2011 NFL Playoffs: Revisiting Green Bay Packers vs. Atlanta Falcons in Week 12

When the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons faced off in Week 12, playoff positioning and homefield advantage were on the line.

Fast forward nearly two and a half months, and these two teams will once again matchup in Atlanta to decide a much bigger prize: Who moves on to play in the NFC Championship game.

While the Falcons (13-3) defeated the Packers (11-6) 20-17 back on Nov. 28, Green Bay stuck with the NFC's no. 1 seed throughout the contest, with a late kickoff return and 15-yard facemask penalty set up the Falcons' winning field goal.

Things have changed since Week 12, but the Packers can once again learn from their performance in that game in helping them this week.

Here are two things the Packers need to repeat, and two things they need to fix from their first showing in Atlanta.

Need To Repeat:

Aaron Rodgers' Efficiency

The Packers only put up 17 points against the Falcons, but that was no fault to Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay's signal caller completed 26-of-35 passes for 344 yards and a touchdown, and also had 51 yards and a touchdown rushing.

Those kind of numbers will be tough for Rodgers to repeat, but hopefully for the Packers' offense, he won't need to.

The running game was nearly non-existent in that game and while I'll get to it later, chances are the Packers will get more than the 26 yards they got from running backs in Week 12.

That said, Rodgers will still be the major factor for the Packers' offense. He's been historically good in his first two playoff games (only QB with seven touchdowns and a rating of over 120 in first two postseason starts), and if the first game was any indication, the Packers can hurt the Falcons through the air in their spread formations.

In fact, the Packers lined up in more Big-Five formations against Atlanta than in any other game this season. Coach Mike McCarthy said afterward that the Georgia Dome turf favored the Packers' speed in those formations and Rodgers took full advantage.

When the Packers went to five wide on 14 snaps in Week 12, here were the results: 104 yards, five first downs and two touchdowns.

While I don't think the Packers will try to spread the Falcons out quite as much as they did in Week 12, I do think it will be a part of their offensive gameplan.

Either way, the Packers will be in good shape on Saturday if Rodgers and the passing game perform to the level they did in their first trip to Atlanta.

Containing Roddy White

Falcons receiver Roddy White led the NFL in receptions (115) and was second in receiving yards (1,389), but that was no thanks to the Packers' defense.

Back in Week 12, White only caught five passes for 49 yards—with a long of 14—and no touchdowns.

If the defense can repeat that performance against White, the Packers' defense will be taking a major step towards stopping the Falcons' 15th ranked passing offense.

However, White will surely present the Packers another difficult challenge. Even so, there's no reason to think the Packers couldn't stop White again.

The Packers' fifth ranked passing defense has been solid all season and Tramon Williams has evolved into one of the games' premier cover corners.

With Williams and Pro Bowlers Charles Woodson and Nick Collins in the secondary, the Packers' defensive gameplan will surely attempt to repeat their previous performance against White.

Need To Fix:

The Running Game

It probably goes without saying, but the Packers' running game needs a major overhaul from their Week 12 performance in Atlanta if they want to come out on the winning end of the rematch.

The Packers rushed for only 77 yards, with just 26 coming from running backs. Brandon Jackson had all 26 yards on 10 carries, with 11 coming on one run and Dmitri Nance was stopped for no gain on his lone carry.

However, you'll notice the absence of two names in the rushing boxscore: John Kuhn and James Starks.

Kuhn has become the Packers' part-cult hero, part-short yardage extraordinaire and Starks burst onto the scene last week with 123 yards rushing against the Eagles.

Both figure to factor into Saturday's game considerably more than they did in Week 12.

If Kuhn and Starks can continue to add a rushing punch to the Packers' offensive weaponry, Green Bay's offense should have a good chance at producing more than the 17 points they put up in the first matchup.

At the very least, the Packers would have more than likely punched in a touchdown in one of the two opportunities they failed inside the Falcons' five yard line (22 yard field goal, Rodgers' lost fumble).

As 2010 has shown, that third touchdown could have made all the difference. The Packers were 8-1 when scoring at least three touchdowns this season (@New England being the only blemish).

If the Packers can continue their rushing success, it'd be hard to see this offense not accomplishing that goal.

Defensive Miscues

While the Packers only gave up 20 points, one could argue the Packers' defense didn't play very well back in Week 12.

Michael Turner ran for 110 yards, Matt Ryan threw only four incompletions and complied a 107.9 rating and the defense was unable to turn over the Falcons' offense.

Sprinkle in the Packers' worst tackling effort of the season and you get one of the rare poor performances from Green Bay's defensive unit.

That will need to be fixed for Saturday. How can the Packers do that?

Possibly the defense's biggest flaw that afternoon—tackling—should be on the top of the fix list.

Turner broke several tackles on his way to 100 yards, and Ryan's completion percentage was high because he was content in hitting the check down and watching his receivers bust through Packers' defenders.

Two prime examples of that latter point:

1. On the Falcons' first touchdown drive, Ryan checked down to Ovie Mughelli on 3rd-and-19 for 16 yards, and that made going for it on fourth down a viable option. Ryan would connect (or did he?) with Tony Gonzalez on the next play to convert the first down, and he'd catch the touchdown pass with eight seconds left in the half to make it 10-3. However, if Mughelli doesn't break three Packers' tackles on his way to 16 yards, the Falcons punt it away.
2. On the Falcons' second touchdown drive, Ryan checked down to Jason Snelling on 3rd-and-9 for a 12 yard gain. Once again, Snelling broke the tackles of two different Packers' defenders on his way to a first down. Atlanta would score a touchdown on the drive to make it 17-10.

Who knows how it would have affected the game otherwise, but the Packers essentially gave up 14 points by missing those important tackles.

Conclusion

The Packers and Falcons faced off in what felt like a playoff game atmosphere back in Week 12.

While the Falcons won the game and went on to secure home field advantage, the Packers played them tough and should feel confident playing in the Georgia Dome this time around.

In addition to that confidence, the Packers can take a few other things out of that game to both repeat and improve.

Rodgers will need to be sharp like he was in Week 12, and the secondary will once again have to shut down one of the NFL's best receivers in Roddy White.

However, that could be a moot point if the Packers don't continue their rushing success and clean up their defensive mistakes they made in that game.

Regardless of the repeats and fixes, I think the Packers and Falcons represent the two best remaining NFC teams.

One of those teams is going home for the season, and the other becomes the favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

Only Saturday can tell us if the Packers will be become the former or the latter part of that equation.

You can follow Zach on Twitter at zachkruse2.