When you’re struggling on the road, Lambeau Field is probably the last place you want to visit. That is the test that the Falcons face this Sunday when they travel to Green Bay to face the 2-2 Packers. The performances away from home haven’t been all bad, as the Falcons were right there in the fourth quarter at Tampa Bay and Carolina. But we’re still talking about a team that has yet to stick the ball in the end zone away from home.
A .500 record at this point isn’t terrible, but this young team has some growing up to do. The Falcons will have to grow up quickly if they want a winning result this weekend. Here are a few of the keys to getting that result.
1. PRESSURE THE QUARTERBACK
Aaron Rodgers says that he intends to play on Sunday, but the Packers aren’t so sure, as Mike McCarthy has said that Rodgers will be a game-time decision. But whether it is Rodgers or rookie Matt Flynn (who you SEC fans should remember from his days at LSU), the Falcons need to be in the QB’s face early and often.
No one came close to Jake Delhomme last week and he torched the secondary by throwing for 294 yards on 20-of-29 passing. If John Abraham and company can’t create pressure, receivers Greg Jennings and Donald Driver will go nuts just like Muhsin Muhammad and Steve Smith did last Sunday.
Despite the struggles up front last week, this is not an unattainable goal. The Falcons have shown the ability to get into the backfield and rattle the quarterback. Just ask Kansas City signal caller Tyler Thigpen, who is probably still seeing John Abraham in his sleep. Meanwhile, the Packers’ offensive line has lost its way recently, giving up eight sacks over the last two weeks. It’s no coincidence that the Pack lost both of those games. If the Falcons can get in Rodgers’ and/or Flynn’s grill early and often, Green Bay could be on its way to a third consecutive defeat.
2. HELP TURNER
Say what you want about Matt Ryan’s potential and ability, but the key to this offense is the run game. Michael Turner’s numbers say it all. He set the team rushing record in a Week 1 victory and was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week in the week three win over the Chiefs. In the two losses, he ran for less than 100 yards combined and averaged just three yards per carry.
A lot of the failure in the run game isn’t on Turner, however. The offensive line hasn’t exactly been opening up holes in the losses. It makes a huge difference when Turner is breaking that first tackle after a 4-yard gain rather than in the backfield.
Like most young units, the O-line has had its problems on the road in hostile territory. It won’t get much more hostile than Lambeau, so this is going to be an uphill battle for the Falcons’ front.
3. PLAY LOOSE ON OFFENSE
The Falcons’ offense has nothing to lose on the road, but it hasn’t played like it. No one expects the Birds to do much with a rookie quarterback and young players peppered throughout the rest of the unit. But they still played far too uptight in Charlotte, dropping seven passes, committing inopportune penalties, and losing their composure in the red zone (more on that later).
Mike Mularkey and the offensive coaches have done an excellent job of getting the offense in position to succeed, especially in the passing game. But the Falcons didn’t take advantage of those opportunities last week. We all know that the receivers can catch a wide-open pass; this is the NFL after all. It’s just a matter of being confident and wanting to make a play. For rookies like Harry Douglas, who dropped two passes against the Panthers, that is somewhat expected. But veterans Roddy White (2) and Brian Finneran (1) also couldn’t haul in several crucial passes.
If guys like White and Finneran (and I’m just using the receiving corps as one example here) can play with a little more confidence, it will eventually trickle down to the rest of the team. And for a squad with so much youth across the board, that is essential to Atlanta’s success.
4. SEVEN POINTS … NOT THREE
Jason Elam has been a fantastic addition thus far, but I’m sure Falcons fans would prefer to see him kicking PAT’s rather than field goals. Despite scoring just 18 total points away home this year, it’s not like the offense hasn’t looked like a threat. But it has stalled at crucial times, and it’s been Elam doing all of the scoring.
The offense just hasn’t gotten it done with a short field to work with. The Falcons were inside the 20 three times against Tampa Bay, and also had their chances last week before Elam had to take the field.
If just one of those drives results in six points, those are very winnable games. And making the Green Bay game winnable is largely dependent on the offense stepping up and making plays deep in Packer territory.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Falcons have given a positive account of themselves so far this season. They looked like world-beaters against the Lions and Chiefs, but those two teams aren’t exactly the most daunting opponents. They even impressed some folks by hanging with two heavily favored division rivals in their two losses. But gaping weaknesses became evident in both of those games.
Clearly, Atlanta has been better than a lot of us expected. But if they really want the people to take notice, they’ll score the upset in Green Bay.
Bagriansky can be reached at jbagriansky@scoreatl.com.
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