Deja vu is something else. After defeating the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Round of the 2017 NFL playoffs, the Atlanta Falcons are set to host the Green Bay Packers in the NFC championship game.
In 2010, Green Bay came to Atlanta in the post season and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers lit up the Falcons for 366 yards along with three touchdown passes. In what was supposed to be the Falcon's coronation moment, they were blown out at home 48-21. This heartbreak killed the momentum the franchise had built, and it also ruined the confidence of Falcons fans.
Two years later, the Falcons found themselves in a similar position. They had dominated the regular season in 2012, and had advanced to the NFC Championship game. In a battle at home against the San Francisco 49ers, the Falcons jumped out to a 17 point lead and seemed bound for the Super Bowl. However, miscues by Atlanta and the brilliance of 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick resulted in San Francisco winning 28-24. This loss was arguably more devastating than any other loss in franchise history. Blowing such a huge lead and then being only 10-yards away from making a comeback victory at the end is a gut punch to any fanbase. It is an even worse feeling however for us Atlanta sports fans that have not witnessed a professional sports championship since 1995.
As an Atlanta sports fan, and specifically a Falcons fan I have endured all the jokes about my team's lack of success. Every time something good happens, national media members and other sports fans dismiss our teams as if they are nothing. Major sports networks such as ESPN don't even consider us as viable contenders despite evidence to the contrary. It has been a long and frustrating journey being a fan of Atlanta sports, and that is why this upcoming NFC Championship game is so important.
Atlanta needs a championship badly. Winning against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, and then a Super Bowl victory over either the New England Patriots or the Pittsburgh Steelers would erase all the pain i've felt as a fan my entire life. Those three other franchises are the classic teams that always seem to win and that have some of the largest fan bases. The Packers are also the team that tore my heart out in 2010, so a victory against them would be amazing. The Falcons are the underdog in this group that no one seems to even give consideration to. What better way to vindicate our city than to win it all this season.
We have to go one week at a time, and there is no way one can overlook Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. However, I have seen the effort and the heart that the should-be-MVP Matt Ryan has displayed along with his teammates. Falcons head coach Dan Quinn and the team's owner Arthur Blank have built a culture that preaches brotherhood both on and off the field. This team isn't waiting for tomorrow, instead it wants to seize the day.
In the past I have been hopeful about this team and then been let down. This year, I have a different feeling. Whether I am right or wrong, we shall see, but I have seen a difference in this Falcon's team. In this previous game against the Seattle Seahawks, the Falcons played with an attitude and with passion that I had not seen before. They know what this city needs, and they will continue to "Rise Up" to the occasion until a championship is brought to Atlanta.
