NFL playoff thread

Nothing special, just went back to what got them there. Running game and defense.

 

That's all we Atlanta sports fans have. Should have beens. Even the 1995 Braves come with a should have been. Frankly, it's excruciating and exhausting.

 

The biggest play of the game was Ryan's dropped snap. The Falcons would likely have gone up by at least 6 if that doesn't happen.

 

I was going to write that earlier. The Hawks are the biggest example. For the last, what, 6-8 years they begin hotter than Georgia asphalt and people go Oooooh! Then then peter out a bit but make a few decent runs thru the season and people think Ooooh, the Hawks might DO something! And then they blow it out their ass in the playoffs.

I can't rag on the Braves because winning 14 division titles in a row is historic. And at least they won once.

But yeah, I'd hate to be an Atlanta sports fan.

 

The fumble was big, but the Niners didn't score on the next series. But yeah, that was a play you circled.
The 20-yard punt return to the Falcons 38 after the Crabtree fumble and Falcon four and out was pretty big too.

Fear of Kaepernick really loosened up the defense for both Gore and Vernon Davis.

 

If by "open" you mean "there were five defenders between Gonzalez and Ryan" then yeah, he was wide open.
Gonzalez was directly behind White in the pattern, although they were 10 yards apart. Gonzalez had three defenders around him. White had one, and maybe should've drawn a holding penalty. Even if Ryan tried to force it into Gonzalez, he would've had to throw it past White and Bowman.
Not a bad decision, just good defense by the Niners. Sometimes it's not all the quarterback's fault.

 

The game turned on one series, really: After the Niners scored to make it 17-7, the Falcons began a drive with Turner running 8 yards up the gut for 2nd and 2. The next 2 play calls were dogshit, the short dumps to 32, both of which fell to the turf. Awful calls because why the hell would you not throw to White, Jones or Gonzalez? Just stupid stupidity. So the Niners get the ball back and score to make it 17-14.

Never ever should have gotten to that point.

Everything changed at that point, even if the Falcons did go up 24-14. Not saying they would have gone up 24-7 on the previous drive, but you just never know.

 

I don't know about that. Ryan throws to Gonzalez on fourth down instead of to White, the Falcons might have won that game and its a different conversation. We talk about how the Falcons were able to contain Kaepernick and debate if Ryan is now an "elite" QB with that last drive.

Pretty cool seeing Eddie D hand the trophy to his sister.

 

I'd still like to know what the Falcons were thinking on that last play. That's Hail Mary time, not a uderneath route.

 

Glad the Niners won. Kaepernick is a great story for the Super Bowl.

Of course, there will be a giant avalanche of Kaepernick stories in the next two weeks.

 

They're going to find out his tattoo artist doesn't really exist.

 

This, too. You have to respect Kaepernick after the Green Bay game, but the 49ers are far from a one-dimensional team.