The Atlanta Falcons finished atop the NFC South, receiving a first round bye and home field advantage, where they finished 7-1 SU and QB Matt Ryan has a 20-2 record as a starter at the Georgia Dome. They have the best two-way offense in the NFL with a great running and pass game. NFL oddsmakers have the Atlanta Falcons at +500 odds to win the 2011 Super Bowl. Be sure to get your bets on the Atlanta Falcons 2011 Super Bowl Lines in early.
The Atlanta Falcons (12-4) enter the playoffs winning nine of their last ten games, with their loss coming in Week 16. At home they average 26.7ppg and allow 14.7ppg. In their final three games they’ve averaged 26.3ppg and allowed 15ppg. QB Matt Ryan is coming off his first Pro Bowl season, but the running game, led by RB Michael Turner, is still the force driving the Falcons' attack. They have a 12-0 record when they have more than 25 rushing attempts, and all three of their losses in '10 came when they ran the ball 25 times or fewer — Turner was held to 48 rushing yards or fewer in each of the losses. Turner is punishing and tough to bring down, but he benefits from playing behind a physical and gritty offensive line, which also has done a good job of protecting Ryan. Matt Ryan mostly targets Pro Bowlers Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez, and the passing game could struggle to adjust if defenses are able to blanket those two. Ryan is tough and can take a hit, but he has been sacked a career-high 23 times this season, and the pressure is often coming from his blind side. OLT Sam Baker struggles against speed rushers, and defenses will try to expose that vulnerability in Atlanta's protection. If they limit turnovers, run the ball well and hold teams to field-goal attempts when they get into the red zone they can win. The Falcons are ranked 15th on offense (341ypg) with a 15th ranked pass game (222ypg) and a 12th ranked running game (118ypg). RB Michael Turner leads their offense with 12 TD’s. The Falcons score the fifth most points per-game (25.9ppg).
Their defense likes playing zone coverage and rushing just the front four for the majority of the time worked well for the Falcons throughout the season, but continuing to show the kind of flexibility that they did against the Saints in Week 16 could serve them well. DE John Abraham and DT Jonathan Babineaux are capable of knocking offenses out of rhythm by getting into the backfield without a blitz, but the Falcons came after Saints QB Drew Brees over and over again with extra pass rushers in Week 16, and it proved to be quite effective at times. They most likely will get back to doing what they know best in the playoffs, but offenses know they have to be prepared for a surprise. The Falcons have a 16th ranked defense (332ypg), a 22nd ranked pass rush (226ypg) and a 10th ranked rush defense (105ypg). The Falcons defense allows the fifth least amount of points per-game (18ppg). Brent Grimes has five interceptions for the Falcons.
Point-Spreads.com suggests checking out the latest Atlanta Falcons 2011 Super Bowl Lines
The Bottom Line: With home field advantage through-out the playoffs is a huge bonus for the Super Bowl run. Be sure to get your NFL Playoff Predictions in early.
