Falcons - Packers final score predictions

How will the game turn out today? Kevin Knight and I took a moment to gather our thoughts and make our predictions, which favor the Falcons in a narrow win.

With Green Bay set to play without three critical starters on offense, it’ll be up to this Atlanta squad to take advantage of the matchup and win at home.

How do you see this one turning out?

Falcons 24 - Packers 21

I’m making some big assumptions here, namely that the Falcons’ defense is going to be about 13 points better than Chicago’s without Troy Andersen and that the offense can handle a tough Green Bay defense. If my glasses are a little rose-colored, though, I think this is a winnable game.

The secondary is capable of giving Jordan Love fits, as they did against Bryce Young, and the potential absence of Christian Watson will at least make a dent in this passing attack’s effectiveness. The run defense isn’t great, but hopefully will do enough to prevent the Packers from dominating this game. Desmond Ridder and this passing attack should be able to do better even if they’re once again resigned to spending most of the game working underneath, and the Falcons will run the ball effectively. And, of course, there’s Younghoe Koo and a gifted special teams group for a close game.

I think this will be stressful, at times frustrating, and down to the wire, as so many Falcons games have been of late. The hope is that Atlanta’s there late to take this one away, and I’m still a believer that a good day for the Falcons should mean a win. —Dave Choate

Falcons 21 - Packers 20

I think this will be one of the closest games of the week, and unlike Week 1 against the Panthers, Falcons fans will probably be sweating the whole time. Atlanta’s offensive line struggled with a good Carolina front, but this Green Bay front is better and deeper. The one consistent issue with the Packers defense is tackling, and that could be a pretty significant factor in this game.

We all want and expect the Falcons passing game to improve, but I don’t think this is the week for that. Much like Week 1, Desmond Ridder will have to deal with constant pressure. I think Ridder navigates it well and delivers some good plays, but this won’t be a high-volume passing game. Instead, Atlanta will look to pound the rock against what has historically been a relatively lackluster run defense. Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier will be joined by a healthy Cordarrelle Patterson this week, and the hope is that the trio can wear down the Packers over the course of the game.

Ultimately though, I think this one once again comes down to the defense. Atlanta smothered Carolina’s passing attack in Week 1—can they do it against a better receiving corps and offensive line? More importantly, they’ll have to get more out of their run defense, which allowed more than 150 yards against the Panthers. I have faith in the team to make enough plays (and limit mistakes) to squeak out a nailbiter at home and get out to a 2-0 start. — Kevin Knight