Packers Beat Falcons 25-14

For the first 20 minutes of game time, it looked like the Atlanta Falcons finally had an answer to last year's playoff loss to the Packers. On their first two offensive drives, the Falcons controlled the clock. RB Michael Turner was bruising and cruising up the middle, and setting up the play action nicely. With 8 minutes left in the first half, the Falcons were up 14-0.

After some struggles on offense, two Mason Crosby field goals made it 14-6 at the half, giving the Packers plenty of optimism going into the locker room. The team that came out in the third quarter was more decisive, more poised, and more productive. And for the remainder of the game, the Packers did what championship teams do - They dug in and battled through adversity to keep Atlanta out of the end zone for the rest of the game.

It's almost a given at this point to say "Rodgers looked sharp," but the Green Bay quarterback was exactly that. He completed 26 of his 39 passes for 396 total yards and two touchdowns. He was cool under pressure, and pick free as a result. Rodgers now has 14 TD's and just two INT's on the season. In a word, outstanding.

After a rocky start, the defense performed well, limiting Falcons QB Matt Ryan to 167 yards through the air and a 56% completion rate (18/32). S Charlie Peprah and CB Jarrett Bush each nabbed a pick, adding to Ryan's woes.

The Packers also held RB Michael Turner in check. After running freely through the first quarter, Green Bay's defense stiffened up, and allowed just 56 total yards on 16 carries.

Big ups go to tackles Marshall Newhouse and rookie Derek Sherrod. After the ever-steady LT Chad Clifton went out in the second quarter with what appeared to be a serious hamstring injury, Newhouse was forced to shift from right to left tackle, making way for Sherrod on the right side. The transition worked seamlessly, and Aaron Rodgers looked comfortable in the pocket, free to pass with ease. I can't emphasize enough how impressive it was to see Newhouse move from the right side to the left side with so few hiccups. Likewise, Sherrod  played so much better than he had throughout training camp and preseason, when he lost the battle to TJ Lang for starting left guard.

 
The Packers overcame a 14 point deficit to score 25 unanswered points. They battled through injuries and game plan adjustments. The team also avoided being bogged down by what I'll call a severe lack of officiating (I'll touch more on that in an entry to come). In the end, I came away from this game feeling like the Packers have matured so much from last year, and can not be counted out of any game.

Feel free to share your thoughts on the game by commenting on this post!

Packers Make It Right, Win 30-23

I don't know what happened to the Packers once in the locker room at half, but the team that emerged in the 3rd quarter was much more confident and poised than the team that went in. Notably, Green Bay seemed to switch from RB Ryan Grant to James Starks after the half. QB Aaron Rodgers seemed to scramble more decisively, and quickly found his comfort zone, hitting WR Greg Jennings 49 yards deep for the go-ahead TD (14-13)

The defense's sobering of QB Cam Newton continued, as CB Charles Woodson immediately picked him off on the next possession. That lead to a Mason Crosby field goal, making it 17-13. Two plays later, Packers S Morgan Burnett forced a fumble from veteran receiver Steve Smith, which Woodson subsequently scooped up. That set up another field goal to make it 20-13. And from sobering to slobbering, Newton again tossed a duck, which Burnett happily picked out of the sky, setting up -you guessed it- another field goal (23-13)

"The Dagger" was pronounced with just over 2 minutes remaining in the game, as Rodgers found WR Jordy Nelson for an 89 yard score. The final score was 30-13.

Noteworthy:

• WR Donal Driver passed James Lofton as the Packers all-time leader in receiver yards with 9,656.
• S Nick Collins was KO'd by what appeared to be a foot to the head. After several minutes of inactivity, he was carted off the field. It was truly a scary scene. After the game, head coach Mike McCarthy said Colins had feeling and full movement in all extremities, and that they were simply following protocol to the letter. Collins will spend the night in the hospital, and return to the facility tomorrow to undergo further testing.

Next up, the Packers are off to Chicago to face da Bears, who were handled by the Saints today, losing 30-13.

Week 2: Do the Panthers Stand a Chance?

 Tomorrow, the Green Bay Packers will be in Charlotte, NC, taking on the home team Carolina Panthers. There's not a huge body of work to pull from in previewing this game, so let's take a look at what we do know about the Panthers.

Last week, the Panthers lost their season opener to the Cardinals in Arizona. As most of you know, Panthers' rookie QB and number one draft choice, Cam Newton, made quite the spectacle of his debut. He posted a 110.4 QB rating, throwing for 422 yards and 2 TD's (w/ 1 int). Impressive as that may be, (and it is quite so), Carolina of course lost the game, giving up 28 points and scoring just 21. Which brings me to my first tangible question:

• Can the Panthers defense stop a Packers offense that is, at its worst, still better than that of the Arizona Cardinals?

 In last week's opener, the Cardinals pegged the Panthers with 309 passing yards and 100 on the ground. Cards QB Kevin Kolb and WR Larry Fitzgerald are no scrubs, but replace them with QB Aaron Rodgers and WR Greg Jennings, and throw in the massive and athletic TE Jermichael Finley, and, well I'm no chemist, but look out. The Panthers run a base 4-3 defense, and their front four are all rookies or sophomores, with the exception of 5th year man, DE Charles Johnson. They're not known for getting to the quarterback, which puts more pressure on the defensive secondary to hold up their end of the bargain. As a result, Carolina's secondary is known for being pretty hot and cold.

Look for the Packers to challenge the Panthers with the deep ball on the perimeters. Specifically, if the packers see the 5'8"  CB Captain Munnerlyn lined up against 6'3" WR Jordy Nelson, expect them to go big.

   




Panthers CB's Chris Gamble (above) and Captain Munnerlyn have combined for just 3 INT's since Dec. of '09.

•  Both Green Bay and Carolina gave up a touchdown on punt returns in last week's season opener. So whose special teams has the edge?

The Panthers gave up an average of 30 yards per kickoff return last week. The Packers weren't much better, giving up 27 yards per KR. Carolina does not, however, boast a return threat like New Orleans' Darren Sproles (Green Bay's week 1 opponent). WR Randall Cobb, the Packers dynamic, new weapon at KR and PR, will likely have the Panthers kicking cautiously. For this reason, I think the edge goes to the Packers. But don't discount the importance of sound coverage. Last week, both squads showed room for improvement.

At the end of the day, there is no doubt that the Packers are the more complete football team, and it will be up to the Panthers to try and keep up in all phases of the ball. But Cam Newton won't make it easy, as he aims to add to his resume' and show that he can compete against the best.