When the NFL postseason started, it didn't look like the Falcons were going to to have an easy road to the Super Bowl. To get to the big game, they were going to have to beat a Seahawks team that beat them 26-24 during the regular season.
After that, the Falcons had to beat a Packers team that nearly beat them in Atlanta during the regular season. In the end, the Falcons dominated both rematches, beating the Seahawks by 16 (34-21) and the Packers by 23 (44-21).
According to Dez Bryant, the reason the Falcons had such an easy time getting to the Super Bowl is because they didn't have to face the Cowboys.
The wide receiver, who's in Orlando, Florida, for the Pro Bowl this week, was asked about the Falcons' playoff run Thursday, and let's just say that Dez doesn't seem to think much of the Packers or Seahawks.
"I'm not being biased because I play for the Cowboys, but I think we're the only team that had a shot to beat the Falcons," Bryant told the Dallas Morning News.
That sounds biased.
Unfortunately for Bryant, the Cowboys didn't get a chance to play the Falcons, because they couldn't beat the Packers. In a 34-31 loss to Green Bay, the host Cowboys watched helplessly as Aaron Rodgers took over the game and led the Packers to an improbable win.
If the Cowboys had beat the Packers, an Atlanta-Dallas NFC title game might've been the highest-rated, highest-scoring, wildest title game in modern history. However, we'll never know for sure, since the Cowboys lost.
The fact that Bryant was answering questions about the Falcons was slightly ironic. He's actually only in the Pro Bowl because Julio Jones backed out due to the fact that he has a bigger game to worry about.
As for who's going to win the Super Bowl, Dez is picking the Falcons. However, he won't be watching the Patriots and Falcons in Super Bowl LI from Houston.
Dez Bryant didn't watch the NFC title game. "I'm not watching the Super Bowl." Why not? "Because we're not in it." Thinks ATL will win.
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) January 26, 2017
Although Bryant isn't watching or playing in the Super Bowl this season, it sounds like he's expecting to play in it next season.
"We built something that can last," Bryant told the Dallas Morning News. "It can only get better. We have a great opportunity to do something special. We got something bright. We got something very special in the future."
