Packers hold off Falcons to go into their bye week undefeated
The Packers are still undefeated as they defeated the Atlanta Falcons 30-16 on Monday Night Football at Lambeau Field and improved to 4-0 on the season.
Atlanta got the ball first and went nowhere but the Packers did, scoring a touchdown on their first possession and getting stopped near the goal line on their next one. Atlanta kept it close for a little while, but they couldn’t stop the Packers from scoring as Green Bay went into halftime with a 20-3 lead. The Falcons tried to make a game of it but the Packers were too much on offense on this night. The Packers made some key plays on defense to eliminate any idea of a comeback by the Falcons.
Some things that stood out to me about this game:
Already up 7-0, the Packers had a chance to go up even more but they were stopped short of the goal line on a run by Jamaal Williams. I thought the pass to Darrius Shepherd on third down should have been challenged by Matt LaFleur. I think he had the ball over the white line from the replays I saw. What a huge letdown by Green Bay and a jolt by Atlanta, who has really struggled on defense, especially in the secondary.
The Packers got a small jolt of their own when Atlanta went 94 yards in 20 plays down the field and took a lot of time off the clock, but they could not get the ball in the endzone. It resulted in points but considering how Atlanta was moving the ball, it’s a small victory for Green Bay.
The Packers scored twice before halftime, both on touchdown passes to Robert Tonyan, but Mason Crosby missed an extra point on the first of those two touchdowns, the first extra point or field goal he had missed this season.
Atlanta did something that seems to be a rarity these days. They won the opening coin toss and chose to receive to start the game. I assume it’s to try to get their offense going early and perhaps take a lead. It didn’t work out that way though. The Packers scored before the half ended and got the ball to start the third quarter. They ended up punting on their first possession of the second half however.
Atlanta scored a touchdown on their first possession of the second half, but Tyler Ervin had a nice return and the Falcons gave up 15 yards more on a facemask penalty. Aaron Rodgers wasted little time and Robert Tonyan scored his third touchdown of the game.
The Packers changed things up a bit without Davante Adams or Allen Lazard on the field. They still were efficient on offense and took what the defense gave them. I thought Atlanta gave a spirited effort given what they’ve gone through already this season and the injuries they have of their own, especially in the secondary. They lost more players in this game tonight in the defensive backfield.
The Falcons seemed to catch a bit of a break when their own receivers, who were listed as questionable during the week, played in this game while Davante Adams was held out. Adams was frustrated and even tweeted about it but eventually deleted it. It turned out to be the right move for Green Bay though. With the bye week coming up, it was wise to let him sit out another game and hopefully have him ready when they return from their week off. The Falcons played Julio Jones, who had a hamstring injury of his own, but Jones left the game. Perhaps he came back too soon but sometimes that’s a desperation move a winless team makes.
The bottom line is that the Packers are 4-0 and now have a bye week to rest injuries and regroup. It’s a nice start but they haven’t done anything yet. They have a challenge ahead of them when they return as their next game will be on the road vs the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tom Brady still has something left. In the meantime, let’s enjoy this win and enjoy the week off. A 4-0 record and sole possession of first place in the NFC North is not bad at all.
Go Pack Go!
@DieHardPackrFan #DHPF #GregGoshaw @gg901
