Here’s what fans can takeaway from the Atlanta Falcons impressive NFC Championship victory over the Green Bay Packers.
People expected there to be a lot of points in the NFC Championship. While that rung true, most of the points were scored by the Atlanta Falcons. After beating the Green Bay Packers 44-21, they’ve earned the right to travel to Houston to face the AFC Champion in Super Bowl 51. Atlanta will be making their first Super Bowl appearance since 1998. Here are three things fans can take away from the impressive win.
1. Matt Ryan is the NFL MVP
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is considered by many the favorite to win the NFL MVP for 2016. Postseason performance is irrelevant to the award, but he added an exclamation point to his MVP case by dominating the Packers. Like a brain surgeon, he picked apart Green Bay’s secondary in a truly magnificent performance. Ryan threw for nearly 400 yards, eventually settling for just 392.
2. Julio Jones is the ultimate game changer
Football is a game of momentum. It’s all about who makes more of those momentum shifting plays. Typically, the winner of any given game is the one that makes the most. Perhaps no receiver in the NFL can generate these plays quite like Julio Jones. No matter how he is used, he makes an impact on virtually every play. Whether Jones is used as a decoy or to draw coverage from an area of the field, he takes a lot of pride in his work. Ryan’s favorite receiver picked up 180 receiving yards on nine receptions and two touchdowns.
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3. Green Bay needs change
The Packers have been one of the NFL’s most successful franchises over the past decade. It’s hard to argue with their track record of success. However, perhaps it’s time for a bit of change. Of course, the change shouldn’t be who’s under center. Aaron Rodgers played great, but his team simply didn’t help him out enough. The cast around him needs change. This might include the coaching staff. Sometimes change is good and for the Packers, it could help them win at least one more title with Rodgers as their quarterback.