After starting the season 4-6, the playoffs seemed out of reach for the Green Bay Packers. Now the Packers are the NFC North Division Champions and one game away from Super Bowl LI after winning eight consecutive games dating back to week 12 of the regular season. The Packers will travel to Atlanta to face the Falcons in the last game in the Georgia Dome.
This will be a rematch from earlier in the season. Back in week 8, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan threw a touchdown with 31 seconds left to wide receiver Mohamed Sanu to give his team a 33-32 victory. Ryan finished with an efficient stat line, going 28 for 35 for 288 passing yards and three touchdowns.
The Packers may be without their top two wide receivers: Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams. Nelson is still nursing a broken rib that kept him out of last weeks win against the Dallas Cowboys. Adams suffered an ankle injury against the Cowboys and has not practiced all week.
To make matters worse, backup wide receivers Genronimo Allison (hamstring) and Jeff Janis (quadriceps) are listed as questionable on the Packers injury report.
It is considered a long shot for Nelson to play while Adams status is unknown.
“Well, we’ve won without them before,” said Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. “We’d like to have them out there, but we’ll see what happens.”
In their first game against the Falcons, both Nelson and Adams had big games. Nelson caught four passes for 94 yards and a touchdown while Adams was a reception machine catching 12 passes for 74 yards.
Wide receiver Randall Cobb and tight end Jared Cook will need to step up if Nelson and Adams cannot play on Sunday. Cobb leads the Packers in postseason receiving touchdowns with three while Cook caught Rodgers miracle sideline pass to put the Packers in field goal range to beat the Cowboys.
Defensively, the Packers face a tall task against Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones and the abundance of weapons the Falcons have. Ryan has thrown touchdowns to 13 different players, a NFL record.
The Packers held Jones to three catches for 29 yards in their first matchup, but the Falcons still managed to find success offensively.
Packers cornerback Quinten Rollins is still in concussion protocol and safety Morgan Burnett is rehabbing an injured thigh that he suffered against the Cowboys. Both play crucial roles in the Packers secondary and will be needed against the high-powered Falcons offense.
It is anticipated the game on Sunday will be high scoring due to the two quarterbacks playing. Rodgers lit up the Falcons in their first matchup, throwing for 246 yards and four touchdowns. He will need to put up similar numbers if the Packers want to move on to the Super Bowl.
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