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Experience could be the Atlanta Falcons’ big edge as the only team in the NFC playoffs for the second straight year.
Coach Dan Quinn says that advantage was a factor in Saturday night’s 26-13 wild-card win over the Los Angeles Rams.
One year after advancing to the Super Bowl Youth Christian Kirk Jersey , the Falcons are ”a battle-tested brotherhood,” according to Quinn, who added Sunday ”That kind of experience I thought certainly showed up last night.”
After showing impressive poise against the Rams, Atlanta will play next Saturday’s divisional round game at Philadelphia.
”We’re not here just to get here,” quarterback Matt Ryan said after the game. ”We want to make noise while we’re here, so this is what it’s all about. It’s about giving yourself the opportunity this time of the year to compete and play in games like this and win games like this.”
The Falcons are only the No. 6 seed, making the playoffs on the final weekend of the regular season with a home win over Carolina. Even so, Quinn senses his team, boosted by last year’s long postseason run, is peaking at the right time.
”It helps because the guys who were in (last year’s playoffs) have this experience and know how to separate your preparation and make sure the only battle you’re in is this one,” he said, adding that one-game focus ”doesn’t allow you to look too far back … and we’re certainly not thinking about anything past this week.”
Quinn said the win over the Rams, who lacked the Falcons’ playoff experience , may have been Atlanta’s most complete game of the season.
Atlanta’s improved defense held the NFL’s highest-scoring offense to one touchdown. Matt Bryant kicked four field goals – giving him nine without a miss in his last two weeks.
The Falcons’ only touchdowns came on a 4-yard run by Devonta Freeman and a late 8-yard pass from Ryan to Julio Jones. But holding the ball for more than 37 minutes kept the Rams’ offense off the field, and that dominance made up for a lack of big plays.
”We’re equipped to play however we need to win that game and I do love that about this group Nazem Kadri Jersey ,” Quinn said. ”For this game, what was required was to have more run attempts. I thought it would be a difference in the second half and certainly it was.”
Quinn compared his current ”battle tested” team to a time early in last year’s playoffs when he stopped practice because he thought ”the guys were tight.”
”We kind of loosened up after that,” he said, adding he believes this year’s team ”started our push” following a loss to New Orleans on Dec. 7.
”There’s been a shift that’s taken place with our team, their readiness, their mindset, their belief, their support of one another is really at a strong point for this 2017 team and we’ll need that kind of mindset again this week.”
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DETROIT (0-1) at SAN FRANCISCO (0-1)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox
OPENING LINE - 49ers by 3 1/2
RECORD VS. SPREAD - Detroit 0-1, San Francisco 0-1
SERIES RECORD - 49ers lead 37-28-1
LAST MEETING - Lions beat 49ers 32-17, Dec. 27, 2015
LAST WEEK - Lions lost to Jets 48-17; 49ers lost at Vikings 24-16
AP PRO32 RANKING - Lions No. 30, 49ers No. 23
LIONS OFFENSE - OVERALL (17), RUSH (32) Authentic Riley Sutter Jersey , PASS (8).
LIONS DEFENSE - OVERALL (19), RUSH (30), PASS (10).
49ERS OFFENSE - OVERALL (20), RUSH (24), PASS (15).
49ERS DEFENSE - OVERALL (18), RUSH (17), PASS (16).
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Lions lost nine straight in series before win in 2015. ... Detroit lost 12 straight at San Francisco since 28-17 win Nov. 2, 1975. ... Lions coming off most lopsided season-opening loss since 45-0 defeat at Washington in 1991. ... Detroit allowed TDs on run, pass, punt return, INT return vs. Jets. ... Lions QB Matthew Stafford threw four INTs in opener. ... Detroit gained league-low 39 yards rushing in opener. ... San Francisco QB Jimmy Garoppolo had first loss in eight NFL starts last week. Garoppolo is first 49ers QB with three INTs in opener since Steve Young in 1993. ... San Francisco has 12 TDs on 28 red-zone drives with Garoppolo as starter past two seasons. ... 49ers went three-and-out on three of 12 drives in opener after doing it on 4 of 49 non-kneeldown drives in Garoppolo's starts last year. ... Rookie WR Dante Pettis became first 49er to score TD on first career catch since Vernon Davis in 2006. ... San Francisco DL DeForest Buckner had 2 1/2 sacks last week after only three in all of 2017. ... 49ers LB Fred Warner led all rookies with 12 tackles last week. Warner also forced fumble. ... San Francisco K Robbie Gould made 26 straight FGs, one shy of Phil Dawson's franchise record. ... Fantasy tip: San Francisco's George Kittle had fourth-most targets of any TE in Week 1 with nine. He caught five for 50 yards and Lions had trouble covering everybody vs. Jets.
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