The Packers’ trip to Atlanta was a lot like going over to your neighbors’ house, but you barely know them. When you get there, your neighbors say something like, “Come on in; make yourself right at home. Now, you normally walk in and take a seat on either a chair or the sofa. After some friendly chatter, you loosen up and begin to feel comfortable.
That’s what the Packers did in Atlanta.
The Packers played poor football for just over a quarter, but then they realized who they were. They’re the Green Bay Packers, defending Super Bowl champs. Then, they started playing like it. They finished the first half with a pair of Mason Crosby field goals making the score 14 – 6 in favor of the Falcons.
In the second half, it was all Packers all the time.
Aaron Rodgers had a monster day, throwing for 396 yards and a couple of touchdown passes. He completed 66% of his throws, and he looked like one of the league’s elite quarterbacks. Matt Ryan, on the other hand, finished with 167 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. If there’s one thing you absolutely can’t do against the Packers if you hope to win, it’s turning the ball over. To be fair to Ryan, his second pick was inside of 1:00 to play with the game’s outcome already decided.
One thing concerned me about the Packers in tonight’s win. They didn’t run the ball well at all. They had three players carry the ball for a grand total of 57 yards. Now, they were able to beat the Atlanta Falcons by throwing all night, but let’s face it, the Falcons aren’t the team they were a year ago. They’re not even close, and if the Packers want to keep winning, they’ll need a little more balance from their offense.
The Falcons left one on the table in this contest. They had the Packers right where they wanted them, and they let ’em off the hook! The good news for them is that their schedule gives them a break in the coming weeks. They play Carolina, followed by the Lions, and the Colts. Now you may think that the Lions are one of the best teams in the league, but I think the Falcons match up very well with the Lions, and I’ll take Matt Ryan over Matthew Stafford, at least for the immediate future.
