COMMENTARY | Can the Atlanta Falcons take a punch? We're going to find out when they step on the field with the New York Giants on Sunday, December 16 at the Georgia Dome.
According to their 11-2 record, the Falcons are the No. 1 contenders for the Super Bowl in the NFC. However, the NFC South champions still has something to prove, at least in my opinion. The Falcons have won games over the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders and Arizona Cardinals this season. These teams are the tomato cans of the National Football League. Furthermore, the Falcons have won seven games by seven points of less and are coming off a loss to the Carolina Panthers.
The Falcons are winning, but they're not exactly beating down opponents. The Giants, on the other hand, have demonstrated knockout power this season. They've flattened the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers, two of the top contenders in the NFC, by a combined score of 64-13 and are coming off a beatdown of the New Orleans Saints at MetLife Stadium, 52-27. And let's not forget, the G-Men laid out the Falcons at MetLife, 24-2, in last year's Wild Card round.
If the Falcons want to be taken seriously, they have to beat the defending Super Bowl champions. However, if the Giants want a chance to defend their title in the playoffs, they need a win against Atlanta. Big Blue is clinging to a one-game lead in the NFC East, ahead of both the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys. So expect the Giants to come out swinging on Sunday.
"The way I look at it," Giants quarterback Eli Manning told Giants.com, "is we've got to go win some games and it starts this week. This is a big one. We've got to find a way to get a win."
Try hitting the Falcons straight in the mouth.
Adam Martini is a freelance sports writer who grew up in Queens, N.Y. rooting for the Giants despite being surrounded by Jets fans. He proudly wears his Rodney Hampton jersey on Sundays during the football season. Adam follows back Giants fans on Twitter @PegCitySports.
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