The Green Bay Packers Vs. Atlanta Falcons Divisional Playoff begins Saturday, at 7:00 CST. For previews of the Jets @ Patriots, and Ravens @ Steelers, scroll down in this StoryStream.
The Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons have already met in the regular season in the Georgia Dome, with the Falcons coming away with the Week 12 victory on a 47 yard field goal with nine seconds left in regulation. Falcons receiver Roddy White, knew well what a loss could have meant, down the line. "I have no intention of going to Lambaugh Field in January", White said.
And who can blame him? The middle of Wisconsin is no place for a guy from Dixie, in the dead of winter. The only two things that make Green Bay worth seeing are the Packers and their fans, both of whom will be well represented in the Georgia Dome come Saturday. Atlanta (The city, if not the ball club) is already preparing to greet Packers fans, who have chartered a jet (Delta, of course. Their main hub is Atlanta) to wear polystyrene cheese-themed headgear, and cheer on the Pack.
Besides Atlanta has been experiencing some unusually wintry weather of it's own. Several inches of snow fell in Georgia recently, and it might as well have been several feet, because they don't have the equipment to deal with such a rarity. Many Falcons players and coaches had to bunk in, at their practice facility in Flowery Branch, and the rest had to carpool, making it through the conditions as best they could.
It has to be said, that although Atlanta is playing at home, and they've already beaten the Packers there once this year, a lot of the 'experts' are picking Green Bay. And they were dong so before running back James Starks had his breakout performance against the Philadelphia Eagles. Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers has had his share of believers all season long, but the presence of a running game makes the Packers hard to resist.
Of course, that's what sometimes happens when you get the bye week. Out of sight, out of mind. The Falcons have led the field in the NFC for a majority of the season. Their 13-3 record was only bested by the Patriots, who garnered the number one seed in the AFC.
Third year Falcons QB Matt Ryan led Atlanta to nine wins in their last ten games, and has been almost unbeatable on his home field. Ryan has never played in a playoff game before, but Aaron Rodgers had never won a playoff game, before last week.
Look for the Packers to try to strike early, and take the noisy, dome crowd out of the game. The Falcons haven't made a playoff in six years, and Green Bay will be counting on the lack of post-season experience to attempt to control the tempo.
They'll be looking to make 'Matty Ice' live up to his reputation, as an unshakable passer, who assembles come from behind victories at home, all the time.
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