The Green Bay Packers had a chance to make history in Week 2 when they visited the Atlanta Falcons. No team in franchise history had ever begun the season with two games on the road and opened 2-0, but this year’s team had a chance to accomplish that feat.
Unfortunately, the team fell just short of doing it. The Packers ended up losing the game 25-24, falling just short of the historic outcome. Green Bay certainly had its chance to come away with a victory, but it was the Falcons who executed best near the end of the game.
After taking a 12-point lead late in the third quarter, the Packers were in full control of the game. Unfortunately, that was the last time that the offense showed any effectiveness in the game. The Falcons responded with a touchdown of their own to cut the lead back down to five, taking momentum back.
They carried that momentum throughout the fourth quarter as Green Bay’s offense was stuck in the mud. The Packers would gain seven yards on their last 10 plays of the game as the Atlanta defense stepped up to the task. The Falcons would kick field goals on each of their final two drives to steal a victory.
It was certainly a disappointing finish for Green Bay, as the absence of running back Aaron Jones and wide receiver Christian Watson seemed to catch up to them. AJ Dillon failed to step up in Jones’s absence, carrying the ball 15 times for 55 yards, and adding one reception for eight yards.
Jordan Love completed 14-of-25 passes for 151 yards and three more touchdowns without a turnover. His favorite target this week was rookie Jayden Reed, who caught four passes for 37 yards and two touchdowns. Dontayvion Wicks led the way with 40 yards on two receptions.
The Falcons took the game to the Packers on the ground, running the ball 45 times. Rookie Bijan Robinson had a big game, rushing for 124 yards on 19 carries. Tyler Allgeier had 16 carries for 48 yards and Desmond Ridder ran the ball 10 times for 39 yards.
Atlanta ran 78 offensive plays compared to only 47 for Green Bay, which is a disparity that is tough to overcome. The massive time of possession difference, 36:15 to 23:45, certainly played a part near the end of the game when the Falcons took control.
