NFL Playoff Predictions: 10 Best Storylines in Packers vs. Falcons
NFL fans, get ready to sit back and get your popcorn ready, because a great weekend of NFL football is on its way.
With four teams gone, and eight teams remaining, the playoff picture gets better each and every week. This week, all four games should be close, hard-fought contests. But, the one that might stand out above all the rest because of how even-matched these two teams are is the Packers vs. Falcons game on Saturday night.
With any game comes a bundle of storylines, and this game has plenty of them.
I'm going to break down the 10 best storylines heading into this Saturday night's NFC playoff matchup between the Packers and Falcons.
10. Road Warriors
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If the Packers have plans to make it to Dallas at the end of the playoff road, they are going to need two more road victories to get there.
Green Bay took the first step towards that goal last weekend when it intercepted a Michael Vick pass with 33 seconds remaining to seal a 21-16 win over the Eagles. Now, the Packers will have their hands full again with the NFC's best team during the regular season, the Atlanta Falcons.
Last week was the Packers' first road playoff win since 1997.
The Packers look to be playing their best football at the right time of year. Let's see if they can continue their "road warriors" theme on Saturday against Atlanta.
9. White vs. Jennings
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If you like big downfield plays, then you are in for a treat this weekend as two of the game's best receivers take the field Saturday in this playoff matchup.
Roddy White vs. Greg Jennings. Both are big-play targets who love to have the ball thrown their way down the field.
Both White and Jennings each have over 75 catches, 1,250 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. They are two of the best in the game today, and regardless of whom you stick on them, I expect both of these guys to have big games in this one. The only question: Who will outshine whom?
8. Will the Real Michael Turner Please Stand Up?
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Michael Turner has developed into one of the most feared running threats in the NFL today. But, while Turner did put up big numbers again this season for the Falcons, he also struggled with being consistent running the ball.
If you break down Turner's 2010 regular season, he had seven games where he topped the 100-yard rushing mark. In those seven games, he scored 10 of his 12 rushing touchdowns this season.
However, it's not always this good for this guy. He also had five games in which he ran for 50 yards or less this season. In those five games, he did not cross the end zone once.
Like I said, Turner has the skill to break out a big game at any time, but the question of when that game will come is anyone's guess. Therefore, will the real Michael Turner please stand up?
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7. Home Sweet Dome
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When Matt Ryan and the NFC South champs take the field on Saturday evening, it will be the Falcons' first home playoff game since a divisional round victory over the St. Louis Rams in 2005.
The good news for the Falcons is that their franchise quarterback is nearly unstoppable while playing at the Georgia Dome. The third-year quarterback is 20-2 at home during his career, a staggering statistic that Packers fans do not want to be reminded of.
However, some unusual weather has hit the Atlanta area, something that Green Bay is certainly no stranger to. Mike Smith and a number of members on the Falcons coaching staff have not left Flowery Branch, where the team practices, after a storm blanketed northern Georgia with several inches of snow and ice Sunday night and Monday.
Sure, they do play in a dome. But regardless, the Packers have no problems whatsoever with those weather conditions.
6. Will This Game Top Their Regular Season Matchup?
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When these two teams met back in November, they played to a 20-17 battle in what was one of the best regular season matchups of the season.
Atlanta's Matt Bryant drilled a 47-yard field goal with nine seconds remaining in the game to lead the Falcons to a victory. It was just the second time in 18 years that the Falcons hosted the Packers in a regular season contest.
Now, the question is: Will this game live up to that regular season thriller between these two teams?
Two great quarterbacks, two big-play receivers, two solid bend-but-not-break defenses and a spot in the NFC Championship game on the line. All signs point to yes, we should have a good one in the making here.
5. High Expectations
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When you finish with a 13-3 record, win the NFC South over the defending Super Bowl champion Saints and grab the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, there are going to be some high expectations for your football team.
Matt Ryan is prepared to meet those high expectations as he leads the NFC-best Falcons into their first home playoff game in six years.
The talk when these playoffs started is that we could possibly see an Atlanta vs. New England Super Bowl. But not so fast, the Packers are playing some darn good football right now and at just the right time of year.
This will be a huge first step for Ryan and the Falcons to take if they are going to cash in on their goals to make it to Dallas. Can they live up to these high expectations? We will find out on Saturday.
4. Green Bay's Run Game
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The Packers ground game has been close to non-existent this season. Since the loss of starting running back Ryan Grant in the Packers' Week 1 game against Philadelphia, they have been searching for a viable replacement.
Well, they might have found their match last week in a guy by the name of James Starks. The seldom-used rookie from Buffalo carried the ball 23 times for 123 yards in the Packers' victory over the Eagles. It was arguably the best rushing performance that Green Bay has had all year.
The victory gave Starks something to remember, and will also give the Atlanta Falcons another weapon to prepare for in Green Bay's already high-powered offense.
3. Can Aaron Rodgers Build on His First Playoff Win?
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Now that Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was able to get that monkey off his back and secure his first postseason win in the NFL, how will he respond and build off that win?
If I was a betting man, I would say that Rodgers will perform just fine in this one. He is a big-game quarterback who has showed time and time again that he can deliver in the big game.
He was brilliant against the Cardinals in their 2008 Wild Card game, passing for more then 400 yards and four touchdowns despite the Packers' loss. He was exceptional last week against the Eagles, tossing three touchdowns and leading his team to a road playoff victory.
Win or lose, chances are that this game will not be decided by the poor play of a quarterback. Rodgers will do his part, and now the rest of his troops just have to follow suit.
2. Matt Ryan: Is He Ready for the Big Stage?
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Two seasons ago, in Matt Ryan's first career playoff game, the Falcons fell 30-24 to Arizona in the Wild Card round. This year, the third-year NFL signal caller is expecting big things out of his Atlanta Falcons team.
Ryan had a spectacular regular season campaign, setting career highs with 3,705 yards and 28 touchdown passes. He led the Falcons to the NFC's best record, but with that comes elevated expectations as well.
Ryan will be looked at and expected to lead the Falcons to the big game in Dallas this February, but is he prepared to take on that type of pressure? Aside from who will win this game, that has to be the biggest question on everyone's mind heading into this NFC Divisional showdown.
1. Which Quarterback Will Perform Better on the Big Stage?
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Aaron Rodgers showed that he can do it last week in the Packers' win over Philadelphia, but will that success carry on into the next round?
Matt Ryan showed he can do it all season, but can that success carry into the playoffs?
These are two of the best, young quarterbacks in the game. Had it not been for a couple of guys named Brady and Vick, these two very well could be battling it out for this year's NFL MVP award. But instead, they are going to be battling it out to see who can lead their team to the NFC championship game, and one step closer to Dallas.
There is no doubt in anyone's mind that both of these quarterbacks will be here again. In fact, this game very well could be the formation of an NFC playoff battle that will take place for years to come. But as you have it now, these are two young guns that are looking to cement their names in playoff history.
Ryan vs. Rodgers: Get ready NFL fans, this very well could be Chapter One in a long NFL rivalry that is just now getting under way.
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