Seahawks at Falcons: Birds of opposite feather

The Atlanta Falcons are looking to reach the NFC Championship Game for the third time in franchise history, but the Seattle Seahawks are waiting.

On Saturday afternoon, the suddenly antiquated Georgia Dome will be filled to capacity. For the third time in Matt Ryan’s career, the Falcons earned a first-round bye, and for the second time, will welcome the Seahawks in for a Divisional matchup.

Atlanta has reached this stage because of a devastating offense. The Falcons average more than 34 points per game, the best mark in the league. They are doing it with an MVP-caliber season from Ryan, who launched 38 touchdowns and racked up 4,944 passing yards on an NFL-record 9.26 yards per attempt.

Ryan has been helped out by the considerable talents of Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman. Jones, arguably the best receiver in football, notched 1,409 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Freeman ran for 1,079 yards and caught 54 passes, totaling 13 touchdowns.

Seattle enters this weekend with a decidedly different identity. The Seahawks have playmakers on the offensive side including Russell Wilson, Jimmy Graham and Doug Baldwin, but it’s all about the defense in the northwest. Pete Carroll’s group relies on getting after the quarterback and blanketing receivers with the Legion of Boom, something that has led to a pair of Super Bowl appearances and one title in the last three seasons.

The Seahawks will need all of their defensive abilities and more against Atlanta. The Falcons have an elite offensive coordinator in Kyle Shanahan, a man rumored for almost every head-coaching vacancy. Should Seattle stick to its time-tested strategy, Richard Sherman will stay on the left side, allowing Jones to line up against DeShawn Shead. If that’s the case, Shead will become the most spotlighted player on the field, either in celebration or vitriol.

Like every NFL game, the Falcons and Seahawks are a multitude of matchups wrapped up in a 60-minute battle. Shead and Jones will be one of many, but perhaps the most identifiable.

Seattle and Atlanta come into this game built differently, and with different histories. They also come in with legacies to shape.

For Ryan, this season represents an opportunity. At 31 years old, the former Boston College star is yet to reach the Super Bowl and only one has been to the NFC Championship Game. Without a ring, Ryan will likely be lost to history despite considerable numbers.

When pundits and fans alike talk about the greatest quarterbacks to ever play, names like Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, John Elway and Johnny Unitas come to the forefront. All won titles, and multiple ones at that. Dan Marino threw for an obscene amount of yardage, but few would rank him above any of the aforementioned names.

While Ryan wouldn’t be in the top tier, he would certainly move up the charts and into the conversion for eventual Hall of Famer. In nine seasons, Ryan has thrown for 4,000+ yards six times. Twice, he has eclipsed 30 passing touchdowns. With 37,701 yards already, there’s a good chance Ryan reaches the 60,000-yard threshold, something only five players have done (Manning, Brett Favre, Drew Brees, Brady and Marino).

With a ring and a few more terrific seasons, Ryan is one of the best ever. Without it, he’s Boomer Esiason and Carson Palmer. Good, but not great.

In the Emerald City, it’s about more than one history. The Seahawks already have a championship with this core of players and coaches, but another would cement them as one of the greatest teams to ever play.

Should Seattle reach another Super Bowl and win, it would be a second title and third Super Bowl appearance in four years. Only the 1971-73 Dolphins, 92-95 Cowboys and 2001-04 Patriots would be able to match or surpass those feats. In short, Seattle would etch its spot in pro football lore, something it could fail to accomplish with a loss this weekend.

Time always seems in ample supply until it no longer is. The Seahawks have a young quarterback in Wilson and the secondary is in its prime, but a free-agent defection and a couple of aging cornerstones can change the complexion of a roster quickly. Seattle is sitting only two games away from a third conference title this decade, making the present a beautiful opportunity that may not exist in the future.

The Falcons won’t be an easy foe, especially on the road where the Seahawks are 3-4-1 this season. Still, there are no dominant teams in the NFC this year, and Seattle has already beaten the Patriots in Foxborough. Needless to say, there is not a tougher task in the NFL right now.

On Saturday, either Atlanta or Seattle will move on. The other will be left to ponder a glorious chance missed.