FLOWERY BRANCH — Two of the biggest wins in Falcons franchise history came at the hands of the Green Bay Packers.
They were both preceded by regular-season meetings in the same season. The Falcons (1-0) are set to host the Packers (1-0) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. If history is kind, they could have another return meeting in the NFC playoffs.
Perhaps the biggest win in Falcons’ history was the 44-21 spanking the 2016 team put on the Packers in the NFC Championship game Jan. 22, 2017. That win sent the Falcons to the Super Bowl for the second time since the team began play in 1966.
The Falcons had beaten the Packers 33-32 at home in the regular season Oct. 30, 2016.
The Falcons’ win over Minnesota in overtime to reach the Super Bowl after the 1998 season could be tied for first as biggest win in franchise history.
The next biggest win in franchise history was when the Falcons went to Lambeau Field and took down the Packers 27-7 on Jan. 4, 2003. The storied Packers had never lost a playoff game at Lambeau Field before Michael Vick, Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett shredded them for 173 yards rushing.
The Packers had beaten the Falcons 37-34 in the regular season at Green Bay on Sept. 8.
Back in January 2011, as the No. 1-seeded Falcons were preparing to host the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs, a storm rocked the area Jan. 5. The Packers won 48-21 at the Georgia Dome on Jan. 15. The Falcons had beaten the Packers 20-17 at home on Nov. 28 in the regular season.
The Packers won the first playoff meeting beating the Jeff George-led Falcons 37-20 on Dec. 31, 1995 at Lambeau Field. There was no regular-season meeting that season.
In retrospect, former Falcons coach Mike Smith believes modern-day technology could have helped his 2010 team.
“We beat them in the regular season,” Smith told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “As you remember, that was week of the big freeze out in Atlanta. We couldn’t even get guys out to practice.”
The Falcons were in the game with the score tied 14-14 late in the second quarter. The Packers scored and then returned a Matt Ryan interception for a touchdown right before the half to go up 28-14. Things went downhill in the second half. The Packers earned the victory and marched on to win Super Bowl XLV over the Steelers, 31-25.
Because of the storm, the Falcons missed a day of practice. Smith wonders what would have happened if they had today’s technology.
Most of the players couldn’t get to Flowery Branch. There were pictures of defensive end Kroy Biermann towing players’ cars off of I-985.
“I’ve often wondered if we had Zoom then, we could have probably at least had meetings,” Smith said. “Because there was one day of the week that we couldn’t practice. We couldn’t get our guys out there.”
If the storm happened this season, teams could hold digital meetings much like they did during the COVID-19 season.
“It’s funny how technology now, that was just 2010, Zoom didn’t exist,” Smith said. “If it was seven years later, you would at least been able to have meetings with your guys. You might not have been able to practice, but we would have been able to communicate with them in a much easier fashion than we had that week. That’s for sure.”
Technology that is available to the current coaching staffs is much more advanced.
“It started with the black-and-white pictures, and they were stapled (together),” Falcons offensive coordinator Dave Ragone said. “That was when I was a player. Depending on when they took the picture, you might have a really good view of something or a really bad view of something.”
The current coaches have embraced technology.
“Obviously, we’re evolving,” Ragone said. “We’re evolving as a society. We’re evolving in the National Football League. In the (exhibition) season we used video. That was a couple of years ago where it was, during the (exhibition) season, it was live and you could rewind it back and watch it.”
The Falcons are embracing technology and have an open mind.”
“We tried to become adaptable,” Ragone said. “Whatever we’re asked and what every we are given, we try to use it to the best of our advantage.”
Technology certain has a place in the future of the league.
“Anything could be too much,” Ragone said. “It’s like this with information. We have a lot of information at our fingertips. How you interpret information that you get. How clean and clear can you make it for the players so they can understand it.”
Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen has a modern view on technology.
“It definitely (has helped) in studying the opponent,” Nielsen said. “But in terms of coaching players, see it, walk through it and then go practice it. Put in on the board. I think sometimes we can get lost in an iPad or an iPhone. Just old school. Draw it up on the board. Everybody get up and explain why we are doing something. Let’s go walk through it, and then let’s go practice it.”
The Falcons haven’t been to the playoffs since the 2017 season. The Packers went 8-9 last season and missed the playoffs after three consecutive appearances in 2019-21.
If the teams are to meet again in the playoffs, both teams will have better technology than Smith’s staff had in 2011.
“The way the NFL season is set up and the length of it, it’s hard for anybody to win every game in the NFL,” Smith said. “Parity is such a factor. Injures are a factor and you’ve got to just fight to get into the playoffs and into the tournament. If you get into the tournament, there is no telling what is going to happen.”
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