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Packers, Falcons evenly matched on the field, but not in tradition
Packers have a much-more storied history, but Falcons are no pushovers. AFC championship pits two of league’s most successful franchises in the 2000s.
ATLANTA — The NFC championship game is quite a mismatch.
Not on the field, mind you.
The Atlanta Falcons are playing as well as they have all season. Ditto for the Green Bay Packers. It should be quite a shootout when they meet Sunday in the final game at the Georgia Dome, with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
But when it comes to the tradition and history of the two franchises, the Packers have a decided edge. It’s a landslide, really.
Lambeau Field. Cheeseheads. Thirteen NFL championships. Four Super Bowl titles. The snow and the tundra. The green and the gold. The Falcons? Hmmm ... give us a minute.
In 51 seasons, they have played in only one Super Bowl and never won a championship. For much of their existence, the Falcons were burdened with cartoonish ownership, laughable draft picks and horrific personnel moves such as trading away a strong-armed young quarterback in the early 1990s. Brett Favre went on to have a pretty good career with the Packers.
Favre’s successor understands the significance of playing with such a storied team.
“It’s like no other place in our sport,” said quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has guided the Packers (126) to eight straight wins. “As a football historian and someone who’s loved the game since a young age, you realize how special it is to be part of this team, but also know that this team has been around since 1919, and it’s going to be around long after you’re done.”
The Falcons (12-5) don’t have that sort of legacy to fall back on.
But they do have the highest-scoring team in the league, led by MVP candidate Matt Ryan, and a home-field edge that paid off last week.
The Georgia Dome, which will be torn down after this season and replaced by $1.5 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium, was as loud as anyone could remember for the Falcons’ divisional-round victory over the Seattle Seahawks. The Packers’ dramatic upset of the topseeded Dallas Cowboys ensured one more game would be played at the 70,000-seat stadium with the big top-like roof.
These Falcons are only looking forward. They don’t care what happened before.
“The guys who played here in 1999 aren’t here,” defensive end Dwight Freeney said. “The guys who played in Green Bay in 1995 aren’t there.”
Here are some things to watch for Sunday:
Falcons’ All-Pro receiver n Julio Jones was limited in practice after being sidelined at the end of last week’s win because of a lingering toe sprain. Jones, who had 83 receptions for 1,409 yards and six touchdowns during the regular season, said it won’t be an issue. “No effect at all,” he said.
The prognosis for the n Packers’ top receiver was a bit murkier. Jordy Nelson returned to practice at midweek, but he’s still recovering from broken ribs that forced him to miss the victory in Dallas.
While Nelson said he’s still a long way from a full recovery, he didn’t rule out a possible return against the Falcons. The Packers sure could use him. Davante Adams (ankle) and Geronimo Allison (hamstring) were also dealing with injuries that forced them to miss practice time.
Keep an eye on the n family matchup between Packers linebacker Clay Matthews and Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews.
The cousins were denied a chance to square off during the regular season. Clay Matthews was injured and didn’t play in the Falcons’ 33-32 victory.
Both Matthewses are ready to go in this one. Clay had five sacks during the season, while Jake is the chief protector of Ryan’s blind side.
“Anytime you get to play with or against family, those are going to be the games that, when it’s all said and done, I’ll remember the best,” Jake Matthews said.