Super Bowl Central Blog

Hoping for some fireworks in this year's NFL playoffs? You may not have long to wait if regular season stats are any indication. On Saturday, in the opening contest of the postseason, the No. 2-ranked passing attack of the Cardinals will go up against the 21st-ranked pass defense of the Falcons while Atlanta's second-ranked running game takes on Arizona's 16th-ranked run defense. Obviously, predicting the outcome of this contest isn't as simple as looking at statistical rankings, but the numbers certainly indicate the potential for a shoot-out is there.

Because both team's offensive strengths work against the other's defensive weaknesses, I wouldn't expect either to vary drastically from the approach that got them into the playoffs. The Cardinals, behind the combination of quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, will look to attack through the air and try to open things up for their run game by spreading the field early.

The Falcons, on the other hand, will hammer the Cardinals defense on the ground with their power running game led by Michael Turner and complemented by the speedy Jerious Norwood. Assuming they can establish some sort of ground attack, which is a pretty safe assumption, it will force the Cardinals to put a safety close to the line of scrimmage, which in turn will open up the play action for quarterback Matt Ryan. Their approach will also further serve to help their defense by keeping the ball out of Warner's hands if Turner and company can keep the chains moving.

The determining factor in this game, however, may just boil down to which team can best utilize the less effective facets of their attack to keep the other off balance. In my view, that favors the Falcons.

While Atlanta does not possess the most stifling run defense in the league, they should be good enough to stuff Arizona's league-worst rushing game without having to resort to bringing extra defenders down into the box, which in turn will keep Arizona's offense one-dimensional and allow the Falcons to concentrate on handcuffing Fitzgerald and Boldin. Easier said than done, I know.

But on the other hand, the Falcons are capable of moving the ball through the air if they need to. So if the Cardinals choose to crowd the line of scrimmage to stop Atlanta's rushing attack, the combination of Ryan -- who is playing like a seasoned veteran instead of the rookie he is -- and wide receiver Roddy White could connect on some big plays to tip the balance in favor of the Falcons.

Prediction: Atlanta 30, Arizona 28