Falcons Earn Huge Road Win in Seattle

The battle of the two teams who recently lost heartbreaking Super Bowls to the New England Patriots took place last night in Seattle.

And wouldn't you know it, there were some echoes of the all too memorable Super Bowl losses for both teams.

The Falcons were flying all over the field for much, if not most, of the game, and built a sizable lead, only to see the Seahawks start to mount a serious comeback.

And the Seahawks were unable to prevent their opponents from scoring in the final quarter, when it mattered most. Plus, there was a decision that they might regret for a long time to come, particularly if they wind up missing out on the playoffs by a single game.

Yes, at the very least, you cannot say that this game was boring.

Both of these teams were legitimate playoff contenders going in, and both started to show enough to warrant what seemed to be serious speculation for a possible Super Bowl run, based on their play thus far. The Falcons have shown glimpses, although until last night, that was mostly based off the strength of the season that they enjoyed last year, and their early season start, when they looked smoking hot.

It was an intense game, but Atlanta seemed to hold the advantage through most of the game, as Seattle's defense really struggled to contain the Falcons offense, which looked like it was back in the form that it as in throughout last season.

But in the end, it came down to this: Atlanta held a sizable 11-point lead late in the fourth, but the Seahawks managed to score a touchdown and a two-point conversion to pull within a field goal. And - wouldn't you know it? - the Seahawks held the Falcons and got the ball back with time running out, as Atlanta once again failed to run time off the clock.

And it came down to a field goal attempt, which seemed like it could be good, and force overtime.

Except placekicker Blair Walsh kicked it just short, thus preserving the win for Atlanta.

This was an important victory for the defending NFC champions, who now move into the Wildcard spot for the time being, replacing Seattle. It is the biggest win for the Falcons this season, and suddenly, Seattle is looking surprisingly shaky, to boot.