Vin+ 3,121 Posted January 7, 2012 TIME: 01:00 P.M. ESTVENUE: MetLife Stadium The New York Giants are starting to see similarities between this season and their 2007 run to the Super Bowl. The Atlanta Falcons are hoping there will be a difference this time from the last two postseasons with Matt Ryan and Mike Smith. These teams have never met in the playoffs, and that will change Sunday in the first postseason game at MetLife Stadium. New York got off to a 6-2 start before a four-game losing streak brought back memories of collapses in recent seasons. The Giants, though, went 3-1 over their final four games and won the NFC East by beating Dallas 31-14 at home last Sunday night. Now the team believes it is playing its best football heading into the postseason, like the Giants did in 2007 when they knocked off three division champions before shocking 18-0 New England in Super Bowl XLII. "I would not want to face the New York Giants in the playoffs right now," running back Brandon Jacobs said. "I got the same feeling (that I had in 2007). There's a lot of guys that are here that weren't here a couple of years ago when we went, but it's the same kind of feeling that I have." Atlanta, meanwhile, is back in the playoffs after a 10-6 season. The Falcons were the No. 1 seed a year ago before getting routed by Green Bay in the divisional round and also fell at Arizona in 2008 in Ryan and Smith's first season with the club. "I know we've had two postseason games prior to this," Smith said. "We haven't gotten the outcome we've wanted. We are learning from those experiences. We're going to use those as growing experiences and we're looking forward to competing this week, and that's not just Matt Ryan." Ryan enters off his best season, throwing 29 touchdown passes to tie the Giants' Eli Manning for the league's sixth-highest total. That figure, along with Ryan's 4,177 yards and 92.2 passer rating are career bests, with receivers Roddy White and rookie Julio Jones combining for 2,252 yards and 16 TDs. "All the stuff that happened in the past doesn't really make a difference," said Ryan, who has totaled 385 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions in the postseason. "It comes down to preparing this week and doing whatever we can to keep advancing throughout the playoffs." Manning, meanwhile, finished 67 yards shy of 5,000 to reach his second Pro Bowl. He set an NFL record with 15 fourth-quarter touchdown passes and his fourth-quarter passer rating of 110.0 was the NFL's second-best mark. His season was notable since he led the Giants to five victories when they trailed in the final period. "Something coach (Tom) Coughlin has stressed all year and has kind of been one of our mottos or one of the things that he's talked about throughout the year is finishing the fourth quarter - finishing games and ending games and taking advantage of finishing the season strong," Manning said. Manning has been aided in his heroics by the stunning emergence of Victor Cruz, who finished third in the league with 1,536 receiving yards. Cruz has made big plays the previous two games - a 99-yard TD reception against the Jets on Dec. 24 and last Sunday's 74-yard score against the Cowboys. Cruz has added another dimension to a Giants offense in which Manning owns a league-high 35 completions of at least 21 yards through the air. "They are very explosive and that is the thing that is evident if you look at the plays," Smith said. "They have had 71 plays of 20 yards or more this season so they are a top-10 team in terms of creating those plays." While the Giants are last in the league with 89.2 rushing yards per game, the Falcons have demonstrated more balance with an average of 114.6 thanks to Michael Turner. Turner is third in the NFL with 1,340 yards on the ground. "He is a load for one and he does a good job running behind his pads," said Giants linebacker Michael Boley, who played for the Falcons from 2005-08. "He is patient and knows how to find those holes." Turner, however, has been bottled up to total 81 yards on 28 carries in the Falcons' last two playoff losses. Atlanta will want to utilize Turner to help neutralize the pressure Ryan will face from a Giants pass rush that produced 48 sacks to match Baltimore for third in the NFL, led by Pro Bowler Jason Pierre-Paul's 16.5. The defensive line has been bolstered by Osi Umenyiora's return last week after he missed a month with a high ankle sprain and knee problems, and Justin Tuck has shown improvement after battling injuries throughout the year. New York has 11 sacks over the last two games. "I think they have some talented guys in their front seven," Ryan said. "They have defensive ends and guys that can rush the passer and they have really played well the last couple of weeks." The Giants won all their games in their 2007 postseason run on the road and have dropped their last two home playoff games since a 41-0 victory over Minnesota in the 2000 NFC title game. The Falcons last won a playoff game in the 2004 season over St. Louis. Copyright 2012 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Favre4Ever+ 4,476 Posted January 7, 2012 http://www.thegridironpalace.com/tgpsite/2012/01/06/5-atlanta-falcons-vs-4-new-york-giants/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RazorStar 4,025 Posted January 7, 2012 Victory Cruz. Giants will take this one, I like Eli Manning in the 4th, more than I do Matt Ryan. The Giants are on a roll right now, and the Falcons aren't gonna stop them. 27 23 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vin+ 3,121 Posted January 8, 2012 Falcons LCB Brent Grimes (knee) is inactive for Sunday's Wild Card game against the Giants. It's a huge blow for the Falcons after Grimes returned to practice on Friday and appeared to be on track to play. Atlanta's top corner, he'll be replaced by Dominique Franks. Along with Chris Owens, Franks will be tasked with slowing down elite Giants WR duo Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks. Also inactive for the Falcons are LB Stephen Nicholas, QB John Parker Wilson, WR Kerry Meier, G/T Kirk Chambers, C Brett Romberg and DE Cliff Matthews. Giants TE Jake Ballard (knee) is active for Sunday's Wild Card game against the Falcons. As are DEs Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora. That means the Giants will be at full strength in both their receiver corps and along their defensive line for the first time in weeks. Ballard will be sporting a heavy wrap, but told ESPN's Rachel Nichols he's "90 percent." Inactive for the Giants are LB Mark Herzlich, WR Ramses Barden, RB Da'Rel Scott, OT James Brewer, C Jim Cordle, DT Jimmy Kennedy and DE Justin Trattou. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KiLaSix9+ 398 Posted January 8, 2012 No Grimes means Cruz torches that secondary. I'm taking the G-men in this one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RazorStar 4,025 Posted January 8, 2012 The Falcons aren't gonna be able to handle the Giants. Just too much firepower for them to stop without their only good corner. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteVo+ 3,702 Posted January 8, 2012 John Abraham is likely to make David Diehl look really bad, but the Giants have the edge in too many other places, especially being home against a team like Atlanta. 27 17 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AllYouNeedIsLovie 377 Posted January 8, 2012 Like the Giants in this one. The Falcons have struggled in the playoffs lately and aren't too good of a road team. 31 24 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RazorStar 4,025 Posted January 8, 2012 DAT DEFENSE. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AllYouNeedIsLovie 377 Posted January 8, 2012 Good defense by both teams. Some questionable playcalling so far. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AllYouNeedIsLovie 377 Posted January 8, 2012 Refs have been favoring the Falcons all game and they are still getting destroyed. LOLFALCONSFAIL Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AllYouNeedIsLovie 377 Posted January 8, 2012 After watching this game, I'm not so sure why Mularkey has been getting so much love for a HC position. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GA_Eagle 595 Posted January 8, 2012 After watching this game, I'm not so sure why Mularkey has been getting so much love for a HC position. Neither is anyone in Atlanta. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bay 2,003 Posted January 8, 2012 Roddy White is a faggot and has a gay laugh. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AllYouNeedIsLovie 377 Posted January 8, 2012 Roddy White is a faggot and has a gay laugh. Guy is a total punk. Can't believe the refs didn't call a penalty on that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteVo+ 3,702 Posted January 8, 2012 So, the Falcons trade all those draft picks to bolster the offense with a big play wide receiver, and they can't put up a single offensive point in the playoffs? Epic fail, IMO. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AllYouNeedIsLovie 377 Posted January 8, 2012 So, the Falcons trade all those draft picks to bolster the offense with a big play wide receiver, and they can't put up a single offensive point in the playoffs? Epic fail, IMO. Knew that trade was a fail as soon as it was made and the details were released. Julio Jones is an excellent talent and is a great weapon for the Falcons, but they gave up WAY too much for him. If the Falcons were 1 more WR away from being a Superbowl contending team, maybe I could understand it, but that just isn't the case. Matty Ice will be a hot topic in the next few days. Dude can't win in the playoffs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ATL_Predator+ 1,196 Posted January 8, 2012 All I can say is. There's nothing to really look forward to this off-season. There's no draft for the Falcons. There's no cap space because it's wasted on players like Dunta Robinson and Ray Edwards. As someone that's from Atlanta..there's so much disappointment. Sure. Nice to have seasons that we get to the playoffs and all, but when we can't even be fucking competitive, let alone score any points on offense...there's something deeply wrong with this organization. Took a risk with Julio, but now it's fucking the Falcons with no lube. No draft picks, No Cap Space means worse results next year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteVo+ 3,702 Posted January 8, 2012 Knew that trade was a fail as soon as it was made and the details were released. Julio Jones is an excellent talent and is a great weapon for the Falcons, but they gave up WAY too much for him. If the Falcons were 1 more WR away from being a Superbowl contending team, maybe I could understand it, but that just isn't the case. Matty Ice will be a hot topic in the next few days. Dude can't win in the playoffs. The biggest thing for me about that trade was that they failed to address the defense. They did sign Ray Edwards in free agency, but didn't do much else to help the back seven. Even if Julio had a rookie season like Randy Moss, I'm not sure it would have saved Atlanta. And like I said in my previous post, it didn't even matter because the Falcons' offense failed to put up a single point today. And while Matt Ryan will likely become a hot topic, I don't think Atlanta's playoff woes are entirely his fault; it's more of an overall team failure. Matty Ice may not be living up to the 3rd overall pick to this point in his career, but he's still a good quarterback, and I'm not ready to give him the "choker" label just yet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RazorStar 4,025 Posted January 8, 2012 Very few players drafted in the top 3 ever do. Seriously, outside of Peyton Manning, can you any QB drafted that high has lived up to that billing? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos 2,847 Posted January 8, 2012 Wasn't Eli a #1 pick? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RazorStar 4,025 Posted January 8, 2012 He was. Wouldn't call him the top of his draft class though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteVo+ 3,702 Posted January 8, 2012 Very few players drafted in the top 3 ever do. Seriously, outside of Peyton Manning, can you any QB drafted that high has lived up to that billing? Michael Vick Okay seriously, John Elway? Or are you just talking about more recently, like the last 10-15 years or so? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
