What to Expect
-With the 49ers on Offense
San Francisco has a well-balanced attack in both rushing and passing. Frank Gore is the number-one target for getting the ball on the ground, but we've all see how effective Colin Kaepernick can be when a passing play breaks down or a rush is designed for him. He actually averaged more yards per carry than Gore last weekend. Kaepernick's favorite target through the air is Michael Crabtree, who has big play ability. He has one of the better tight end options in the league with Vernon Davis, who can match up well with most members of a given defense. The Falcons are one of the worst teams in allowing rushing yards to opposing quarterbacks, so don't be surprised if Kaepernick does to Atlanta what Michael Vick did for years in a Falcons jersey.
The Falcons may have held their last three regular season opponents to fewer than 20 points, but the fourth quarter collapse at home against the Seahawks is a large cause for concern.
-With the Falcons on Offense
Matt Ryan led the Falcons to the sixth-best passing attack in the league this season, and has a pair of playmaking wide receivers in Roddy White and Julio Jones. Tight end Tony Gonzalez hasn't shown any signs of aging this year, notching 930 receiving yards, which is third on the team. The running game for the Falcons isn't much more than a worst-case scenario option, with Michael Turner and Jacquizz Rodgers both averaging fewer than four yards per carry. (In a much smaller sample size, Ryan, a pocket passer, has a YPC of 4.1.)
The Niners have the best defense by far of the four remaining teams, ranking fourth in the NFL in both rushing and passing defense. Only one other team has a top-ten rank in either of those categories, let alone both. (The Pats are 9th in opposing passing yards.)
-With the 49ers' Special Teams
David Akers has struggled considerably this season, so no three points are a given for the San Fran squad. Andy Lee has been effective as the punter. On the other side, the 49ers have almost a handful of kick and punt returners with quick feet and an eye for extra yardage, led by LaMichael James, who is averaging close to 30 yards per kick return.
-With the Falcons' Special Teams
Matt Bryant may have missed what seemed to be an important field goal last weekend, but it didn't make a difference. Because Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll called a timeout, the botched attempt gave Bryant an extra try. Instead of being part of the team's demise with a wide field goal, he gave the team a win to spare another huge playoff choke job. Punter Matt Bosher has had a solid season setting up the game of field possession for his team. Atlanta has a decent returner in Rodgers, but not too much otherwise.
Calling an Audible
The Falcons have a couple of factors that could drastically change the pace of the game if they go well. Those big ifs:
-finding a way to slow down Kaepernick with a containment defense and force him to throw
-trying to win the time of possession game by erasing Gore's consistency
Atlanta has a better chance of doing the latter by keeping the ball in Ryan's hands, but both are possible.
Prediction
The Falcons won't have another huge disappointment toward the end of the game because they'll never have a big lead. San Francisco will run early and often, and it will be up to Atlanta to catch up.
49ers 35-28
Watch the game live on Sunday January 20 at 3:00pm EST on FOX. NFL.com has a live stream. There are three different ways to listen online: via the NFL Audio Pass, Sirius XM 86 or 92, and Dial Global as well.
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