The Key to the Atlanta Falcons Game

The Packers will open the new Mercedes-Benz Stadiurm Sunday with a lot on the line for the second week of the season. The key to this game is the Packers defense and not whether Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense can play a full game in sync.

I expect the Packers offense to play well, if David Bakhtiari plays. If he doesn’t and Adam Pankey has to start or Lane Taylor shifts over and Lucas Patrick starts at left guard or something else because General Manager Ted Thompson has left the Packers without a viable backup at left tackle then Rodgers and the offense will be in trouble.

However, that stupid injury on a celebration is not the real issue this week. The Falcons have a high powered offense with a decent offensive line and a bonafided star in Julio Jones unlike the Seahawks who had a wreck of an offensive line that Packers front seven dominated.

So is the Packers defense good for real or was it just good enough to dominate a terrible offensive line. We will find out Sunday night and the key will be the health of Mike Daniels. He was a beast last Sunday and like most things during the Ted Thompson era since 2010 when something good happens something bad follows and this week the man of the hour last week is on the injury list with a hip injury.

Also joining him on the injury list on the defensive side is another key player safety Kentrell Brice, who has a quadracep injury, and the big free agent pickup besides the two tight ends edge rusher Ahmad Brooks with a concussion. In addition No. 3 draft pick Montravius Adams, who has been on the list since before training camp, is still there.

Daniels is coming off his best game of his career with 5 unassisted tackles, 4 quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble, so, of course, the “injury curse” set in. Brice has been a key player since last year and had a good game once again with a lot of articles were written about him about his big hits, so I guess having the kiss ass local media write about you is as much as curse as being the cover of Sports Illustrated or the cover of Madden.

If Daniels and Brice aren’t a 100% then the Packers defense won’t be enough to slow down Matt Ryan. Nick Perry was also a good game, but his “injury curse” hit the week before with an ankle injury. He is not listed on the injury report this week nor is Clay Matthews.

If Daniels, Brice and Brooks (most likely out and a wasted signing) do not play or aren’t 100% then what the defense needs is a resurgence of Matthews. But he has shown nothing this preseason or last week with 2 tackles and not pressures, in fact, the only thing he has shown is his ability to be on commercials. I hope the Claymaker returns, but I sincerely doubt it. I predict, unless he gets over 8 sacks this season, he will be cut during the offseason.

The key last week was pressure and the key this week is pressure on Ryan to take Jones out of the equation. If the Packers don’t get to Ryan then Jones and company will drive all over Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The only bright spot was how the Bears handled the Falcons last week. Ryan completed 21-of-30 passes for 321 and a TD with tight end Austin Hooper catching 2 balls for 128 yards and an 88-yard TD. Jones caught 4 passes for 66 yards. Devonta Freeman rushed for 37 yards on 12 carries and a TD. The Falcons rushed for only 68 yards averaging 2.4 yards a carry.

The Bears offense gained 301 yards and averaged 6.6 yards a carry while rushing for 125 yards. This all sounds like the Packers have a good chance to win this week and by shear numbers the Packers should since they are head and shoulders better than the Bears.

However, once again the Packers are ill-equipped to handle any injuries and it would seem that any General Manager in charge of a team that routinely leads the league in key injuries would make sure there are quality backups ready to fit his main philosophy of “next man up”, but Ted Thompson keeps his head up his ass as far as injuries are concerned and that is being proven in just the second week of the season.

The only player listed as out is left tackle Jason Spriggs with a hamstring injury and he is no loss. If he was available to replace Bakhtiari it would be a disaster since he was a turnstile during the preseason. I would take a nobody like Pankey over the No. 2 draft pick bust.

But if Pankey plays left tackle, Murphy again plays right tackle, Jahri Evans wears out in the second half and holds at right guard then the offensive line will be a liability and hurt the Packers chances.

IF Daniels isn’t disruptive, if Matthews can’t find the quarterback, and Perry isn’t a beast then Ryan and Jones will go wild and the Packers lose.

There are a lot of ifs. If none of the above proves true and the Packers defense plays like it did last week and the offense is in sync needing just a game to shake off the rust Mike McCarthy puts on it by not playing the starters in the preseason then the Packers win.

I won’t predict again this week because of the injury factor. It will be game time to see who starts at tackle and the first quarter to see if Daniels and Brice are limited and if Perry and Matthews can rush the passer. Then I will predict.