The Green Bay Packers are looking to build on their momentum from a dominant Week 1 victory over the Chicago Bears as they head into another road contest, this time against the Atlanta Falcons.
Atlanta is also coming off a win, and both teams are riding high. The Falcons have shown several unexpected elements that make them a challenging opponent in Week 2. In fact, they are now favored to win the game by -1.5 points.
Let’s delve into the matchup and make three bold predictions about what to expect in this game.
Here are three extremely bold predictions for the Week 2 NFC matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons.
Packers Will Sack Desmond Ridder Five Times
In the previous week, I made the same prediction for the Packers against Justin Fields, narrowly missing the mark with just four sacks on Fields (although there were ample missed opportunities to increase that tally).
The good news is that Desmond Ridder, the quarterback for the Falcons, lacks the same dynamic qualities as Fields, which should make Green Bay’s task considerably more manageable. The Falcons had trouble protecting Ridder in their previous game and are now faced with the daunting prospect of dealing with a highly active Packers’ front seven. My prediction is that Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, Rashan Gary, and their cohorts will maintain the intensity they displayed in the season opener and create a challenging day for Ridder.
Jordan Love Will Throw His First Interception of the Season
Jordan Love had a solid outing in the first game. It wasn’t exactly a spectacular performance, but it provided a solid foundation upon which he can continue to build throughout the season.
However, in Week 2, Love is likely to encounter a bit of a rough patch as he throws his first interception of the season. The Falcons boast a ball-hawking safety in Jessie Bates, who managed to force three turnovers in their season opener. Bates has a knack for baiting quarterbacks into making mistakes, and Love won’t be an exception.
Love is still in the process of developing chemistry with some of his young receivers. Additionally, with Christian Watson and Aaron Jones potentially sidelined for the game, Love will bear even more responsibility in Week 2. While he’s expected to perform reasonably well overall, he’ll likely make his first significant error of the season by throwing an interception.
Packers Will Win By 3
The Falcons are a different challenge than the Bears, so don’t anticipate another blowout victory. Atlanta demonstrated an aggressive defense in their opener, focused on confusing quarterbacks and putting pressure on them. This will pose significant challenges for Love, and he’s likely to encounter some difficulties as a result.
On the offensive front, the Falcons’ approach is somewhat reminiscent of the Bears in that they prefer shorter, safer passes to limit their reliance on their quarterback’s downfield throws. They extensively utilized screens and short passes in Week 1 to quickly get the ball out of Ridder’s hands. The Packers’ defense performed reasonably well against a similar style of offense when facing Chicago and will likely continue to do so.
In the end, the Packers should manage to secure a victory by a narrow margin of three points. Anders Carlson will likely nail the go-ahead field goal in the fourth quarter, and the defense will hold its ground to preserve the win.