Archive for June 9th, 2011
Game 11: A Matter of Matts
by Boris on Jun.09, 2011, under Commentary, Game Recaps
November 28, 2010 – Georgia Dome – Atlanta, Georgia
Through their 4 game winning streak, the Packers had met two teams that were the very definition of dysfunction–the Minnesota Vikings & the Dallas Cowboys. The third team, the New York Jets, possibly didn’t take the Packers all that seriously and it cost them.
Such was not going to be the case against the Atlanta Falcons, an exciting young team that was playing with as much, if not more, confidence than the Packers. The Falcons featured an unflappable 3rd year quarterback in Matt Ryan, who had lost only once in the Georgia Dome. Sitting at 8-2 and all but assured of a playoff spot, the Falcons were positioning themselves for an NFC South title, the best record in the NFC and a critical first-round playoff bye.
There was not a whiff of turmoil with Mike Smith’s team, and they took the Packers very seriously. The result was a terrific game that offered a glimpse of what might come in the post-season. It was a game that encompassed all that was going well with the Packers in recent weeks. However, it also revealed a few nagging issues that kept Green Bay from attaining the elite status it was looking for.
The Falcons grabbed a quick 3-0 lead on a Matt Bryant field goal. The Packers responded with a nice drive from their own 15 to the Atlanta 4 that ended in a Mason Crosby field goal.
Then came a turning point and the first sign that what had been going so well the previous month might be absent on this day.