Packers Fall Behind Big Early, Lose In Atlanta, 34-23

Well that was a mess. After reading just before the game that Green Bay Packers' LT David Bakhtiari, to go along with RT Bryan Bulaga, were both out of the game and they were stuck with Kyle Murphy at LT and Justin McCray at RT, I pretty much put this game into the loss column. For good measure, 3rd string tackle Jason Spriggs was also injured. The entire offensive line was a mess but I'll give the three regular interior lineman a mulligan for this night. The offensive flow (and all the penalties) with a 4th and 5th string tackle were bad but it was actually better than my low, low expectations.

#Packers QB Aaron Rodgers takes another hard shot, this one from Adrian Clayborn, in a game that is over. He'll be sore tomorrow.

— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) September 18, 2017

It was tempting to have given up on this game and spared Aaron Rodgers the beating he took but they never want to give up on a game. It was a long shot, but the Falcons are now known for giving up big leads, and the home crowd abandoned them long before the end, the stadium looked nearly empty in the 4th quarter.

Currently not playing for #Packers:
• Bryan Bulaga
• David Bakhtiari
• Jordy Nelson
• Mike Daniels
• Randall Cobb
~ JW

— Wilde And Tausch (@WildeAndTausch) September 18, 2017

After the disastrous NFC Championship Game last season, when the Packers were so banged up by the end of it that Letroy Guion had to finish out the game at RG, and now this one, there's something about injuries and games in Atlanta. Of the names above, losing Bulaga and Bakhtiari before it even started and made me pessimistic, and then losing Nelson and Daniels on consecutive series officially made me write this game off.

Mixed bag from Packers secondary. King, Burnett look good IMO. Randall, Rollins, House doing nothing to help.

— Brian Carriveau (@BrianCarriveau) September 18, 2017

Damarious Randall has been trending downward ever since he started his NFL career strong in his rookie season (unbelievable now, but true). It started unraveling for him during their playoff loss to the Cardinals at the end of the 2015 season. A few weeks ago, Quinten Rollins was being written up as the best cornerback in training camp, but he looks two steps behind in coverage and he had trouble tackling. Kevin King looks like a rookie some of the times, but he actually makes plays (only he and Burnett were credited with a pass defense for this game). I thought they also benched FS Kentrell Brice for Josh Jones, Brice doesn't look like a difference maker in the secondary, but Jones was actually an injury replacement. It was hard to tell about Davon House because Matt Ryan spent so much of his time going after Randall and King. House should keep playing (depending if he's healthy next week) but it looks like it's time to let the rookies (King and Jones) play.

Rough first half for Martellus Bennett: Four targets, no catches, two drops and a (questionable) offensive pass... https://t.co/TSDIOjzXXq

— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) September 18, 2017

As bad as Randall was in the first half, Martellus Bennett might have been worse. On a team leading 11 targets, he had 5 catches for 47 yards. He also drew a stupid personal foul in Week 1. The offensive PI was weak because it was within 1 yard from the line of scrimmage but the rest of his night was bad enough. Hopefully he fits in better as the season goes on.

Photos: Packers' rally falls short as Falcons win 34-23 at new Mercedes-Benz Stadium https://t.co/UZ13dXs1hl pic.twitter.com/u4GIfGRGCJ

— Wis. State Journal (@WiStateJournal) September 18, 2017

And yet the Packers almost managed to get back into this game. Even though they were missing their four best offensive starters not named Aaron Rodgers. And missing their best defensive player (Daniels). The Packers were living in Seattle's backfield last week, but without Daniels they rarely were disruptive behind the line of scrimmage against Atlanta.

Also the real reason they lost this game: 2 killer turnovers. I'm not sure if Rodgers felt like he had to do more without Nelson and his two best lineman, but the overthrown INT on a pass attempt to Allison (which led to a end of the half TD for the Falcons) and the reckless attempted pass/turned into a backward lateral to his right tackle on a busted play were not things I usually see from him. Those two turnovers led directly to 14 points and were the difference in the game. Almost everything went wrong but the turnovers are what lost it.

It's never helpful to lose a game to another NFC team but it's still just one game. The first order of business is to get everyone healthy. None of these injuries seem season ending (so far) and the Packers get a little breather with a home game next week against a struggling Bengals team.

The Packers Were Beaten By Falcons in NFC Championship Game By A Lot

It's hard for the Green Bay Packers and all of their fans to start Sunday with a whole lot of optimism and then have all of the adrenaline leave your body by the end of the day.

Finality of losing in NFL playoffs is stark. One day losing game, next day packing boxes to leave for months, some never to return again.

— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) January 23, 2017

The Packers and mostly QB Aaron Rodgers pulled a formerly 4-6 team through an eight game winning streak to make it to the NFC Championship game. But there were problems under the surface and they all seemed to take center stage against the Falcons.

"I think it's a credit to the Falcons and frankly we ran out of gas." Mike McCarthy.

— Aaron Nagler (@AaronNagler) January 23, 2017

It felt like that first round bye made all the difference. The Falcons were mostly healthy while the Packers were losing players due to injury left and right. How much of that was due to having to play an extra playoff game (against a great opponent) and having that one extra week to rest?

Losing CB Micah Hyde in the 2nd quarter from a paper thin secondary was horrible. DT Letroy Guion finished up the last few minutes of the game at right guard because the Packers ran out of offensive lineman (Taylor, Lang and Bulaga were all hurt). Holding WR Jordy Nelson's ribs together with military-grade kevlar was kind of symbolic of the game. The Packers just ran out of gas.

On offense: They played OK but they had a couple uncharacteristic problems. They didn't do a good job of picking up the blitz, and I haven't seen the receivers drop that many receptions in a while. In someways, the drops are nothing new; TE Jared Cook seems obligated to drop every third pass to mix in with his great receptions. The fumble near the goal line by FB Aaron Ripkowski hurt too. But these problems alone didn't decide the game.

Special teams: K Mason Crosby missed his first FG attempt in the playoffs since 2010. Again, he didn't cost them the game, but they couldn't afford to miss out on any points.

On defense: The defense had to slow them down, make them settle for field goals, like the did to the Cowboys the week before. Instead the pass rush didn't get anywhere near QB Matt Ryan, which was especially a problem on 3rd downs, they didn't force any turnovers, and the Falcons scored a touchdown on nearly every drive. Other than the long TD reception by WR Julio Jones when he ran through a couple tackles, the Packers did a good job at preventing the big plays. But it didn't do them any good because the Falcons were marching down the field. The Falcons spread the ball around through the air, and were still able to take advantage of Jones against CB Ladarius Gunter, who's had a fantastic season considering he wasn't expected to be more than the No. 4 CB this season. He has a role on the defense but not against No. 1 wideouts. And I lost count of all the missed tackles. The entire team struggled but the defense fell apart.

While this could be viewed as another lost opportunity (Mike McCarthy now has a record of 1-3 in NFC Championship games) another way to look is that this was a flawed team (especially in the secondary) that still got within a game of another Super Bowl. It was a great season, even if it didn't end up with a trip to Houston and another championship.

Everyone Says The Falcons Will Beat The Packers

Statistically, the Falcons have been a better team over the course of the 2016 season, and they should defeat the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game. Of course, the Packers haven't lost since November and are in the midst of "run the table" but the Falcons haven't lost since early December and their defense has been playing great over their past several games. So maybe those two hot streaks will cancel each other out and it'll come down to who's the better team. Statistically, the Falcons are better.

Patriots: 43%
Falcons: 25%
Packers: 16%
Steelers: 15%https://t.co/cuns5pk02n

— FiveThirtyEight (@FiveThirtyEight) January 17, 2017

While I was worried about facing the Giants in the cold at Lambeau, or having to win a game in Seattle, I wasn't worried about playing in either Dallas or Atlanta under a roof. QB Aaron Rodgers thrives in those games, even if his Georgia Dome record is only 2-2, he's been lights out.

The big concern is injuries. Nelson, Adams and Allison are all still maybes and if all three can't play, that's a big problem. Cobb's been playing fantastic since taking a couple weeks off to heal late in the regular season, but Davis and Janis have done basically nothing this season. Janis might just live for the postseason, but that's not really something to count on. This could either be an OK situation or a big problem.

Even if the situation at receiver is the worst case scenario, at least Rodgers can lean more on TE Jared Cook and his running backs. Also, add to the list below that the Packers didn't have RB Christine Michael last time.

The following Packers did not play vs. Falcons in regular season:
Clay Matthews
Ty Montgomery
Jared Cook
Top 2 CBs
All likely to play Sunday

— Justin Felder (@Justin_FOX5) January 16, 2017

QB Matt Ryan did shred the Packers defense in their early season match-up but that was the start of a four game losing streak during which the secondary completely fell apart. It's still the same cast of characters in the secondary (minus Morgan Burnett, who appears likely to miss the game with a quad injury) but they've not been as bad over the past couple months. Hopefully they can just hang on. 

Facing Dallas in Dallas, and Atlanta in Atlanta, is a challenge but those were the exact match-ups I was hoping they would face. Injuries and an MVP season from Matt Ryan are both tough to overcome, and the odds are against them, but this is the tough road to the Super Bowl and I'm very optimistic that the Packers will win in Atlanta.

Packers (4-3) Stumble on the Road, Lose in Atlanta, 32-33

This was about as even a game as I've seen in recent years from the Green Bay Packers. Neither team's defense could do much to stop the other team's offense. The score was obviously close, a one point margin, but nearly everything was close during this game. Yardage, time of possession, neither team had a turnover (WR Davante Adams fumbled but it went out of bounds), neither team bothered much with their running games, etc.

Final statistics from #GBvsATL.

More: https://t.co/BRTIRefCwO pic.twitter.com/G4UVuT1lRG

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) October 30, 2016

The Packers's offense is going to be limited for the rest of the season by their inability to run the ball but it's getting better in some ways. WR Jordy Nelson had one of his best games and forced the Falcons to commit more defenders in coverage to stop him. The absence of WR Randall Cobb and Ty Montgomery hurt, but they've found the best role for Adams (short routes instead of mid-range to deep sideline routes) and they used Nelson, WR Jeff Janis, Trevor Davis and even Geronimo Allison (his first game off the practice squad) to work downfield. With all those receivers running deeper routes, it opened up a lot of short routes for Adams (who could make one defender miss and pick up several more yards) and huge running lanes for QB Aaron Rodgers, who ran for a career high 60 yards and multiple first downs.

Agree that moral victories don't count. But c'mon. No Matthews, Shields, Randall, Rollins on defense -- then lost Gunter at the end! https://t.co/A40Mpsiitq

— Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) October 30, 2016

CB LaDarius Gunter has had an up-and-down season, but this was one of his up-games. He drew WR Julio Jones in coverage and Jones was a non-factor for most of the game, especially after he sprained his ankle in the first half. But the rest of the coverage was poor. The other starting CB (Demetri Goodson) allowed a long TD pass, and they would have had a better match-up against No. 2 WR Mohamed Sanu, who led the Falcons in receptions and receiving yards, if the Packers had their top 3 CBs available.

The late game loss of Gunter was significant too. On the game winning TD pass, the Packers had ILB Jake Ryan lined up in single coverage against Sanu, and being down to two healthy CBs (plus utility DB Micah Hyde) might have been part of the reason they found themselves in such a bad match-up on the decisive play of the game. Shields's long-term health is a concern but the other three players should return and make the defense much better.

This loss hurts. They led for much of the game and the defense couldn't make the late lead hold up. The next two games are more manageable, against the Colts and Titans, before two tough prime time road games at Washington and Philadelphia. The two NFC East games are looming large because they might be the key to a Wild Card spot at the end of the season. They just got to keep focused on winning each game, and getting their missing players back healthy.

Green Bay Packers: Post-Bye Schedule

By Steven Callahan, Writer at the Green Bay Packers Blog.

Most people aren’t fans of such an early bye week. They would rather save this week for later in the season, when they can fully recharge their batteries for the second half of the season. The Green Bay Packers unfortunately do not have that luxury this season, as they their bye week falls in week four. In an ironic way, this bye week couldn’t come at a better time.

Head coach Mike McCarthy admits that the Packers caught a break withthis bye week. McCarthy said this week, “I never thought I would say this, but for as different a schedule that we have, it’s a great time to have the bye, because we need it. That’s where we are.” McCarthy is referring to the injury bug that is going around his team, as four defensive starters sat out against Detroit and tight end Jared Cook sprained his ankle.

The Packers head into the bye with a 2-1 record and are coming off a game where Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdowns. Here is how the rest of the schedule looks for the Packers.

October: Giants (2-2), Cowboys (3-1), Bears (1-3), at Falcons (3-1)

The Packers come out of the bye with three straight home games, ending with the Bears in a Thursday night game. The Packers and Giants always seem to have great games while the Cowboys will be looking to avenge the Dez Bryant “Was it a catch?’ game. This game may be Dak Prescott’s final game, as Tony Romo is expected to return after the Cowboys’ bye week. The Giants are definitely a playoff caliber team, but the Packers should have the edge on both the Giants and Cowboys since the games are at Lambeau.

The Packers then face the Bears on a short week. The Bears are one of the worst teams in the league, but these Thursday night games are so unfair on the players and coaches that nothing can be a sure thing. The Packers should be able to handle the Bears, but it should be noted that the Bears beat the Packers last year on a short week (Thanksgiving night). The Falcons offense has been one of the league’s best this season, as their 34.7 points per game is the highest in the league. Expect a shootout in week eight against the Atlanta Falcons.

November: Colts (1-3), at Titans (1-3), at Redskins (2-2), at Eagles (3-0)

The Packers’ schedule lightens up in November, starting off with the Colts at home. Indianapolis depends too much on Andrew Luck’s comeback ability, which isn’t a good idea in a November game at Lambeau. As Mike McCarthy mentioned, the Packers schedule is “different” and this three-game stretch is a perfect example why. The Pack will play three straight road games - four out of five games when you count the Falcons game - including a Sunday night game against the Redskins and a Monday night game against the Eagles.

On paper, the Packers have more talent than all of these teams, but right now the Eagles are playing great and you can’t count out the Colts or Redskins. It will be an interesting month for the Packers.

December and January: Texans (3-1), Seahawks (3-1), at Bears (1-3), Vikings (4-0), at Lions (1-2)

The Packers simply have to beat the Texans at home, so let’s move on from that. Playing the Seahawks in week 14 is as tough of a matchup as you are going to get, especially with these two teams expected to be in the thick of a playoff race. The last three games will come against divisional opponents, two of which will be on the road. The week 16 matchup against the Vikings could possibly be the most important game of the entire season, since it can essentially be for the NFC North crown. Let’s hope the week 17 game in Detroit is meaningless and the Packers know exactly what seed they are in the playoffs, whether it is as division champion or Wild Card team.

With 13 straight weeks of football left for the Green Bay Packers, their stamina, focus, and preparation will be tested for the next three months. There is no soft part of the schedule, as the Packers will have to earn every win from here on out. It should be an exciting 13 weeks for Packers fans. 

Packers CB House Likely Out Until Playoffs

Packers CB Davon House (shoulder) will likely be out until the playoffs, The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Tom Silverstein and Tyler Dunne report.

House suffered the injury after colliding with Falcons WR Julio Jones December 8. House landed on Jones' knee, but played through the pain to finish off the victory. 

He's now in the midst of a slow rehab process that doesn't really guarantee anything, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have hope if he wants to return. The Packers seem destined for at least a #2 seed right now, and if they can hang on to get it House will have a nice five weeks to heal.

Packers Listed as 4 Point Favorites For Sunday's Bills Game

The Packers have been listed as four point favorites for Sunday's game in Buffalo.

The Packers are on a five-game win streak right now, but haven't looked great the last two weeks. In both of those games, victories over the Patriots and Falcons, they started fast but struggled in the second half, making them somewhat a mystery team as they hit the road.

As for the Bills, who are currently 7-6 overall and 4-3 at home, they're 2-1 in their last three, playing well in each of those weeks. They blewout the Jets and Browns, and lost last Sunday in Denver by just seven.

Expect their meeting with the Packers to go down to the wire, as better as Green Bay is on paper.

Peppers Defends Defensive Struggles After Win Over Falcons: We Got the Win

The Packers' defense gave up 465 total yards in Monday night's win, but Julius Peppers seems to only care about just that: it was a win.

“That’s the most important thing, getting the win. There were obviously a lot of things we could have done better, but at the end of the day, you play to win,” Peppers told ESPN Wisconsin's Jason Wilde after the victory. “It’s good. We won. That’s what we wanted to do – get the win. So it’s on to next weekend."

Next weekend the Packers visit the Bills, so it's not like this isn't still something to be concerned about.

Reaction: Packers Struggle in Second Half, But Still Find Way to Beat Falcons

Last night's 43-37 win over the Falcons wasn't perfect, but still, it was a win. Here are my thoughts on it:

1. The Defense Struggled:

I'm not sure this will become a recurring problem, but it's definitely something to take note of. The Packers' defense looked awful yesterday, and that can't be a good sign with the postseason just around the corner. 

2. Starks Played Pretty Well:

Not as well as Lacy, but certainly solidly. Can't hurt anything if he keeps it up.

3. At the End of the Day, It Was Just a Monday Night:

Maybe the Packers just weren't used to not playing on Sunday. Who knows?

Leave your own takeaways below.

Falcons/Packers Final Prediction

My final prediction for tomorrow's Falcons/Packers game:

Score: Packers 55, Falcons 21

The Falcons are decent, but I don't think they have much of a chance in this one. The Packers haven't lost at home all year, and Atlanta just doesn't seem like they kind of team who'd stop that.

Why?

Because the Packers are a different team at Lambeau Field. On the road, they're okay, but at home, I'm 100% sure they can't be beaten. Last week's meeting with the Patriots seemingly proved that, as New England couldn't take the lead no matter how close they got.

Leave your thoughts bellow on how accurate you think mine are.

Packers Listed as 13-Point Favorites for Monday's Falcons Game

The Packers have been listed as 13 point favorites for Monday's Falcons game.

The Packers have won eight of their last nine, and are a perfect 6-0 at home this season. The Falcons, meanwhile, are 3-1 in their last four, and 2-4 on the road.

Those two away victories came in Carolina and Tampa Bay, though, two relatively easy places to play. Therefore, it seems likely the Packers will come out on top in this one, especially considering they just beat the much-better Patriots Sunday.

Let's hope that observation's right, as the Packers need all the W's they can get right now if they want to finish #1 in the conference. 

Falcons Expect Roddy White to Play Monday

Falcons star WR Roddy White missed a couple of practices and a game last week, but now it appears he'll be fine come Monday.

Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith told ESPN.com yesterday White's anticipated to return this weekend when the Falcons visit the Packers at Lambeau Field, a contest which will likely have huge implications for both sides. The Packers are currently tied for the top spot in the NFC with the slumping Cardinals and red-hot Eagles, while the Falcons, despite being just 5-7, are looking to hang on to their lead in the south.

We'll see how much White's presence affects things when the competition kicks off, but keep in mind, the Falcons scored 28 points last week without him. Expect them to improve even more before making the trip to Green Bay, regardless of whether or not the scoreboard shows it.

McCarthy Praises Packers After Win Over Patriots: "This is the Most Consistent Team in My Years Here"

Yesterday's win over the Patriots wasn't perfect, but nonetheless, it improved the Packers' record to 9-3.

Mike McCarthy had this to say in response to that fact, courtesy of ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky.

"I think this is clearly our most consistent football team in my nine years here," McCarthy said. "Just from the fact that the way they prepare, you don't have a bunch of personalities that go up and down. It's a very focused, disciplined group." 

The victory was McCarthy's 97th as the head coach of the Packers, the third most in franchise history. Vince Lombardi is second on that list with 98, so it's very likely McCarthy will pass him by the end of the year. 

And really, he should, as the Packers remaining games take place against relatively-beatable opponents in the Falcons, Buccaneers, Bills and Lions. 

Nelson Wants New Deal to Pay $10 million a Year

Packers WR Jordy Nelson is looking for a raise.

According to ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky, Nelson, who will be a free agent after 2014, wants his next contract to pay at least $10 million a year, a pretty big jump from the 4.2 he's currently making.

To some, obviously, #87's sudden announcement is a little surprising, although considering it's coming shortly after the Falcons gave Roddy White a big extention it's really not that strange, as Nelson is simply taking advantage of a situation that seems to be working in his favor. 

Remember, the NFL's a business, and with that guys like Nelson are bound to eventually cash in, even if it is in this kind of extreme fashion.

Rumor: Packers Safety Burnett responsible for Tony Gonzalez's retirement

As you probably already know, Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez, a definite future Hall-of-Famer, retired earlier this offseason for what many assume to just be aging. But apparently, according to him, that's not actually the case. In his view, he's leaving the league because his teammates, during last season's Falcons-Packers game at Lambeau, didn't stand up for him while he was taunted by Green Bay Safety Morgan Burnett, who has since denied the rumors. 

So yea, what we're learning here is this: whether this story is true or not, Tony Gonzalez is an emotional wimp. This is pro football, not a high school clique, so if he really can't stand just being taunted then I guess it is in fact his time to leave.

Reaction: Packers sneak past Falcons, 22-21

I'm not gonna lie to you guys, yesterday's game was frustrating. The Packers defense didn't give up any points in it's second half, but still wasn't that good. The Falcons walked all over them and, had the Atlanta receivers known how to catch the ball, the Pack would've lost the game. But, they didn't. That's what really matters.

So, I must say I am extremely pleased with the Packers performance yesterday. It wasn't that pretty, but it was a win. And we all know they really needed one of those. So, what do we do now? We play the waiting game for another 7 days, constantly asking the question: will Rodgers return THIS week?

Packers listed as 3 point favorites for today's Falcons game

Finally, the odds for today's Falcons-Packers game have been released with the Packers, rather surprisingly, being listed as 3 point favorites. Now I pretty much expected this kind of prediction, but I'm still frustrated that it took so long to be released. Yea, whether or not Rodgers plays does matter, but couldn't you still release the odds and then change them later? Why are you waiting until gameday?

Anyway, I'm not picking either side to win this contest. I hope the Pack'll win, but I'm not sure they will. They're terrible, and so are the Falcons. The team who wins will not have won because they out-played the other, but because they sucked less. 

Rodgers officially ruled OUT for tomorrow's Falcons game

Well, we knew this would happen. We don't want to accept it, but it is true.

Aaron Rodgers has been ruled OUT for the Packers game tomorrow against the 3-9 Atlanta Falcons. This news is a huge punch to the face to anybody who thinks the Packers will win the NFC North (me included) and pretty much dooms the Packers to a below .500, playoff-less season.

On second thought, they could still win. As I've already stated, the Falcons are just 3-9, so they're definitely beatable. How beatable? I have no idea. Let's just watch the game and find out. 

Rodgers "throwing well" in practice Wednesday

According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers was "throwing well" in practice yesterday. In his tweet, Sliverstein also mentioned how most of the throws were either short or intermediate, but that they did have a lot of zip on them. 

What do we make of this? I don't know. I guess if Rodgers plays on Sunday, they could just have him run short pass plays. But I doubt they will. Right now, it unfortunetally appears that they'll be stuck with Flynn for another week. Which, I gotta say, is depressing. I don't think it necessarily guarantees another loss, but you know, I'd rather have #12 in. 

Rodgers "not yet ruled out" for Sunday's game

After injured QB Aaron Rodgers underwent tests yesterday, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy, in a press conference, told the media that #12 has not yet been cleared to play or ruled out for this Sunday's game against the Falcons. 

“Aaron Rodgers has not been cleared by the medical staff, Aaron Rodgers will practice tomorrow in a limited fashion, and we have not ruled him out for the game yet,” McCarthy said yesterday. “Aaron wants to play; it’s a medical situation. He has a clear understanding of where he is, as far as getting back on the field.”

While I'd prefer Rodgers play this week, I don't think that the Packers completely 100% need him to win. Sure, he'd help a lot, but isn't it possible that they can still win without him? The Falcons really aren't that good.