How the Falcons kept their Super Bowl revenge hopes alive by returning to the playoffs

In 2016, the Falcons ran through the NFC side of the playoffs before suffering the worst Super Bowl collapse the world as ever seen. In 2017 they’ll have the chance to do it again; this time, with revenge on their minds.

Atlanta earned a spot in the postseason after taking care of business against the Carolina Panthers in Week 17. They only got into the end zone once, on their first possession. But the defense stepped up, intercepting Cam Newton three times and holding Carolina to just 10 points.

The last interception came on the Panthers’ last-ditch effort to score with just seconds remaining in the game. Cornerback Robert Alford snagged a pass intended for Devin Funchess in the end zone, punching the Falcons’ ticket to the postseason with the 22-10 win.

The victory ensures a spot in the Wild Card round, just three wins from a repeat date with the Super Bowl.

The Falcons overcame a mediocre 4-4 start and their spot in the league’s toughest division to punch their playoff ticket for the second-straight season. While Matt Ryan hasn’t lived up to the MVP standard he set last fall, the veteran quarterback has been the lynchpin behind a top 10 offense with high expectations.

The Falcons ran out to a 3-0 start that included quality wins over the Packers (back when Aaron Rodgers was healthy) and the Lions, but that hot start was unsustainable. A run through the AFC East led to three straight losses, including a 23-7 primetime beating in Week 7 in a Super Bowl rematch against the Patriots.

A loss to the Panthers two weeks later brought the club back down to .500 and on the periphery of the playoff race, but much like 2016, Atlanta was equipped to make a run. A 5-2 record in its next seven games, including victories over the Cowboys and Seahawks, and one over the Saints was enough to put the club back in the Wild Card race and within striking distance of the NFC South title.

A renewed defensive effort has been paramount to the team’s late-season revival. Since Week 8, only two opponents have scored more than 21 points against Atlanta’s swarming D. Young contributors like Deion Jones, Keanu Neal, and Takk McKinley have set a high standard not just for 2017, but for years to come. Through 15 games, the club ranks in the top 10 in total defense, red zone defense, and they’re 14th in total sacks.

That’s meant the team has had to rely less on Ryan, who only threw for more than 221 yards once in the team’s 5-1 stretch. Coming into Sunday’s win, the star quarterback was throwing for 60 fewer yards per game in 2017 than he had in last year’s MVP campaign. After throwing for 3+ touchdowns in nine games in 2016, he’s done it zero times this fall.

But it hasn’t made a difference for an Atlanta team with an opportunity to rewrite its history as the calendar turns over. Ryan remains a dangerous and accomplished player who can will his team to victory — a team no one will be happy to see in January.