Postgame: Falcons Packers 2017 Week 2

Bright Spots

• Nobody died
• Kevin King looked the part
• The Packers limited the Falcons to 5.2 yards per carry
• The Packers were 3/3 on 4th down – that’s 100%!

Everything Else

Let’s temper this loss by saying the Packers were without (for all or most of the game):

• The best pass blocker in the NFL at left tackle
• The best pass blocker in the NFL at left tackle’s backup
• The best right tackle in the NFL
• Their best receiver and the NFL’s leader in TD catches last year
• Their best defensive player
• Their starting Nitro safety
• Their 3rd OLB, that needs to provide rotational snaps

Injuries matter and there were a bunch of them – including Cobb, Lowry, and House – later, too. Really, this picture sums up the whole game – this doesn’t happen if Bulaga and DBak are in there:

Julio Jones made the Packers secondary look silly. But really, he’s the best receiver in the game and the Falcons schemed to get him open and the refs didn’t call any picks on them, so that make him pretty tough to defend. With the heart and soul of their defense not wreaking havoc, the Packers D was in for a challenge. It looked like the defense started in zone, but Julio picked it apart so they went to zone and everyone picked it apart, but I’m not going to blame Dom Capers for not shutting down the best receiver in the game – he tried a dozen different things and Julio just beat them all.

Cris Collinsworth is way more annoying calling a game than I remember Troy Aikman being in recent history – constantly whining about what plays the Packers should be calling got old real quick.

This was the first time I was impressed by Matt Ryan – he was looking like more than a guy with great receivers. I give him credit.

Whining about the refs is Loser Talk… but we lost, so… why did Sanu not get a hold when he had fistsfuls of jersey on the first drive? Why did Matt Ryan not get intentional grounded when he clearly intentionally grounded at the beginning of the second drive? Why did Martellus get a pick (that is illegal after one yard) when he was only six inches off the line, especially when it clearly wasn’t even a pick (Cobb was already past both DBs – the corner had passed Cobb off to the linebacker and then ran into Bennett; that was just blown coverage by Atlanta that was saved by the zebras on a play that could have changed the complexion of the game – Rodgers made a great, split-second read and that was probably his best play of the game)? If that was a pick, the Falcons third touchdown, featuring Austin Hooper plowing into DBs five yards downfield definitely should have been called. Either way, the pick called on Geronimo was also absolutely not a pick – Allison ran in and tried to turn up when the corner ran into him. I’d argue that the “fumble” by Rodgers was edging forward and a bunch of other stuff, but I’m tired of whining about the refs already. Injuries killed the Packers, the refs just rubbed it in. McCarthy getting a 15 yarder felt a lot like a Gene Hackman move in Hoosiers… but without all the winning.

Clay Matthews healthy is so much more beastly than he gets credit for. He was serving pressure all effing night and still some fans hate. He was my pick for the player predicted to have a big game and he responded with 1.5 sacks, 3 QB hits, and a TFL. He picked up as much slack as someone could for Mike D.

What’s with all the f#cking drops? Rodgers nailed Bennett on the first drive and Cobb on a critical third and long on the second drive and both times the guys dropped it. Cobb drops a TD in the 3rd (in his defense, the refs took away the one he did catch – see above). C’mon guys. When Jordy goes down, you gotta catch those!

Martellus Bennett caught like sh!t the whole game, really. I wonder what Jared Cook would have done last night.

Turning point: In the first quarter, the Packers answer the Falcons opening strike (with a lot of power running), then, missing their best defensive player (and biggest bad#ss), they still get a three and out. With the ball nearing midfield, they get a hold and have a 3rd and 13. McCrary lets his guy run right at Rodgers, who rolls out and throws a low dart that nails Cobb… and plinks off him. If Cobb makes that catch, the momentum of the game shifts huge as the Packers near field goal range for what would be an early and unlikely lead. This was when it started feeling like one of those nights. Was it ever.

On to Cincinnati. All that really matters now is how healthy we can get in the next six days. It’s only week 2.