3 Reasons Why The 49ers Will Beat Atlanta

The 49ers travel to Atlanta to play the Falcons on Sunday afternoon with a berth in the Super Bowl on the line.  Here are three reasons why I see the 49ers winning on Sunday.

1) Defense

The 49ers have the best defense left in the playoffs.  They have the unique ability to shut down the oppositions run game while sitting in their Nickle or Dime formation, and they should be able to do that again Sunday.  Don't let the running you saw on Sunday fool you.  The Seahawks have not been a very good run defense all season and the Falcons took advantage.

Once the 49ers shut down the run it will be up to Matt Ryan to move the Falcon offense.  No offense to  Ryan, but is he better than Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, or Tom Brady?  All are quarterbacks that the 49ers have defeated on the road in 2012.

2)  The multiplicity of the offense

So you think stopping Colin Kaepernick will stop the 49ers offense?  Go ahead, here comes Frank Gore who quietly gouged Green Bay for over 100 yards on Saturday night.

Going to put 8 in the box to shut down the run?  Go ahead, no you are one on one with Randy Moss, Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis in the pass game, and oh yeah, now Kaepernick can scramble through your secondary while they are chasing receivers in man coverage.

This offense can beat you in any number of ways.  The key, Greg Roman must be willing to stick with the ground game early and often.  It is the strength of this offense, and the thing that gets it going.  Start grinding on the smallish defensive front for Atlanta, and mix in the play action pass.

3)  Michael Crabtree

Crabtree has developed into an elite level Wide Receiver in 2012.  For the first time in his NFL career he has been healthy all year long, and it is showing.  He has become the man.  Everyone on both sides of the ball knows it, but yet they can't stop him.  He will again go over 100 yards and get at least 1 touchdown against the Atlanta secondary.