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ATLANTA FALCONS
Seattle Seahawks

Roddy White reveals Falcons' game plan

Jim Corbett, USA TODAY Sports
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White (84) before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Bring on those jams, Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner.

Atlanta Falcons wide receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones say they will be ready for the Seattle Seahawks cornerbacks' tight coverage at the line of scrimmage and all the trash talking.

"We've got some good plays, some things we can take advantage of, especially some double moves on those guys, make them start and stop because they struggle with that,'' White told USA TODAY Sports. "Those guys want to grab and push you to the sideline and make you work that kind of way.

"Me and Julio are going to be a lot more physical this game. We're going to have to get after it real early. We've talked about it all week -- about basically just going out there and taking the fight to them.''

White was asked about some media reports that give the edge to Seahawks rookie Russell Wilson in the quarterback battle in Sunday's NFC divisional playoff game.

"If Russell Wilson is a better quarterback than Matt Ryan, then I don't know nothing about football. I'm going to quit. I'm going to retire before this game starts,'' White said. "Matt is ready to go. We're ready to go. We want to go out there and show everybody that we can win a playoff game.''

Jones torched the Seahawks for 11 catches and 127 yards in Atlanta's 30-28 win against Seattle last year.

"We just have to keep doing what we've been doing: Go out there and try to make plays because they're big, physical corners and very rangy,'' Jones said. "They're very talented and great athletes.''

Jones says he won't let a boisterous, cocky cornerback get inside his head.

"I can't hear them talking on film,'' Jones said. "I'm not a talker. I just go out there and do my job and be physical. We've had a great week of preparation. We just have to line up and play for each other.''

White and Jones feed off each other, with four-time Pro Bowler White serving as the older brother/mentor. White and Jones are the first Falcons teammates to post 1,00 receiving yards in the same season since Tony Martin and Terance Mathis in 1998, when the Falcons were NFC champions and lost to John Elway and the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl.

White finished with 92 catches and 1,351 yards, becoming the fifth player in league history to record three consecutive seasons with 90-plus receptions and 1,200-plus yards. And Jones, in his second season, emerged a lethal deep threat with 79 catches, 1,198 yards and a team-high 10 touchdowns this season. White and Jones have combined for 17 touchdowns and 2,549 yards. Combined they have topped 100 yards in a game 11 times.

"Roddy has stepped up as a leader and done a great job being one of those core mentors,'' Falcons coach Mike Smith says. "His work ethic and toughness are unbelievable. Roddy hasn't missed a snap. That tells you the type competitor he is. And Julio has a great understanding of what those guys are trying to do.''

The 6-3 Sherman was tied for second in the league with eight interceptions, while Browner is 6-4 and can knock receivers off their timing routes.

"It's going to be a good matchup, strength on strength and it's going to be fun to watch the guys compete, because they're going to be similar in size,'' Smith said. "That doesn't happen for Roddy and Julio most times, nor does it happen for those corners we're playing.

"It's going to be very competitive because our guys are ultra-competitive. And from what I've seen of Seattle's two corners, they're playing very well and with a lot of confidence.''

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