After Super collapse, Falcons face Rams test

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The Rams are getting a fresh start. The Falcons are searching for one.

While the Rams are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2004, the Falcons are looking to bounce back from their epic collapse in last year’s Super Bowl, in which they saw a 25-point second-half lead vanish at the hands of Tom Brady and the Patriots, who won in overtime.

This game pits last season’s most valuable player, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, against a Rams defense that forced a turnover on the opening drive against an astounding eight opponents this season. Tackle Aaron Donald, arguably the league’s best defensive player, anchors that defense.

On the other side of the ball for the Rams is MVP candidate Todd Gurley, a former star running back at Georgia who led the NFL with 2,093 yards from scrimmage.

Ryan has 41,796 career passing yards and surpassed Peyton Manning for the most in his first 10 seasons. In his last three games against the Rams, Ryan threw for a combined 864 yards with seven TDs and zero interceptions for a 114.4 rating.

His favorite target is Julio Jones, who led the NFC with 1,444 receiving yards. Fellow receiver Mohamed Sanu has a touchdown catch in two of his last three postseason games.

Falcons running back Devonta Freeman has eclipsed 1,000 scrimmage yards three years in a row and has 1,182 this season.

Interesting storylines surround both offensive coordinators.

The Rams’ Matt LaFleur was quarterbacks coach for the Falcons last season under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, subsequently hired as head coach of the 49ers.

Steve Sarkisian, fired as USC’s coach, wound up replacing Shanahan as offensive coordinator of the Falcons. He’s returning to the Coliseum for the first time.

The last time they visited the Coliseum, the Falcons dominated Jeff Fisher’s Rams 42-14. That was Dec. 11, 2016, and Fisher was fired in the wake of that humiliation.

The Rams are a different team under first-year coach Sean McVay, who has transformed a 4-12 team to one that finished 11-5. “Both sides of the ball, it’s an entirely new scheme,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said.

The Falcons are crossing three time zones in a short week. The Rams will give up some yards early, but the defense will settle in and firm up in the second half. On offense, Gurley will force the Falcons to honor the run, creating openings for the passing game.