Road wins critical for Falcons, Titans
The Atlanta Falcons know they’ll have to win three consecutive road games to get a chance for Super Bowl redemption.
The Falcons already nabbed the first victory by spoiling a festive night in Los Angeles, and they seem confident about their chances to run the table in other people’s buildings on the way to Minneapolis.
Matt Ryan passed for 218 yards and hit Julio Jones for an eightyard touchdown with 5:48 to play, and the defending NFC champion Falcons advanced from the wild card round with a 26-13 win over the upstart Rams on Saturday.
Devonta Freeman rushed for an early score and Matt Bryant kicked four field goals for the Falcons (116), who dropped to the sixth seed in the conference after finishing one game out of first place in the NFC South. Atlanta went only 5-3 on the road in the regular season.
The next place they’re headed is Philadelphia. The Falcons advanced to face the top-seeded Eagles on Jan. 13.
“Doesn’t matter where we’re going, we’re going,” Ryan said. “And that’s the most exciting part.”
The Falcons’ defence held the NFL’s highest-scoring offence to one touchdown while muzzling Todd Gurley and harassing Jared Goff, who went 24 for 45.
Jones caught nine passes for 94 yards for Atlanta, which never trailed while winning playoff games in consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history.
Meanwhile, Tennessee Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk says that coach Mike Mularkey is going nowhere after helping change the Titans’ culture and getting their first playoff victory in 14 years.
Strunk issued a statement Sunday trying to dispel rumours she says “gained a life of their own.”
The owner says no one has been a bigger supporter of Mularkey than she has since making him interim head coach in November 2015.
It was thought Mularkey’s job was on the line before the Titans rallied from 18 points down to edge the host Kansas City Chiefs 22-21 on Saturday. It was the first postseason win for the franchise in 14 years.