National Football League

Seahawks at Falcons: Birds of opposite feather

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:36 a.m. ET

Fansided, Matt Verderame/Fansided

The Atlanta Falcons are looking to reach the NFC Championship Game for the third time in franchise history, but the Seattle Seahawks are waiting.

On Saturday afternoon, the suddenly antiquated Georgia Dome will be filled to capacity. For the third time in Matt Ryan’s career, the Falcons earned a first-round bye, and for the second time, will welcome the Seahawks in for a Divisional matchup.

Atlanta has reached this stage because of a devastating offense. The Falcons average more than 34 points per game, the best mark in the league. They are doing it with an MVP-caliber season from Ryan, who launched 38 touchdowns and racked up 4,944 passing yards on an NFL-record 9.26 yards per attempt.

Ryan has been helped out by the considerable talents of Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman. Jones, arguably the best receiver in football, notched 1,409 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Freeman ran for 1,079 yards and caught 54 passes, totaling 13 touchdowns.

Seattle enters this weekend with a decidedly different identity. The Seahawks have playmakers on the offensive side including Russell Wilson, Jimmy Graham and Doug Baldwin, but it’s all about the defense in the northwest. Pete Carroll’s group relies on getting after the quarterback and blanketing receivers with the Legion of Boom, something that has led to a pair of Super Bowl appearances and one title in the last three seasons.

The Seahawks will need all of their defensive abilities and more against Atlanta. The Falcons have an elite offensive coordinator in Kyle Shanahan, a man rumored for almost every head-coaching vacancy. Should Seattle stick to its time-tested strategy, Richard Sherman will stay on the left side, allowing Jones to line up against DeShawn Shead. If that’s the case, Shead will become the most spotlighted player on the field, either in celebration or vitriol.

Like every NFL game, the Falcons and Seahawks are a multitude of matchups wrapped up in a 60-minute battle. Shead and Jones will be one of many, but perhaps the most identifiable.

Seattle and Atlanta come into this game built differently, and with different histories. They also come in with legacies to shape.