NFC Divisional Playoffs: Falcons Flying High 20-0 At Halftime

If anyone was betting that the Atlanta Falcons would lose their footing in the second quarter after starting out strong, you just lost. It’s been Atlanta in the Georgia Dome as the Falcons are taking a 20-0 lead into halftime after dominating the Seahawks for two whole quarters.

Matt Ryan threw an interception in the first quarter on the Falcons second drive of the game, and the question on everyone’s mind was how would he respond? Well Ryan answered with two huge touchdown passes to two of his favorite targets. Roddy White was on the receiving end of Ryan’s second touchdown pass of the game and the only touchdown scored in the second quarter.

The pass couldn’t have been more perfectly placed, and as a bonus for Falcons fans (and for those who can’t stand Richard Sherman), the defensive back who got scroched on the play was none other than the big mouthed Sherman. His response to getting burned: Sherman popped up after tripping and clapped with a smile on his face.

But while the Seahawks are trying to stay positive, the fact of the matter is they’re quickly slipping far behind one of the best offenses in the NFL. One of the reasons Seattle was able to come back last week was because Washington began to slip up and make mistakes late in the game. It was those mistakes by the Redskins that gave Seattle’s defense some confidence that they could come back and compete.

Atlanta’s offense has been nothing but flawless so far on Sunday, and aside from an early Matt Ryan interception, the Falcons have done little to givee Seattle anything more than a sinking feeling in their stomach’s.

One thing that deserves to be pointed out is the lack of Marshawn Lynch in the game. After rushing for over 1,000 yards this season, the biggest play of Lynch’s day has been his fumble deep inside Falcons territory that ended up serving as a giant momentum swing in the favor of Atlanta. At halftime, Lynch has 8 carries for just 27 yards, while both of Atlanta’s running backs are on pace for 100-yard days.

Basically it’s been a tale of missed opportunities for the Seahawks in the first half, as Seattle has left as many as 13 points on the field thanks to a turnover and poor decision making.

Seattle needs some serious halftime adjustments, as the Falcons have been playing air-tight football since their only mistake of the day in the first quarter. The defense is holding their foot on the Seahawks throat, and so far we’ve seen nothing from Seattle that gives anyone confidence they will be able to come back in this one.

But this is the playoffs, and as we’ve learned time and time again, anything is possible.