The divisional round of the NFL playoffs kicks off this Saturday and the Falcons will once again face the Green Bay Packers at the Georgia Dome to see who will move on and play in the NFC Championship game next Sunday. Falcons are favorite to win by 2.5 points and have they already have an advantage due to having last week off and resting their starters the second half of the last game of the season against Carolina. However, they are facing a Green Bay team that is playing their best football lately, coming off a huge win over the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field last week.
The last time these two teams got together was right after Thanksgiving and the Falcons came away with a 20-17 win with Matt Bryant kicking a 47-yard game-winning field goal with nine seconds left. It was a game where both quarterback played well, as Matt Ryan completed 24-of-28 of his passes while Aaron Rodgers threw for 344 yards while adding 51 yards on the ground.
Since that game, both teams went in different directions to get to where they are now. The Packers went on to beat San Francisco soundly, but had two tough losses against Detroit and New England. Part of the reason they lost those two games was Rodgers suffered a concussion in the game against Detroit and missed almost all of that game along with the New England game. He came back on December 26 and led the Packers to a 45-17 drubbing over the New York Giants and they went on to win against the Chicago Bears 10-3 to clinch the last wild card spot.
The Falcons on the other hand had better luck than the Packers when it comes to staying healthy and winning games. After the win against the Packers, they went on the road for three straight weeks and defeated Tampa Bay, Carolina and Seattle. They came back home and lost to New Orleans, but bounced back the following week to defeat Carolina and with that win, they clinched the NFC South title for the first time since 2004 and the No. 1 seed in the postseason for the first time since 1980.
So based on those paths one would think the Falcons should cruise past Green Bay. Well, that’s not the case because a lot of media experts picked Green Bay to play in the Super Bowl before the season began and they seem to be hitting their stride at the right time. One of the key factors in their win last week was the emergence of a running game. Rookie James Starks rushed for 23 carries for 123 yards which helped Rodgers be more effective in the pocket, throwing for three touchdowns in the win.
But as good as the Packers are on offense, the defense is the strength of the team. Clay Matthews was named Defensive Player of the Year by Sporting News and Charles Woodson is the reigning AP Defensive Player of the Year. They also have A.J. Hawk, Nick Collins and B.J. Raji who have made plays all year long.
But the Falcons also have a good balance on offense and defense. The key for the Falcons offense to be successful against Green Bay is using Michael Tuner as much as possible. If Turner is able to get going early, it will open so many opportunities for Ryan to get the ball to Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez, Michael Jenkins and Harry Douglass.
On the flip side, the Falcons defensive line has to get pressure on Rodgers if they want to win. But they also have to make sure to keep the running game in check because Starks is coming into the game with some momentum. If John Abraham and company can get to Rodgers early and often, he will not have the 344-yard performance like he did when these two teams met in November.
Based on the talent for both teams, it’s a coin flip when it comes to deciding who the winner is going to be. Falcons do have the edge because of the Dome field advantage, but the after beating Philadelphia last week, Green Bay feels like they can beat anybody, anytime, anywhere. One thing is for sure, it has the makings to be a classic game and whoever is in the Georgia Dome to watch this game will get their money’s worth.
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