The Rams have beaten 3 straight playoff teams, although Philly was coasting at the time. So can they keep it going? They should be able to score on the Falcons, with Faulk and Jackson out of the backfield and Holt going deep. One sign that the Rams are starting to click on all cylinders is the emergence of receivers Shaun McDonald and, especially against the Seahawks, Kevin Curtis.
St Louis will score points, so the question for them is can they stop the Falcons? They didn't have much success in the first meeting, a 34-17 loss. The Rams will have to at least partially contain Michael Vick and force him to throw rather than run. They will also have to stop Dunn and Duckett from running wild. That is not easily done.
The Falcons' defense should be able to slow down Faulk and Jackson, they are good against the run. So the challenge for Atlanta is to get to Bulger and force some mistakes. Atlanta must not let this game turn into a track meet, they will not be able to keep up. If the Falcons can force a couple of turnovers, they could pull away again in this game.
Michael Vick is the key to this game. His TD pass/Int ratio of 14/12 is not good. He must avoid throwing interceptions and use his feet to create opportunities. The Falcons must also use their own running game to control the clock. They can take their shots downfield, but they must use the run primarily. Alge Crumpler could also be a big factor in this one. If the Rams stack things up to stop the running game, Vick should be able to find Crumpler.
I think this will be a close game, but the home-town crowd in Atlanta will help carry the Falcons to a win. It could come down to a last-minute field goal at the end.
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