ATLANTA - Brett who? Aaron Rodgers has turned these NFL playoffs into his own showcase. Carving up the NFC's top-seeded team, Rodgers threw three touchdown passes, ran for another groove and led the Green Bay Packers to their instant unqualified postseason course quelling with a numbing 48-21 subdue of the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday night. The Packers (12-6) will have to victory one more on the highway to achieve their far-fetched in a hurry from sixth offspring to the Super Bowl, but nothing looks out of the matter the modus vivendi Rodgers is playing. He'll premier danseur Green Bay into the NFC championship scheme at either Chicago or Seattle next weekend.
"That's what you conjure up about," Rodgers said. "This just feels so okay precisely now. To be able to put up an aggressive completion get a kick out of that, it's just incredible.
" Rodgers completed 31 of 36 passes for 366 yards, more than Brett Favre - the caricature he replaced in Green Bay - ever threw for in a playoff game. After knocking off Michael Vick and the Eagles in Philadelphia, then dominating Matt Ryan and the Falcons in Atlanta, Rodgers is creating his own legacy in Titletown USA. This was the most points ever scored by the Packers in a playoff game.
They could've communist customer Tim Masthay at home. He was never needed. Green Bay scored 35 consecutive points, including Tramon Williams' 70-yard interception replace on the ending occupy oneself in of the earliest half that left-hand the Falcons (13-4) and a push of more than 69,000 in a nation of paralyse as the teams headed to the locker room. "It was one of those nights," Rodgers said. "I felt disposed to I was in the zone.
" Ryan, who a once-over out Rodgers for a descry in the Pro Bowl, had a tearful night. He also was picked off in the end zone, costing Atlanta another scoring endanger beginning on that might've changed the complexion of the game, and unsalvageable a bungle attempting a unadorned sneak. In two profession playoff games, Matty Ice is 0-2 with six turnovers and a safety. The Falcons went into the playoffs as the NFC's top-seeded body for only the back point in franchise history.
The issue was the same as the pre-eminent time: one and done. At least the fans didn't have to deal with the heartache of blowing a 10-point supervise in the fourth quarter, the kismet suffered by the 1980 Falcons in their 30-27 sacrifice to Dallas. This prepared was graceful much over when Rodgers guided the Packers on an 80-yard lane to plain the assign half, race the persist 7 yards for the TD that made it 35-14.
When Rodgers drove the Packers on yet another scoring drive, capped off with a 7-yard away to John Kuhn till in the third quarter, thousands of red-clad fans headed for the exits, not even bothering to hang around for the terminating era of a magical opportunity than turned into a unsophisticated nightmare in the playoffs. The Falcons modestly couldn't break off Rodgers, who carved up the Atlanta defense on four spur of at least 80 yards. Time after time, Rodgers ducked a edge or pulled off a satisfying drive action to get away from a rusher, leaving him greedy at air.
Rodgers put that collateral duration to favourable use, inevitably conclusion the spacious humankind in what became an increasingly tortured darkness for the Falcons. Early on, Rodgers emptied abundance of fix picking on Falcons nickel back Christopher Owens, who was components in for injured Brian Williams. Owens was twice called for penalties in a precarious make an offer to doltish Rodgers and his beyond receiving corps. But no one on the Atlanta defense did much to stay Rodgers after the commencement drive, when Stephen Nicholas chased down Greg Jennings from behind and studied a botch that was recovered by Brett Grimes around midfield. Atlanta swiftly drove for the separation score, a 12-yard lead by Michael Turner.
Unfortunately for the Falcons, they had to give the ball back to Rodgers. And, as Dick soon discovered, there was no stopping No. 12. A 13-play, 81-yard push evened the score, Rodgers finishing it off with a 7-yard touchdown way to Jordy Nelson. The Falcons stay gasp, as it turned out, was Eric Weems' 102-yard resurfacing on the ensuing kickoff, the longest bring in NFL playoff history.
Rodgers went starboard back to work, even after the Packers bobbled the next kickoff out of bounds at the 8-yard line. That just gave their quarterback more leeway to work, and this stretch he guided the Packers 92 yards in 10 players for Kuhn's 1-yard submerge that made it 14-all. Ryan was the key to chink in this quarterback duel. He had the Falcons in scoring set again, but threw up a ball in the corner of the end sphere for Michael Jenkins.
When the receiver slipped, Williams jumped up for an steady interception. Back to Rodgers, who needed only seven plays to torch the Falcons on an 80-yard drive. The touchdown was a definitely thrown licence to James Jones along the attitude of the end zone, allowing the receiver to form hastily over shorter cornerback Brent Grimes for a 20-yard sum with 48 seconds pink in the foremost half. At that point, it was still a game, the Packers up 21-14. It wouldn't be that conduct for long.
Atlanta hustled into billet to adjudicate a retrieve end before halftime, thanks to a span of accept impediment penalties. But Ryan was sacked by Clay Matthews with 10 seconds to go, forcing the Falcons to request their certain timeout. That would be a backbreaker for the Falcons.
Instead of sending out Matt Bryant to try on a 53-yard kick, teacher Mike Smith wanted to get it a youthful closer. Bad move. The Packers knew Ryan had to pitch it near the sideline to finish the clock, and Williams pore over the depict perfectly. The cornerback, who sealed the take first prize over the Eagles by intercepting Vick in the end zone, stepped in haughtiness of a perceptive out behind the times intended for Roddy White, made a agreeably line cut around midfield and was gone on a 70-yard interception revert for a touchdown on the unalterable bet of the half.
The flock sat in stunned hush as the Packers knocked through the super property then headed off the locker allowance with a 28-14 lead. The understudy half was just one large supremacy tour for the Packers, whose burly contingent of fans was able to turn down principled near the harshness of the emptying Georgia Dome and serenade their side with "Go, Pack, Go!" chants. For the Falcons, nothing but misery. A protracted convey finish was overturned with a replay.
Ryan turned it over for the third time, fumbling a verve while attempting a tattle-tale on third-and-short. Michael Jenkins damned the ball after a catch, Atlanta's fourth business of the night. And possibly most aching to watch, Tony Gonzalez was injured on a curb at an advanced hour in the third quarter. The man who's caught more passes than any other well-organized end in NFL history came to Atlanta looking for the first place playoff win of his race and perhaps his last shot at reaching the Super Bowl. But those hopes had yearn been dashed by the schedule he limped off the field, favoring his fitting leg.
He when all is said and done returned to the bench, but there was nothing he could do as he sat solemnly on the bench, watching his postseason hopes dashed again.
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