Atlanta Falcons vs. Green Bay Packers: What in the name of Vince Lombardi happened in Atlanta?
The Atlanta Falcons couldn’t have asked for a better regular season. They led the NFC with 13 wins. They got their bye week in the playoffs, they had their home field advantage and they had everything going for them except Saturday’s
game against the Green Bay Packers.
They won the NFC South title despite being challenged by 11-5 New Orleans Saints and the 10-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They still became the number 1 seeded team in the NFC. Ironic then that they would be defeated by the sixth seeded
Green Bay Packers. Except the Falcons weren’t just defeated, they were brutally crushed by the Packers.
A close game could have been forgivable but the game was not at all close. The Falcons were crushed 48-21. “The expectations of this football team have grown since we got here three years ago,” Falcons Coach Mike Smith said, talking
about himself and the general manager Thomas Dimitroff. “When expectations are raised, you're not necessarily talking about the regular season anymore. You're talking about the second season. That's something we've earned as a football team and an organization.
We've got to deal with it because we plan on being in this situation again very shortly.”
Atlanta’s quarterback Matt Ryan had a passers rating of 91 in the regular season. His ratings fluctuated to some extent. His ratings have been in the 60-region three times in the regular season but the Falcons still won two of
those games. Against the Packers in week 12, Ryan’s ratings were 107.9. He connected 24 or 28 attempts for 197 yards and a touchdown. He was sacked twice but didn’t throw any interceptions nor did he fumble the ball. Falcons won that game 20-17.
On Saturday Ryan’s ratings fell to 69. He sacked a season high of 5 times by the Packers and he threw 2 interceptions and just one touchdown. Ryan has been very well protected throughout the regular season. He has been sacked just
23 times, two sacks less than Tom Brady. He threw just 9 interceptions in the 16 games he started for the Falcons. The Packers really put the pressure on Ryan and it showed.
Green Bay also successfully shut down Atlanta’s running game. Falcons averaged 118.2 rushing yards in the regular season. On Saturday they were able to run just 45 yards. Without the rushing offense augmenting Ryan’s passing, Atlanta’s
5th ranked scoring attack collapsed.
“We played a very poor football game last night. We coached a very poor football game,” Smith said. “Everybody in that room has ownership of that, and it starts with me. But I don't think we can overreact. ... We have to make
decisions in the calm after we've been able to take the emotion out of it.”
Where the Falcons were struggling to get the yards, Green Bay’s offense was at its best. Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers passed 366 yards. He threw 3 touchdown passes without throwing an interception and still wasn’t done. Rodgers
also scored a touchdown on the ground. “This probably was my best performance - the stage we were on, the importance of this game,” Rodgers said. “It was a good night.”
Green Bay’s running game was powered by Rookie James Stark, who had come to the limelight in Green Bay’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles in which he rushed 123 yards. He was able to run just 66 yards in this game but after his
role in Green Bay’s victory the previous week, Atlanta wasn’t taking any chances on Stark.
What Atlanta really should have focused on was Rodgers and his receivers. Greg Jennings led Green Bay’s receivers with an unbelievable 101 yards in just 8 carries. Jordy Nelson, Donald Driver and James Jones all received more than
70 yards. Green Bay was able to capitalize on big plays at the right times. Jones’s 75 yards and a touchdown for instance came off just 4 receptions.
It was a combination of a spectacular performance by the Falcons and subpar day for the Falcons that resulted in the unexpectedly lopsided Green Bay Victory but no one in Atlanta’s locker rooms would be sulking. “We did a lot of
things well this year and we've got a chance to build on some of the things we did this year,” Ryan said. “We've got a lot of people coming back, a lot of talent and we certainly expect to be right back in this position next year and get a different outcome.”
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