New England Patriots

Greg Jennings explains why the Falcons' offense won't be intimidated by the Patriots

Published Jan. 30, 2017 4:25 p.m. ET

Dieter Kurtenbach

The Atlanta Falcons haven't faced a strong defense this postseason.

Seattle's defense wasn't the same without Earl Thomas, and Matt Ryan and Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan put in a game plan that roasted Thomas' backup, Steven Terrell.

The Packers' secondary was so injured in the NFC Championship Game they had to be close to signing guys out of the Georgia Dome crowd. The Atlanta offense knew they would be able to win one-on-one battles across the field.

But the Patriots' defense is different.

New England held opponents to the fewest points per game this season, they have one of the greatest defensive minds in the history of the sport, and he has two weeks to prepare for Super Bowl LI.

But Fox Sports NFL analyst and former Packers and Vikings wide receiver Greg Jennings doesn't think the Falcons will be intimidated by the challenge.

Jennings was a key target for Aaron Rodgers in the Super Bowl-winning 2010 season and Rodgers' all-time great 2011 campaign, and he sees similarities between those years and what Ryan and the Atlanta offense was able to do this year.

"When I watch them, specifically in those playoff games, they had a swagger about them,” Jennings told FoxSports.com after visiting with Colin Cowherd on “The Herd”

"They weren’t talking about how great they were, but they knew how great they were. They didn’t have to say it, they just did it.”

That’s confidence, and Jennings believes that it doesn’t matter who Atlanta is playing Sunday in Houston — that confidence will carry over into the Super Bowl.

“Confidence grows.”

The reason the Falcons can trust that confidence to carry over is the preponderance of weapons Ryan has around him. Ryan became the first quarterback in NFL history to start 16 games and average more than 9.25 yards per pass attempt for the season, and he set an NFL record by hooking up for touchdowns with 13 different receivers in 2016.

Jennings says that there isn’t a defense in the NFL that can keep up with that.

"The Falcons hold nothing back, and that’s why they haven’t needed to change or adjust — they’ve been doing this all year,” Jennings said. "You never quite know what they’re going to throw at you. You can’t say ‘If we take Julio [Jones] out, we’re good.’ You can’t say “If we stop the running game, we’re good.’”

"They keep you so off balance, and everything looks the same and they’re using every single person.”