The 2012 NFC Championship will feature the conference’s top two teams as the No. 1 seeded Atlanta Falcons take on the No. 2 seeded San Francisco 49ers from Atlanta, Ga this Sunday afternoon.
Just like most NFL games, the end result could come down to which quarterback plays better.
How the Falcons can win:
The Atlanta Falcons are really the Rodney Dangerfield’s of the NFL. They have been the No 1 seed in the playoffs 2 of the last three seasons, but can never seem to put together a Super Bowl run. They have been labeled “soft”, and “fake” by NFL fans. Well, after Matt Ryan finally got the playoff monkey off his back by earning his first post season win last weekend vs. the Seahawks, the Georgia Dome will surely be rocking this weekend with a Super Bowl berth on the line.
The Falcons have the weapons to successfully move the ball vs. San Francisco.
With weapons Julio Jones, Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez leading the offensive charge, QB Matt Ryan needs to keep the strong 49ers defense out of sync. Atlanta needs to run the hurry up offense at different times of the game and mix in a lot of draw plays to Jacquizz Rodgers and Michael Turner.
If they have success running the ball, they will be headed to Super Bowl XLVII.
How the 49ers can win:
San Francisco plays a mean defense, but they will need to bring their “A-game” this weekend if the 49ers want to advance to Super Bowl 47. After taking over for injured QB Alex Smith, Colin Kaepernick has been nothing short of spectacular.
The big question is how will Kaepernick perform on the road in such a big game.
The 49ers have lost their last two road games with Kaepernick at quarterback vs. the Rams and Seahawks, and looked like a totally different team than they did at home. If Kaepernick can keep the offense in rhythm with Moss and Crabtree helping their young QB leading the way, San Francisco will be Super Bowl bound.
The bottom line: Colin Kaepernick has been a flat out beast, especially considering he jumped off the bench in November with no previous starting experience in the NFL. Kaepernick has played well, but when it comes to this weekend’s game the spread seems too inflated.
This game is not going to be a blow out for San Francisco, its coming down to the end.
Kaepernick’s future looks like it is going to be bright, but unlike the Las Vegas betting public, I think the Falcons are going to give the young QB and the 49ers a tough battle. Even if the Niners win, the points look good.
Pick: Falcons +4.5
NFC Championship facts:
- Who: San Francisco 49ers vs. Atlanta Falcons
- When: Sunday, Jan 20, 2013
- Vegas line: San Francisco 49ers -4.5
- Kickoff: 3:00 p.m. EST
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