The Green Bay Packers got a shutout performance from its struggling defense in the second half Sunday and a solid offensive performance without Aaron Rodgers en route to a 22-21 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Green Bay.
“Excellent win today for our football team. I’d classify it as a character win,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “I’m very proud of the way the guys stayed after it.”
After the Matt Flynn-led Packers overcame an 11-point deficit in the second half, the win was sealed by the Packers’ defense, which stuffed the Falcons on three potentially game-winning drives in the fourth quarter.
The Packers' winning drive was set up by Mike Neal's strip-sack of Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan with about 12 minutes remaining. Defensive lineman Johnny Jolly recovered the ball at the Atlanta 21. Four plays later, Flynn found tight end Andrew Quarless for a 2-yard touchdown.
Quarless had six catches for 66 yards, both career highs, and his second career touchdown. Flynn went 24 for 32 for 258 yards, a touchdown and a interception.
“Andrew (Quarless) played a great game, and when you’ve got teams that are locking on Jordy (Nelson) and things like that, you’ve got to really utilize your tight ends,” Flynn said. “So we gave them the chance to make plays and they did it.”
The Packers, protecting a 22-21 lead, managed to stall the Falcons' ensuing drive at the Green Bay 34-yard line, and Atlanta kicker Matt Bryant came up short on a 52-yard field goal attempt.
The Packers went three-and-out on their next possession, giving the ball back to the Falcons with 4:38 left in the game. The Falcons drove to the Green Bay 33-yard line. Facing fourth-and-5 after the 2-minute warning, the Falcons elected to go for it rather than try another long kick.
When Ryan sent a ball at veteran tight end Tony Gonzalez, cornerback Jarrett Bush got a hand on the ball and forced the turnover on downs.
“To play a great player like Tony Gonzalez is always a challenge,” Bush said. “I just did my due diligence studying him and knowing what he likes to do, route-wise and scheme-wise. It paid huge dividends today.”
Neither Atlanta nor Bush was finished, though. After the Packers again went three-and-out, the Falcons’ last gasp came on third-and-10 on the Atlanta 43 with 11 seconds left to play. Ryan threw for receiver Harry Douglas, but Bush plucked the ball out of the air to end the threat and the game.
The Packers' defense held Ryan to 206 yards on 20 of 35 passes. Falcons running back Steven Jackson had 71 yards on 15 carries. Roddy White had 74 yards on eight catches.
In the first quarter, the Packers took a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Eddie Lacy, who finished the day with 65 yards on 20 carries.
A second-quarter 36-yard pass from Ryan to Drew Davis tied the game, and a sack-fumble of Flynn on the Packers' ensuing possession set up the Falcons for a go-ahead 2-yard Ryan-to-Gonzalez touchdown throw.
The Packers cut the Falcons’ lead to 14-10 on a 40-yard Mason Crosby field goal and were driving again late in the half when Flynn's throw caromed off an Atlanta player’s foot into the arms of linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, who returned it 70 yards for a touchdown, putting the Falcons (3-10) ahead 21-10 with 23 seconds remaining in the half.
With the Packers’ defense clamping down in the second half, two field goals from Crosby (33 and 25 yards) cut the Falcons’ lead to 21-16 in the third quarter.
The implications of the Packers' win extended to Philadelphia, where the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions (7-6) lost, 34-20, putting the Packers just half a game back in the division race.
If the Packers (6-6-1) win the rest of their games and the Lions stumble in any of their remaining three games, the Packers will win the division and host a playoff game, a fortunate turnaround for a team that went 0-4-1 in the last month with Rodgers sidelined with a broken collarbone.
The Chicago Bears (6-6), whom the Packers play in Chicago in the regular season finale, can move into a first-place tie with the Lions with a win Monday at home against the Dallas Cowboys (7-5), whom the Packers play Sunday.
“I like our opportunity in Dallas. That’s really where my mind is,” McCarthy said. “I clearly understand how the rankings go and it’s great that the Lions lost and we’re happy about that, but it’s about stacking success. It’s tough to win in this league.”
It was 9 degrees when the game started, with a wind chill of -1. Much of the game was played in a light snowfall.
The Packers honored Dave Robinson, the legendary linebacker who joined the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year, during a halftime ceremony. Robinson had his name unveiled in the Lambeau Field ring of honor.
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