The Atlanta Falcons did not have to sweat right down to the final quarter of their final game, like the New York Giants did, to find out if they were going to the 2012 NFL Playoffs. Atlanta started 2-3, but won seven of their next nine games.
The Falcons enter Sunday's Wild-Card Weekend game against the Giants at MetLife Stadium (1 p.m. ET/FOX) with both some good and bad history staring them in the face. On the good side for Atlanta, this marks the first time in franchise history the Falcons have qualified for the playoffs in back-to-back years. On the negative side, this will be the Falcons third playoff appearance in Matt Ryan's four years as Atlanta quarterback, and they yet to win a game with Ryan at the helm. In those two playoff losses, Ryan has thrown four interceptions and has a passer rating of 71.2
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Ryan passed for a franchise record 4,177 yards this season. Running back Michael Turner had 1,340 yards rushing and Roddy White had 100 catches and 1,296 yards receiving.
SB Nation Atlanta's Jason Kirk summarized the Falcons this way:
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
-- See Big Blue View to join a discussion with Giants fans, and The Falcoholic to get the Atlanta point of view.