Falcons, Seahawks have playoff history

So the Falcons get Seattle in the divisional playoffs on Saturday at the Georgia Dome by virtue of the Seahawks’ 26-6 win over the Lions on Saturday night. A few immediate thoughts on the match-up:

■ This is a rematch of a divisional playoff game in 2012. The Falcons blew leads of 20-0 at halftime and 27-7 after three quarters, gave up three straight touchdowns to fall behind 28-27 then rallied to win 30-28 on a 49-yard field goal by Matt Bryant with 23 seconds left. That game would prove to be ominous foreshadowing for the NFC championship game against San Francisco the following week, when the Falcons led 17-0 and 24-14 but were shut out in the second half and lost 28-24. This year’s Falcons’ offense is better than 2012’s, but the team still has something to prove in the postseason.

■ Question: Do the Seahawks ever have a pass interference call go against them? They benefited from at least two non-calls against Detroit (although that’s not the only reason the Lions lost). The Falcons know about non-calls. In the regular-season meeting between the teams, won by Seattle 26-24 in October, the lingering highlights focused on the Julio Jones-Richard Sherman matchup, Sherman getting away with an interference call after clearly pulling down Jones during a long pass play with 1:30 left. A penalty (or catch) would’ve given the Falcons a first down around the Seahawks’ 35-yard line, in position for a potential go-ahead field goal. Seattle has one of the NFL’s best defenses, but its reputation for getting away with such plays is well-founded.

■ If the Falcons are going to win and advance to the NFC championship, they will need to run the ball better than Detroit. The Lions gained only 49 yards rushing on 15 attempts (3.27 per carry). Conversely, Seattle totaled 177 yards rushing, including 161 and a touchdown by Thomas Rawls. The Falcons have prided themselves on having a balanced offense this season. They’ll need to do more than ride the passing attack led by Matt Ryan and Julio Jones. Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman will need to play major roles against a Seattle defense that finished fifth in yards allowed, seventh against the run and third in points (18.3).

■ The importance of Freeman and Coleman aside, yes, Ryan will be the focus. He has had an MVP-caliber season with 38 touchdown passes, only seven interceptions, 4,944 yards and a leaguebests of 9.26 yards per attempt and a 117.1 efficiency rating. However, he’s only 1-4 in career playoff games, the win coming in that frantic finish against Seattle. In five playoff games, he has nine touchdown passes with seven interceptions, 11 sacks, an 85.2 rating and has averaged only 6.68 yards per attempt. Ryan has been the centerpiece of the league’s highest-scoring offense (33.8 points) but needs a strong game to validate the season he just had.

■ Quarterback Russell Wilson, tight end Jimmy Graham and wide receiver Douglas Baldwin are all veterans who know how to win playoff games. They’ll be a tough test for the young members of the Falcons’ defense: Vic Beasley, Deion Jones, Keanu Neal, Jalen Collins and De’Vondre Campbell. The Falcons opened as a 4-point favorite. My pick: Falcons by a touchdown.

OTTO GREULE JR / GETTY IMAGES Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman could have been called for pass interference against Julio Jones when the teams played in October.