Julio Jones & the Falcons game thread

[Deleted member 6794]

I hope not and statistically they have not been as good as the Cowboys on the ground. But their passing game is better then the Cowboys, so overall they are more balanced, which is why they lead the league in yards. Against the Cowboys, we were probably more focused on stopping the run, against the Falcons, we better be able to stop both run and pass or there could be some big yardage either way.

Hopefully containing the Falcons passing game works better than defending the Cowboys rushing offense.

 

[El Guapo]

My optimism is just that, optimistic. My reasoning actually parallels the good captain's in that I think our D line will win the majority of the battles. With the running game in check and our ability to slide double coverage Julio's way, I think that we stand a decent chance. Without another serious threat, I fully expect Capers to double Julio and make Matt Ryan follow is progressions to other options while our Dline chases him around....and he's not very good on the move. Ryan has found his alternate receivers when teams have doubled Julio, and found Julio when they left him one-on-one. I think that the key is that you don't let their guaranteed weapon hurt you. Let the other guys show IF they have what it takes.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Jared Cook, Clay Matthews (hamstring), Damarious Randall, Quinten Rollins and James Starks didn't practice today. Randall Cobb (hamstring), T.J. Lang (hip) and Ty Montgomery (illness) were limited participants.

Don Jackson fully participated.

 

[Poppa San]

Jared Cook, Clay Matthews (hamstring), Damarious Randall, Quinten Rollins and James Starks didn't practice today. Randall Cobb (hamstring), T.J. Lang (hip) and Ty Montgomery (illness) were limited participants.

Don Jackson fully participated.

What is up with Linsley ATM? How long before he is activated so Barclay can be traded to an OL needy team for a few top picks?

 

[Deleted member 6794]

RB Tevin Coleman and DE Dwight Freeney didn't practice for the Falcons while RB Devonta Freeman, WR Taylor Gabriel and CB C.J. Goodwin were limited participants.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

What is up with Linsley ATM?

Linsley is still on the PUP list but according to reports has already practiced with the team last week.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

What is up with Linsley ATM? How long before he is activated so Barclay can be traded to an OL needy team for a few top picks?

I've got an old rusty gate on my back 40 I need to replace, put my name in for a Barclay trade, I'm willing to go as high as 2 chickens.

 

[JK64]

Hopefully containing the Falcons passing game works better than defending the Cowboys rushing offense.

Sure, but our main problem with the Cowboys was turnovers by Rodgers and his lousy receivers.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Sure, but our main problem with the Cowboys was turnovers by Rodgers and his lousy receivers.

The 191 yards rushing and 30 points the defense gave up, didn't really help either.

 

[JK64]

The 191 yards rushing and 30 points the defense gave up, didn't really help either.

True, but how great was field position for Dallas after the turnovers. Once Dallas got a big lead, they could run it down the defense's throat.

 

[AmishMafia]

I've got an old rusty gate on my back 40 I need to replace, put my name in for a Barclay trade, I'm willing to go as high as 2 chickens.

best to trade your cows. With Barclay as your gate, they will be gone anyway. Now me, I need a turnstile for the milkhouse. I bid three chix, 2 lbs of fresh churned butter, and some beard wax.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

best to trade your cows. With Barclay as your gate, they will be gone anyway. Now me, I need a turnstile for the milkhouse. I bid three chix, 2 lbs of fresh churned butter, and some beard wax.

He's all yours! I would have been fine with an extra chicken, but if I have Barclay, I am going to need all my butter to keep him greased up so the livestock slips right by him....on second thought.....that's already a built in feature with the Barclay Gate. I will meet your offer and throw in my autographed Tim Masthay whiffle ball.

 

[Packerlifer]

http://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2...not-break-hand-could-play-vs-falcons-nfl-2016

 

[C-Lee]

Really hope Monty gets better, we're going to need him.

 

[swhitset]

I've got an old rusty gate on my back 40 I need to replace, put my name in for a Barclay trade, I'm willing to go as high as 2 chickens.

Pretty sure the gate would get around him.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

True, but how great was field position for Dallas after the turnovers. Once Dallas got a big lead, they could run it down the defense's throat.

The Cowboys only scored a total of three points off the Packers five turnovers (I've included the one on downs as well).

Really hope Monty gets better, we're going to need him.

I fully expect Montgomery to play on Sunday.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Short passing game will be key here. Keep drives moving, keep Ryan off the field as much as possible. With the current state of our offense, I am not 100% comfortable getting into a shootout with them, although I do trust our defense more than I do theirs.

More so than even in a regular game, turnover margin WILL tell the story in this one. Just cannot afford to give either team more opportunities.

Why not? It's been working for 2 games now with only 2 punts. Control the ball, control the clock, keep a substandard opponent defense on the field and their productive offense off of it. Of course this doesn't work if you turn the ball over. Then again nothing does.

First, Cook went down. Then Nelson showed he was clearly not himself, then to compound matters he limped off the field last week. Yeah, he came right back, but was just a decoy. Lacy down, Starks off his game then down, Adams down. It's hard to imagine a robust offense this depleted. This offense getting into a shootout as an alternative to the new-found ball control passing game should be off the table; this offense is clearly not capable of holding up their end of that bargain unless and until opposing defenses modify their approach.

As noted last week, this is the time of year where Matty Ice has a habit of going cold. His efficiency has been dropping for 3 weeks now. Denver and Seattle? Sure, that's understandable. The Chargers? Not so much. Still, the Packer defense needs to put a good game together to keep the score in check. The CB situation does not help things, though Gunter is better than most think. One big plus is that Ryan is the kind of QB that Capers is best at defending: limited mobility, not particularly accurate on the move. I think this last factor tips the balance.

I'll go out on a limb and say it will be Packers over Atlanta 24 - 20 in a fit of cockeyed optimism and unbridled enthusiasm. The again, that was Billy Mumphry's downfall.

 

[HardRightEdge]

best to trade your cows. With Barclay as your gate, they will be gone anyway. Now me, I need a turnstile for the milkhouse. I bid three chix, 2 lbs of fresh churned butter, and some beard wax.

Toss in a couple yards of gingham and you've got a deal!

 

[Sunshinepacker]

I'm REALLY hoping that McCarthy lets Montgomery play the majority of snaps at RB and not Knile Davis. Montgomery is a very versatile player that can really put a defense in a bind with his versatility; like the Patriots with Vereen or Dion Lewis. Some seem to believe that Montgomery at RB is similar to playing Cobb at RB but Montgomery has almost 30lbs on Cobb and is really built like a RB. Davis has a career average yards per carry of 3.3 and it's not like you can blame the offense he was playing on for the terrible average; if anything it should tell you a lot about his actual running ability that he only averaged 3.3 yards per carry on an offense that appears to be able to churn out great runners. Plus, Davis isn't nearly the threat to catch the ball out of the backfield. Putting Davis in allows the Falcons to stay closer to a base defense which is not good considering Neal, one of their better secondary players, is basically a young Kam Chancellor; if the Packers put Montgomery in the game you have a good chance of forcing Neal to cover Montgomery one-on-one in the passing game, which is a major advantage for the Packers. Montgomery forces the defense to commit to more coverage players or more front-seven guys and that gives the offense a lot more flexibility.

As for the defense, I'm really not holding out a ton of hope for stopping the Falcons so much as I'm just hoping that the Packers can keep the Falcons to field goals. Packers defense is going against the most physically dominant receiver in the NFL. Gunter, stature-wise, should allow the Packers to play decent defense against Jones in the red zone, where Jones' huge advantage in speed won't be as devastating, but the issue is going to be making sure that Jones doesn't hit the big play.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Well crap.......I was hoping we would see AJ on Sunday!

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/10/25/falcons-sign-stevan-ridley-release-a-j-hawk/

 

[JK64]

The Cowboys only scored a total of three points off the Packers five turnovers (I've included the one on downs as well).

I fully expect Montgomery to play on Sunday.

Yes, and the turnovers stressed the defense.

 

[OldSchool101]

We need to win in 2 of these 3 areas to beat Atlanta. QB sacks/pressures, TO ratio and Time of possession

 

[sschind]

I've got an old rusty gate on my back 40 I need to replace, put my name in for a Barclay trade, I'm willing to go as high as 2 chickens.

Surely an old rusty gate is more effective. I think you would be downgrading and losing a couple of chickens in the process.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I'm REALLY hoping that McCarthy lets Montgomery play the majority of snaps at RB and not Knile Davis. Montgomery is a very versatile player that can really put a defense in a bind with his versatility; like the Patriots with Vereen or Dion Lewis. Some seem to believe that Montgomery at RB is similar to playing Cobb at RB but Montgomery has almost 30lbs on Cobb and is really built like a RB. Davis has a career average yards per carry of 3.3 and it's not like you can blame the offense he was playing on for the terrible average; if anything it should tell you a lot about his actual running ability that he only averaged 3.3 yards per carry on an offense that appears to be able to churn out great runners. Plus, Davis isn't nearly the threat to catch the ball out of the backfield. Putting Davis in allows the Falcons to stay closer to a base defense which is not good considering Neal, one of their better secondary players, is basically a young Kam Chancellor; if the Packers put Montgomery in the game you have a good chance of forcing Neal to cover Montgomery one-on-one in the passing game, which is a major advantage for the Packers. Montgomery forces the defense to commit to more coverage players or more front-seven guys and that gives the offense a lot more flexibility.

I'm worried about Montgomery staying healthy getting the majority of the rushing attempts though.

 

[Packerlifer]

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201011280atl.htmThis Sunday's game will be the 31st time the Packers have played the Falcons, going back to the Atlanta franchise's first season 50 years ago, and the 15th time the Pack will have played in Atlanta. Green Bay leads the all-time series 17-13 but are only 6-8 on the Falcons' home ground.

The road record in Georgia could be better, however, as two losses the Packers sustained there in 1983 and 2010 came down to last second Falcon scores. In the first instance the Packers lost a 47-41 shootout on a pair of interceptions returned for td's against them; one to tie and the other to decide the overtime. In the second Atlanta kicked a field goal in the last 9 seconds for the win.

On several occasions a Packers' visit to Atlanta have been "tonic" for Green Bay. In their first trip down South in the third game of the 1968 season the Packers were a struggling world champion in their first year without Vince Lombardi as head coach. They had lost 2 of their first 3 and people were beginning to wonder whether the dynasty had come to its end.

The Falcons were, at the time, a struggling three year old expansion franchise. The Packers had routed them in their first two meetings in Wisconsin by a combined 79-3. They would achieve their largest margin of victory in the '68 season to rekindle a flicker of hope that they had one more championship season in them although as we know it didn't ultimately turn out that way.
http://www.packershistory.net/1968PACKERS/GAME4.html



In 1976 the Packers closed out their season in Atlanta in a meeting of teams hoping to avoid a double-digit losing season and the Pack trying to end a 3 game losing streak to the Falcons. By a curious irony of coincidence one time Packers' qb Scott Hunter quarterbacked this game for the Falcons and former Atlanta qb Randy Johnson quarterbacked the Packers that day.
http://www.packershistory.net/1976PACKERS/GAME14.html

In another dismal season almost 30 years later the Packers would travel to Atlanta in 2005 showing a 1-7 record while the Falcons were 6-2 and appeared to be heading to the playoffs. The Pack seemed to have no chance in this one but rallied themselves for a decisive win; led by the rushing performance of a street free agent Samkon Gado. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200511130atl.htm

The result didn't turn the Packers' season, they finished 4-12, but it did wreck Atlanta. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Atlanta_Falcons_season

In 1982 the Packers visited Atlanta in a game that had enormous playoff implications for both teams. In the early '80's the Falcons had a prime NFC Super Bowl contender. The year before in Green Bay they had put a hurt on the Packers' season when the Packers had them down 17-0 entering the fourth quarter then watched as the Falcons scored 31 in the final period for the win. Green Bay wound up missing the playoffs by just one game that season and that Falcons game could be easily pointed to as a good reason for falling short.

Memories of that collapse were rife as the Packers and Falcons entered the '82 game fighting for a high "seed" and home field playoff game. The 1982 season had been abbreviated and altered by the nine week player strike. After starting 4-1 the Packers had been faltering; losing by 20 at Lambeau to Detroit and then struggling to escape with a tie against the winless Colts.

The Packers would play their most dominating game of the season in clinching a playoff berth and winding up with the third "seed" for the NFC playoffs. The result would be the difference between playing their first playoff game in Lambeau Field since the Ice Bowl 15 years earlier and winning to advance to the divisional round or having to play on the road. It was also the difference between Atlanta getting a home field playoff game and having to travel to Minnesota where they lost. http://www.packershistory.net/1982PACKERS/GAME8.html

It was a game they lost in Atlanta in 2010 that proved to be the igniter for a Super Bowl Championship for the Packers. The Falcons were soaring along to the "top seed" for the playoffs when they edged the Packers on a field goal in the last 9 seconds. But the Packers came away from that game with renewed confidence in themselves. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201011280atl.htm

Seven weeks later the 10-6 6th seed Packers would again play in Atlanta against the 13-3 top seed Falcons as underdogs in the Divisional Playoff.

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This is the golden anniversary of the Atlanta franchise in 2016. Despite being in different divisions and playing one another only intermittently over 50 years they do have a history with the Packers. Starting with their attempt to lure Vince Lombardi away from Green Bay to be their first head coach and hiring a Lombardi assistant Norb Hecker for the job to launch their club. http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/atlanta/falcons.html

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?tm1=gnb&tm2=atl&yr=all