NFC Championship Game Prediction

We are now just two games away from the Super Bowl and championship Sunday promises to provide two cracking games. In the NFC, it is down to the Green Bay Packers and the Atlanta Falcons, two of the best offensive teams in the league this season, so fans can expect a high scoring game in Atlanta. This piece will be a preview of the upcoming NFC Championship game and will analyze the two teams’ performances over the course of the season, their form coming into this game and at the end we will try to predict the winner of the game.

Overview of the Green Bay Packers’ Season

Most people did not honestly give the Packers a chance to make it to the playoffs, let alone the NFC Championship game, after week eleven of the regular season. By that time the team had lost four games in a row and their overall record stood at a sorry 4-6. Along with the losing streak, it was the manner in which they were losing, which caused the most concern; the offense was doing well, but defensively they were in shambles. In two consecutive games against the Titans and the Redskins, the Packers conceded 40 plus scores.

However, their star Quarterback, Aaron Rodgers was confident that the team would be able to turn it around over the rest of the season. Numerous experts doubted that, but the team proved everyone wrong and won the last six games in a row to post a 10-6 regular season record and qualify for the post season.

Riding high on their success from the regular season, the Packers entered the post season brimming with confidence. They comfortably defeated the New York Giants in the first round of the playoffs before facing off against the number one seed in the NFC, the Dallas Cowboys. The packers proved their championship credentials by holding out for a tense 34-31 win at the AT&T Stadium and progressed to the NFC Championship game.

Overview of the Atlanta Falcons’ Season

The Falcons started off the 2016 regular season on the wrong foot, losing their season opener against the Buccaneers. However, the team strung together four consecutive wins to get their campaign on track for the season. The Falcons stumbled in the middle of the season, but they eventually finished the regular season with an 11-5 overall record and the number two seeding in the conference.

In the post season, the Falcons had a first round bye and defeated the third seeded Seattle Seahawks in the Division round. Their offence has proven time and again to be unstoppable and the Falcons currently have the best offence in the league. However it has to be noted that the Falcons have played only one game in the postseason, as compared to the Packers’ two.

Predictions for the Game

Both the Atlanta Falcons and the Green Bay Packers rely on their offense to blow away the opposition. So it seems that the team which has a solid defense should emerge victorious.

The Falcons have had a pretty strong offensive setup for years now, but their defense isn’t at all shambolic. The mercurial Vic Beasley, who has 15.5 sacks this season, can wreck any offensive setup, so the Falcons just need to find a way to effectively use him. The Falcons’ offense, comprising quarterback Matt Ryan (who is a certain MVP candidate), wideout Julio Jones and the rushing threats of Twvin Coleman and Devonte Freeman, will certainly feel confident of taking on the Packers’ defense.

The Packers on the other hand, rely very heavily on quarterback Aaron Rogers. The quarterback is having the season of his career and he looks almost unstoppable currently. If Rogers can continue dictating play like he has been for the latter half of the season, then the Flacons will certainly be in trouble. The Packers’ defense has certainly improved since the regular season, but it will have to be at its absolute best to stop the Falcons’ offense.

Keeping these considerations in mind, we believe the Falcons will nudge this closely contested game. Their offense will simply prove to be too powerful for the Packers’ defense and that is, where we feel, the game will be decided. The Falcons also narrowly won their regular season game against the Packers, so it looks like they might win the NFC Championship and progress to the Super Bowl.

What do you think about our prediction? Let us know in the comments below if you agree or disagree with our assessment of the game.