Falcons vs. Giants: Atlanta's Balance Will Bring Matt Ryan First Postseason Win

While their record doesn't show it, the Atlanta Falcons have more balance than any team in the NFC. They aren't as good offensively as the Saints, Packers, Lions, or Giants. They're not as good defensively as the 49ers.

But unlike all of those other team, the Falcons don't have a weakness to exploit.

That's not to say that they will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, but that's not what we're talking about here. What we're talking about is the Falcons beating the Giants to advance to the second round of the NFC playoffs. That's going to happen.

The Giants don't have the defense to focus on any one part of Atlanta's offense. Their secondary is still vulnerable to giving up the big play and that's not going to change until next season. There's nothing the Giants can do about all of their injuries. 

And if they bring extra men into coverage to defend the likes of Tony Gonzalez, Julio Jones, and Roddy White, the Falcons have Michael Turner to run. The Giants don't have the defense up the middle to do anything significant to stop him. 

The one thing the Giants do have on defense is a strong pass rush. But the problem with a pass rush is that if it comes with nothing else behind it, it's a liability. That's going to happen on Sunday. Atlanta will use the Giants' pass rush against them, catching them over-pursuing. 

And then there's the other side of the ball. Like the Falcons, the Giants do have weapons to pass the ball. But unlike the Giants, the Falcons have strong defenders in the front seven to bring extra men into coverage. 

Atlanta's run defense is one of the best groups in the game. They can take men away from their front seven, move them into the secondary, and still be equipped to handle the Giants' running attack. So, New York is going to have a hard time staying on track. 

With John Abraham coming off of the edge, look for a steady pass rush on Eli Manning. That's going to create a lot of third and longs, which will play into Atlanta's hands.

The problem with the Giants here is that unlike the Packers, 49ers, and Saints, their strengths are not dominating. They have a few strengths that are very good, but not good enough to pull out wins against a team with Atlanta's balance.

That's what the difference is going to be in this one. Matt Ryan will have a good game and his teammates will back the quarterback to bring him his first playoff win. 

The Falcons will then move to either Green Bay or San Francisco. Those games won't be as favorable. But this group will get a playoff victory on Sunday.

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