Falcons Vs. Giants Postgame Quotes: Atlanta Faces An Uncertain Future

The two most common topics among coaches and players in the wake of Atlanta's embarrassing 24-2 loss to the New York Giants in the NFC Wild Card round can best be grouped into two categories - stunned examinations of what happened Sunday and uncertain thoughts as to what's to come for the franchise and a host of its notable names (quotes courtesy of the AJC and official Falcons site):

First, the present: Mike Smith defended his team's empty backfield call on 4th-and-1 that signalled an obvious QB sneak that didn't convert:

"It was less than a yard. It was about a half of a yard, maybe even less than that. That was the play again, we go through and we sequence those things out all through the week. We felt that was the play we had up and we just didn’t execute. We felt like, at any point in time, we ought to be able to move the football less than a half a yard with a quarterback sneak."

The obvious response - what about a field goal to cut the lead to five (10-5), and create a one-possession game? Said Smith:

"It was considered because of the score at that time. You could have gone ahead and attempted the field goal, but I felt and we felt as a staff and as a offense that we could move the ball. We wanted to [get] seven points just like we did earlier in the ball game. On the first one, we were just about at the range with our kicker [for] the attempt. On the second one, it was definitely inside [his range] and we could have had a go at it if we wanted to attempt the field goal."

And then, what about the 4th-and-1 the Falcons didn't go for? Why not then?? Smith:

My thought on that is that we had a little bit more than a yard. It wasn’t a yard or less. It was a crucial time in the ball game. There were a handful of them that stood out in the ball game. I think one of the areas was the short yardage or not being able to convert on that third down and we ended up about a yard to a half a yard short.

Smith wouldn't address the "big picture" issues the franchise faces immediately after the game other than to defend the assertion that the Falcons took a step back in 2011, but several players were left wondering what's to come, especially those with contracts expiring and free agency looming, like veteran center Todd McClure:

"I’ve definitely had thoughts. I’ve been here my whole career and I’d love to be back. I’ll talk with my agent and with these guys (Monday) a little bit and see where that takes us."

John Abraham's future emerged as the first talking point after the game, as the Pro Bowl defensive end Tweeted a thank you to Atlanta fans if his future was somewhere else. Cornerback Dunta Robinson addressed the potential overhaul of several key positions on defense:

"We feel like we have a lot of very good players on this defense," cornerback Dunta Robinson said. "Hopefully, some of these free-agent guys will be back on this team so that we can continue to gel, continue to grow and try to become a great defense. We have to keep working and we have to stay healthy."

One player whose immediate future is clear - veteran tight end Tony Gonzalez recently signed a one-year extension to return to the Falcons next season - clarified his reason for returning next fall. While scores of fans and even some players and staff might have their doubts, the future Hall Of Fame inductee believes the team can win a world title:

"I’m never going to get down on myself for not winning a football game. It’s just the luck of the draw. I’ve still got one more season. I’m coming back for a reason because it’s about winning the Super Bowl and I think we’ve got a shot here. That’s why I signed back."

For more on the Atlanta Falcons, be sure to visit The Falcoholic. For NFL news league-wide, check out SB Nation's NFL page.

An Atlanta Falcons Season Recap, Or Big Problems With No Quick Fixes

With their 24-2 playoff loss to the New York Giants, Falcons' season is over. Both Mike Smith and Matt Ryan, now 0-3 in the playoffs, will look to head back to the drawing board and determine how to improve into 2012 and beyond. But as far as the 2011 Falcons go, a closer look reveals that playoff failure was an inevitability.

Falcons Vs. Giants, NFL Playoffs: ¡Mike Mularkey Fuera*!

After a third playoff disappointment, it is time for the Falcons to go in a different direction on offense. Two points against the Giants brings into full view the weakness of this team.

* - "Mike Mularkey out," for those of you who aren't experts in soccer chants.

Jason Snelling Injury: Broken Jaw Didn't Keep Falcons Back Out Of Playoff Game

As if we needed any reminder that football, particularly NFL football, is a brutal game that is played by some of the toughest players. Jason Snelling offers us a reminder just in case.

Source: #Falcons RB Jason Snelling played the final 3 quarters with a broken jaw. #toughasnails

— Zach Klein (@ZachKleinWSB) January 8, 2012

Snelling caught two passes in the game and served mostly as the fullback in Atlanta's offense. He carried the ball 44 times for 151 yards this season in a reserve role at both running back positions. He is a part of a long list of Falcons free agents as they head into the offseason.

For more on this game head over to The Falcoholic for all things Atlanta Falcons, and for news on the New York Giants head over to Big Blue View. For more news and analysis on the NFL head on over to SB Nation's NFL news hub for everything you need to know about the 2012 playoffs.

Osi Umenyiora Takes First Shot At Mike Smith Regarding Fourth Down Decisions

Falcons Vs. Giants Stats: New York Ground Game Nearly Doubles Season Average

The Atlanta Falcons were thoroughly defeated by the New York Giants in Sunday's NFC wild card match up and the numbers may reveal a wider gap than the final score.

Atlanta came well short of its season average of 376.6 yards which was good for tenth place during the regular season. The Falcons gained just 247 total yards on Sunday against the Giants. During the regular season the Falcons averaged over 114 yards on the ground per game but were held to just 64 on 21 carries on Sunday. New York's defense limited Falcons running back Michael Turner to just 41 yards on 15 carries.

Conversely the Giants surpassed many of their season averages piling up 442 total yards in the game eclipsing their season average of 385.1 yards per game. New York was just under its normal output in passing yards but nearly doubled its usual rushing output with 172 yards on the ground against the Falcons.

For more on this game head over to The Falcoholic for all things Atlanta Falcons, and for news on the New York Giants head over to Big Blue View. For more news and analysis on the NFL head on over to SB Nation's NFL news hub for everything you need to know about the 2012 playoffs.

Falcons Vs. Giants Final Score: Atlanta Goes Out With A Whimper In 24-2 Loss To NY

The Atlanta Falcons went out with a whimper in the playoffs for the second straight year. Both Mike Smith and Matt Ryan- in fact, most of the team- have now fallen to 0-3 in all playoff appearances.

The defense played an inspired first half, holding this Giants offense to only seven points through the first 30 minutes of the ball game. Both Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks were practically non-factors during that span. Eli Manning had to settle for short throws, and the Falcons were in striking distance.

But the offense... the offense was atrocious. An offensive squad featuring Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Roddy White, Julio Jones, and Tony Gonzalez managed zero points of offense against a defense that can only be described as mediocre. Some would call their secondary even worse. Yet, the Giants managed to stifle Ryan and pressure him with ease, and Turner was a non-factor in the playoffs for the third time in his career.

If stopping the Falcons on offense is this easy, despite having one of the most gifted squads in the NFL, it's pretty clear where the problem lies. Coaching, as it has done before, failed the Falcons faithful this year. The playcalling on both fourth downs was questionable. The clock management at times was even worse.

The defense, though they played well, simply wore down from being on the field for so long. It's hardly their blame to shoulder. At this point, I think the Falcons need to go back to the drawing board and simply restructure the entire offense. It's the only way.

The Falcons put together a solid season, but ultimately there were problems to big to fix in one week's worth of gameplanning. But with a young team chock-full of talent that will remain in Atlanta for a long time, this will hardly be the last we hear from the Falcons.

For more on this game head over to The Falcoholic for all things Atlanta Falcons, and for news on the New York Giants head over to Big Blue View. For more news and analysis on the NFL head on over to SB Nation's NFL news hub for everything you need to know about the 2012 playoffs.

Falcons Vs. Giants Score Update: Eli Manning Connects With Mario Manningham To Give Giants 24-2 Lead

Eli Manning has officially heated up in the second half and might've just put the proverbial nail in the Atlanta Falcons coffin as his 27-yard connection with Mario Manningham over the middle in the endzone has given the New York Giants a 24-2 lead in the fourth quarter.

On the day, Manning has three touchdown passes on 19/28 passing for 241 yards. Manningham only had one catch on the day prior to the fourth quarter, but the wide receiver from Michigan ran a skinny post through the teeth of the Falcons defense and Manning put it right on the receivers' hands.

The Falcons 20th-ranked passing defense had done well in the first half, getting pressure on the quarterback and staying tight on the Giants receivers. However, the Giants have made adjustments and the Falcons have had lapses in coverages that have helped open up the 22-point lead.

Can the Falcons come back? They'll need three scores in just under 10 minutes to do so.

For more on this game head over to The Falcoholic for all things Atlanta Falcons, and for news on the New York Giants head over to Big Blue View. For more news and analysis on the NFL head on over to SB Nation's NFL news hub for everything you need to know about the 2012 playoffs.

Falcons Vs. Giants Playoff Update: Hakeem Nicks 72-Yard Touchdown Puts New York Up 17-2

ANIMATED: Hakeem Nicks The Latest To Do Dirty Bird After Scoring On Falcons

Falcons vs. Giants Score Update: Hakeem Nicks 72-Yard TD Catch Gives Giants 17-2 Lead

One busted coverage later, the New York Giants might've put the game away versus the Atlanta Falcons. The Giants ran Hakeem Nicks on a drag route over the middle with Dunta Robinson covering, Robinson released Nicks over the middle with a zone read and no one picked Nicks up over the middle.

A cut here, a dash of speed there and a 72-yard run later the Giants lead 17-2 over the Falcons.

On the day, Nicks has four catches for 102 receiving yards and both touchdowns for the Giants. The 72-yard run boosted up Eli Manning's numbers as well, as the Manning prodigy has thrown for 177 yards on 14-of-22 passing on the day.

The good news for the Falcons is that even with the touchdown, its still a two possession game. The problem is, the offense has yet to score a single point on this Giants defense. Fourth quarter looming for Mike Smith's team.

For more on this game head over to The Falcoholic for all things Atlanta Falcons, and for news on the New York Giants head over to Big Blue View. For more news and analysis on the NFL head on over to SB Nation's NFL news hub for everything you need to know about the 2012 playoffs.

DJ Ware, Aaron Ross Injury Updates: Giants Lose Two Players Due To Concussions

As the New York Giants lead the Atlanta Falcons 10-2 late in the third quarter, two key role players have been ruled out of the game for the Giants, per a source.

#Giants DJ Ware and Aaron Ross are out of the game with concussions — @ZachKleinWSB via Twitter

For the game, D.J. Ware has one carry for 4 yards and one catch for 13 yards. Aaron Ross left the game with 5 tackles thus far for the Giants defense. Expect Prince Amukamara to sub in the rest of the way for the Giants for Ross.

For more on this game head over to The Falcoholic for all things Atlanta Falcons, and for news on the New York Giants head over to Big Blue View. For more news and analysis on the NFL head on over to SB Nation's NFL news hub for everything you need to know about the 2012 playoffs.

Falcons Vs. Giants Score Update: Giants Settle For Three Deep In Redzone, Lead 10-2

Eli Manning had Jake Ballard open in the back of the endzone for an apparent touchdown, but the tight end was unable to bring the ball in as it hit off his hands. As a result, Lawrence Tynes was brought in to kick a 22-yard field goal to give the New York Giants a 10-2 lead over the Atlanta Falcons in New Meadowlands Stadium.

The field goal finished off an 11-play, 72-yard scoring drive that lasted almost five minutes midway through the third quarter.

The key play in the drive was a 30-yard run by Ahmad Bradshaw, as Hakeem Nicks cracked down on the Falcons defensive backs to spring Bradshaw free. On the day, the Giants have amassed 116 rushing yards on the Falcons 6th-ranked rushing defense.

For more on this game head over to The Falcoholic for all things Atlanta Falcons, and for news on the New York Giants head over to Big Blue View. For more news and analysis on the NFL head on over to SB Nation's NFL news hub for everything you need to know about the 2012 playoffs.

Jason Pierre-Paul, Aaron Ross Injury Updates: Giants Defenders Collide, Able To Walk Off But Status Unknown

On a second and long passing situation, Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan dropped back to throw and delivered a pass that was deflected by one of the New York Giants defensive lineman. As the ball floated aimlessly in the air, several Giants converged on the ball. Two of them were Jason Pierre-Paul and Aaron Ross, and both stayed on the ground for a few minutes. Per Albert Breer, both seemed to walk off dazed but okay.

Pierre-Paul walking off under his own power. Wind knocked out of him? — @AlbertBreer via Twitter

Aaron Ross walks off, as well. Potential crisis for Giants looks like it was averted. — @AlbertBreer via Twitter

Falcons Vs. Giants Halftime Score: Giants Pull Ahead 7-2 On Hakeem Nicks TD Catch

The Falcons defense, which has done such a great job at shutting down this Giants passing attack, finally caved and gave up some points, but not in the way that you think. The Giants running game, powered mostly by Brandon Jacobs, absolutely destroyed the defense on their sole drive of the second quarter.

After Eli Manning managed to give up a safety by virtue of intentional grounding in the end zone, the Giants again stopped the Falcons on offense. They then embarked on a 13-play, 85-yard drive that featured a fourth-and-inches conversion that went in favor of the Giants.

Then on first and goal from the four, Manning hit Hakeem Nicks on a slant route in the end zone for a touchdown, putting the Giants up 7-2.

Back on offense, the Falcons again couldn't muster anything on the ground, and they keep finding themselves in third-and-long situations. Case in point: Ryan hit Julio Jones on an 18-yard passing play on third down, but even that was short of the first down due to a false start/sack combo earlier in the series.

But the Falcons defense stepped up big again. Manning went deep on first down to Nicks, but Chris Owens made a brilliant play to knock the ball away. The Giants went three and out, and turned the ball back over to Ryan and the offense.

Atlanta could have certainly gone for some points at the end of the half, but for some reason they decided to not use any of their three timeouts until only four seconds remained on the clock. It was perhaps the most perplexing clock management I've ever seen in any game. Ever.

We're halfway through this one, and the score remains 7-2 in the Giants favor.

VIDEO: Eli Manning Safety Gives Falcons Lead Over Giants

The Atlanta Falcons finally provided some juice for a game lacking in excitement early on in the 2012 NFL playoffs, courtesy of backup safety James Sanders.

Sanders was in for William Moore, who had strained his groin on a previous possession, was called on to blitz Eli Manning and the quarterback attempted to scramble and get rid of the ball in the process.

He did, but he was still in the tackle box, in the endzone and it wasn't thrown to anyone in particular.

Safety. Falcons lead 2-0.

Here is the video of the play from Sanders and the grounding/safety that ensued.

Falcons Vs. Giants Playoff Update: Falcons Still Tied At Zero After Fourth Down Sneak Fails

The Atlanta Falcons, competing on the road in the Meadowlands on this wild card weekend, are off to a very strong defensive start against the Giants. So strong, in fact, that the New York offense has only managed one first down during the entire first quarter.

Despite the defense missing one Brent Grimes, who was declared inactive before the start of today's game, the Falcons coverage has held up spectacularly throughout the first 15 minutes of play. In fact, neither Victor Cruz nor Hakeem Nicks have recorded a single catch yet. By taking away the deep ball, Eli Manning has been forced to settle for short throws to the likes of Jake Ballard and D.J. Ware.

Both Curtis Lofton and Sean Weatherspoon have done an excellent job covering those short finesse passes thus far, as well as shutting the Giants down on the ground. In addition, John Abraham has managed to get some good pressure and already has one sack on the day.

The Falcons offense, however, has not managed to get anything going until the waning minutes of this first quarter. After going three-and-out twice, Matt Ryan hit Julio Jones on a 20 yard pass over the middle, and things just got going from there. Couple that with some good runs by Michael Turner, and the Falcons were in business at the Giants 30.

But on fourth-and-inches, Mike Smith elected to go for it and Ryan's QB sneak came up literally inches short. With the Falcons in field goal range, you have to question the decision to go for it in that situation. With that, this game remains at a scoreless tie.

Falcons Vs. Giants Update: 5 Possessions, 5 Punts So Far In New Meadowlands

The first playoff game on Sunday between the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Giants has been a bit of a snooze-fest, unless you are a fan of the punters. There have been five possessions thus far and they've all ended in punts as the defenses have been stout and the quarterbacks have been unable to find their rhythm.

Eli Manning has just 36 passing yards thus far, Matt Ryan has just 31.

The battle for third down could shift the momentum of this game, as the Giants are 0-3 thus far on third down conversions, but on the Falcons latest drive they've converted on two key third down attempts putting the Falcons in scoring range.

We will have more updates as they come across, stay tuned.

Falcons Vs. Giants, 2012 NFL Playoffs: The Perception Of Matt Ryan As a 'Dome QB' Debunked

For Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons, there are certain questions that will always come up in regards to their ability to play quality football "outside". While the friendly confines of the Georgia Dome has produced an explosive offense for the Falcons, some believe that Atlanta can't play in less that friendly confines that deals with inclement weather.

Well, that would be wrong. Courtesy of Yahoo's Doug Farrar, Matt Ryan is actually a better quarterback outdoors:

Hidden Stat Battle: Matt Ryan vs. public perception. As it has been with most "dome quarterbacks," Ryan has had to overcome the notion that he's some short of hothouse flower who can't thrive in less controlled environs. If you believe that about Ryan, you do so at your own peril. In 2011, Ryan was actually better outdoors - and there's enough of a sample size to make that stick. Ryan was 226 of 368 (61.4%) for 2,642 yards (7.18 YPA), 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions indoors, and 121 of 198 (61.1%) for 1,535 yards (7.75 YPA), nine touchdowns and just three interceptions. You want QB rating? Try 94.2 outdoors and 91.1 indoors.

The weather in New Meadowlands Stadium looks to be in the mid-40's with a 20% chance of rain. Not quite the setting of the temperature-controlled environment of the Georgia Dome, but its something that Matt Ryan and the Falcons could possibly thrive on versus the New York Giants on Sunday.

For more on this game head over to The Falcoholic for all things Atlanta Falcons, and for news on the New York Giants head over to Big Blue View. For more news and analysis on the NFL head on over to SB Nation's NFL news hub for everything you need to know about the 2012 playoffs.

2012 NFL Playoffs: Falcons Inactives Include Cornerback Brent Grimes

The Atlanta Falcons secondary took a hit after it was announced that cornerback Brent Grimes will be inactive for today's wildcard matchup with the New York Giants.

Full inactives for Falcons: QB - J Wilson, CB - B Grimes, LB - S Nicholas, C - B Romberg, OL - K Chambers, WR - K Meier, DE - C Matthews

— Jay Adams (@FalconsJAdams) January 8, 2012

Grimes also sat out last week's season finale against Tampa Bay and the Falcons defense could have used him as they try to corral a talented set of Giants receivers led by Victor Cruz. Linebacker Stephen Nicholas is also inactive for the Falcons but all other key players are suited and ready to go.

For more on this game head over to The Falcoholic for all things Atlanta Falcons, and for news on the New York Giants head over to Big Blue View. For more news and analysis on the NFL head on over to SB Nation's NFL news hub for everything you need to know about the 2012 playoffs.

2012 NFL Playoffs: Giants Inactives Include Linebacker Mark Herzlich

No real surprises among the inactives for the New York Giants today as they prepare to host the Atlanta Falcons in an NFC wildcard matchup.

#Giants inactives: RB Da'Rel Scott, WR Ramses Barden, T James Brewer, C Jim Cordle, DT Jimmy Kennedy, DE Justin Trattou, LB Mark Herzlich

— Brian McIntyre (@brian_mcintyre) January 8, 2012

Mark Herzlich is among the inactives as expected after he missed practice all week with an injured ankle. Other key players like running back Ahmad Bradshaw and defensive ends Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck are all active and will play in the game today.

For more on this game head over to The Falcoholic for all things Atlanta Falcons, and for news on the New York Giants head over to Big Blue View. For more news and analysis on the NFL head on over to SB Nation's NFL news hub for everything you need to know about the 2012 playoffs

PHOTO: Giants' Field Set For Falcons Wild Card Game

Falcons Vs. Giants, 2012 NFL Playoffs: Joe Buck And Troy Aikman To Call Early Game On Fox

The Atlanta Falcons will be taking on the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey Sunday's NFC Wildcard game that will be televised by FOX. The "A-Crew" announcing team for FOX of Joe Buck, Troy Aikman with sideline reporter Pam Oliver will call the game.

Kick off for the game is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET in New York and will be aired nationally on FOX. The late game on Sunday will be televised by CBS and will feature the crew of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms in the booth.

For more on this game head over to The Falcoholic for all things Atlanta Falcons, and for news on the New York Giants head over to Big Blue View. For more news and analysis on the NFL head on over to SB Nation's NFL news hub for everything you need to know about the 2012 playoffs.

Falcons Vs. Giants, 2012 NFL Playoffs Weather Update

While the temperature will be a few degrees colder than what the Falcons are used to in the Georgia Dome, the weather at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey doesn't figure to be a factor when the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Giants kick off at 1:00 p.m. in Sunday's Wild Card matchup.

The forecast indicates temperatures of around 45 degrees with partly cloudy skies on Sunday with only a 20 percent chance of precipitation. The wind is expected at around 11 MPH out of the northwest so when you factor in the wind chill temperatures should feel like around 40 degrees at kick off.

That is certainly not the weather friendly conditions that the Georgia Dome has to offer but it could be much worse for the Falcons.

For more on this game head over to The Falcoholic for all things Atlanta Falcons, and for news on the New York Giants head over to Big Blue View. For more news and analysis on the NFL head on over to SB Nation's NFL news hub for everything you need to know about the 2012 playoffs.

Falcons Vs. Giants: Matt Ryan Not Feeling Pressure Despite Limited Post Season Success

When the Atlanta Falcons take the field against the New York Giants Sunday afternoon all eyes will be on the quarterback matchup between Matt Ryan and Eli Manning. New York's Manning has had his successes leading his team to a Super Bowl win in 2007.

Ryan hasn't enjoyed that level of success in the playoffs and will be searching for his first postseason win today as Falcons quarterback. In two post season losses, Ryan has completed at least 65 percent of his passes but has never thrown for 200 yards and has also thrown two interceptions in both games.

Despite his limited success, Ryan says that there is no added pressure and that failures in previous seasons don't have an effect now.

"Not that much," Ryan said. "I think the past doesn't really make a difference. We had opportunities; we didn't take advantage of those.

"What matters is we put ourselves in this position again and we have an opportunity to move forward. So, I don't worry about it too much. I kind of just focus on trying to prepare."

For more on this game check out SB Nation Atlanta's breakdown of the Falcons defense vs. the Giants offense. Also check out Wild Card Weekend predictions from SB Nation's NFL bloggers.

For more on the Falcons, be sure to visit The Falcoholic. For New York Giants news and updates, check out Big Blue View. For everything NFL, go to SB Nation's NFL page.

Falcons Vs. Giants: Matt Ryan, Eli Manning And The NFL's Most Frustrating Archetype

Eli Manning and Matt Ryan are pretty good quarterbacks. But if NFL TV shows have taught us anything, that's just absolutely unacceptable. Visit Falcons blog The Falcoholic and Giants blog Big Blue View.

Atlanta Falcons Vs. New York Giants: TV Schedule, Odds And More

The Atlanta Falcons are looking for their first playoff victory since 2004, taking on the New York Giants. The Giants made it to the playoffs by defeating the Dallas Cowboys last week to win the NFC East, which earned them the right to host this Wild Card game. The Falcons finished the season at 10-6 and finished second to the New Orleans Saints in the NFC South.

The Falcons come into this game healthy with only one defender, Stephen Nicholas, at serious risk of sitting out. Multiple Falcon players were limited in practice this week in Julio Jones, Michael Turner, Tony Gonzalez, John Abraham and Roddy White. However, all are expected to play their normal roles on Sunday.

The Giants are healthy as well, and the only player at this time listed out is linebacker Mark Herzlich.

The outcome of this game is hotly contested with no clear consensus from the national media on who will win.

Game date, time: 1 p.m. Eastern, Sunday, Jan. 8

Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.

TV channel: FOX

Radio: 790 The Zone or Star 94 in Atlanta

Odds: The Giants are favored by three points.

For more on this game head over to The Falcoholic for all things Atlanta Falcons, and for news on the New York Giants head over to Big Blue View.

Falcons Vs. Giants: Can Dominique Franks Slow Down Victor Cruz?

From turning down an opportunity to "Dance With The Stars" to setting a franchise record for receiving yards, the spotlight has found a way to find the New York Giants second-year wideout Victor Cruz. On Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons will attempt to put their defensive spotlight on the receiver, and head coach Mike Smith could be counting on his own second-year player to come in and stifle Cruz.

Falcons CB Dominique Franks vs. Giants WR Victor Cruz: Franks, a second-year player from Oklahoma, has played strong down the stretch. Franks has started at left cornerback for Brent Grimes. He will be nickel back against the Giants and will get Cruz when he shows up in the slot. Cruz set a new franchise record with his receiving yards (1,526) and finished third in the NFL. He was signed as an undrafted rookie from University of Massachusetts. He also had nine touchdowns and finished second in the league with five catches of 50 yards or more.

The Falcons and the Giants will square off Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in New Meadowlands Stadium.

For more on the Falcons, be sure to visit The Falcoholic. For New York Giants news and updates, check out Big Blue View. For everything NFL, go to SB Nation's NFL page.

Atlanta Falcons Playoff History: Mike Smith's Best Shot Yet At Deep Run Is Now

NFC South Rookie Report: Cam Newton, Julio Jones Take Top Spots

Falcons Offense Vs. Giants Defense Preview: Brent Grimes, Victor Cruz Will Be The Main Attractions

The Atlanta Falcons are slated to take on the NFC East champion New York Giants in the first round of the playoffs this weekend. In the latter half of this two-part installment, we'll look at the Falcons defense and how they match up against Victor Cruz and the largely pass-heavy Giants offense. Can Mike Smith's defense shut down Manning the Younger on Sunday?

Falcons Vs. Giants: Mark Herzlich Out Against Atlanta

While there aren't any players on the Atlanta Falcons roster that are ruled out, or even doubtful, for their wildcard game against the Giants in New York, there is one player on the Giants roster that definitely will not be playing on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. That player is Giants linebacker Mark Herzlich, who didn't practice this week due to an ankle injury.

Other than Herzlich, though, all other players, including running back Ahmad Bradshaw, tight end Jake Ballard, and defensive ends Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora, are all probable for Sunday's game, even though they were all limited in practice this week. Tuck actually didn't practice on Friday, but he is still likely to play against the Falcons.

The Falcons are looking for their first playoff win since 2004 but, like themselves, the Giants are fairly healthy and winning won't be easy. Watch for Giants updates at Big Blue View and for Falcons updates check out The Falcoholic.

Atlanta Falcons Injury Report: Stephen Nicholas Doubtful, Brent Grimes Questionable

Despite the fact that nearly every single player on the Atlanta Falcons' active roster appeared at some point this week on the team's injury report, only linebacker Stephen Nicholas is listed as doubtful. On top of that, only one player, cornerback Brent Grimes, is listed as questionable. All others are listed as probable for Sunday's afternoon wildcard game in New York against the Giants.

Defensive end John Abraham, tight end Tony Gonzalez, wide receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White and running back Jason Snelling are among the players that practiced fully on Friday after not practicing at some point this week and are all listed as probable. Running back Michael Turner didn't practice fully all week after he was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday, but he is still considered probable for Sunday's game.

Considering the fact that the regular season is over and the Atlanta Falcons have gone through the same bumps and bruises that all other teams have, it's pretty amazing that they may be without only one player when they take the field against the Giants. Things like that can be the difference between playoff wins and losses.

Falcons Vs. Giants Picks And Predictions Roundup: National Media Evenly Split

After a week-long build-up for Sunday's NFC playoff game between the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Giants, the consensus among the national media is ... there is no consensus, as each team has its fair share of supporters.

At the SB Nation mothership, Andrew Sharp favors the Falcons because of their superior regular-season schedule, taking Atlanta as a +3 underdog:

So yeah the Giants "came up big" down the stretch, but not that big. Beating the Jets andCowboys in 2011 is like an adult passing his driver's test. All that proves is you're not deeply handicapped.

All this while Atlanta ran through one of the deepest divisions in football, coming together and winning 8 of their last 11, with all three losses coming to playoff teams. All this leads to us going with the Falcons

Conversely, at Sports Illustrated, long-time NFL scribe Peter King likes the match-up for rising Giants star Victor Cruz, predicting New York 24, Atlanta 20:

The most important Falcon in the game might be Brent Grimes, a truly underrated cornerback likely to be asked to stop Victor Cruz when the Giants have the ball. Cruz ruined the Jets and Cowboys in the last two weeks, and if he gets the ball in space three or four times Sunday, he could ruin the Falcons too.

At Bill Simmons' Grantland, statistical maven Bill Barnwell breaks down the teams' regular seasons, giving Atlanta the edge for a final score of 30-21:

Although Detroit and New Orleans are getting all the "shootout" attention, this game has just as much potential to turn into a scoring spree. The Falcons should be able to dial up some big plays on Ross and Amukamara, but the Giants may very well be able to do the same on an injured Grimes or an overmatched Owens. The final outcome all depends, as we said earlier, upon which Giants team shows up. After two emotional wins to get in, we suspect that it will be a worn-out one.

At NFL.com, Albert Breer thinks the Falcons offensive line will give Matt Ryan the time to attack a weak Giants secondary, predicting a 30-27 Atlanta win:

The New York pass rush has collected plenty of plaudits over the last month, and rightfully so. But it's also masked a secondary that could be a problem if Matt Ryan has time. And I'd bet dimes to dollars that the Falcons will keep more skill guys in to block, neutralize that Giants front, and give Ryan a chance to get the ball downfield to White and Jones.

For an example of how split the national media is, ESPN published picks from 10 of their NFL experts, with five (Mike Golic, Ron Jaworski, Chris Mortensen, Adam Schefter and Seth Wickersham) taking Atlanta and five (Eric Allen, Merril Hoge, Mark Schlereth, the Accuscore computer model and the Sports Nation public poll) tabbing New York.

Falcons Vs. Giants: John Abraham To Play Entire Game Against New York

Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith told reporters on Thursday that defensive end John Abraham, the Falcons' leader in sack and the key to slowing down New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, will play for the entirety of Sunday's wild card game. Abraham, who started 15 games this season despite a groin injury, has rotated with defensive ends Ray Edwards and Kroy Biermann on a monitored play count system throughout the season to preserve his health.

No more, said Smith (quotes from the Atlanta Journal Constitution):

"We’ve had him on a play count all season long, and now it’s an opportunity for us to go and extend his snaps as we get into the postseason," Falcons coach Mike Smith said Thursday.

Manning is fourth in the NFL in total offense, and the Giants' passing game has carried the team to a NFC East title and playoff berth. In the Giants' last three games, however, Manning has been sacked six times. Abraham has 9.5 sacks this season, and exploded for 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles against the Jacksonville Jaguars three weeks ago.

For more on the Falcons, be sure to visit The Falcoholic. For New York Giants news and updates, check out Big Blue View. For everything NFL, go to SB Nation's NFL page.

Falcons Vs. Giants: City Of Atlanta Doesn't Deserve Win, Says New York Columnist

Falcons Vs. Giants, NFL Playoffs 2012: Why I Don't Heart NY

The dark history of Atlanta teams in the playoffs against the Big Apple.

Falcons Vs. Giants: Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw Misses Second Practice

The New York Giants are relatively healthy heading into their home playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons. The 9-7 Giants, who locked a playoff position as the NFC East champions by beating the Cowboys at home in Week 17, only sat three players at practice on Thursday. One of those players was running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who didn't practice for the second straight day due to a foot injury. Bradshaw, who averaged 3.9 yards per carry in 2011, missed four games during the regular season, and if he misses the playoff game against Atlanta, he'll be replaced by the much bigger Brandon Jacobs, who averaged 3.8 yards per carry.

Joining Bradshaw on the did-no-practice list was linebacker Mark Herzlich and offensive lineman Tony Ugoh. Everybody practiced other than those three. Four other players were listed on the injury report that practiced but were limited. Those players included tight end Jake Ballard and defensive end Osi Umenyiora. Running back Da'Rell Scott and cornerback Corey Webster were also limited in practice on Thursday.

Atlanta Falcons Injury Report: Brent Grimes, Stephen Nicholas Only Players Who Did Not Practice

Headed into their playoff game against the New York Giants, the Atlanta Falcons are as healthy as they have been all season -- good news considering that sprawling Wednesday injury report:

Atlanta_Falcons Atlanta_Falcons

Brent Grimes and Stephen Nicholas were the only Falcons that didn't practice today. All else practiced. #atlny11

15 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

Nicholas, a 6'3 240 OLB from South Florida in his fifth season in the NFL, has missed almost all of the last five games with a quad injury. He has 35 tackles and 2 forced fumbles this season.

Grimes, a 5'10 180 CB in his fourth NFL season, missed three weeks while recovering from minor knee surgery before playing in Atlanta's Week 16 loss at New Orleans and then being held out of the Tampa Bay game. He has 49 tackles, 1 INT and 14 pass deflections this year.

And while the Falcons would love to have their defense at full strength headed into a match-up against a high-powered Giants offense, having only two starters with injury concerns after a 17-week regular season is almost unheard of.

NFL Playoffs Rootability: Long-Suffering Falcons Fans Earn Sympathies

Falcons Vs. Giants Preview, NFL Playoffs: A Friendly Chat With The Enemy

As a person who very actively ignores New York sports, I wouldn't say my New York Giants knowledge is vast, but it was at least solid enough to participate in a chat with Ed Valentine, my regional editor counterpart at SB Nation New York, on this week's NFL playoffs opener. He's much smarter at NFL things than I am.

Key takeaway for the Atlanta Falcons fan, IMHO: that Giants secondary isn't near as bad as the season-long numbers would have us believe. Rats!

SB Nation New York: Tell me a little about the season the Falcons had. A 10-6 record and we know some of the names, but we don't really know a lot about the team.

SB Nation Atlanta: In one sense, the Falcons this year were exactly who they were supposed to be. They beat bad teams, lost to good teams, and very rarely veered from that course.

They were supposed to be this whole new thing, with the addition of Julio Jones and other playmakers -- Jones had a good year, and Matt Ryan broke the club passing mark, but the offense looks pretty much the same as it ever did.

I like our defense a lot. OLB Sean Weatherspoon, MLB Curtis Lofton, SS William Moore and CB Brent Grimes lead the young guys who've turned the D into a top-10ish operation, but on both defense and offense there are big scheme questions that will probably lead to FARRRR THE COORDINATOR talk pending another one-and-done in the playoffs.

SB Nation New York: Giants-Falcons coverage

SB Nation New York: So, I think Atlanta has been to the playoffs twice with Matt Ryan at quarterback and has yet to win a game. If I'm wrong on that correct me. The question, though, is how do you feel about the matchup this week in New Jersey against the Giants?

SB Nation Atlanta: Two things I fret about as a Falcons fan: good opposing defensive lines and wide receivers. The 2011 line has done a better job as of late keeping Ryan clean than it did at the outset, thanks to some personnel switch-ups, but I've been impressed by the Giants' defensive line depth for years now.

And this Victor Cruz guy is an individual I'd rather have no part of. He will get two touchdowns on Sunday, I'm confident.

That said, after a quick look at the numbers it seems the Giants can be run upon, which fits what Atlanta prefers to fall back on anyway.

Now, about this Giants secondary ... shouldn't it be better, given that pass rush?

SB Nation New York: Well, that's a sore point. There are several issues there. The biggest one, I believe, is that they have been mis-used by defensive coordinator Perry Fewell for much of the year.

The Giants have guys like Corey Webster and Aaron Ross, who were drafted as press man-to-man cover guys and that is what they do best. Fewell is a softer, zone scheme, try to outstmart the opposition guy when it comes to his secondary. That has gotten the Giants burned a number of times this season. First of all, it's not what his players do best. Second of all, with six corners on IR there has been a lot of shuffling and communication breakdowns.

The other issue is that the Giants safeties, notably Deon Grant and Kenny Phillips, are just not fast enough to plug all the holes in Cover 2 and other zones.

The Giants have been much better the past two weeks as Fewell has FINALLY relented, simplified the coverages somewhat and just let guys play.

I wanted to ask you about Matt Ryan. We talk so much around here about what makes an "elite" quarterback. We consider Eli Manning elite. Do you consider Ryan to be elite?

SB Nation Atlanta: That's a popular debate around here, actually. It's easy for us to forget how young he still is. For the first few years of his career, going back and looking at young Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and even Dan Marino proved instructive, as we really were expecting too much of him too early. Now, even with a conservative offense and top target Roddy White leading the league in drops, he's broken a franchise yardage record that was set in June Jones' run-and-shoot scheme.

I think he's got a few years to go to become elite, but I'm more comfortable saying now that he'll get to that Super Bowl-winning level than I would've been a year or two ago.

SB Nation New York: OK, one more Ryan question. Minute and a half to go down four, you need to go 75 yards. Sitting there watching do you feel good about Ryan's chances of taking your for the winning score? We've watched Eli win six games in the fourth quarter this season and set an NFL record for fourth-quarter touchdown passes.

SB Nation Atlanta: Yes, absolutely. Last year, I think the Falcons had something like five or so late-game comeback wins. They weren't quite as fortunate in close games this year, but I think most Falcons fans feel great about our chances in that scenario. Which is something we haven't been able to say about any quarterback since, like, the early '80s. I was two.

I wonder about quarterbacking as well! Eli Manning throws a lot of interceptions. What's going on there?

Or I should say, they're down quite a bit this year, but still among the highest in the league.

SB Nation New York: Well, I think that's a bit of a misconception. He threw 25 interceptions last season (4.6 percent of his passes), but was way better this season with 16 (just 2.7 percent). That's well below his career average and a really good number considering that the Giants running game stunk, he threw more passes than he ever has in his career and he was seemingly always trying to bring the Giants from behind.

Eli will never be Aaron Rodgers in terms of throwing the ball with perfect accuracy every time. He is a bit of a gunslinger and he will take some chances and trust his receivers to win some jump balls. Sometimes that turns into disaster. Sometimes, though, it turns into Victor Cruz salsa dances

SB Nation Atlanta: So not looking forward to Victor Cruz. Pretty sure he's good for 150 yards.

How are the Giants at tight end coverage?

Atlanta's sole Pro Bowler, Tony Gonzalez, has been better in 2011 than he has in years, so it's of high interest.me: Tight ends?

SB Nation New York: You mean it's legal to use them? And it's legal to cover them?

Actually, the guy who likely will shadow Gonzalez is a guy you should be very familiar with ... Michael Boley. They guy has had a really good year for the Giants and did a great job on Jason Witten last week. Jacquian Williams is also a good cover linebacker. Traditionally, this has been a Giants' weakness, but these two guys are pretty good at it.

Tell me a little about the Atlanta defense. I know you have a couple of quality linebackers. What about the pass rush and the coverage guys?

SB Nation Atlanta: The pass rush comes and goes, and other than John Abraham there's not a whole lot to count on. Medium-money free agent Ray Edwards hasn't amounted to much -- backup Lawrence Sidbury actually has a half-sack more than he does. The Falcons have traditionally done a lot of zone blitzing, though, so even Abraham isn't coming on every play. I feel our defensive tackles make for Atlanta's strongest unit overall.

In coverage, I love the right side of the field. Brent Grimes is my favorite player in the league. He doesn't get beat, he baits quarterbacks into bad throws just by being incredibly short, and he's the best athlete the Falcons have had since Michael Vick. Strong safety William Moore finds the ball and makes big hits. Top cornerback Dunta Robinson can be beaten and will miss a tackle on Sunday, but he hits like a linebacker, which usually gets him in trouble. Free safety Thomas DeCoud seems to get in frequent communication mishaps with Dunta, and we never really know who to blame there.

SB Nation New York: OK ... my favorite question, and the one that really tests your knowledge of the Giants roster. If you could take one player off the Giants and put him in your lineup, who would it be?

SB Nation Atlanta: Adding Victor Cruz would be greedy, as the Falcons already have two ace receivers, so I'd have to go with Jason Pierre-Paul. I'd assume he was a player the Falcons eyed coming out of the draft, as he's the kind of "urgent" athlete Thomas Dimitroff loves, but they'd had their heart set on Sean Weatherspoon for a long time.

How about the same question for you?

SB Nation New York: First, let me congratulate you on your answer. Anyone who does not say 'give me Pierre-Paul is nuts. He's phenomenal. He can run over tackles, around them, can jump, has huge arms and LOVES to be on the field.

I would opt for defense, and would take either Sean Witherspoon or Curtis Lofton. The Giants could really use one more impact linebacker, and I know Witherspoon is a guy a lot of fans wanted the Giants to take a couple of years back.

SB Nation Atlanta:Sounds like a RE-DRAFT (though we're both clearly happy with the guys we got). Score prediction?

SB Nation New York: I have to go with the Giants in a close one, 21-20.

SB Nation Atlanta: I, too, see a close one, looking at all the near-misses and comebacks the Giants have had this year. Lot of offensive opportunities on both sides though, so put me down for 31-28, Falcons.

Head to SB Nation's NFL news section and many NFL blogs for more. For more on this game, vist Falcons blog The Falcoholic and Giants blog Big Blue View, plus SB Nation New York.

NFL Playoffs, Falcons Vs. Giants: Roddy White Compliments Victor Cruz

Roddy White knows well what it is like to have a breakout year and then become the focus of opposing defenses the next season. With that experience, White is predicting a much tougher go of it for the New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz starting next season.

Cruz essentially came out of nowhere to lead the Giants with 82 receptions and over 1,500 yards to go with nine touchdowns this season. Those numbers put him in line for a hefty pay raise before next season.

White held out in 2009 after topping the 1,200 yard mark twice and eventually signed a deal worth $48 million. White calls himself a fan of Cruz and thinks he is in line for a big pay raise.

"Any time you put out those kinds of numbers, he's going to be in for a really good pay day, but he deserves it," White said. "Any guy that goes out there and puts up 1,500 yards, that's remarkable. That's one of the nicest seasons you can have so I think the Giants should pay him."

For all news and information regarding the Atlanta Falcons, please visit The Falcoholic. For updates and conversation on the New York Giants, head on over to Big Blue View.

Falcons Offense Vs. Giants Defense Preview: Michael Turner Is The Key To A Wild Card Win

The Atlanta Falcons are slated to take on the NFC East champion New York Giants in the first round of the playoffs this weekend. In the first half of this two-part installment, we'll look at the Falcons offense and how they matchup against a Giants defense that has been rather inconsistent throughout the 2011 season. How would Atlanta go about in putting up some points against New York's secondary?

NFC Playoffs, Falcons Vs. Giants: Sunday's Weather Shouldn't Be A Factor

Sunday's matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Giants won't be played in the climate controlled confines of the Georgia Dome but will instead be outside in the open air of MetLife Stadium. Even though its January in New Jersey and the weather can be unpredictable, the current forecast suggests that it shouldn't be a factor in Sunday's game.

The forecast is calling for temperatures in the low 40s with no chance of rain or snow. Having played in college at Boston College, Falcon's quarterback Matt Ryan has endured many a bad-weather game. Both he and head coach Mike Smith downplayed the weather as much of a concern for Sunday's game.

"Matt [Ryan] is from up there in the Northeast and has played a lot of games in the pros and in college in the outdoors even though we play our games indoors. I don't think that is going to be a concern, I think most of our guys are accustomed to playing outside. I would say that we are a mudder team and we are an indoor team," Smith said.

For all news and information regarding the Atlanta Falcons, please visit The Falcoholic. For updates and conversation on the New York Giants, head on over to Big Blue View.

Falcons Vs. Giants, NFL Playoffs: Comparing Season Resumes

At this point we know the teams, and we know the most important players in Sunday's match-up, but how did the Falcons and Giants reach this point? The answer lies in bizarre inconsistency from both Atlanta and New York.

The former had a quality, statement win over the Detroit Lions, but they also allowed teams to play them far too close based on their talent level; there's little excuse for only managing a two point win over Seattle. The Falcons were a team throughout the season who struggled with starting WR Julio Jones missing games, as well as starting C Todd McClure, but is that really enough to warrant shoddy performances?

If there's one team more consistently-inconsistent than Atlanta, it was the New York Giants. They were beaten twice by Washington and lost to Seattle, however, they coupled these abysmal performances with solid wins over Dallas (twice), the Jets and New England.

A great deal of this inconsistency rests on the shoulders of quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Eli Manning. Most should understand Ryan's MO- he's one of the most deadly QBs in the NFL when he gets into a rhythm, but too often he can get disrupted early and fall into a funk for the entire game. Among starting QBs you'd be hard presser to find one with a larger swing of good and bad performances; on five occasions in 2011 Ryan finished five games with a QB rating of less than 80, and in another seven games he posted ratings over 100. This swing often threw off the Atlanta offense, and lost them the game by extension.

Then there's Eli Manning, who like Ryan had five games where he posted a rating less than 80, and six games with a rating over 100. In those games where the quarterbacks posted ratings over 100 their teams combined for 11-2 on the season. Unlike Ryan, Manning tends not to get in or out of rythym early, but is typically a slow starter who slowly builds until he's near unstoppable in close games in the 4th quarter. This will be the key for Atlanta on Sunday, jump on the Giants early and hope their lead is too big for Manning to surmount late in the game, if they leave the game in the balance he's the kind of player who will find a way.

One final area of concern should be present for both teams, the advantage (or lack thereof) of playing at home. This season the Falcons were 6-2 at home, and 4-4 on the road, whereas the G-Men were actually stronger away from home (5-3) than they were at the Meadowlands (4-4). At least on the surface it would seem that both teams would prefer flipping the venue on Sunday.

The battle lines are drawn, and based on what we've seen in 2011 both the Falcons and Giants cna be adequately desribed as 'consistently inconsistent'. It's very hard to gauge which version of each team will show up, but in the NFL playoffs anything can happen.

For more on the Falcons please visit The Falcoholic. To read more on the Giants head over to Big Blue View.

2012 NFC Wild Card, New York Giants Injury Report: Jake Ballard Practices For First Time In Two Weeks

The New York Giants tight end situation is looking better for their playoff matchup versus the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Jake Ballard was limited today and is questionable to play on Sunday.

The Giants' starting tight end, out since suffering a knee injury against the Redskins on Dec. 18, will participate in individual drills at practice today, coach Tom Coughlin said during his morning press conference. That doesn't necessarily mean later on he'll be listed as having practiced today because it's unclear at this point if he'll do any work in team drills.

Here is the practice report for the New York Giants on Wednesday:

DID NOT PRACTICE

RB Ahmad Bradshaw (foot)
LB Mark Herzlich (ankle)

LIMITED IN PRACTICE

TE Jake Ballard (knee)
RB Da'Rel Scott (knee)
Osi Umenyiora (ankle/knee)

For all news and information regarding the Atlanta Falcons, please visit The Falcoholic. For updates and conversation on the New York Giants, head on over to Big Blue View.

2012 NFC Wild Card, Atlanta Falcons Injury Report: Sean Weatherspoon Misses Practice With Head Injury

Atlanta Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon missed practice on Wednesday as he's still dealing with issues with a head injury.

When asked if Weatherspoon was in the league’s concussion protocol, Falcons coach Mike Smith said, "He will be back out tomorrow. In terms of your question, we anticipate he’ll back out tomorrow."

Here is the full injury report of the Falcons as their wild card playoff game approaches on Sunday:

DID NOT PRACTICE

DE John Abraham (not injury related)
RB Michael Turner (groin)
LB Sean Weatherspoon (head)
WR Harry Douglas (groin)
TE Tony Gonzalez (not injury related)
CB Brent Grimes (knee)
C Todd McClure (not injury related)
WR Kerry Meier (groin)
S William Moore (groin)
LB Stephen Nicholas (toe)
TE Michael Palmer (knee)

LIMITED IN PRACTICE

DT Peria Jerry (calf)
WR Julio Jones (thumb)
TE Reggie Kelly (back)
LB Curtis Lofton (ankle)
RB Jason Snelling (knee)
WR Roddy White (hip)

FULL PRACTICE

DT Jonathan Babineaux (hamstring)
FB Mike Cox (finger)
CB Chris Owens (hand)

For all news and information regarding the Atlanta Falcons, please visit The Falcoholic. For updates and conversation on the New York Giants, head on over to Big Blue View.

NFL Playoffs, Falcons Vs. Giants: Criticism Of Offensive Line Doesn't Phase Falcons

The New York Giants have one of the most aggressive defensive lines in football and the Atlanta Falcons have been known to have one of the more precarious offensive lines in football. On Sunday, they'll square off in the divisional playoffs and the Giants have noted their "style" of play. Justin Tuck called the offensive line "dirtbags."

The Falcons response? They're not too worried about it.

"I don’t pay attention to it too much," left tackle Will Svitek said. "It is what it is. We have a style we play here and we’re always going to play to the whistle. We pride ourselves on being physical. If he views playing to the whistle as dirty or cheap or whatever, so be it."

"We basically play to the whistle. We don’t play beyond the whistle because, obviously, if you play after the whistle, it’s going to be a 15-yard penalty and it’s going to be a fine. But we take pride in playing to the whistle. We want them to know we’re there. We’re going to be pests. We’re going to be physical. We’re going to play fair, but we’re going to play hard. We’re going to be there. We want them to know that we’re there, and that’s kind of our style. It’s our M.O., so we take a lot of pride in the way we play here."

The Giants will host the Falcons this Sunday at 1pm at New Meadowlands Stadium.

For more on the Atlanta Falcons, check out The Falcoholic. For New York Giants news and updates, visit Big Blue View, and for everything on the NFL Playoffs, go to SB Nation's NFL page.

Atlanta Falcons Odds/Spread: Everything's Even In The Meadowlands

And then there were ten... The NFL's final teams are now preparing to put their money where their mouths are, and so are Las Vegas. This week the Giants and Falcons are rated dead even this week in a battle of the no.2's. I say this because both the Falcons and Giants were regarded as the 2nd best teams in their divisions heading into the season, and plenty of people still believe the Dallas Cowboys are the best team in the NFC East.

Regardless, Eli Manning was able to pull his Giants along by their bootstraps and get them into the playoffs. Now at home in the Meadowlands we're looking at a dead heat, a 3 point edge to the G-men, tantamount to an even game with the obligatory home bump.

What do we make of this match-up? The biggest concern for the Atlanta Falcons is in dealing with the Giants' stellar pass rush. Their defensive front is as good as any in football and Jason Pierre-Paul is having a stellar season. However, if the pass rush can't get to Matt Ryan with regularity the secondary will be exposed. New York are currently 29th against the pass and 19th against the run. They've been exposed on numerous occasions and can be taken advantage of, especially by Matt Ryan and Julio Jones.

On defense it's all about stopping Eli Manning, and that should be the primary concern for the Falcons. This season Eli has seen to emulate his brother more so than the player we've seen for much of his career. In 2011 he looks poised in the pocket, relaxed with bodies around him and has been able to throw with amazing accuracy. The key is going to be breaking up the connection between Manning and Cruz, something I think the Falcons can disrupt just enough.

When it comes down to it I'm taking the Falcons outright. The over/under is at 48.5, but I'm taking the under here. I think the potential of the Giants' DL and Falcons' secondary combines into a situation where neither team could move the ball with success on Sunday.

For more on the Falcons please visit The Falcoholic. To read more on the Giants read Big Blue View.

Falcons Vs. Giants: Mike Mularkey Defends 'Dirty' O-Line Accusations By Justin Tuck

After the New York Giants' Justin Tuck accused the Falcons' offensive line of playing dirty, Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith predictably fired back with a flurry of politeness, and in concert, offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey went on the offensive for his line, speaking to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

"We thrive on doing things right," Mularkey said. "We thrive on playing physical. We’ve been doing that for four years. Nothing is ever preached beyond the whistle. Ever."

"We are really disciplined," Mularkey said. "We try to be one of the least penalized teams and offenses in the NFL. We’ve done a good job for the most part. We’ve had some spurts where we had some bad penalties, but it’s really, really important for us to don’t hurt ourselves with penalties such as that. It’s addressed all of the time."

The Falcons' Michael Turner has never had a 100-yard rushing performance in the postseason. With the weather expected to be drizzly and cold, and the New York pass rush one of the league's best, the play of the Falcons' offensive line - dirty, clean or hugs and kisses - could very well determine the outcome of Sunday's game.

For more on the Atlanta Falcons, check out The Falcoholic. For New York Giants news and updates, visit Big Blue View, and for everything on the NFL Playoffs, go to SB Nation's NFL page.

Falcons Vs. Giants: Atlanta Still Searching For First Playoffs Win Under Mike Smith

The Atlanta Falcons are getting ready to face off against the New York Giants on Sunday in the first round of the NFL playoffs. It's the third trip to the postseason for Atlanta in the past four years under head coach Mike Smith. The Falcons have lost their first game in both of those playoff appearances and a third straight early exit may have dire consequences for the coaching staff.

Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on Tuesday that Smith is trying to get his team into the correct mindset for their game against the Giants. The Falcons have shown lapses in toughness this season, both physically and mentally. Those lapses were key in some of their previous postseason failures.

Smith wouldn’t divulge what he’ll tell his team the night before the game in New York. But I’m guessing he just touched on elements of it. The Falcons weren’t prepared last season before the Green Bay playoff game. Smith admits now that he botched the bye week, giving players "too much down time." He wanted them to be fresh, but by game day they had lost their edge.

There will be no margin for error in Sunday's game.

"We have talent," Smith said. "We have to play at a higher level than we’ve played all season to win in the playoffs."

As all Falcons fans seem to agree, the time to win is now. Atlanta will have a chance to silence the naysayers on Sunday, or else risk wearing the "overrated" tag for yet another year.

For all news and information regarding the Atlanta Falcons, please visit The Falcoholic. For updates and conversation on the New York Giants, head on over to Big Blue View.

Falcons Vs. Giants: New York Weather Could Be Cold And Rainy

The Atlanta Falcons will be heading east this week to take on the NFC East Champion New York Giants in the first round of NFL playoffs. The Falcons missed out on home field advantage despite having a better regular-season record than the Giants. Now it appears that advantage may be worse news for the Falcons than they initially thought.

Pat Yasinskas of ESPN reports that there is a 40-percent chance for rain in New York on Sunday. The forecast does not bode well for the Falcons, whose domed home stadium removes the chance of inclement weather. Although New York may be an unseasonably-warm 45 degrees on Sunday, that is just the projected high.

As our own Jason Kirk pointed out in 2010, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan does not perform nearly as well away from the Georgia Dome. In particular, his completion percentage plummets in unfavorable conditions. In 2011, the Falcons lost road games against beatable opponents the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears and nearly blew a big lead on the road against the Seattle Seahawks.

If Atlanta Falcons were already nervous about the road trip, the forecast will do nothing to ease their jangled nerves.

For all news and information regarding the Atlanta Falcons, please visit The Falcoholic. For updates and conversation on the New York Giants, head on over to Big Blue View.

Super Bowl 2012 Odds List: Falcons A Longshot, But NFC Favored

Falcons Vs. Giants, NFL Playoffs: Tom Coughlin Says Giants Are 'Battle Tested'

The Atlanta Falcons are getting ready for their opening-round playoff game against the New York Giants on Sunday. Despite the Falcons holding a better regular-season record, the Giants will have home field advantage by benefit of capturing a division title. The Giants earned the playoff berth by knocking off the Dallas Cowboys at home in the final game of the regular season this past Sunday.

Giants head coach Tom Coughlin spoke to the press on Monday. One of the topics he touched on was that his team is ready for the playoffs since they've been in the mode of "win or go home" for the past few games now. Here is what he had to say when asked what he will tell the young Giants players about being in a playoff game. These comments come courtesy of Ed Valentine at Giants blog Big Blue View:

I think we have been in playoff games, we have been in playoff games for the last three weeks. We are battle tested in a lot of ways because we have played some really outstanding football teams all down through the second half of the season. What I told them was the straight up truth, this is the playoffs. There are 12 teams in the playoffs and 20 teams go home, it is a single-elimination tournament and if you win, you go on. If you lose, you go home. It is reality. I think a lot of the young guys have a feeling for that. I really felt that what was very good about our football team was the building throughout the week and the outstanding practices and then the peer pressure. Not only the pressure to perform but to play smart and do the smart thing and I thought that was prevalent everywhere on our team.

While it is true that the Giants have a good idea about the realities of being eliminated with a single loss, the Falcons may benefit from their far-from-stressful rout of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 17.

For all news and information regarding the Falcons, please visit The Falcoholic. For updates and conversation on the New York Giants, head on over to Big Blue View.

NFL Power Rankings Final: Falcons Finish One Spot Ahead Of Giants

The first week of the NFL playoffs will be as good a test for SBNation's NFL Power Rankings as any, as the Atlanta Falcons finished at No. 7, one spot ahead of the New York Giants:

7. Atlanta Falcons (10-6, LW: 10): OK now, the Falcons have won three of four and they're playing the team ranked directly below them here.

8. New York Giants (9-7, LW: 11): The Giants might be the biggest sleeper in all of the playoffs. They have a quarterback who's been there, an up-and-coming receiver and a defensive line that can get to the quarterback. That's the recipe to beat some of these elite offenses in the NFC like Green Bay and New Orleans.

The Falcons finished the year with a one-game lead on the Giants, but they will be headed to MetLife Stadium in New York because the Giants won the NFC East championship.

Both teams have slightly under-performed pre-season expectations, but the playoffs are a new lease on life.

Last season, the Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl last season as the No. 6 seed in the NFC.

Falcons Vs. Giants: Mike Smith Responds To Justin Tuck Comments In Mike Smithly Fashion

New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck, who appears in Subway commercials despite being not famous, recently called the Atlanta Falcons offensive line a bunch of mean names. If you expected Falcons coach Mike Smith to retort by saying absolutely nothing at all to the public, you were right:

@JeffSchultzAJC Spoke to Mike Smith. Asked about Justin Tuck comment that #Falcons OLs were "dirtbags." Response: "Justin Tuck is a really good FB player."

Tuck isn't the first opposing defender to accuse the Falcons line of funny business. Earlier in the year, Ndamukong Suh took a break from stomping on people to cry foul, and Packers big man B.J. Raji has also taken issue.

Suh also appears in commercials, and I'm pretty sure every Green Bay player gets his own car dealership in Wisconsin, so maybe it's only players with commercials who don't like the Falcons. Seems like a solid theory.

Head to SB Nation's NFL news section and many NFL blogs for more. For more on this game, vist Falcons blog The Falcoholic and Giants blog Big Blue View, plus SB Nation New York.

Falcons Vs. Giants: Justin Tuck Calls Atlanta Linemen 'Dirtbags'

The New York Giants, like any sports team that plays in the self-proclaimed media capitol of the world, are certainly no strangers to pre-game theatrics.

On Monday, New York defensive lineman Justin Tuck got himself in the back pages of the New York tabloids with a series of incendiary remarks aimed at the Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman before Sunday's NFC divisional round playoff game between the two teams:

"We know they have that quote unquote reputation," Tuck said. "But in a way it kind of is exciting. Most people, you would call them dirt bags. But it is what it is. We got to make sure we do our job and if we are doing our job well, then they will be upset and they will be trying to do things to get us off our game and we got to take that as a compliment. But in the same sense you got to protect yourself and hopefully the referees have 20-20 vision this week."

Earlier this season, Tuck proclaimed that he "hated" the Dallas Cowboys while Giants RB Brandon Jacobs went out of his way to brag about walking up to New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan and telling the 49-year old man he was "fat" and "would get punched in the face".

Stephen Nicholas Injury Update: Falcons Linebacker Doubtful For Round One Of Playoffs

The Atlanta Falcons will take on the New York Giants in round one of the NFL playoffs. They finished the season strong with a rout of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 17 and will be a strong team in the playoffs.

They may not be a whole team in round one, however. According to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Falcons head coach Mike Smith stated on Monday that it is currently doubtful Atlanta linebacker Stephen Nicholas will be ready to play in the game against the Giants.

Nicholas came out of a December 15 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third quarter with a knee injury, which came just one week after missing the December 11 game against the Carolina Panthers. With Nicholas doubtful and Mike Peterson on injured reserve, the Falcons will be awfully thin on linebackers in their first playoff game of the postseason.

For all news and information regarding the Falcons, please visit The Falcoholic. For updates and perspective on the New York Giants, head on over to Big Blue View.

2012 NFL Draft Order: Falcons Won't Give Browns A First Round Pick Better Than 21st

The 2012 NFL Draft won't matter much to the Atlanta Falcons, who traded the house for Julio Jones last April, but the Cleveland Browns will be watching the NFC Playoffs closely.

Falcons Vs. Giants, 2012 NFL Playoff Picks: Streakiness All Around Creates A Tough Prediction

One is a wildly inconsistent team whose offense has shown the ability to put up high points in quick bursts or inexplicably fall silent, with a defense talented enough to take over games but capable of being gashed, as they were during losses early in the season. And the other team is the Atlanta Falcons.

There are a ton of similarities between New York and Atlanta heading into Sunday's Wild Card game. Both teams have seen their share of head-scratching performances, and both have caught offensive fire in December. Which team capitalizes on their respective streakiness is still an unknown, but SB Nation NFL editor Joel Thorman is "leaning towards Atlanta:"

The Falcons are one of the most balanced teams in the league. They're not the best in the NFL in any one area but they're not the worst either. The Falcons are ranked 11th offensively and 16th defensively. Michael Turner's production is down slightly but he's still an important piece of the puzzle on offense, as is Matt Ryan.

This is a tough game to pick because neither team truly stands out. In the end. I'm leaning toward Atlanta.

For more on the Atlanta Falcons, vist The Falcoholic. For New York Giants updates, check out Big Blue View. For all your NFL needs, be sure to go to SB Nation's NFL page.

Falcons Vs. Giants, NFL Playoff Odds: New York Opens As A Three Point Favorite

The New York Giants will enjoy the customary three point cushion as the home team in Sunday's NFC Wild Card against the visiting Atlanta Falcons.

The Giants finished a season sweep of division rival Dallas 31-14 Sunday night in a play-in game for the NFC East title and a spot hosting a Wild Card round game against 10-6 Atlanta, who, combined with a Green Bay win over Detroit, locked up the No. 5 overall seed with a 45-24 win over Tampa Bay earlier in the day.

The Giants / Falcons game is tied for the smallest spread of the Wild Card weekend's four games, alongside the Bengals and Texans, who opened at Houston (-3). The Saints open as 12-point favorites hosting the Lions, while the Steelers are favored by as much as nine points heading to Denver.

For more on the Atlanta Falcons, check out The Falcoholic. For news on the New York Giants, visit Big Blue View. For everything NFL, go to SB Nation's NFL page.

Falcons Vs. Giants, NFL Playoffs: Mike Smith Confident In Falcons Playoff Chances, Running Game

2012 NFL Playoff Picture Finalized: Falcons Vs. Giants The Last Matchup Booked

Despite a late comeback effort, the Dallas Cowboys fell 31-14 to the New York Giants in the de facto NFC East championship game, meaning the Atlanta Falcons will head to the Meadowlands in next week's 2012 NFL playoffs opening round.

Dallas and New York are similar teams, with capable-if-flaky quarterbacks, many offensive weapons, and fierce pass rushers, but the rooting interest clincher for many Falcons fans was the fact that the Giants play outdoors up north and the Cowboys play beneath a roof. Numbers show Matt Ryan's better indoors, for one thing, but Atlanta's going to just have to pack some long sleeves.

According to Football Outsiders' numbers, the Giants are the NFL's 13th best team (Atlanta ranks No. 10). Their offense ranks No. 7, while their defense stands at No. 21. They rank fourth in passing yardage and last in rushing yardage, which does not play to Atlanta's defensive strengths at all. However, Michael Turner, Roddy White and Julio Jones should be able to damage a defense that ranks in the bottom 11 in yards allowed against both the run and pass.

Expect New York to be favored, though perhaps by only four or five points.

2012 NFL playoff TV times and channels, all p.m. ET:

NFC

Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints: Saturday at 8, NBC

Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants: Sunday at 1, Fox

AFC

Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans: Saturday at 4:30, NBC

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos: Sunday at 4:30, CBS

Divisional Round:

Saturday, Jan 14

• 4:30 p.m. - NO/NYG/ATL at San Francisco
• 8 p.m. - DEN/PIT/CIN at New England

Sunday, Jan 15

• 1 p.m. - HOU/DEN/PIT at Baltimore
• 4:30 p.m. - NYG/ATL/DET at Green Bay

Head to SB Nation's NFL news section many NFL blogs for more. For more on this game, vist Falcons blog The Falcoholic and Giants blog Big Blue View, plus SB Nation New York.

2012 NFL Playoffs TV Schedule: Times And Channels Set For Opening Round

The 2012 NFL playoff bracket is just about set, but we've already got TV broadcast schedules to work with.

Falcons Vs. Buccaneers Final Score: Falcons Win 45-26, Lock Up No. 5 Seed In Playoffs

With multiple starters- including Matt Ryan- not coming into the game at all during the second half, the remainder of this football game was fairly quiet. Brian Van Gorder engaged his classic "prevent" zone defense against which the Bucs were able to put some points on the board, but nowhere close to what was needed to catch the Falcons.

While Chris Redman wasn't able to really put any points on the scoreboard, Atlanta was still able to hold on for the 45-26 victory. For the Falcons this win not only locks up the No. 5 seed in the playoffs, but also should help this team build some confidence going into the postseason.

Whereas last week's loss to the Saints was perhaps the worst this team has to offer, today gave witness to the Falcons at their very best. Matt Ryan broke the franchise record for passing yards in a season, Michael Turner broke the franchise's all-time TD record on his way to 172 yards rushing, and as a whole the defense played much, much better.

Now all that remains for Mike Smith and the Falcons is a bit of scoreboard-watching to determine whether they'll be facing the New York Giants or the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the playoffs.

Head to SBNation.com for more Week 17 NFL playoff scenarios as the field comes into focus. For more on this game, visit Falcons blog The Falcoholic and Buccaneers blog Bucs Nation.

NFL Playoff Picture Update: Falcons Draw Either Cowboys Or Giants

Expect Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC) to earn good ratings in Atlanta this week. The winner of the game between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants will host the Atlanta Falcons in the opening week of the 2012 NFL playoffs, as the Birds downed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 45-24, to lock up the No. 5 seed.

Rooting for Dallas myself, as it would mean an indoor game and avoiding a hot New York passing game. Then again, 3-4 systems have tripped up the Falcons in the playoffs two times in a row. Then again, Eli Manning throws a lot of interceptions, and Atlanta has a reasonably ball-hawky secondary. I'm torn.

Let's just say it will feel pretty good to play a NFC East champion that isn't the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs. Who would've thought that would happen?

Head to SBNation.com for more Week 17 NFL playoff scenarios as the field comes into focus. For more on this game, Falcons blog The Falcoholic and Bucs blog Bucs Nation.

NFL Playoff Picture: Falcons Likely To Either Cowboys Or Giants After Packers Win

The local sports fan has likely sprouted something of a soft spot for the Detroit Lions over the years, seeing as they employ former Peach State greats Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford. But the Atlanta Falcons fan had to spend much of Sunday rooting against the Lions, as a Detroit victory would've hurt Atlanta's NFL playoff standing.

The Lions nearly pulled off the win, but backup Matt Flynn's record-breaking (six touchdowns, more than Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers or Bart Starr ever threw) day made it 45-41, and a Stafford pick sealed it. The Falcons will not meet the New Orleans Saints next week, and will instead await the winner of Sunday night's Cowboys-Giants game.

(Yes, I'm counting this Bucs game as a Falcons W for now.)

Stafford finishes the year with 5,000 yards, and Pro Bowler Johnson posted an absurd 244-yard day of his own. Here's an earlier touchdown from Stafford to Megatron, and for it we've decided to root for them quite a bit less fervently for the time being:

Head to SBNation.com for more Week 17 NFL playoff scenarios as the field comes into focus. Head to Packers blog Acme Packing Company and Lions blog Pride of Detroit for more on this game, plus SB Nation Detroit.

NFC Playoff Picture 2012: 49ers Win Means No Saints Bye

Entering Week 17, there was a chance of the Atlanta Falcons traveling to play the San Francisco 49ers in the opening round of the playoffs, though that was the unlikeliest destination. But the Niners have beaten the St. Louis Rams, 34-27 after a comeback effort, meaning the playoff picture remains as expected.

The Birds will play either the Saints or the NFC East champs, depending on whether the Green Bay Packers can take down the Detroit Lions -- and whether Atlanta can beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, of course. The score in that game is 38-34, Packers, at the moment.

Some had hoped for an Atlanta trip to play San Fran, as Alex Smith is the least-threatening quarterback in a NFC field crowded with talented arms. (And, you know, they almost just let the nearly quarterbackless Rams come back.) Still the Niners have one of the NFL's best defenses and that's quite a

Head to SBNation.com for more Week 17 NFL playoff scenarios as the field comes into focus. For more on this game, visit 49ers blog Niners Nation and Rams blog Turf Show Times, plus SB Nation Bay Area and SB Nation St. Louis.

NFL Playoff Picture 2012: Saints Win, Falcons Rematch Not Yet Ruled Out

The New Orleans Saints likely won't be able to reach the No. 2 NFC seed, as the San Francisco 49ers are taking care of the St. Louis Rams right now, but by demolishing the Carolina Panthers 45-17, they're still in line to host either the Atlanta Falcons or Detroit Lions in the opening round of the playoffs.

The Green Bay Packers are beating the Lions at the moment, which means the Falcons could head to play the NFC East champ instead of returning to the Superdome.

Following up on Drew Brees' record-setting week that had one anonymous Falcons player miffed, Sean Payton found a way to ring up records for Jimmy Graham (tight end yards in a season, which ) and Darren Sproles (all-purpose yards in a season) as well. Here's one Graham touchdown, as awful as all the others:

Head to SBNation.com for more Week 17 NFL playoff scenarios as the field comes into focus. Head to Saints blog Canal Street Chronicles and Panthers blog Cat Scratch Reader for more on this game.