Last year the Atlanta Falcons were unceremoniously bounced out of the playoffs by the Green Bay Packers in a 48-21 thrashing in front of the home fans.
This year, the Falcons aren’t getting a bye week but instead are rolling into New York fresh off of bounceback win over the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This is something that the team is appreciating the difference compared to the week off before their playoff game last year.
“The main thing is that you are still playing,” defensive end John Abraham said in a report from Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We had the little week off. Sometimes it helps. Sometimes it doesn’t. Last year, it probably slowed us down a little bit.”
“This year we are rolling and still feeling good,” Abraham said. “We are not really missing practices.”
Quarterback Matt Ryan has been impressive in the regular season and has amassed a 43-19 record, but he is 0-2 and has played inconsistently in the playoffs. This year he is focused on the game only and is trying to ignore all of the hype that comes with a playoff game.
“The biggest thing is to not let all the outside stuff, the extracurricular that goes with the playoffs, the hype, not let that affect the way you prepare and the way you play,” Ryan said. “Once the coin is flipped and the game starts, it’s the same deal. It comes down, as a quarterback, to making good decisions.”
