A year ago, Wilson took every snap in the regular season and the playoffs. In 2017, backup Austin Davis took five snaps. In 2016, Trevone Boykin took 53 snaps, the most of any QB to have served as Wilson’s backup in Seattle.

But it’s still an important position and one the Seahawks will begin to get a better feel for when they open the preseason hosting Denver on Thursday night. The competition between Geno Smith and Paxton Lynch has provided flashes of promise as well as a few cringe-worthy moments.

”They understand it’s going to be a tough competition. That goes a long way,” offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said. ”Ultimately, it’s going to come down to who can move the team and who can score points for us in the preseason.”

Smith would appear to be the leader just based on his experience. Smith spent last season as a backup with the Los Angeles Chargers after the majority of his career was spent in New York with the Jets and Giants. He’s five seasons removed from being a full-time starter with the Jets, but he has played in 40 career games – eight times more than Lynch.

”I got a lot of confidence in myself. I know that I can do a lot of things on the field,” Smith said. ”I believe that I am a starter, I just need another opportunity.”

Lynch was a disappointment in Denver after being taken in the first round of the 2016 draft. He was released before the start of the 2018 season. He’s started just four games in his career, with the Broncos winning only one. Seattle has been intrigued by Lynch’s combination of size and running ability, but his passing has been inconsistent.

”I was sitting on the couch watching games last year, so just having the opportunity to be out here playing with a team and having teammates again and having guys and going to work every day has brightened me up and picked up my spirits a lot,” Lynch said.

Considering the expectations that surround a first-round selection, spending last season out of football was humbling for Lynch. If he doesn’t win the backup job, Lynch could be a practice squad candidate.

”It’s hard doing something you love for so long and getting used to it season in, season out and then it kind of gets taken away from you,” Lynch said. ”But it gave me a really good opportunity to sit back and evaluate myself as a person and what I’ve done to this point, try to be grateful for the things that I had accomplished up to this point and I also took a lot of time to get better.”

Seattle’s mock game Saturday was a prime example of the mix of good and bad seen from both quarterbacks. Lynch didn’t have any highlight plays, but completed 7 of 11 passes. Smith made some questionable throws – including a pass that bounced off the crossbar and was ”intercepted” by Poona Ford and returned for a touchdown that didn’t count – but he also led a touchdown drive on the final series of the scrimmage.

The serious evaluation begins Thursday and is likely to go through the final week of the preseason.

NOTES: LB Bobby Wagner underwent an undisclosed procedure on his knee that will keep him out a couple of weeks, coach Pete Carroll said Monday. ”He has had the procedure before, it’s not his first time,” Carroll said. ”The reason I’m not telling you what it is is because I don’t know what it is. I would tell you if I knew.” Wagner participated in the Seahawks’ scrimmage over the weekend. … Seattle is still trying to determine whether TE Ed Dickson needs surgery on his knee. Carroll said if Dickson does need surgery, it would likely be a six-week recovery. … WR DK Metcalf may play Thursday after missing Seattle’s scrimmage with an oblique injury.

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New San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan would simply like to see his team score a touchdown after getting held out of the end zone again in a 12-9 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday.

It was as ugly as it sounds. After more than 112 minutes of game action, the Seahawks finally scored their first touchdown of the season on Wilson’s 9-yard strike to Paul Richardson with 7:06 remaining to take the lead for good. And it took some magical maneuvering from Wilson to even get in that position, a combination of his running and passing to finally lead Seattle to a score.

”Sometimes it’s good to win a game like that because it tests your composure,” Wilson said.

It got so bad that comedian Sarah Colonna, the wife of Seattle punter Jon Ryan, tweeted that she was tired of seeing her husband on the field after a sixth straight possession where the Seahawks punted. Even Wilson was greeted with a cascade of boos following consecutive third-quarter possessions where Seattle went three-and-out.

So yes, the Seahawks at 1-1 are probably where most expected them to be after opening the season at Green Bay. But how they got there has heightened concerns about how good Seattle can be potentially.

”Ugly as hell. Very ugly. But we did enough,” Baldwin said.

The Seahawks were quick to point out that they should have scored two touchdowns in the first half. C.J. Prosise had a potential TD bounce off his hands at the goal line on Seattle’s first drive, and Tanner McEvoy couldn’t pull in a high pass from Wilson in the end zone on the second drive.

San Francisco was never in the position to complain about missed opportunities. The 49ers accomplished something never done before in the long history of the franchise, starting a season with zero touchdowns through two games. And for the most part, the 49ers haven’t even been close. In 21 total possessions over two games, the 49ers only have three drives inside the opponents’ 20-yard line and only one inside the 10. They’re not just struggling to score, they’re not even threatening.

”We’re never satisfied. We need to get better in every facet,” Shanahan said. ”Even if we scored a bunch of touchdowns I’d be telling you the same thing.”

Here are other nuggets to know from the game:

RUNNING HIERARCHY: Seattle is making pretty clear for now the hierarchy of its running backs. And Eddie Lacy may not have a role to play.

Lacy was a healthy scratch on Sunday and then watched rookie Chris Carson rush for 93 yards on 20 carries, including 58 yards in the fourth quarter. Carson, a seventh-round pick, has impressed from the start of training camp. He received the bulk of the carries with Seattle wanting to limit Thomas Rawls’ load in his first game after missing time with a high-ankle sprain.

But with Carson impressing, Seattle knowing what it can get from Rawls when healthy and the desire to work in Prosise as the third-down back, Lacy’s role appears in question going forward.

HYDE AND SEEK: The one bright spot for San Francisco’s offense was the 124 yards rushing from Carlos Hyde. The running back averaged 8.3 yards per carry, including a 61-yard run in the second quarter that set up a field goal. It was the longest run allowed by Seattle’s defense in the regular season since 2012.

JIMMY’S ROLE: It didn’t seem possible for Graham to have a smaller role in Seattle’s offense after catching just three passes for 8 yards in the opener.

He was even more invisible against the 49ers.

Graham had one catch for 1 yard on a check down pass by Wilson. More concerning was Graham not even being looked at. Graham was targeted only two times. In the opener, Wilson threw Graham’s way seven times. He has 9 yards receiving on the season.

”That’s not what we would expect to have happen,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said.

HOYER’S DAY: San Francisco QB Brian Hoyer was never able to push the ball downfield. He threw for only 99 yards and his longest completion was 14 yards. When sacks are taken away, the 49ers had just 89 net yards passing.

”I’ve got to look at the tape and figure out what I can do a whole lot better,” Hoyer said.

DIVISION DOMINANCE: Seattle has won seven straight regular season games against the 49ers overall. At home, the Seahawks have not lost to the 49ers since late in the 2011 season.

Seattle also extended its win streak in home openers to nine. The Seahawks haven’t lost their first home game since 2008.

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Due in part to knee and ankle injuries, Seattle’s quarterback has been slowed on the ground.

The Detroit Lions , though, are preparing for him to be at his best on his feet Saturday night in an NFC wild-card game .

Wilson has played in two Super Bowls, winning one, by being one of the NFL’s most mobile quarterbacks. He escapes the grasp of defenders, steps up in collapsing pockets and moves out of them to throw to an open receiver. And if has more space to roam than a receiver has separation, he can run up the field on his own.

He just hasn’t been running past the line of scrimmage much this season.

Wilson had career lows in carries (72), yards rushing (259) and yards per rush (3.6) this season after averaging more than 700 yards rushing and 6-plus yards a carry over the previous two years.

”When I was kind of dinged up I had to hang in (the pocket) a little bit longer than sometimes I normally would maybe and I couldn’t really extend those plays as much,” he said Wednesday. ”But we were able to do a lot of great things.”

Detroit isn’t buying into Wilson’s potential demise as a threat with his feet.

”I just finished watching a whole bunch of games and he may be judicious with how much he runs, but he’s still running and he still can run,” Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. ”I don’t see any real changes in that. I know maybe the stats show that, but I’m watching the film and I know what I see. I see a guy that’s still very, very capable. He can hurt you inside and outside of the pocket.”

Controlling Wilson’s ability to move in, around and out of the pocket might be a little easier due to injuries that have lingered since the season started. Wilson hurt his right ankle in Week 1 and two weeks sprained a ligament in his left knee, an injury that potentially could have knocked him out of the lineup for several weeks.

”I haven’t really ever been injured before, dating back to high school and college so I’ve been fortunate in that way,” Wilson said. ”The great thing is I’ve been able to get through all the injuries and be able to get through to this moment. We have a great chance to do what we want to do.”

Detroit desperately wanted to win the NFC North this season, ending a division title drought that has dragged on since 1993. The Lions set themselves up to do it by winning eight of nine games to hold a two-game lead over the Green Bay Packers with three games to go. The Lions lost the championship and a home playoff game that would’ve come with it in because they couldn’t get to Aaron Rodgers often enough in Sunday night’s setback against Green Bay.

On one of four touchdown passes, Rodgers had nearly 9 seconds to throw by spinning to his left away from defensive end Kerry Hyder, setting his feet and dipping his right shoulder to move to the left again on a throw to Geronimo Allison. Rodgers ran by design at least once and at other times because he took advantage of opportunities to move the ball with his feet against the Lions.

”We need to hold the edge longer than we did against the Packers,” Hyder said. ”Give A-Rod credit, he did what he does to a lot of teams. Wilson can do the same thing, too. We have to rush him under control. If we get too far up field to get him, he’ll step up in the pocket to throw or run.”

Wilson has played through his knee sprain, but Seattle has had to change its offense in its first season retired running back Marshawn Lynch. The Seahawks aren’t using Wilson as an option with the zone-read run game, trying to limit the number of times he is exposed to take a hit.

”He’s not maybe running down the field or for as long runs, but he’s still able to buy time, get out of the pocket and create some plays outside of the pocket,” Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. ”I think that’s the most important thing. It’s not that he runs for 100 yards a game, but that he can get out of the pocket and still see down the field and still make plays. You still see that.”

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A few of the hurdles you’ll face this week:

SEATTLE WITH A HEALTHY WILSON

Russell Wilson looked healthier on Monday night against Buffalo, which meant he was able to move around more and out of the pocket and seemed to have no limitations throwing downfield. Jimmy Graham had two one-handed TD receptions, but the Patriots might limit his upside and can use cornerback Malcolm Butler on wideout Doug Baldwin. That opens up opportunities for Tyler Lockett, who finally started looking healthier last week, and versatile rookie C.J. Prosise, who could be the most-utilized Seahawks running back this week. Lockett is a bold and possibly very productive streamer, and Prosise is worth some serious point-per-reception consideration as a flex option or fill-in.

KELLEY RUNNING FOR WASHINGTON

Rob Kelley is expected to be the lead running back for Washington again this week, and while Minnesota has allowed only 15.5 fantasy points per game to the running back position according to FantasyPros.com, the Vikings have become more vulnerable to the run recently. Theo Riddick rushed for 70 yards on just 14 carries last week against Minnesota and rookie Jordan Howard had a career-high 153 yards against the Vikes the week before. Kelley is in line for volume and as a TD finisher for a team that likes to throw the ball. He is at least a viable flex play for Week 10.

FADING THE SAINTS

New Orleans has the worst pass defense in the NFL, so you might be considering starting Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian. But sometimes the matchup alone isn’t enough to make a player a viable starter. Siemian has five TD passes in his past five games. You would be better off using Jay Cutler against Tampa Bay or Carson Wentz vs. Atlanta instead.

AND THE BRONCOS RUSHING D

Denver has become very vulnerable to the running game. The Broncos now allow 21.4 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs, fourth-most among AFC teams. Mark Ingram and Tim Hightower were both startable last week and the same remains true for Week 10. The Saints are going to throw the ball even against Denver’s No. 1 pass defense, so don’t bench impressive rookie WR Michael Thomas.

ELI ROGERS

If Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger needs a pass-catcher to help him move the chains, look for Eli Rogers to carry over some of his momentum from Week 9. Rogers caught six passes for 103 yards and gives Roethlisberger a possibly reliable short and mid-range target. Consider starting Rogers as your third wide receiver.

TIGHT END STREAMERS

If you are still looking for TE help, Houston’s C.J. Fiedorowicz is criminally under-owned, available in nearly 80 percent of ESPN leagues. Fiedorowicz has double figure PPR fantasy points in four of his past five games. St. Louis’ Lance Kendricks has similar ownership percentages and is another double-figure guy in four of the last five.

WRs AGAINST 49ERS

The 49ers are historically bad against the run this year, allowing an outrageous 193 yards rushing per game. But they also allow 26.4 FFPG to opposing WRs, sixth-worst among NFL teams. Don’t hesitate to use Arizona’s J.J. Nelson, who has started to earn more targets. Michael Floyd is even worth some desperation play consideration. RB David Johnson can’t have all the fun by himself this week against the NFC’s worst team.

JAGS RUN GAME

The Jaguars started to exhibit more of a lean toward the ground game last week, as they finally started to establish more offensive balance under a new offensive coordinator. A respectable running attack is sorely needed to take some pressure off the erratic Blake Bortles. Chris Ivory finally showed some life last week with a 100-yard outing, and takes on a Houston run defense that is allowing 125.8 rushing yards per game with 10 TDs. Pop Ivory into your lineup with confidence based on momentum and the matchup.

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This column was provided to The Associated Press by the Fantasy Sports Network, http://FNTSY.com

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For the third time in the past five seasons, a Monday night game in Seattle finished with most of the attention on the mistakes of officials, this time after the Seahawks beat the Buffalo Bills 31-25.

For how good Jimmy Graham, Russell Wilson and Tyrod Taylor were in putting on an entertaining primetime performance, their efforts became overshadowed by officiating mistakes at the end of the first half that eventually played a role in the final outcome.

”I’m not really sure what happened. I will say the refs were horrible at managing it,” said Taylor, who had one of the best performances of his career throwing for 289 yards and running for another 43 yards, and giving Buffalo a chance in the closing moments. ”They made some horrible calls throughout the game, too. It’s not a thing where we’re blaming the refs. I just think they need to be held accountable for that and at least give some explanation.”

Taylor’s final pass of the night on fourth-down in the closing moments fell incomplete in the end zone and handed the Bills their third straight defeat . Taylor had to throw in that situation because of what happened at the end of the first half that cost Buffalo a shot at a reasonable field goal attempt and eventually forced the Bills to try for a touchdown in the final seconds.

The chaotic final moments of the second quarter started calmly with Dan Carpenter lining up for a 53-yard field goal with 3 seconds left and ended several minutes later with anger. Richard Sherman was called for offside and not unnecessary roughness after he crashed into Carpenter attempting to block the kick – an incorrect decision according to NFL head of officiating Dean Blandino. Buffalo was assessed an injury timeout after trainers ran on the field believing Carpenter was injured and forcing the Bills to spike the ball with 1 second left as Carpenter had to leave the field. That was followed by officials not resetting the play clock and Buffalo being assessed a delay of game and the half finally ending with Carpenter missing a 54-yard attempt.

The chaos seemed a footnote at the time with Seattle leading 28-17 at the half, and became a focal point when Buffalo rallied in the second half, but needed a touchdown at the end.

”Player safety was not in their mind. He was offside and dove at our kickers’ leg while he was in motion. That’s a dirty play,” Buffalo linebacker Jerry Hughes said.

Seattle’s been the center of crazy Monday night moments in the past. In 2012, the infamous ”Fail Mary” game ended when Golden Tate caught a disputed touchdown on the final play to give Seattle a win over Green Bay, a decision that was made by replacement officials. Last year, K.J. Wright should have been called for illegal batting for knocking a fumble out of the end zone for a Seattle touchback in the final moments of a win over Detroit. The penalty would have given possession back to Detroit but no flag was thrown.

Here’s what else to know from Seattle’s 11th straight Monday night win:

TERRIFIC TYROD: Taylor may have upstaged Wilson on a night both quarterbacks shined. Taylor was able to use his mobility to frustrate Seattle’s defense. He kept plays alive. He made smart throws. His only mistake – an interception by Sherman in the end zone – appeared to be a miscommunication with the wide receiver. Taylor completed 27 of 38 passes and was the reason Buffalo had a chance to win at the end.

HERE’S JIMMY: Graham’s first one-handed touchdown catch was good. The second was spectacular. And neither catch included Graham hurdling a defensive back in the open field like he did.

If there was any lingering question about the health of Graham’s knee, that should be gone after catching eight passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns . Graham’s first TD – a 17-yarder from Wilson – came with his left hand getting held. The second TD – from 18 yards – was with Nickell Robey-Coleman draped on him in coverage.

And if that wasn’t enough, Graham hurdled Stephon Gilmore in the open field.

ABANDON HOPE: Seattle gave up on the run game against Buffalo. The Seahawks ran the ball just 12 times for 33 yards, although that included 3-yard TD runs by Wilson and Christine Michael.

HARVIN RETURNS: Percy Harvin played a week after coming out of retirement. Harvin was in for a small handful of play but was not targeted and was not used on special teams.

He did have a special role as one of Buffalo’s pregame captains against his former team.

”It was just like I expected,” Harvin said. ”I wanted to keep my emotions in check. That was one of my big things.”

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Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers had the NFL’s top-selling jersey from April 1 to June 30. A look at the top 10.
Player Team
1. Colin Kaepernick 49ers
2. Russell Wilson Seahawks
3. Robert Griffin III Redskins
4. Adrian Peterson Vikings
5. Peyton Manning Broncos
6. Ryan Tannehill Dolphins
7. Tom Brady Patriots
8. Ray Lewis Ravens
9. Aaron Rodgers Packers
10. Brian Urlacher Bears

Quarterbacks finished in four of the top five slots based on sales from April 1-June 30 on NFLShop.com. Seattle Seahawks signal-called Russell Wilson finished second to Kaepernick, followed by Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning.

Among just drafted rookies, Manti Te’o’s No. 50 San Diego Chargers jersey was the most popular. Tavon Austin, EJ Manuel, Cordarrelle Patterson and Eddie Lacy rounded out the top 5. Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith did not crack the top 5, perhaps suggesting that fans aren’t ready to put their Mark Sanchez jerseys in the closet just yet.

Retiring didn’t seem to hurt the jersey sales of two high-profile linebackers. Ray Lewis finished eighth in jersey sales over the last three months and Brian Urlacher took the 10th spot.

Despite losing the Super Bowl, the 49ers are leading the offseason in jersey sales, followed by the Seahawks, the only team whose jersey was completely changed last season with the league’s new Nike deal. Rounding out the top five were the Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots.

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The other known candidates to replace the fired Ken Whisenhunt are Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton, Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley and Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden.

With the exception of Horton, the candidates are rooted in offense and that’s the Cardinals’ area of greatest need. Arizona had the worst offense in the NFL last season.

Bevell, who also is in the running for the Chicago Bears’ job, played a key role in the development of rookie quarterback Russell Wilson. The tandem of Bevell and Wilson, who both played college ball at Wisconsin, helped the Seahawks’ offense become more potent as the season progressed.

Seattle put together an impressive rally before losing 30-28 at Atlanta in the NFC semifinals last weekend.

Bevell, 43, has local roots. He grew up in Scottsdale, and attended Chaparral High. He spent a redshirt freshman season at Northern Arizona before leaving for a two-year Mormon mission. When Bevell returned, he enrolled at Wisconsin and quarterbacked the Badgers to a Rose Bowl victory over UCLA in 1994.

He joined the professional coaching ranks in 2000 as an offensive assistant in Green Bay and was promoted to quarterbacks coach of the Packers three years later. Bevell served as the offensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings from 2006 to 2010. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll brought him in as offensive coordinator in 2011.

The Cardinals’ list of potential coaches lost a name when the San Diego Chargers hired Mike McCoy.

The Cardinals obviously had high interest in McCoy, interviewing him in Denver over the Broncos’ bye weekend in the first round of the playoffs. They wanted a second interview, but were thwarted when the Chargers closed the deal.

It was the second time a would-be candidate was taken away. Cardinals president Michael Bidwill had reached out to fired Philadelphia coach Andy Reid but never even got a chance to interview him because the Kansas City Chiefs moved in quickly to secure an agreement.

Whisenhunt, interviewed for several NFL head coaching jobs since his dismissal, was fired by Arizona after six seasons, tied for the longest tenure for a coach in the Cardinals’ long, mostly losing history. He got the team to the Super Bowl in his second season and won a second straight NFC West title the following year, but quarterback Kurt Warner retired and the team’s offense never recovered.

The Cardinals used four quarterbacks this season. Only Kevin Kolb had much success, helping the team to a 4-0 start before going down in week six with what proved to be a season-ending rib injury. Kolb threw for eight touchdowns with three interceptions. The other three QBs — John Skelton, rookie Ryan Lindley, and late-season pickup Brian Hoyer combined for three TDs and 18 picks.

Arizona went six games without a touchdown pass, losing 11 of its last 12 to finish 5-11.

Arizona also fired general manager Rod Graves, promoting Steve Keim, the vice president for player personnel, to fill the vacancy.

Horton, who also interviewed for the jobs in Buffalo and Cleveland before those teams went elsewhere for a coach, has a year left on his contract as defensive coordinator and presumably would return to that job if he doesn’t get the head coaching position.

The Cardinals have confirmed interviews with Horton and Gruden but not with Haley, although Steelers president Art Rooney II told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the interview did take place.

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The Atlanta Falcons finally showed they could win a playoff game.

And, wow, what a game it was!

After a meltdown in the fourth quarter, the Falcons pulled off a comeback that will long be remembered in championship-starved Atlanta. Ryan completed two long passes and Bryant kicked a 49-yard field goal with 8 seconds remaining, lifting the NFC’s top seed to a stunning 30-28 victory over Russell Wilson and the gutty Seattle Seahawks in a divisional game Sunday.

“Wow!” said Falcons coach Mike Smith, summing up this classic as well as anyone could.

Atlanta (14-3) squandered a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter, falling behind for the first time all day when Marshawn Lynch scored on a 2-yard run with 31 seconds left and Ryan Longwell knocked through the extra point for a 28-27 lead.

No team has ever won a playoff game when facing such a daunting deficit in the final period.

The Falcons, thanks to a pair of Matty Ices — Ryan and Bryant — didn’t become the first.

Ryan, shaking off his struggles in three previous playoff losses and two interceptions against the Seahawks, hooked up with Harry Douglas on a 29-yard pass in front of the Falcons bench, and Smith quickly signaled a timeout. Then, Ryan went down the middle to his favorite target Gonzalez, a Hall of Famer-to-be playing what could’ve been his final game.

Gonzalez hauled in the 19-yard throw, and Smith called his final timeout with 13 seconds remaining. Instead of risking another play and having the clock run out, he sent Bryant in for the field goal try.

The Seahawks called time just before the ball was snapped, and Bryant’s kick sailed right of the upright. That turned out to be nothing more than practice. The next one was right down the middle as Bryant took off in the other direction, pumping his fist before he was mobbed by his teammates.

“Our quarterback is a special player,” Smith said. “They call him Matty Ice, but I feel like we’ve got two Matty Ices. There’s Matty Ice Ryan and Matty Ice Bryant.”

The Falcons overcame their reputation for choking in the playoffs, winning their first postseason game since the 2004 season. They’ll host San Francisco in the NFC championship game next Sunday with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.

“Nobody flinched,” Ryan said. “We just kept battling, kept doing what we do. That’s been the makeup of our team all season.”

Bryant knocked through his third game-winning kick of the season. But he’d never made one like this, with so much on the line.

“When they scored their touchdown, I walked down (the sideline),” he said. “I told the offensive line, I told Matt (Ryan), I told all the receivers, `We’ve done this before.”

Wilson threw two touchdown passes and ran for another, doing all he could to pull off the most improbable of comebacks for the Seahawks (12-6). But the Seattle defense, which is one of the NFL’s best and had totally stymied the Falcons in the fourth quarter, went to a softer coverage and got burned.

Atlanta had just enough time to pull off a comeback of its own.

“We had high, high hopes for the rest of the season,” Wilson said. “When the game was over, I was very disappointed. But walking back into the tunnel, I got so excited about next year. The resilience we showed was unbelievable.”

Wilson finished with 385 yards passing as the Seahawks wiped out a 27-7 deficit entering the final quarter. When Lynch powered over, the ball breaking the goal line just before it squirted from his arms, Seattle celebrated like it had won its second straight playoff game on the road, having already taken care of Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins.

According to STATS, it would’ve been the greatest fourth-quarter comeback in NFL playoff history.

Not so fast.

Ryan led the Falcons back, wiping out his 0-3 mark in the playoffs, including a crushing loss to Green Bay two years ago when the Falcons were in the same position, the NFC’s top-seeded team with home-field advantage in the playoffs.

“The one thing I’ve learned during my five years in the league, and specifically in the postseason, is that it’s hard,” Ryan said.

Now, he’ll no longer be asked why he can’t win in the playoffs.

“That’s going to be nice,” Ryan conceded. “But our goal is not to win one playoff game. Our goals are still in front of us. We still have two more games to go. That’s the mind-set I have. That’s the mind-set this team has.”

Wilson’s last throw, a desperation heave into the end zone, was intercepted by Falcons receiver Julio Jones.

Gonzalez, who had never won a playoff game in his 16-year career, broke down in tears after Bryant’s kick went through the uprights.

“I’ve never cried after a win,” said Gonzalez, who has stated repeatedly that he’s “95 percent” sure this is his final year. “I was thinking, `Here we go again. I guess it wasn’t meant to be.”

It was.

The Falcons finally lived up to their excellence during the regular season since Smith, Ryan and general manager Thomas Dimitroff took over in 2008, instantly reviving a franchise that seemed down and out after Michael Vick’s dogfighting case. Atlanta has won 56 regular-season games over the last five years, more than any team except New England, but had a reputation for choking in the postseason.

Check that off the list. Atlanta is one win away from the second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.

Ryan threw three touchdown passes, tying a Falcons playoff record, and finished 24 of 35 for 250 yards — the first time he’s eclipsed 200 yards in the postseason. He threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Gonzalez, a 47-yarder to Roddy White and a 5-yarder to Jason Snelling, the latter with 2:11 left in the third quarter to give the Falcons a seemingly commanding lead.

Wilson took over from there, running 1 yard for a touchdown to make it 27-14, then going to Zach Miller on a 3-yard touchdown pass that closed the gap to 27-21.

Finally, taking over at his own 39 after an Atlanta punt, Wilson completed three passes for 50 yards, the last of them a short throw to Lynch that the bruising runner took all the way to the Falcons 3. The rookie quarterback made it all possible, spinning away from blitzing Atlanta linebacker Sean Weatherspoon to keep the play alive.

The Seahawks, though, will spend the offseason kicking themselves for that last Falcons’ drive, and for squandering two scoring chances in the first half.

On fourth-and-1 at the Atlanta 11, Seattle passed on a field goal and a chance to give the ball to Lynch, their beast of a back. Fullback Michael Robinson took the handoff and was stuffed for a 1-yard loss by safety William Moore.

Then, with the clock winding down before halftime, Seattle used up all its timeouts and wound up regretting it when Wilson was sacked by Jonathan Babineaux at the Atlanta 20. Time ran out before the Seahawks could get off another play, sending Atlanta to the locker room with a 20-0 lead.

Bryant also connected on field goals of 37 and 39 yards in the first half.

“At halftime, we talked about how we can’t get ahead right away. It’s going to take a while,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. “It was an exquisite job of refocusing to a football game after being down like that.”

Game notes

The Falcons played the second half without defensive end John Abraham, who re-injured his ailing right ankle. No word whether he’ll be able to play next week. … The Falcons did a good job on Lynch, who was held to 46 yards on 16 carries. … Atlanta got surprising production out of its maligned running game. Michael Turner rushed for 98 yards, Jacquizz Rodgers added 64 and the Falcons finished with a season-high 167 yards overall.

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Seattle at Atlanta
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 13, 2013
Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX.
Line: Falcons -2.5, O/U 46

Oddsmakers currently have the Falcons listed as 3-point favorites versus the Seahawks, while the game’s total is sitting at 45.

Seattle did not deviate from its game plan despite the early two-touchdown deficit at Washington and rallied behind rookie quarterback Russell Wilson, who threw for 187 yards and a touchdown and ran for 67 yards on eight carries. Wilson continues to play with the poise of a veteran, throwing 17 touchdown passes and only two interceptions in the past nine games. He has the luxury of a sledgehammer behind him in running back Marshawn Lynch, who rushed for a season-high 132 yards and a touchdown. Lynch, who finished third in the league with 1,590 yards, has reeled off five straight 100-yard games and 11 overall this season. He had only 24 yards on eight carries in last season’s 30-28 loss to the Falcons in Seattle. The defense suffered a huge blow with an injury to DE Chris Clemons, who leads the team with 11.5 sacks.

Last time out for Seattle, they were a 24-14 winner as they battled the Redskins on the road. The Seahawks covered in the match as a 3-point favorite, while 38 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Seattle: 11-5 SU, 11-5 ATS
When playing in January are 5-5
When playing on turf are 8-2
After outgaining opponent are 9-1
When playing outside the division are 8-2
Seattle is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle’s last 6 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle’s last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle’s last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 5 games at home

Atlanta won its first seven home games before falling to Tampa Bay in a meaningless regular-season finale. That gave Ryan a 33-6 career record at the Georgia Dome. The former No. 3 overall pick posted career highs with 4,719 yards and 32 touchdowns passes and has perhaps the league’s most complete receiving corps at his disposal. Roddy White and deep threat Julio Jones each surpassed 1,100 yards and combined for 17 scoring passes while ageless tight end Tony Gonzalez hauled in 93 receptions for 930 yards and eight touchdowns. The running game ranked just 29th in the league with an average of 87.3 yards. Michael Turner posted only two 100-yard games and ran for more than 52 yards once in the second half of the season. Atlanta’s defense surrendered an average of 18.7 points and will hope sack leader John Abraham (10) is recovered from an ankle injury.

Atlanta was a 22-17 loser in its last match at home against the Buccaneers. They failed to cover the 2.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score of 39 sent UNDER bettors to the payout window.

Atlanta: 13-3 SU, 9-6-1 ATS
When playing in January are 4-6
When playing on turf are 8-2
After being outgained are 7-3
When playing outside the division are 10-0
Atlanta is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta’s last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 6 games when playing Seattle

Prediction: Falcons 23, Seahawks 21.

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