Seattle Seahawks vs. Atlanta Falcons Provides Intriguing Match Up On the Perimeter
By Josh Sanchez
When the Seattle Seahawks face off against the Atlanta Falcons in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs this weekend, fans of the game are going to be in for one of the most intriguing one-on-one match ups of the postseason.
The Seahawks cornerbacks and Falcons receivers set viewers up for a tough, physical battle on the perimeter that will see the two teams strengths going head-to-head. Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman praised the Falcons dynamic receiving duo for their skill and expressed his excitement for the upcoming match up.
“They’re two of the best in the league. They’re two of the best out there right now as individuals,” Sherman said. “For a tandem they’re probably the top tandem out there.
“It’s going to be a fun match-up for us. It’s fun to play against good players. Good against good is always the best kind of game.
“I think Roddy is more crafty of a route-runner. He uses different tricks and things. You can see that he’s a veteran when he’s route-running. Julio runs hard routes and plays the game more physical. I think he’s stronger in his routes and uses his body more.”
Not many teams have the ability to match up man for man with the Falcons on the outside, but thanks to the Seahawks big, physical corners, they can give the Falcons receiving duo one of their toughest match ups of the season.
It is definitely a game for fans to tune in to. Everytime you can see the league’s best players going out each other in a do or die game, you have to tune in. If the idea of Sherman and Browner vs. Roddy White and Julio Jones hasn’t gotten you excited yet, let Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll reinforce the importance of the match up.
“This is probably the best pair [of receivers] and pair [of cornerbacks] that you could match-up, and because of the size, and because of their physical nature in the way that they play, it’s going to be really exciting to see, ” Carroll said.
One interesting thing to watch will be how the pass rush makes up for the loss of defensive end Chris Clemons, who the team lost to a torn ACL and meniscus during their win over Washington in the Wildcard round. If they are unable to put pressure on Matt Ryan, the advantage may go to White and Jones.