What do the Falcons have to play for? While the Packers are trying to land the top seed in the NFC, the Falcons are in a battle for the NFC South division title. They opened as 11-point underdogs, and the line went up to 12 1/2 at some Las Vegas sports books. They are prohibitive underdogs, and the Saints appear to have the easier path to the division title. The Falcons' past four opponents have a 24-23-1 record while the Saints' foes are 15-32-1. However, the Falcons are coming off their best victory of the season, a 29-18 spanking of Arizona.
Can the Falcons keep the Packers from taking the Lambeau Leap? It's doubtful, but stranger things have happened. The Falcons are the last-ranked defense in the NFL, and the Packers have the second-highest scoring offense (31.7 points per game). If the Falcons don't turn in their best defensive performance of the season, they could be shredded by Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rogers again. No one wants to see a repeat of the 2010 divisional playoff game where he led the Packers to a 48-21 rampage at the Georgia Dome.
What's the weather going to be like? It's Wisconsin. It's December. It's going to be cold. Possibly, teeth-chattering cold. It's also been known to snow throughout the Dairyland from time to time. Last season, the Falcons played the Packers on Dec. 8 the played during the day. The temperature was 9 degrees, with the wind moving at 6 mph. The wind chill was minus-1. Monday's forecast calls for a high of 35 degrees and low of 21 with a 50 percent chance of snow, according to the Weather Channel. Bundle up!
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