The Seattle Seahawks dominated the Lions in the wild card round of the playoffs, and now advance to face the Falcons with a berth in the NFC Championship Game on the line. Atlanta is currently the favorite to win, but we know better than that. Here are three reasons why the Seahawks are guaranteed to win this weekend:
3) Re-dedication to running the ball
Seattle's offense was much more focused on Russell Wilson and the passing game for most of the season, but since Thomas Rawls has returned from injury, they have looked more like the Seahawks teams we have come to expect. Rawls got a season-high 27 carries against the Lions, and responded with 161 yards and a touchdown. Given Atlanta's lackluster defense and below-average ability to stop the run - and the probably return of C.J. Prosise - Seattle will have a lot of success on the ground.
2) Defense > offense
Atlanta's offense has been great all year, but we've seen it time and time again in the postseason - great defenses almost always beat great offenses. The Falcons have had inconsistent line play all year, and this is the time of the year where Seattle's defensive line dominates game. With Richard Sherman being able to at least limit Julio Jones' effectiveness, Seattle's defense will reign supreme again.
1) Falcons' postseason history
The Falcons have earned their reputation for underachieving, especially with Matt Ryan under center. Ryan is just 1-2 in home playoff games and 1-4 in playoff games overall, throwing multiple interceptions in three of those games. He has also thrown five interceptions in those three home games. Ryan is an MVP frontrunner, but he's had great seasons before falling flat in the postseason. Expect that to happen again.
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