On Sunday Night Football, the Packers will travel to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia to take on the Falcons. This rematch of last year’s NFC Championship game will kick off at 8:30 PM/ET.
Last week, Aaron Rodgers completed 28 passes on 42 attempts for 311 yards. Rodgers performance wasn’t overly flashy, but he did enough through the air to get the victory. Rodgers also rushed seven times for 21 yards.
Against the Seahawks’ furious defense, Rodgers was intercepted, but still managed to throw a touchdown through the air. Despite being sacked four times for a loss of 25 yards, Rodgers stood tall in the pocket and connected with a plethora of his receivers.
Rodgers spread the ball around, connecting with six different receivers on the afternoon. With 13 targets, Randall Cobb was Rodgers’ favorite target. Cobb managed nine receptions on 13 targets. While there were clearly missed opportunities, Cobb had a tremendous impact on the field, and should look to continue that type of production against the Falcons defense.
Last week, Matt Ryan completed 21 passes on 30 attempts for 321 yards. Ryan’s performance was solid, but considering the opponent, the Falcons offense underwhelmed. The Falcons offensive line allowed Ryan to operate in a clean pocket, surrendering only two sacks.
Both the Falcons and the Packers defenses generated pressure in week one. Facing off in week two, it’s imperative that both of these defenses continue to generate pressure on the quarterback. The Falcons committed zero turnovers in week one, while the Packers turned it over once. In a game featuring two potent offenses, the turnover margin will go a long way in deciding the outcome.
According to NFL Stats, in 2016 the Falcons ranked second in terms of yards per game with an average of 416 yards. The Packers offense in 2016 ranked eighth on that list with an average of 369 yards per game. With two potentially high-scoring offenses, this game has the potential to be a shootout.
If there’s an edge for either of these teams, it’s the running game. Last season, according to NFL Stats, the Packers ranked eighth in terms of rushing yards allowed. Green Bay allowed an average of 95 yards per game on the ground. In week one, the Falcons struggled to run the ball against the Bears, averaging 2.8 yards per carry on 23 attempts. If the Packers can contain Devonta Freeman and company, then Green Bay’s defense will have a huge advantage against the Falcons’ big play offense.
In week one, the Green Bay secondary did not face a serious down field threat. The Packers secondary held Russell Wilson and company to only 158 yards through the air. This week, the Packers secondary will have a serious challenge covering Julio Jones and the rest of the Falcons’ speedy receivers. Against the Bears, Jones only saw five targets in the game. Mohamed Sanu, not Julio Jones, received the most targets with a team high of nine.
According to NFL stats, last season, the Packers pass defense allowed the second most passing yards in the league with 269 yards per game. The Falcons came in just three spots behind Green Bay on the list in fifth place. The Falcons allowed an average of 266 passing yards per game.
Falcons Vs Packer Betting Lines
BetOnline.ag has the Falcons favored to win the game by 3 points. The over/under on total points scored is 56. You can read our full BetOnline review here.
My Pick
This game pits two potent offenses against each other. Even though it’s only week two, both teams have playoff aspirations, and this could be a preview of a potential playoff matchup. Both teams were in the playoffs last year, and both quarterback and head coaches know how to win. The Falcons are slight home favorites, and this is the first regular season game back home since the NFC Championship game. In that matchup, the Falcons destroyed the Packers 44-21. Expect the Packers to keep pace with the Falcons offense. In the end, which ever team can make stops will be victorious. Expect the Falcons to do just enough to get the victory.
Play: Falcons -3 @ BetOnline.ag
Atlanta Falcons • Falcons • NFL Sunday Night Football Betting Pick • NFL Week 2 Betting Pick • Packers