Atlanta Falcons: Winners And Losers From Dirty Birds' Loss vs. Green Bay Packers

After the Atlanta Falcons failed to avenge their playoff loss on Sunday night, the Packers walked off the sidelines deadlier than ever: undefeated, and another quality win under their belt.

The Falcons however, stumbled to 2-3 on the season, and further exemplified their flaws showing that they are not ready to take the next step towards becoming an NFL powerhouse.

A hot start from Matt Ryan and Michael Turner was quickly overcome by Aaron Rodgers and his band of receivers. 12 different Packers were on the receiving end of a Rodgers bullet—who again shredded the Falcon defense.

While much was left to be desired on Atlanta's behalf, they still were able to do a few things right.

Here are the winners and losers from the Falcons loss vs. Green Bay.

Winner: Defensive Line

After letting Rodgers sit pretty in January, the Falcons found a way to put some heat on the Green Bay passing extraordinaire.

Ray Edwards led the charge, frequently hurrying Rodgers. Sean Weatherspoon did his fair share blitzing from the outside line backer position.

Putting pressure on the quarterback was a weakness for the Falcons last season, but they seem to be moving in the right direction.

With star pass rusher John Abraham out for the game, the last thing many expected was the beating that Rodgers received.

Rodgers was still able to thread the needle relatively well. At least his face found the turf a time or two— one of the few positives Atlanta fans can take from their third loss of the season. 

Loser: Offensive Line

The offensive line stood their ground for the first half, but when it mattered most wilted as the Green Bay defense broke through.

Down the stretch Matt Ryan was hurried all too often and slammed into the ground frequently. 

The lackluster play of the offensive line comes as no surprise to Falcons fans as it has been a recurring issue with the team this season.

Winner: Brent Grimes

Brent Grimes continues to be the beacon of hope for the Atlanta secondary.

While improvements have obviously been made, Grimes has stood out as a center piece and showed just why Sunday night with another stellar performance.

He broke up several passes down the field. More importantly, forced a Ryan Grant fumble that eventually gave the Falcons a 14-0 lead, one that would soon be squandered.

Still, Grimes gave the Falcons hope early and continued his solid coverage on the Green Bay wideouts. 

Loser: Matt Ryan

It doesn't help when on the most important drive of the game, all you see is a Packer blitzing you.

No matter how you slice it though, there are no excuses for Matt Ryan shrinking under the spotlight.

He seemed to welcome it last season, routinely closing out games and leading comeback victories, reaffirming his nickname, "Matty Ice."

This season though, there seems to be a different theme. Build a lead, and then blow it.

Ryan hasn't been able to close games like he did last year, failing to lead their comeback effort vs. Tampa Bay and nearly losing a 20 point lead against Seattle. 

The suave and swagger that was once the image of Matty Ice is now gone. On Sunday night we saw Matt Ryan, with no ice in his veins. It's not the first time we've seen him this season, either.

Winner: Harry Douglas

After being relatively quiet most of the season, there were several Harry Douglas sightings on Sunday, including a game changing play that was called back in the second quarter.

Screen passes and slot routes were getting Douglas open.

Although he couldn't come through with a crucial third down catch with the game on the line (thanks to the bogus Calvin Johnson rule), his contributions were palpable.

He was the one player who struck fear into the Green Bay defense. He did so with his speed. His ability to run after the catch is something the Falcons need to utilize more often.

Despite his crucial mistake, Douglas seems to be back in the full swing of things and ready to make more of an explosive impact.

Loser: Wide Receivers

Drops and injuries: Two things you don't want frequently in the same game.

That's what the Falcons got in their rematch with the Green Bay Packers. Their receiving unit, for the most part, failed to produce.

Julio Jones was good for a catch and 16 yards before suffering an injury in the third quarter. The sure handed Roddy White didn't look so sure handed after all.

He's struggled with drops this season. As the ball caromed off his hands in the final 45 seconds into the hands of Green Bay Packer, Jarret Bush, the game was completely lost.

Despite Harry Douglas being listed as a winner for his slight resurgence, he contributed to the receiving struggles by not coming through with a crucial catch on third-and-long in the Falcons' most important drive of the game.

Drops and injuries: two words that are sure to not only stunt offensive progress, but to also lose you games.