PERSONNEL NEWS

Strategy And Personnel

The Sports Xchange

December 07, 2018 at 6:34 pm.

FRIDAY INJURY REPORT
ATLANTA FALCONS

–OUT: TE Logan Paulsen (knee, ankle)

–QUESTIONABLE: K Matt Bryant (back)
GREEN BAY PACKERS

–OUT: S Raven Greene (ankle)

–DOUBTFUL: T Bryan Bulaga (knee, illness)

–QUESTIONABLE: T/G Byron Bell (knee), LS Hunter Bradley (ankle), CB Bashaud Breeland (groin), S Kentrell Brice (ankle, concussion), G Lane Taylor (foot)

PLAYER NOTES

–CB Kevin King, who has missed the last four games with an injured hamstring, was placed on reserve/injured and will miss the rest of the season.

–QB Aaron Rodgers has gone 336 consecutive passing attempts without an interception. That’s the second-longest streak in NFL history behind Patriots QB Tom Brady’s 358, set during the 2010 and 2011 seasons. “You probably just jinxed it,” he said.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: QB Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay’s offense was as feeble as it’s been all season in a 20-17 loss to the Cardinals. Will the shakeup at coach, with offensive coordinator Joe Philbin replacing Mike McCarthy on an interim basis, change anything? It’s possible. Rodgers’ rift with McCarthy had been simmering for most of the season. With McCarthy and Rodgers coming under almost equal scrutiny in recent weeks, who would be surprised to see Rodgers come out in vintage form to show the world that he hadn’t been the problem this season?

GAME PLAN: The Packers’ passing game has been ineffective for most of the season but that’s the best way to attack the Falcons defense. Atlanta has missed the play of standout safety Keanu Neal, who’s on injured reserve, and established stars such as defensive end Vic Beasley Jr. and cornerback Desmond Trufant haven’t played up to expectations. Of Atlanta’s nine interceptions, only one belongs to a cornerback (slot Brian Poole). So long as Rodgers can steer clear of big-play safety Damontae Kazee, who is second in the NFL with six interceptions, perhaps the Packers’ sputtering offense can finally find its stride.

On the other side of the ball, the Falcons have one of the NFL’s elite offenses. On paper, anyway. During a four-game winning streak, they haven’t scored even 20 points. The Ravens beat the Falcons 26-16 last week by holding Atlanta to a feeble 2.3 yards per carry. The week before, in a loss at New Orleans, Atlanta generated just 1.6 yards per carry. If the Packers can keep running back Tevin Coleman under wraps, they’ll be able to attack Ryan, who has been sacked 36 times and knocked down on a league-worst 81 occasions.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH

–Packers RT Bryan Bulaga or Jason Spriggs vs. Falcons DE Vic Beasley Jr. With five sacks, Beasley isn’t having his best season, though he had a league-high 15.5 sacks in 2016. The Falcons have moved Beasley around from game to game, but the vast majority of his snaps the last five games have come from the defense’s left side. Bulaga, Green Bay’s excellent but injury-prone right tackle, missed the second half of the Arizona game with a knee injury. If he can’t play, inconsistent third-year tackle Spriggs would get the start.

–Falcons WR Julio Jones vs. Packers CB Kevin King. Jones leads the Falcons with 86 receptions, 1,323 yards and three touchdowns. At 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, he is one of the most physically dominating receivers in the league. There isn’t a route he can’t run, making him a threat to use his size and speed to win deep or his strength to turn a short pass into a chunk gain. At 6-foot-3, King would be Green Bay’s best option. He played well against Jones when the teams met in Atlanta early last season. King, however, has missed the last four games with an injured hamstring. Even if he plays, will he be effective after a long layoff?

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