FALCONS 5KEYS TO VICTORY
HOUSTON — The Falcons have never won a Super Bowl. They are one of 13 teams still waiting. They did make one appearance in the Big Game, losing to the Denver Broncos, 34-19, in Super Bowl XXXIII. So how can they land a parade? What do they have to do tonight to have a chance in the Super Bowl? Here are the keys to a Falcons win:
MVP play from Ryan
Everyone keeps waiting for Matt Ryan to turn into a pumpkin. Well, the former Boston College star just put together his best season ever, passing for nearly 5,000 yards and 38 touchdowns while completing 70 percent of his throws. So forget about the clock striking midnight. Ryan just has to keep doing what he's been doing, and that's playing error-free, lights-out football.
Keeping up with Jones
The Patriots will take away Julio Jones. That's what they do. That means the other guys — Mohamed Sanu, Taylor Gabriel, Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman — have to step in and provide options for Ryan, which is what they've done all year. The Falcons have plenty of weapons besides Jones on the NFL's best offense, and that's tough for any defense to keep pace with.
Win turnover battle
While this tends to come up every week, it still bears repeating, especially with what's at stake. The Falcons cannot give Tom Brady any freebies by turning the ball over. They did a good job of this in the regular season, surrendering the football just 11 times — the same total as the Patriots. Atlanta certainly can't hand it over more than New England tonight and expect to win.
Grab the lead
It'll be important for the Falcons to get into a situation in which they're most comfortable. For most of the season, that meant being ahead and playing with a lead. If they do that, they get to dictate a lot of what the Patriots do on offense, cutting down on Josh McDaniels' diverse attack and making New England one-dimensional. That will, in turn, help their defense by allowing rushers to try to tee off on Brady.
Pressure Brady
The Falcons hit Aaron Rodgers eight times in their NFC Championship blowout victory and sacked him twice. They'll need more of the same, and then some, to get Brady off his game. The Texans had success pressuring up the middle on Brady, but the Patriots offensive line limited the Steelers' attack the following week. The Falcons need to crack the protection and let Brady know they mean business.