2012 NFL Playoff Schedule: Atlanta Falcons Are Most Dangerous Wild-Card Team

Out of the last seven Super Bowl champions, five have been wild-card teams. A lot of that success is due to the NFL's increasing parity, which makes every team worthy of consideration before the playoffs begin.

The most dangerous of this season's wild cards are the Atlanta Falcons.

Matt Ryan has led a resurgence of the team's offense. He has no shortage of weapons to utilize but, for whatever reason, the unit just wasn't able to find a rhythm until recently. Now it seems to be peaking at the right time to give opposing defenses fits.

Finding ways to get Julio Jones involved without forcing him the ball was probably the biggest issue early on. It seemed like Ryan and offensive coordinators Mike Mularkey were making a concerted effort to make the rookie a threat early on even if it wasn't always the right play.

Now that Jones has found a comfort zone alongside Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez, the offense is finally clicking on all cylinders.

It's important not to forget Michael Turner. The workhorse back topped 300 carries for the third time in four years, gaining 1,340 yards and finding the end zone 11 times. He's the stabilizing force that allows passing lanes to open up for Ryan and Co.

So, the offense should be able to keep pace with any offense assuming it can stay hot. If the Falcons are going to make a deep run, however, they will need their defense to step up.

They rank in the middle of the league in points and yards allowed but have the potential to be so much better.

Curtis Lofton and Sean Weatherspoon continue to develop into a dominant linebacker duo. Thomas DeCoud is on the rise as well at safety and John Abraham leads a serviceable pass rush. These factors should lead to a more feared unit but in big games they've come up short.

Luckily for Atlanta those previous games no longer matter. If the defense can step up now, a deep playoff runs is well within reason. Wild-card teams are facing an uphill battle for a reason—they didn't perform at their best during the regular season—but a couple weeks of opportunistic play can turn it around.

Even though teams like the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints are the favorites for a reason, they are not unbeatable.

Should they suffer even a minor slip up, the Falcons will be waiting to pounce.