NFL PLAYOFFS- WILD CARD ROUND Analysis

After an exciting start to the playoffs this weekend, it's time to
look back on the key moments and determine why these games turned out
how they did. First off, Saturday's games:

#5 ATLANTA at #4 ARIZONA

Final Score- ATL 24 AZ 30

Top 3 things Arizona did well to win this game-


1. They established the run for once: Almost every game this season,
Arizona has not run the ball well, but in this matchup against the
Falcons, they finally decided to start gaining yards on the ground.
Once a team establishes the run, the whole game opens up for them, and
this is why the Cards were able to pull off the win.


2. They actually played defense: The Cardinals were ranked 19th in
total defense in the league and 28th in points allowed in the league
during the regular season. That trend came to a halt today though, as
Arizona was able to put pressure on Matt Ryan and keep the Falcons from
scoring big.


3. Home field advantage- The Arizona Cardinals don't play well away,
in the cold weather, or on the east, but because they were home, they
didn't have to deal with any of those 3 things. Arizona was 6-2 at home
during the regular season, and made fewer mistakes and more big plays
at University of Phoenix Stadium. Not to mention the fact that home
field advantage is nearly doubled in the playoffs, the atmosphere is
just crazy.


Top 3 things Atlanta screwed up-


1. Letting too much pressure get to Matt Ryan: The offensive line
did not play very well, and didn't give Matty Ice enough time to make
good throws or the receivers enough time to get open. Few quarterbacks
can win playoff games under those conditions, and despite Ryan's
success, he is still an inexperienced rookie and needs more time to
make good decisions.


2. No run game was established: Michael Turner played very well all
season, but failed to make an impact in this game. Honestly, I think
that's what this game came down to- the Cardinals ran the ball well and
the Falcons didn't. The offensive line also didn't do a very good job
of opening up holes for Turner in the first place.


3. Allowed the Cardinals to dominate the 3rd quarter- Arizona's best
quarter all year was the third, and that trend continued on Saturday,
as they outscored Atlanta 14-0 in the 3rd. This gave a lot of momentum
on the Cards side, and put Ryan in a position he is not used to- coming
from behind.

MVP-

Arizona Offensive Line

Goat-

Atlanta Secondary

One more thing- I owe Arizona an apology. Sorry guys, you proved to
me (and I'm sure quite a few others) that you did deserve that playoff
spot.


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