Atlanta Falcons: Week Two Preview and Prediction
By Kit Anderson
The Atlanta Falcons are headed into week two 1-0 after a lucky win in Chicago. They will be taking on Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers Sunday night in what will be an NFC championship rematch.
The Atlanta Falcons dismantled the Green Bay Packers last season in the playoffs pulling away early and making the NFC championship a blowout game. Both teams looked much different than in that match-up last week however and this time the game could be tilted in the Packer’s favor.
Anytime the Packers play the Falcons in recent memory Julio Jones seems to break out of decoy mode and destroy the secondary. Matt Ryan and the offense fire on all cylinders as well and have beaten the Packers twice in the last year.
That time may have come and gone if last week says anything about the way that the Packers will play on defense this year. While you could easily argue that last week was more about the Seahawks lack of an offensive and less about any actual improvement for the Packers defensively.
On the Falcons side the Falcons looked good on defense but unimpressive on offense not being able to run the ball or protect Matt Ryan very well. The game came down to Austin Hooper and Brooks Reed making good plays against a bad Chicago team.
With that in mind it is hard to see that same Falcons team beating the Packers regardless of the fact that it is in Atlanta.
In the end Aaron Rodgers is going to be more than the Falcon’s secondary can handle and this game is going to come down to whether or not Julio Jones comes alive and allows Atlanta to keep up offensively.
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Final score is going to be a win for the Packers on a last second field goal beating Atlanta 38-35. Bringing back all the questions of whether or not a Super Bowl hangover is in store for the Falcons.