The wheels fell off for the Chiefs in the second half.
But the Falcons kept rolling.
Matt Cassel had the Chiefs in game at halftime, but a pair of second-half interceptions allowed Atlanta to storm to a 40-24 win in the first game to go final Sunday.
There were only two punts the entire game, one for each side.
But the biggest takeaway from this one is how smooth the Falcons looked on offense, in new coordinator Dirk Koetter’s first game calling plays.
Granted, the Chiefs were short-handed because of injuries and a suspension to Tamba Hali, but you can’t attribute the Falcons’ work to anyone else.
Matt Ryan was a clean 23-of-31 for 299 yards and three touchdowns, spreading it to six different receivers. Julio Jones had 108 yards and two scores, and tight end Tony Gonzalez added a score.
Ryan had grown comfortable with Mike Mularkey as his coordinator, the only one he’s had as a pro, but he also hadn’t won a playoff game. Whether Koetter’s able to change that remains to be seen, but for the moment, they were spreading the ball around beautifully.
The Falcons also committed just two penalties, and didn’t turn it over. They also did it without a huge day from Michael Turner (11 carries for 32 yards), but they didn’t need to run.
Because of their lack of playoff success, they’ve been undervalued this offseason, but they proved Sunday they’ll be able to score with anyone.