The Green Bay Packers (1-0) have an opportunity to start a season with back-to-back road wins for the first time in franchise history when Matt LaFleur’s team goes into Atlanta to take on the Falcons (1-0) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday.
The Week 2 showdown features two young but exciting NFC playoff hopefuls coming off big division wins in the season opener.
Jordan Love threw three touchdown passes and the defense produced a pair of takeaways during the Packers’ 38-20 win over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Week 1, while the Falcons got three total touchdowns from running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier and three takeaways from Jessie Bates III in a 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers at home in the opener.
Here are five things to watch and a prediction for the Packers’ Week 2 showdown with the Falcons:
Turnovers may tell the story
The Packers didn’t have a giveaway on offense and produced a defensive touchdown while winning the turnover battle 2-0 in Chicago. The Falcons got two interceptions and a forced fumble from safety Jessie Bates III and scored 17 of the team’s 24 points came off takeaways in Week 1. In a battle of quarterbacks with two career starts (Jordan Love) and five career starts (Desmond Ridder), turnovers will be vital to deciding the outcome. Last week, Love nearly fumbled away a snap but instead picked it up off the bounce and found Luke Musgrave wide open for 37 yards. Ridder had a near-interception under pressure. The defense that can capitalize on an opportunity to take the ball away might provide the winning edge on Sunday.
Tracking Bijan
Although second-year running back Tyler Allgeier had more total yards (94) and touches (18), the Falcons still found ways to get the ball to dynamic rookie Bijan Robinson, who produced 83 yards and a touchdown over 16 touches in his NFL debut. He had dynamic moments, including a 21-yard run and a dazzling 11-yard touchdown catch in which he broke multiple tackle attempts. The Packers must rally to the football against both running backs on Sunday, but especially when Robinson gets the ball in space. He’s a home-run hitter and extremely difficult to get to the ground. The Packers need linebackers De’Vondre Campbell and Quay Walker flying around the field and more sound tackling from the likes of Rasul Douglas and Darnell Savage.
Interior battles
Don’t look away from the line of scrimmage on Sunday. Battles on the interior of the line will be hugely important regardless of who has the football. Can the Packers keep Grady Jarrett out of the backfield? Center Josh Myers must bounce back from a disappointing season debut while facing one of the NFL’s top interior disruptors. Newcomer David Onyemata was also a disruptive force (two QB hits, one TFL) in the season opener. For the Packers defense, Kenny Clark and Devonte Wyatt will get matchups against Chris Lindstrom, Drew Dalman and Matthew Bergeron. The Falcons offensive line struggled keeping Desmond Ridder protected in the season opener. Clark’s strength and power could be a tough match for a smaller interior line.
Generating explosive plays
Christian Watson and Aaron Jones both missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday due to hamstring injuries. Can the Packers find explosive plays on offense if Watson and Jones are limited or don’t play Sunday? Watson is the team’s top deep threat, and Jones powered two touchdown drives in the opener with explosive plays. Both are dynamic playmakers. Keep in mind, the Falcons defense gave up two runs over 10 yards but allowed a long passing play of just 14 yards in the season opener. The Packers, meanwhile, found explosive plays on several scoring drives despite not having Watson in Week 1. Coach Matt LaFleur might have to get extra creative to free up players in space and create the explosive plays that will be necessary to produce points in Atlanta.
Consistent complementary football
Last Sunday’s win in Chicago proved the Packers can play complementary football. This week will test if the Packers can consistently play complementary football. Playing clean and smart on offense and using the defense and special teams to create short fields is a good winning recipe for this Packers team, especially if the offense is shorthanded. The challenge, especially for the offense, will be magnified this week against an up-and-coming Falcons team on the road. While more drives may sputter this week, avoiding game-changing mistakes and forcing the Falcons to navigate long fields will be key. To win, the Packers need all three phases to play well and in harmony on Sunday.
Prediction: Packers 24, Falcons 17 (1-0)
As was the case last week, there exists a strong temptation to pick the Falcons given the injuries to key players on the Packers offense and the Falcons’ overall talent level compared to the Packers’ Week 1 opponent. Plus, it’s tough to play well on the road in back-to-back weeks in the NFL. However, I once again see a big advantage for Matt LaFleur’s team that swayed me back to the Packers. Not only are the Packers better up front, but there’s a good chance the defense is going to make life hell for Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder, who really struggled in Week 1. He got nothing accomplished against pressure, completed only a handful of passes that weren’t screens and was ineffective on third down. I think the Packers protect and pressure better than the Falcons, and Jordan Love outplays Ridder. It won’t be easy and probably won’t be pretty, but the Packers get it done in Atlanta.
