When Tramon Williams picked off Michael Vick to end the game against Philadelphia, Packers fans everywhere starting looking to next week and their face-off against Atlanta.
It's yet another rematch for Green Bay in the playoffs, and the Packers can redeem their close loss to Atlanta way back in Week 12. 8:00 Saturday on FOX they will get this chance.
Since the drafting of Matt Ryan in 2008, the Falcons only have two losses in the Georgia Dome. One of those losses came this season at the hands of the New Orleans Saints (that very same team that got bounced by Seattle—shocking, right?).
This Green Bay Packers team is much different this time around though. Running back James Starks has popped out of nowhere this season and has given the Packers some sort of a running game. Last week against Philadelphia, his 123 yards were the most by a Packers rookie running back in the playoffs.
So much for Brandon Jackson! That sound you just heard was the millions of Packers who just gasped knowing that Jackson most likely won't be starting at running back in Atlanta after Starks' performance. It's like heaven on Earth knowing he won't be starting in that backfield.
Next week's game against Atlanta is going to be as tough a battle as you're going to find in next week's divisional playoffs.
The Packers' defense is coming off a tremendously effective game from the rush defense perspective. The defense held Philadelphia (fifth in the NFL in rushing yards with 145.4 yards per game) to just 82 yards between their three ball carriers (LeSean McCoy, Vick and Jerome Harrison). That is well below their average of letting up 114.9 yards a game that ended up finishing 18th in the NFL.
The pass defense, though, will have to rebound after allowing Vick to pass for 292 yards and a touchdown, along with their seeming collapse towards the end of the game. The pass defense has never been a problem, but next week they face game-changers Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez, two perennial pass threats that could pick them apart.
In their Week 12 meeting, White and Gonzalez combined for 100 yards receiving on 11 receptions and a touchdown that sent Atlanta into the half with a 10-3 lead.
It's no question this time around Atlanta will be sure to watch Starks and once again shut down the Packers' rushing attack. Once again, it will be all on Aaron Rodgers' shoulders.
The big problem from their last matchup was Michael Turner, who rushed for 110 yards on 23 carries and got into the end zone one time. The Packers need to find a way to somehow watch the Falcons' many receivers and also stop the bruising back, who rushed for 12 touchdowns and 1,371 yards this season.
In conjunction with stopping Turner, they need to improve on something they did that week and this week against Philadelphia: play a clutch fourth quarter.
The Packers collapsed in the final minutes of the game against Atlanta with silly penalties (Matt Wilhelm's 15-yard face mask penalty that gave the Falcons the ball on the Packers' 49-yard line) and blown coverages that gave Matt Bryant an easy 47-yard field goal to win the game.
However you look at it, this rematch is different from the last time. The Packers have been playing must-win football for the last four weeks, which raises a question: Do they still have enough in the tank to win one more?
Jamie Chung Alicia Witt Radha Mitchell Melissa Rycroft Chloë Sevigny
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