What We Learned From The Falcons' 36-20 Win Over The Seahawks

The Atlanta Falcons are advancing to the NFC Championship Game thanks to their 36-20 win over the Seattle Seahawks. It's now the second straight year the Seahawks have lost in the divisional round of the playoffs, while it was Atlanta's first playoff win since beating Seattle in 2012. Here are the three biggest things we learned from the game:

3) Atlanta's defense is legit
Atlanta's defense was better than expected this season, but many weren't sure if they were good enough to hold up in the postseason. They squashed those doubts in a resounding way, limiting the Seahawks to just over 300 yards of total offense (most of which came after the game was decided in the fourth quarter), sacking Russell Wilson three times and picking him off twice. Their young playmakers weren't afraid of the big stage, and the Falcons become a VERY dangerous team when this group is playing well.

2) Seattle needs to find secondary depth
Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor are as good as it gets in this league, but outside of that trio, Seattle's secondary is really in need of an upgrade. Ever since Thomas got hurt, it has left a giant hole in the secondary that they haven't been able to come close to filling. They were routinely shredded again against the Falcons, making it far too obvious that Seattle's back up safeties and cornerbacks aren't playing at the level we have come to expect in Seattle.

Look for the Seahawks to address this problem in the offseason - especially with Thomas contemplating retirement soon.

1) Playoff Matt Ryan is just as good as regular season Matt Ryan
As good as Ryan has always been in the regular season, he had developed a reputation for not being the same guy in the playoffs. He came into this game just 1-4 in his postseason career, but his performance in this game went a long way towards changing that narrative. Ryan played just like the MVP frontrunner he was this year, passing for 338 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, posting a quarterback rating of 125.7.

If he continues to play at this level, the Falcons are a serious threat to win the Super Bowl.