NFL Wild Card Preview: Falcons vs. Cardinals

Underdog teams & unlikely quarterbacks headline a great NFL Wild Card game as the Cardinals take on the Falcons.

Falcons vs. Cardinals Overview:
If you told Atlanta Falcons fans in 2007 that they would be buying NFL playoffs tickets in 2008, not one would believe you. Your sanity would really be called into question if you said a talented quarterback was at the helm. The Arizona Cardinals showed flashes of greatness in previous years but always sputtered in the end. The flame in the deserts of Arizona burned on through the start of winter, and the Arizona Cardinals captured their first division title in decades. Sadly for fans of the underdog, only one of these teams can continue their path through the playoffs.

Atlanta Falcons Offense:
Rookie QB Matt Ryan has turned the Michael Vick frown upside down and has many fans leaving their No. 7 jerseys in their closet for good. Matt Ryan has been money, and the usual rookie mistakes have been few and far between. RB Michael Turner is a pure runner and has 1,500 total yards and 16 touchdowns. A young offensive line opens holes for Michael Turner and helps give Matt Ryan a ton of time in the pocket. WRs Michael Jenkins and Roddy White are an exciting duo that is showing fans with Atlanta Falcons playoff tickets that their “bust” labels were premature.

Atlanta Falcons Defense:
Fans with Atlanta Falcons playoff tickets like what new coach Mike Smith is doing with the defense. DE John Abraham has 16.5 sacks on the year, and his rotation all over the field has helped the veteran become unstoppable. Rookie MLB Curtis Lofton and veteran OLB Keith Brooking form a tough tandem and punish TEs and RBs alike. The Atlanta Falcons are glad they dumped hothead CB DeAngelo Hall as his replacement, Chris Houston, has done an admirable job. SS Lawyer Milloy has seen almost more NFL playoff games than the entire team combined.

Arizona Cardinal Offense:
Two-time NFL MVP QB Kurt Warner has seated Heisman winner Matt Leinart squarely on the bench and holds the reins of the No. 4 offense in the NFL. Kurt Warner is no physical specimen, but his experience and leadership shapes the entire team. Fans with Arizona Cardinals playoff tickets love the fact that they have the best receiving duo in football in WRs Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. Slot WR Steve Breaston fell just short of 1,000 yards with the two starters netting 1,000-plus. RB Tim Hightower is a good rookie runner and slows the pass rush.

Arizona Cardinals Defense:
To coincide with their prolific offense, the Arizona Cardinals have stocked their secondary. SS Adrian Wilson commands the respect of everyone on the field, and his hitting ability keeps TEs from even sniffing the middle of the field. CBs Roderick Hood and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie are excellent in man coverage and are rarely beat one on one. OLB Karlos Dansby is the leader of the front seven and is the top tackler. Fans with Arizona Cardinal playoff tickets also like the mobile front four that has a good rotation of specialists.

Atlanta Falcons Keys to Victory:
Matt Ryan is an exceptional rookie, but at the end of the day he is still very much a rookie. With all the pressure, it will be up to the running game to win the day for fans with Atlanta Falcons playoff tickets. The stout secondary is obviously the strength of the Arizona Cardinals secondary and throwing right at it would be suicidal for Matt Ryan. The Atlanta Falcons should be able to pound the football with their tough offensive line. Michael Turner gashing the front seven will force the Arizona Cardinals to bring their safeties in the box and open them up to play action.

Anybody can simply look at the Arizona Cardinals stat sheet or depth chart and see that their offense likes to pass. No CB in the NFL can match up on an island with Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald and certainly let alone for long. The only answer to this is pressure and, in particular, the pass rush from DE John Abraham. Since he has no set position on the field, the Atlanta Falcons can move John Abraham around the defense and keep him away from the best blocker on the Arizona Cardinals, RT Levi Brown. The CBs have to jam the WRs all game to slow them down.

Arizona Cardinals Keys to Victory:
No matter what game they are in, if the Arizona Cardinals can protect Kurt Warner, they win. With three solid weapons to choose from on every play, Kurt Warner can sit back and rip apart any defense if he can set his feet and think. John Abraham is the biggest hurdle to establishing aerial supremacy and must be accounted for. The Arizona Cardinals rarely use their TEs so keeping one in to chip John Abraham will not hinder the overall game plan that much. RB Tim Hightower needs to be moderately successful, but fans with NFL playoffs tickets will see mostly the passing game.

The Arizona Cardinals offense will set up the defense. If the Arizona Cardinals can get to an early lead and take away the run, then their strong secondary should have no problem forcing Matt Ryan into a few picks. The Arizona Cardinals do not have an outstanding front seven outside of OLB Karlos Dansby so it will be up to safeties Eugene Wilson and Antrel Rolle to put hits on Michael Turner early. The Arizona Cardinals cannot go to sleep on RB Jerious Norwood as the small back can make plays on the screen and sometimes goes unnoticed out of the backfield.

Falcons vs. Cardinals Outlook:
Both the Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals are playing at highs rarely seen for their organizations. The fact that two classy QBs like Matt Ryan and Kurt Warner lead the teams makes the story of this NFC Wild Card game even better. Fans with NFL playoffs tickets will see a rain of footballs as passes fly from both teams. History has already been made in University of Phoenix Stadium with the Super Bowl, and fans with Arizona Cardinals playoff tickets hope they see their team pull some outstanding heroics on the turf.

It all comes down to the ball control of the Atlanta Falcons against the pass-happy Arizona Cardinals. Both teams are so close that the entire game plan could change because of the opening coin toss. If the Arizona Cardinals can hang 14 points early, the Atlanta Falcons and Matt Ryan have little chance to keep up. Fans with NFL playoffs tickets to the Atlanta Falcons vs. the Arizona Cardinals will get an even match up with a fantastic story behind it. Beyond all of the storylines though is a game that will not disappoint any football fan.