FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — This is why the Falcons have been saving John Abraham all season.
Still going strong in his 12th NFL season, the former Jets star had his practice repetitions cut back and was put on a strict snap limit in games during the regular season with an eye toward what awaits Atlanta today at MetLife Stadium: the playoffs.
Abraham is now the league’s active sack leader in the wake of Jason Taylor’s retirement, and the Falcons are hoping their conservative ways with Abraham this fall will allow them to unleash him on Eli Manning and the Giants this afternoon in their NFC Wild Card game.
“We’ve rested him, and we feel like we should be fresh with him,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said this week. “We’ve had him on a play count all season long, and now is an opportunity for us to extend his snaps going into the postseason.”
Or, as Abraham put it: “I’m ready to let loose.”
That could be bad news for Big Blue, considering the 33-year-old Abraham did more than a reputable job of letting loose during the season, even in the face of the restrictions on his playing time and the Falcons’ defensive scheme.
Abraham, a first-round pick by the Jets in 2000 who was traded to Atlanta six years later after he recoiled at the franchise-player designation, notched a team-high 9 1/2 sacks in 15 games.
Abraham’s sack total is even more impressive considering he dropped back into pass coverage as part of zone-blitz play calls more than any other player at his position in the NFL this season — 15 percent of the time, according to Pro Football Focus.
“John’s got a lot of versatility,” Smith said. “His ability to play in coverage gives us a lot of flexibility, because he can do it from the position of defensive end or as a stand-up linebacker.”
The Falcons no doubt will need Abraham to excel at both rushing Manning and dropping into coverage against the Giants’ fleet of talented receivers and tight ends if Atlanta hopes to slow down Big Blue’s potent passing game.
Abraham thinks he has a good idea of what tactic will work best.
“The key with Eli is getting as much pressure as possible on him,” Abraham said. “He’s a smart guy who does a great job with his play-action fakes and great job of getting the ball out quickly. In order for us to have a good day, we’re going to have to get in his face and move him out of the pocket.”
Abraham said this week he is even more motivated this year by his poor — and thin — playoff record.
Abraham won his first career postseason game when the Jets routed the Colts 41-0 in 2003, but found himself on the losing side in each of his three subsequent playoff appearances, including two with the Falcons.
“This is my 12th year, and I haven’t seen too many playoff games as a player,” Abraham said. “Being in my position, you realize that [getting to the postseason] isn’t anywhere near as easy as it looks and it doesn’t come around anywhere near as often as you think it will.”