TAMPA — The Falcons could have a very limited ability to impact their playoff position in Sunday’s game against the Bucs, but Atlanta maintains it will play to win.

Coach Mike Smith suggested Wednesday that he would not rest his starters or coach differently, but he wasn’t entirely specific.

“Our preparation week is going to be no different than any other week,” Smith said. “We know there are some things that are set in concrete. We know we’ll be playing the following week. We don’t know who or where or when, and we’ve just got to go through our normal preparation and prepare to beat Tampa Bay.

“That’s our entire focus this week. We’re not thinking about the second season.”

The Bucs (4-11) hope to end the season by snapping a nine-game losing streak.

The Falcons (9-6), meanwhile, will know by the 4:15 kickoff if their game affects their playoff seeding. If the Lions defeat the Packers earlier in the day, the Falcons are the sixth seed, no matter the outcome of the Bucs game. But if the Lions lose, the Falcons can grab the fifth seed with a win.

All-Pro TE Tony Gonzalez said the Falcons want to play to win after their 45-16 thumping at the hands of the Saints on Monday night.

“It’s business as usual around here,” Gonzalez said. “We’re going to try to go out and win a football game against a really good team that beat us earlier in the season. I don’t think anybody’s mind-set around here is that we’re going to go ahead and rest, especially after last week the way we performed against the Saints. We have to go out there and put on a good performance going into the playoffs.”

WELL DESERVED: RG Davin Joseph‘s selection to the Pro Bowl this week didn’t surprise QB Josh Freeman. And it probably shouldn’t have surprised some of the Bucs’ opponents, either.

“I remember Ndamukong Suh before the first game said, ‘Man, you’ve got to keep (No.) 75 from cheap (shots),’ ” Freeman said of the Lions’ defensive tackle. “I’m like, ‘Are you really telling me this? You of all people?’ Guys throughout the year said the same thing. (Texans LB) Brian Cushing comes to mind. They know about Davin. They know what a great player he is, and it’s great to have him on our team.”

For his part, Joseph, headed to his second Pro Bowl, said he’d take team accomplishments over individual ones.

“If you give me 10 wins, I’d trade it all in,” said the 2006 first-round pick out of Oklahoma. “It just shows we have talent, and there’s no doubt we put in a lot of work. It just hasn’t panned out for us right now. But, soon, it will.”

In a season full of negatives, Joseph’s play has stood out, according to Freeman: “Davin has been a major bright spot, the effort that guy gives, his intensity. I hear guys all the time talk about, ‘You’ve got to keep that No. 75, watch out for him. Tell him to cut out the cheap shots.’ (They) are not cheap shots. They’re hustle plays.”

INJURY REPORT: The Bucs are limping into their final game as decimated by injuries as they’ve been all season. The injury report includes seven players who were unable to practice Wednesday in any capacity: WR Arrelious Benn (neck), DE Michael Bennett (toe), DT Albert Haynesworth (knee), DT Roy Miller (back), DT Brian Price (ankle), WR Preston Parker (concussion) and RT Jeremy Trueblood (concussion). The defensive line is particularly thin, with only three defensive tackles available Wednesday: Frank Okam, new signee Jovan Haye and practice squad member Lamar Divens.

Staff writer Rick Stroud contributed to this report.

Having a two game lead over the second-place Atlanta Falcons and owning the tie breaker over all three NFC South teams has to help the New Orleans Saints rest easy during their bye week. To help them even more, all three of their NFC South counterparts are facing tough competition in week eleven. The Falcons are facing a tough Tennessee Titans squad, and the Bucs are playing on the road against the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers. The Carolina Panthers, likely relegated to spoiler status at this point, face off against the Detroit Lions in Motown.

Atlanta hosts Tennessee after trying to forget the one that got away

Atlanta has to be feeling pretty down after letting the victory over the Saints get away in week ten. An overtime loss to the Saints is nothing to generally feel bad about, but a controversial call by Falcons coach Mike Smith during overtime led to questions all week long. Smith decided to go for it on fourth down on the 29 yard line, was stopped, and then gave up the field goal a couple plays later. Instead of taking over first place, they dropped to second in the win column to the Saints.

Tennessee whipped the Carolina Panthers in week ten and looked great doing so. Chris Johnson finally looked like the running back that everyone thought he should be, and the Titans defense shut down one of the most explosive offenses in the league.

I expect that the Falcons will struggle some, but they will pull out the important victory over the Titans. Atlanta has not loss two in row all season long, and they won’t start this week.

Tampa Bay trying to right the ship after tough stretch

When you are trying to find your sea legs in the NFC South, the last thing you want to see is a trip to Lambeau on the schedule. This is especially true against this year’s version of the Packers. Aaron Rodgers(notes) is looking like the best quarterback in the league so far, and the Bucs have little to no chance in this game. They have everything going against them that they can have. They are travelling to one of the toughest venues. They are a warm weather team playing in cold weather. They are not playing well. And oh, by the way, the Packers are undefeated and the best team in the league.

Good luck with that Tampa.

Cam Newton(notes) and the Panthers try to play spoiler in Motown

Cam Newton had the worst game of his career against the Tennessee Titans in week ten, and he still was not all that bad. The team was bad, but Newton was just worse than usual. Perhaps he is slowing down a little, but I doubt it. I think it was the constant pressure from the Titans and a great defensive game plan that hurt Newton mostly. Either way, the going should be easier for the offense on Sunday when they face a Detroit defense that gives up plenty of yards and points. This game will be a shootout and will likely hinge on how well Cam plays.

I think in the end, the Lions will have too much firepower and win the game, but I would not be at all surprised to see the Panthers win either. It all really depends on how they come to play.

*Southern is a huge NFL and Carolina Panthers football fan that has followed the team since the very beginning. He still thinks that Tom Brady(notes) is the enemy and that Steve Smith will win a Super Bowl before it is said and done.

More from this contributor:

Three Losing NFL Teams that Are Ready to Win Now: Fan’s Opinion

Can Steve Smith Break Jerry Rice’s Single Season Receiving Record?: A Fan’s Opinion

Why It’s Not Fair to Compare Cam Newton and Andy Dalton: A Fan’s Perspective

Steve Smith Breaks All Time Carolina Panthers Receiving Record: A Fan’s Reaction

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

In one of the more bizarre fan fights that I have seen, a Green Bay Packers fan got into a fight with Atlanta Falcons fan over nothing more than a dropped hat.

The video itself dates back to the Falcons match-up against the Pack back on week five and starts when a cheese-head wearing Packers fan begins to jeer a Falcons fan.

The Falcons fan takes the jeering rather well until the other fan throws his Falcons hat down the nearby stairwell and causes a fan fight for the ages:

***

Cheesehead vs. Falcons Meathead In Battle Over Hats [Busted Coverage]

So here we sit, stuck in a bye week. For the Falcons, it means time to get healthy and prepare themselves for the second half of the season. For fantasy owners, it means now you have to find a fill-in for your beloved Falcons team members. You’re going to have to face your friend/co-worker/family member with a depleted team. How annoying!

Luckily, I’m here to help with that (aren’t you thrilled?). So for those of you that own Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Tony Gonzalez and the rest of the gang, here are a few names I feel would be worthy of a pick-up this week in lieu of your Falcons starters:

QUARTERBACK:
Christian Ponder (MIN)- 13.05 pts (227.40 yards, 1.12 TDs, 1.12 INTs)
Folks, the times of rookie QBs struggling are fading fast. We saw it earlier this season with Cam Newton, and for Ponder, his impressive debut against the Packers (22/49, 318 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs) makes him a good pickup for those of you who own Matty Ice. What’s more, he’ll be going against the Panthers this week, a much easier foe (defensively) than the Packers.

Tim Tebow (DEN)- 17.13 pts (202.97 yards, 1.30 TDs, 0.97 INTs)
He may not be a great passer, but those rushing yards (and TDs) make all the difference in the world. As we all saw firsthand last week, the Detroit Lions do not play the run all too well. Tebow is a running quarterback. I think you get where this is going.

Alex Smith (SF)-12.08 pts (167.51 yards, 0.98 TDs, 1.08 INTs)
Cleveland’s defense may be one of the more underrated units in the league, but you can’t ignore how former first-round “bust” has been playing this season: eight touchdowns and only two interceptions. He’s solid, if unspectacular, and dependable. Jim Harbaugh deserves Coach of the Year, and Smith is deserving of a pickup.

WIDE RECEIVER:
Antonio Brown (PIT)- 7.42 pts (2.56 recs, 47.76 yards, 0.41 TDs)
Yeah, that guy that made the Falcons look silly during the preseason. Turns out he’s had a very solid regular season as well. In fact, Brown is coming off a seven-catch, 100-yard performance last week, and will be facing a Patriots defense that has allowed the most points to fantasy wideouts. On top of that, Hines Ward seems a good bet to miss the game with injury, meaning Brown should see more targets. Suc-cess!

Steve Breaston (KC)- 7.25 pts (4.08 recs, 53.46 yards, 0.30 TDs)
Though the Chiefs offense has struggled without their star running back Jamaal Charles, they’ve had a few good games (most notably their 41-points on the Raiders last week). Breaston is the clear-cut No. 2 receiving option behind Dwayne Bowe, and they’ll be going up against a Chargers defense that’s been so poor they actually made Mark Sanchez look good last week. Not-super Chargers.

RUNNING BACK:
Demarco Murray (DAL)- 12.44 pts (75.26 yards, 0.68 TDs)
253 rushing yards and one touchdown against the Rams last week. Who saw that coming? Well, both Felix Jones and Tashard Choice are listed as questionable against Philadelphia, and given Murray’s performance last week I doubt Jason Garrett would be too willing to rush either back from injury. We also know firsthand that Philly doesn’t like to play good run defense. At least they have cornerbacks.

Pierre Thomas (NO)- 8.96 pts (45.73 yards, 0.41 TDs)
Demarco Murray racked up all that yardage against the Rams. Who do the Saints play this week? The Rams. Starter Mark Ingram has already been declared out, meaning that Thomas will get the nominal start at running back. How much Darren Sproles will cut into his workload I cannot say. But I do know that Sproles is too small to use too many times a game, and St. Louis’ defense is non-existent.

TIGHT END:
Jermaine Gresham (CIN)- 6.70 pts (3.80 recs, 44.30 yards, 0.37 TDs)
Ever since Aaron Curry’s departure from Seattle, the ‘Hawks have actually been giving up more fantasy points to tight ends. That makes Gresham, who’s been a reliable target for rookie Andy Dalton all year long, a good fill-in candidate for you Tony Gonzalez owners out there. Not quite a future HoFer, but he’ll do.

KICKER, DEFENSE/ST
For kicker, there’s really not a whole lot I can tell you except pick one, as it’s really just a crapshoot as to who excels each week. If he’s available in your league, new San Diego kicker Nick Novak is probably worth a look. Other than that, you may want to simply pick based on who’s been most accurate. Or flip a coin. Whatever works for you.

As for team defense and special teams… well, if you’ve been starting Atlanta’s D/ST then I feel sorry for you. Do yourself a favor and pick up one of the “lesser known” defensive standouts this season (Cleveland, Cincinnati, Tennessee). Buffalo may not be a bad choice either, considering they’re taking on the now-inept Redskins offense. But seriously, you just had to be the homer and take Atlanta D/ST? You should’ve taken the Jets like I did.

For more on the Falcons, check out The Falcoholic.

By Jason Kirk

– Regional Editor

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Oct 27, 2011 – Esteemed colleague Caleb Rutherford kicked off (sports jargon) a discussion at The Falcoholic on whether Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder has made up for some rough early performances with a strong run heading into the team’s bye. I think so, but who cares what I think?

Two things: any estimation of the job the Falcons defense has done so far has to factor in the gauntlet of offenses they’ve faced, and any sort of WHERE WE GO FROM HERE has to account for the schedule’s relatively easy second half.

I have several HTML tables filled with good news on both counts:

First, let’s compare points allowed by the Falcons and the points each opponent’s scored against teams besides the Falcons.

As you can see, the Falcons have allowed about one point fewer per game than each foe’s average, despite a disastrous showing against the Seahawks. If Atlanta’s first seven opponents could be mashed into one team, that team would rank 14th in the NFL in scoring per game — or 10th, if you could take out the Seahawks’ season average.

From here on out, though, Atlanta’s remaining opponents would rank 18th. And that includes the Saints’ top-ranked offense twice.

Here’s the same thing, but for yardage:

Thirty yards per game, y’all. And that damn Seahawks game stands out again. Plus, from a yardage perspective, Atlanta’s average opponent ranks No. 8 in the NFL, and No. 7 minus the Seahawks’ average. The post-bye Falcons schedule, all piled together, would rank 13th. Tough, but less so. And, again, that’s with the Saints twice.

One more … yards per play, likely the most informative basic stat and the one most trusted by Vegas:

A foot or two shy, even with Seattle somehow turning into the Packers for an afternoon. And that’s against a range of offenses that would rank 10th in the league in yards per play. That’s a gauntlet. And, again, No. 7 without Seattle’s average included. Atlanta’s last nine opponents, averaged together, would rank 15th. Just for fun … take out the Saints, and the other seven would rank No. 18.

With the Colts, Jaguars, Buccaneers, Vikings, and Titans (at least two rookie quarterbacks right there, plus whoever the Colts usher forth) forming most of the remaining Falcons schedule, there’s no reason not to hope the level of defense we’ve seen over the last two weeks can’t be sustained more often than not through the end of the regular season. (Then again, based on that Seahawks game, maybe it’s the bad offenses we should worry about.)

So, yes, VanGorder’s defense is just fine. We’ll still need a few strong weeks in a row to be able to say the same about the offense.

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Read More: nfl injury report, falcons injury report, julio jones injury, Harry Douglas (WR – ATL), Julio Jones (WR – ATL), Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones missed Wednesday’s practice as he continues to try and rehabilitate his injured hamstring. Jones injured the hamstring late in the third quarter of the Falcons loss to the Packers in week five and missed the entire week of practice in week six. A continued absence from practice already this week would indicate he is likely to be no better than a game-time decision on Sunday against the Lions.

Without Jones in the lineup against the Falcons, the Falcons spread the ball around quite liberally with no receiver catching more than three passes. Tony Gonzalez led the team with three receptions, while Harry Douglas led the team with 57 yards. Ovie Mughelli had the only touchdown reception.

For fantasy purposes, Harry Douglas could prove to be a decent pass catching option in bye weeks. The Falcons have a bye in week eight so he would be a very limited option. For now you will simply have to sit on Julio Jones for another couple weeks. Given the upcoming week eight bye, he should be good to go by the time week nine rolls around.

For more on the Falcons, check out The Falcoholic. For more on fantasy football, check out Fake Teams. Follow @sbnationfantasy on Twitter.

ATLANTA (AP) — The Falcons insist it’s over and done with.
  
That embarrassing playoff loss to the Packers? A thing of the past. No need to even bring it up.
  
Aaron Rodgers knows better.
  
The Green Bay quarterback remembers how it felt ending the 2009 season with a postseason loss.
  
“They’ve got to be motivated. I would be,” Rodgers said. “I know when we lost to Arizona in the playoffs, that was a big motivator for us coming back the next season to have a good season and make the next step of moving on in the playoffs. I’m sure they’re motivated.”
  
On Sunday night, the Falcons (2-2) have a shot at some measure of redemption when they host the Super Bowl champion Packers (4-0) at the Georgia Dome, the same place where Atlanta’s last season ended with such a thud.
  
Flash back to January. The Falcons were riding high, having won 13 games and a division championship during the regular season. As the top-seeded team in the NFC, they earned a first-round bye and home-field advantage through the conference playoffs.
  
The postseason lasted one game.
  
Green Bay, a team the Falcons had beaten during the regular season, got hot at the right time. Rodgers kept ducking this way and that to get away from pass rushers, giving himself enough time to carve up the Atlanta secondary with one of the best performances of his career.
  
He threw for three touchdowns and ran for another. He completed all but five of his 36 passes, finishing with 366 yards through the air. He led the Packers to the highest-scoring playoff game in their storied history. Heck, they didn’t even need their punter.
  
The final: Packers 48, Falcons 21.
  
“That was a pretty clean game,” Rodgers said nonchalantly. “We had no mental mistakes. We got the ball to the people we wanted to get it to. We moved the ball pretty effectively. When you combine not turning it over with throwing it where you want, you’re going to have pretty good results.”
  
Green Bay kept on winning right through the Super Bowl. The Falcons spent a long, restless offseason wondering how it all went wrong.
  
“It’s one of those things you need to learn from, especially when your last game kind of ends that way,” Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan said. “We certainly didn’t play as well as we would’ve liked to, but we ran into a team that was playing really well. It takes a little while to get over, but you have to move past it.”
  
Even though the Falcons are again the home team, the tables have turned since that last matchup.
  
Green Bay is the favorite this time, having won 10 in a row since its last loss on Dec. 19 at New England. The Packers are averaging 37 points a game and no one has come close to shutting down Rodgers, who leads the league in passing efficiency and is coming off a six-touchdown barrage (four passing, two rushing) against Denver.
  
Clearly, this team has shown no signs of resting on its championship laurels. Their sights are now firmly set on getting to a second straight Super Bowl.
  
“Last season doesn’t have any affect on our thought process moving forward,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “We’re proud of what we accomplished last year. That was an excellent football team … something that will always be part of the tradition of the Green Bay Packers. But this is a whole different year. We’re focused on winning our fifth game and staying on a path that will hopefully take us to Indianapolis.”
  
The Falcons came into the season with the look of a Super Bowl contender. They pulled off a stunning trade on draft day to land receiver Julio Jones, giving an already potent offense another big-play threat. As soon as the lockout ended, they moved quickly in free agency to sign defensive end Ray Edwards, addressing a major weakness — the pass rush — that Rodgers was able to exploit in the playoffs.
  
But Atlanta has yet to hit its stride. There was a blowout loss at Chicago. There was another setback against division rival Tampa Bay. Even last week, when the Falcons got back to .500, they nearly blew a big lead on lowly Seattle before surviving 30-28.
  
Jones is coming off a career-best 11 catches for 127 yards against the Seahawks, but Edwards had yet to pick up his first sack in a Falcons uniform. In fact, Atlanta has five sacks through the first four games; one team has fewer.
  
That won’t do against Rodgers.
  
“We’re still figuring things out, there’s no doubt about it,” Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez said. “But once it does come together for us, I think we’ll be a really good team. I think we’ll be right where we want to be.”
  
The Packers look like they’re already there.
  
Rodgers has hooked up with eight players for touchdown passes, including three each to Greg Jennings, Jermichael Finley and Jordy Nelson. James Starks and Ryan Grant are running the ball well. The defense has given up the second-fewest yards in the NFL (71 per game).
  
The only apparent weakness — a secondary that has surrendered an average of 336 yards and ranks 31st — can be explained away when one considers the Packers are usually playing with a big lead, forcing opponents to go exclusively to the air in hopes of catching up.
  
Green Bay tends to give up big yards but also makes a lot of big plays, such as Charles Woodson’s interception return for a touchdown last weekend. In all, the Packers have a league-high eight picks.
  
“There’s no denying that we’re giving up too many big plays,” McCarthy said. “That’s something we’ve focused on.”
  
The Falcons are trying to get the focus off the way last season ended.
  
A victory Sunday night would be a big step in that direction.
  
“Last year was last year. It’s over,” Gonzalez said. “But you remember it. I’d be lying if sat here told you I didn’t remember it. It was embarrassing. At the same time, they’re a new team, we’re a new team. It’s a new year. We’ve just got to go out and play this game and see where we stack up.
  
“They’re the Super Bowl champs. This will be a good gauge to see how good a team we are.”

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)
 

ATLANTA – The Atlanta Falcons insist it’s over and done with.

That embarrassing playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers? A thing of the past. No need to even bring it up.

Aaron Rodgers knows better.

The Green Bay quarterback remembers how it felt ending the 2009 season with a post-season loss.

“They’ve got to be motivated. I would be,” Rodgers said. “I know when we lost to Arizona in the playoffs, that was a big motivator for us coming back the next season to have a good season and make the next step of moving on in the playoffs. I’m sure they’re motivated.”

On Sunday night, the Falcons (2-2) have a shot at some measure of redemption when they host the Super Bowl-champion Packers (4-0) at the Georgia Dome, the same place where Atlanta’s last season ended with such a thud.

Flash back to January. The Falcons were riding high, having won 13 games and a division championship during the regular season. As the top-seeded team in the NFC, they earned a first-round bye and home-field advantage through the conference playoffs.

The post-season lasted one game.

Green Bay, a team the Falcons had beaten during the regular season, got hot at the right time. Rodgers kept ducking this way and that to get away from pass rushers, giving himself enough time to carve up the Atlanta secondary with one of the best performances of his career.

He threw for three touchdowns and ran for another. He completed all but five of his 36 passes, finishing with 366 yards through the air. He led the Packers to the highest-scoring playoff game in their storied history. Heck, they didn’t even need their punter.

The final: Packers 48, Falcons 21.

“That was a pretty clean game,” Rodgers said nonchalantly. “We had no mental mistakes. We got the ball to the people we wanted to get it to. We moved the ball pretty effectively. When you combine not turning it over with throwing it where you want, you’re going to have pretty good results.”

Green Bay kept on winning right through the Super Bowl. The Falcons spent a long, restless off-season wondering how it all went wrong.

“It’s one of those things you need to learn from, especially when your last game kind of ends that way,” Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan said. “We certainly didn’t play as well as we would’ve liked to, but we ran into a team that was playing really well. It takes a little while to get over, but you have to move past it.”

Even though the Falcons are again the home team, the tables have turned since that last matchup.

Green Bay is the favourite this time, having won 10 in a row since its last loss on Dec. 19 at New England. The Packers are averaging 37 points a game and no one has come close to shutting down Rodgers, who leads the league in passing efficiency and is coming off a six-touchdown barrage (four passing, two rushing) against Denver.

Clearly, this team has shown no signs of resting on its championship laurels. Their sights are now firmly set on getting to a second straight Super Bowl.

“Last season doesn’t have any affect on our thought process moving forward,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “We’re proud of what we accomplished last year. That was an excellent football team … something that will always be part of the tradition of the Green Bay Packers. But this is a whole different year. We’re focused on winning our fifth game and staying on a path that will hopefully take us to Indianapolis.”

The Falcons came into the season with the look of a Super Bowl contender. They pulled off a stunning trade on draft day to land receiver Julio Jones, giving an already potent offence another big-play threat. As soon as the lockout ended, they moved quickly in free agency to sign defensive end Ray Edwards, addressing a major weakness — the pass rush — that Rodgers was able to exploit in the playoffs.

But Atlanta has yet to hit its stride. There was a blowout loss at Chicago. There was another setback against division rival Tampa Bay. Even last week, when the Falcons got back to .500, they nearly blew a big lead on lowly Seattle before surviving 30-28.

Jones is coming off a career-best 11 catches for 127 yards against the Seahawks, but Edwards had yet to pick up his first sack in a Falcons uniform. In fact, Atlanta has five sacks through the first four games; one team has fewer.

That won’t do against Rodgers.

“We’re still figuring things out, there’s no doubt about it,” Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez said. “But once it does come together for us, I think we’ll be a really good team. I think we’ll be right where we want to be.”

The Packers look like they’re already there.

Rodgers has hooked up with eight players for touchdown passes, including three each to Greg Jennings, Jermichael Finley and Jordy Nelson. James Starks and Ryan Grant are running the ball well. The defence has given up the second-fewest yards in the NFL (71 per game).

The only apparent weakness — a secondary that has surrendered an average of 336 yards and ranks 31st — can be explained away when one considers the Packers are usually playing with a big lead, forcing opponents to go exclusively to the air in hopes of catching up.

Green Bay tends to give up big yards but also makes a lot of big plays, such as Charles Woodson’s interception return for a touchdown last weekend. In all, the Packers have a league-high eight picks.

“There’s no denying that we’re giving up too many big plays,” McCarthy said. “That’s something we’ve focused on.”

The Falcons are trying to get the focus off the way last season ended.

A victory Sunday night would be a big step in that direction.

“Last year was last year. It’s over,” Gonzalez said. “But you remember it. I’d be lying if sat here told you I didn’t remember it. It was embarrassing. At the same time, they’re a new team, we’re a new team. It’s a new year. We’ve just got to go out and play this game and see where we stack up.

“They’re the Super Bowl champs. This will be a good gauge to see how good a team we are.”

By PAUL NEWBERRY

AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons insist it’s over and done with.

That embarrassing playoff loss to the Packers? A thing of the past. No need to even bring it up.

Aaron Rodgers knows better.

The Green Bay quarterback remembers how it felt ending the 2009 season with a postseason loss.

“They’ve got to be motivated. I would be,” Rodgers said. “I know when we lost to Arizona in the playoffs, that was a big motivator for us coming back the next season to have a good season and make the next step of moving on in the playoffs. I’m sure they’re motivated.”

Tonight, the Falcons (2-2) have a shot at some measure of redemption when they host the Super Bowl champion Packers (4-0) at the Georgia Dome, the same place where Atlanta’s last season ended with such a thud.

Even though the Falcons are again the home team tonight, the tables have turned since that last matchup.

Green Bay is the favorite this time, having won 10 in a row since its last loss on Dec. 19 at New England. The Packers are averaging 37 points a game and no one has come close to shutting down Rodgers, who leads the league in passing efficiency and is coming off a six-touchdown barrage (four passing, two rushing) against Denver.

Clearly, this team has shown no signs of resting on its championship laurels. Their sights are now firmly set on getting to a second straight Super Bowl.

“Last season doesn’t have any affect on our thought process moving forward,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “We’re proud of what we accomplished last year. That was an excellent football team … something that will always be part of the tradition of the Green Bay Packers. But this is a whole different year. We’re focused on winning our fifth game and staying on a path that will hopefully take us to Indianapolis.”

But Atlanta has yet to hit its stride. There was a blowout loss at Chicago. There was another setback against division rival Tampa Bay.

Even last week, when the Falcons got back to .500, they nearly blew a big lead on lowly Seattle before surviving 30-28.

“We’re still figuring things out, there’s no doubt about it,” Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez said.

Rodgers has hooked up with eight players for touchdown passes, including three each to Greg Jennings, Jermichael Finley and Jordy Nelson. James Starks and Ryan Grant are running the ball well.

The defense has given up the second-fewest yards in the NFL (71 per game).

The only apparent weakness — a secondary that has surrendered an average of 336 yards and ranks 31st — can be explained away when one considers the Packers are usually playing with a big lead, forcing opponents to go exclusively to the air in hopes of catching up.

Green Bay tends to give up big yards but also makes a lot of big plays, such as Charles Woodson’s interception return for a touchdown last weekend. In all, the Packers have a league-high eight picks.

“There’s no denying that we’re giving up too many big plays,” McCarthy said. “That’s something we’ve focused on.”

The Falcons are trying to get the focus off the way last season ended.

A victory Sunday night would be a big step in that direction.

“Last year was last year. It’s over,” Gonzalez said. “But you remember it. I’d be lying if sat here told you I didn’t remember it. It was embarrassing. At the same time, they’re a new team, we’re a new team. It’s a new year. We’ve just got to go out and play this game and see where we stack up.

“They’re the Super Bowl champs. This will be a good gauge to see how good a team we are.”

———

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.

This might look familiar, but the Atlanta Falcons sure hope it doesn’t.

The Green Bay Packers are back in the Georgia Dome, where they handed the top-seeded Falcons a 48-21 drubbing in a divisional game seven months ago. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers played a brilliant game in that one, throwing for three touchdowns and rushing for a fourth.

Now, Rodgers is back and he hasn’t cooled much. He’s coming off a victory over Denver in which he threw for 408 yards — his regular-season career high — and became the first player in NFL history with 400 yards passing, four passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a single game.

“They have an outstanding quarterback with a lot of weapons,” Atlanta Coach Mike Smith said. “That’s the biggest concern for us, not being able to slow these guys down.”

That all starts with Rodgers, who has completed 73% of his passes for 1,325 yards with 12 touchdowns and two interceptions. He has set the bar very high.

“Yeah, we expect him to go out and play well,” receiver Jordy Nelson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Do we expect him to throw for 400-some yards and have six touchdowns? That’s another story.

“But we expect him to play well, and he expects us to play well.”

There is every reason to believe Sunday night’s game will be a shootout, considering Green Bay also has the league’s 31st-ranked pass defense and the unit has surrendered 25 plays of 20 or more yards.

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan conceded he used the playoff loss to the Packers as motivation throughout the off-season.

“But I think you have to put it past you,” Ryan told reporters this week. “Part of playing in this league is you’re going to make some mistakes and you’re going to make some plays that don’t go the way you want. It’s how you respond to those types of things.”

sam.farmer@latimes.com

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga.  — Talk about being on the spot.

The Atlanta Falcons secondary already looks a bit shaky after giving up 319 yards and three touchdowns to Seattle’s Tarvaris Jackson, who’s not one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks.

Now it’s time to face the hottest QB in the league.

Hunker down, Falcons. Aaron Rodgers is coming back to town.

The Green Bay signal-caller already carved up Atlanta’s defense in last season’s playoffs, a clinic of a performance on the way to the Packers winning the Super Bowl and Rodgers taking the MVP award.

A quarter of the way through this season, Rodgers has taken his game to a whole new level, coming into Sunday night’s contest at the Georgia Dome as far and away the highest-rate passer in the NFL.

“We know they’re flying high right now,” Falcons safety Thomas DeCoud said. “They’re going to be a confident team. They’re a team that’s played very well the past four weeks.

Read More: Todd McClure (C – ATL), Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers

The Atlanta Falcons will be without center Todd McClure again for their critical game against the Green Bay Packers. The longtime anchor had battled back from an early injury to play against the Buccaneers and Seahawks, but a knee injury will keep him out for another week. Rookie defense end Cliff Matthews is also out, which could be a bigger deal if John Abraham isn’t able to go.

The good news is Roddy White was a full practice participant, meaning he’s almost certain to go on Sunday.

The Pack will be without starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga, a setback considering defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux will return for Atlanta. The two wouldn’t have been paired against each other anyway, but any adjustments for Green Bay could cause challenges. Then again, the Packers won the Super Bowl last year with about six healthy players, so.

ATLANTA FALCONS

PLAYER	10/5/11	10/6/11	10/7/11
LB Stephen Nicholas (calf)	LP	LP	FP_P
DT Jonathan Babineaux (knee)	LP	LP	LP-Q
C Todd McClure (knee)	DNP	DNP	DNP-O
WR Roddy White (thigh)	DNP	LP	FP-P
RB Jason Snelling (concussion)	LP	FP	FP-P
S William Moore (neck)	LP	LP	FP-P
CB Chris Owens (ankle)	LP	FP	FP-P
DE Cliff Matthews (knee)	DNP	DNP	DNP-O
TE Michael Palmer (ankle)	DNP	LP	FP-P
DE John Abraham (hip)			LP-Q

GREEN BAY PACKERS

PLAYER	10/5/11	10/6/11	10/7/11
T Bryan Bulaga (knee)	DNP	DNP	DNP-O
T Chad Clifton (knee)	LP	FP	DNP-P
S Nick Collins (neck)	DNP	DNP	DNP-O
WR Donald Driver (shin)	DNP	FP	LP-P
RB Ryan Grant (kidney)	FP	FP	FP-P
LB Brad Jones (hamstring)	LP	LP	DNP-Q
LB Jamari Lattimore (shoulder)	LP	LP	LP-P
CB Pat Lee (back)	LP	LP	LP-P
LB Clay Matthews (quadricep)	DNP	DNP	DNP-P
DE Mike Neal (knee)	DNP	DNP	DNP-O
TE Andrew Quarless (knee)	DNP	DNP	DNP-D
TE Ryan Taylor (shoulder)	LP	FP	FP-P
CB Tramon Williams (shoulder)	LP	LP	LP-P
CB Charles Woodson (foot/knee)	DNP	DNP	LP-P
LB Frank Zombo (shoulder)	LP	LP	LP-O

For more, visit Falcons blog The Falcoholic and Packers blog Acme Packing Company.

Compared to other things star Atlanta Falcons receiver Roddy White has said, this is pretty mild stuff. Actually, it’s so mild it would barely register no matter who said it, but here’s the quote about last year’s playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers that’s making the rounds:

We were a better team than those guys. We went out there, and we didn’t perform at our highest level.

This week, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers sort of responded to this or something like it:

I know some of the comments that have been made this offseason have been borderline disrespectful about what happened in the game, but basically we went down there and beat them, and they were the No. 1 seed. I’m sure they’re upset about that.    

The Falcons were the No. 1 seed and had beaten the Packers in the regular season. White has reason to think Atlanta was the better team going into the postseason, but the second game itself and every week of NFL football since has proven otherwise. If the Packers want to use that quote as motivation, then all right.

It’s been a strong week for once and former Falcons saying stuff about Rodgers and company, though.

For more on this game, venture to Falcons blog The Falcoholic and Packers blog Acme Packing Company.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – The Atlanta Falcons are still trying to find their groove.

With the defending Super Bowl champions coming to town, this would be a good week to do it.

The Falcons (2-2) are coming off another Jekyll-and-Hyde performance, racing out to a big lead on struggling Seattle, then barely hanging on for a 30-28 victory over the Seahawks.

In many ways, the win typified the first quarter of the season for Atlanta, which was projected as a Super Bowl contender but had yet to put together a complete game.

The offensive line had been the biggest concern, but it did a good job Sunday. Matt Ryan wasn’t sacked once after going doing 13 times over the first three games.

Now, coach Mike Smith is worried about the defence, which was burned for four touchdowns and 372 yards by a Seattle team that had scored just 30 points coming into the game. That won’t do against high-powered Green Bay, which visits Atlanta on Sunday for a prime-time rematch of last year’s playoff rout by the Packers.

“They have a great pedigree,” Smith said Monday, still looking a bit bleary eyed after the overnight flight from the West Coast. “They have an outstanding quarterback with a lot of weapons. That’s the biggest concern for us, being able to slow these guys down. In all four games, they have moved the ball and put a lot of points on the scoreboard.”

Indeed, the Aaron Rodgers-led Packers (4-0) are averaging a league-best 37 points a game, looking just as prolific as they did in January blowing out the Falcons 48-21 in a division-round playoff game.

Atlanta has stewed over that game ever since, making a major deal on draft day to land receiver Julio Jones and signing Ray Edwards shortly after the lockout ended to bulk up the pass rush that kept letting Rodgers slip away.

But those moves have yet to transform the Falcons, who actually appear to have taken a slight step backward instead of another giant leap forward.

“I felt we played a solid game through the first half,” Smith said. “In the second half, we didn’t play as well as we needed to play. There’s a lot we need to fix. One thing I will say about our team is we responded to the challenge. We held up in the fourth quarter when we had to.”

Given the way they ran all over Atlanta last time, the Packers present a daunting challenge. Rodgers has far and away the best rating of any quarterback, completing 73 per cent of his passes for 1,325 yards, with 12 touchdowns and only two interceptions.

He must be licking his chops thinking about the prospects of going against Atlanta’s secondary, which ranks 24th in the league defending the pass. Tarvaris Jackson, who’s never been mistaken for someone of Rodgers’ calibre, burned the Falcons for 319 yards and three touchdowns on a 25-of-38 day (he was picked off twice, however).

“We gave up a lot of passing yards,” Smith said. “Each and every day you have concerns, and this one is obvious (going into the Green Bay game). We’ve got to make sure we have a plan on how to stop these guys. We’ve got to try to slow them down. They’ve been outstanding on the offensive side, especially in the passing game. Aaron Rodgers is playing about as effectively as you can. It’s a challenge.”

Getting some pressure on Rodgers would certainly help. Atlanta has only five sacks this season — just one other team has fewer — and Edwards is still looking for his first takedown of the quarterback since signing with the Falcons.

Edwards was supposed to take some attention off the other end, John Abraham, but that hasn’t worked out so far. If Rodgers can move around like he did last season in that playoff game, allowing himself extra time to throw, the Falcons will have little chance of slowing the Packers.

“We’ve got to make sure we put some pressure on him,” Smith said.

Coming off a 13-win season and NFC South championship, the Falcons know they haven’t come close to reaching their potential. When an opponent is down 27-7 — as the Seahawks were early in the second half — Atlanta can’t let them get back in the game.

That certainly won’t do against a team such as Green Bay.

“There’s still work to be done,” safety Thomas DeCoud said. “We need to be able to keep a cushion and keep a team out of the end zone when we need to.”

Abraham realizes the Falcons still haven’t found their groove.

“Definitely not,” he said. “This game started off good, but we’ve got to be able to finish. It should have been a little more comfortable at the end of the game.”