on Twitter:

"

Matt Ryan: 330 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT today

Would be only QB with 300+ pass yds, 3+ pass TD, and 0 INT vs the Seahawks in the Pete Carroll era

— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) January 15, 2017"

And once again, Julio Jones (six receptions for 67 yards and one touchdown) served as Ryan's No. 1 option on a day when the Falcons didn't shy away from aggressive shots against Seattle's shorthanded secondary.

Running back Devonta Freeman chipped in 18 touches for 125 total yards and a touchdown, but his most eye-popping contribution came late in the third quarter when Ryan hit him for a 53-yard completion that included a filthy juke, as the NFL showed on Twitter:

Tevin Coleman added 79 total yards and a score as the Falcons imposed their will in the trenches. That dominance afforded Ryan the time necessary to carve up the Seahawks defense, according to Sports Illustrated's Chris Burke:

Russell Wilson was relatively sharp to the tune of 225 yards and two touchdowns on 17-of-30 passing, but the Seahawks couldn't muster consistency in the running game to take the pressure off their signal-caller.

Thomas Rawls, who gashed the Detroit Lions for a franchise playoff-record 161 rushing yards a week ago, was limited to 11 carries for 34 yards—29 of which came on Seattle's opening drive.

However, the picture wasn't always so bleak for the NFC West champs.

The Seahawks landed the first punch with a 14-play, 89-yard drive that was punctuated by a Jimmy Graham touchdown on the game's opening possession, and they owned a 10-7 lead with 10:30 remaining in the second quarter.

And just when it looked like Seattle was going to find the end zone again after Devin Hester returned a punt 80 yards deep into Atlanta territory, a holding penalty on linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis flipped field position and momentum.

The Seahawks were sent scrambling into the shadow of their own goal post, and the Falcons followed up with a safety of Wilson, as the NFL documented on Twitter:

From that point forward, Seattle couldn't keep up.

Atlanta ripped off a 99-yard touchdown drive before the end of the first half, and another seven-point strike courtesy of Freeman to open the third quarter told the story, as Bleacher Report's Jason Cole noted:

The Seahawks had a glimmer of hope when Wilson drove them into Atlanta territory with under 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but an interception by safety Ricardo Allen sealed their fate.

The Falcons' late-game composure allowed them to cap off the victory without any drama, and it set up a date next Sunday against either the Dallas Cowboys or Green Bay Packers—whom Atlanta defeated in a 33-32 thriller on Oct. 30.

With Green Bay and Dallas slated to clash on Sunday at AT&T Stadium, the Falcons will undoubtedly be pulling for the Packers.

Not only would a Green Bay win allow Atlanta to host the NFC Championship Game, but the Packers' 31st-ranked pass defense would also be a dreamy matchup for the Falcons' top-flight aerial attack.

Postgame Reaction

Once the win was in hand, the Falcons celebrated with some flair back in the locker room, as the team's official Twitter account showed:

"This game was won during the week," Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said, according to Andrew Hirsh of the team's official website.

To that point, Allen told reporters the Falcons "were ready for everything they had," according to ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure.

Allen also broke down how the Falcons' aggressive approach allowed the defense to thrive, as Fox 5 Sports documented on Twitter:

On the flip side, Carroll told reporters Pierre-Louis' penalty proved to be the turning point, per the Seattle Times' Bob Condotta:

As for the Seahawks' future title prospects, Carroll told reporters the team's championship window is still wide open.

"We're right in the middle of it," he said, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. "It ain't over. ... Not the end of anything."

Seahawks star Michael Bennett did not take kindly to a reporter suggesting the team was unable to pressure Ryan, per Condotta and Jayson Jenks of the Seattle Times:

"

We got a lot of pressure. He threw the ball really fast. There was some busted stuff going on so obviously you don't know football. He threw the ball pretty fast. He did his thing. We rushed as good as we could. Don't point and say we didn't do what we needed to do, OK? Don't do that.

Get out of my face now. Don't tell me I didn't do my job (expletive). OK, exactly. Get the (expletive) out of my face. Like I said, get out of my face. Don't play with me. Don't play with me. I just put my heart on the (expletive) field. Don't (expletive) play with me. Get the (expletive) out of my face then. Try me again, see what happens. I ain't one of these (expletive) out here. Don't try to tell me what I didn't do (expletive).

"