An Empty Trip

ATLANTA, GA (WTAQ) – We’ve been told there would be growing pains this season and the first painful lesson arrived Sunday
afternoon at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta where the Falcons outscored the Green Bay Packers
13-0 in the final 15 minutes to win 25-24. The lesson to be learned? Finish. Both sides of the ball
couldn’t close out a game that saw the Packers build a 24-12 lead after three quarters. The offense had
three possessions and failed to pick up a first down, including a third and one at their own 34 still leading
by just two points. A.J. Dillon got cut down at the line of scrimmage. Quickly lining up for a 4th and
inches quarterback sneak, Jordan Love and the offensive line had a communication snafu that led to a
false start penalty and forced the Packers to punt it away one last time. The defense couldn’t hold the
dozen point advantage because they gave up a 43 yard flea flicker which led to a Desmond Ridder six
yard bootleg run (on 4th and 4 no less), busted a coverage on impressive rookie running back Bijan
Robinson who picked up 29 up the sideline that set up Younghoe Koo’s 39 yard field goal that pulled
Atlanta within two. There was one more 4th down snap just before the two minute warning that could
have all but secured the victory. Instead of giving Koo a shot at a 41 yard field goal, Falcons Head Coach
Arthur Smith called on Robinson one more time. He took a quick pitch toward left tackle, cut inside a
penetrating Darnell Savage behind the line and picked up 7 huge yards. That allowed the Falcons to
force Green Bay to burn their timeouts and set up Koo for the go ahead 25 yard field goal with :57 left.
Still enough time for Love to take a couple of shots but four straight passes went incomplete that
completed the Atlanta comeback.
How the Packers built their lead won’t be remembered nearly as well. Playing without their three most
important offensive players outside of the quarterback, Matt LaFleur’s offense threw a surprise play to
start and found some consistency in the middle quarters. Christian Watson missed his second straight
game with his hamstring pull. Running back Aaron Jones joined him on the hamstring inactive list and
left tackle David Bakhtiari’s frustratingly “fluid” situation as LaFleur calls it, led him to be deactivated as
well because of his surgically repaired knee. Bakhtiari rarely practices anymore at 31 and was openly
critical of the NFL for not swapping out artificial turf for real grass in many of its stadiums (Mercedes Benz among them), and no real reason was forthcoming for Bakhtiari’s deactivation. LaFleur appears
tired of getting asked about the All-Pro’s status. “I’m not going to get into that”, he said sharply after the
game, “it’s two years now and it’s probably going to be like this from here on out.”
At Saturday’s final team meeting, LaFleur told Dontayvion Wicks, the rookie wide receiver to be ready to
open the contest with a bang. After the opening kickoff, Dillon got a handoff, turned and lateraled the
ball back to Love who fired deep downfield for an open Wicks. The flea flicker was foiled only because
Dontayvion was dragged down for a 44 yard pass interference penalty. The series stalled however with
Carlson ready to line up for a 51 yard field goal but after a bad delay of game flag was thrown, LaFleur
decided against a 56 yarder, even though it was indoors and after the kid hit a big 52 yarder last week
outside in Chicago. The Packers got the ball right back however following the punt as Rasul Douglas
swiped a downfield pass from Desmond Ridder, the first interception he’s thrown in his 7th career game
going back to last season. Starting from their 40, the offense backed up. Emmanuel Wilson’s first NFL
carry lost five yards and Love was sacked on third down for a loss of 11 more.
The Falcons scored first, driving 67 yards in 15 plays but they ran five plays from the Packer 2 and 1
before settling on a 24 yard field goal. On 2nd and 1 from the 2, Ridder threw incomplete but Rudy Ford
was called for pass interference in the end zone placing the ball at the one. A play action fake fooled no
one, Robinson was stopped on second down, Ridder had to throw it away on third and on 4th and goal
from the one, the Falcons false started and the field goal team came on.
This is where the offense came on for the Pack. Ove hit Romeo Doubs for 15 and Luke Musgrave for 17.
Facing third and 10 from the Atlanta 43, Love ended the first quarter by breaking from the pocket and
gaining 24 yards up the sideline, disdaining a slide for an inside cut and a hard tackle. Four plays later,
Love flipped a shovel pass to a motioning Jayden Reed and he scooted around the right side behind a
lead block from Patrick Taylor before getting pushed into the front pylon for a 9 yard touchdown, the first
for the rookie.
Another could’ve, should’ve big play for the D came next. On 4th and 4 at the Green Bay 41, the Falcons
gambled and nearly came up craps. An out pass from Ridder to Drake London went right into the
unsuspecting hands and chest of Jaire Alexander but he dropped the pick that might well have produced
six. Still given the ball, the offense got Dillon going with his best series before they settled on Carlson’s
33 yard field goal with just 3:06 left in the half.
Atlanta’s two minute drive was solid with Robinson busting off a pair of 13 yard runs, setting up Ridder’s
roll out and delivery to London from three yards out to pull the Falcons to within 10-9. It stayed there
when Koo missed his PAT wide left.

The third quarter is where it looked like the Packers would put the game away.   The defense got a three and out start to stop although Quay Walker had a chance to make a big play but he couldn’t pull in a Ridder pass off his chest.   It took only six plays to cover 65 yards after the punt and Love hit Wicks crossing over the middle.  He broke a tackle and scampered the rest of the way to complete a 32 yard scoring play, his first NFL touchdown.

Atlanta drove to the Packers 11 where a TD grab was overturned on replay and after Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark combined to sack Ridder, Koo hit a 33 yard field goal to make it 17-12.  Another deep shot to Romeo Doubs was denied but the underthrown ball drew a second big pass interference penalty and the Packers cashed that in when Love found Reed in the right flat and he sped to the end zone to make it 24-12 and things were looking grand.

The Falcons had other ideas and dominated the final period to get off to a 2-0 start to the season.

For LaFleur, it was a disappointing performance in a now 1-1 September.

Atlanta dominated the numbers, outgaining the Packers 446 yards to 224, racking up 27 first downs to 17 and controlling the clock for 36:15.    They piled up 211 rushing yards, Robinson led the way with 124 yards on 19 carries.

Love finished 14 of 25 for 151 yards and three touchdowns without a pick for the second week in a row.   Dillon gained 55 yards on 15 carries while Reed was the top receiver with 4 catches on 8 targets for 37 yards and two scores.   Quay Walker racked up a whopping 17 tackles while De Vondre Campbell finished with 14.   However it was plays the defense didn’t make that came back to haunt them.   Alexander had one of the dropped picks and he took the fall for a substandard game and a poor finish by everyone.

The Packers also lost Elgton Jenkins to a knee injury in the first half, forcing Royce Newman to team with Rasheed Walker on the left side of the line.    Lukas Van Ness also had to leave with an elbow injury.

The other inactives were Anthony Johnson Jr, Zayne Anderson, Brenton Cox Jr and Caleb Jones.

The Packers finally open the home schedule at Lambeau Field next Sunday hosting the New Orleans Saints after an empty feeling trip to Georgia.