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NFL


NFL Game Summary - Atlanta At Green Bay

POSTED: 7:04 pm EDT October 5, 2008

(Sports Network) - Michael Turner finished with 121 rushing yards and a touchdown as the Atlanta Falcons downed the Green Bay Packers, 27-24, at Lambeau Field.

Matt Ryan went 16-for-26 with 194 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while Roddy White hauled in eight catches for 132 yards and a score for the Falcons (3-2), who are one win away from their 2007 total.

"Wins are tough to come by in this league, especially on the road," said Atlanta head coach Mike Smith. "I think this is one of the toughest road environments in the NFL and I think that our guys fought to the end and that is what it took. Green Bay is a good football team and it was a physical game. We had some solid performance on all phases."

Aaron Rodgers, who was playing with a sprained right shoulder, finished the game 25-for-37 with 313 yards, three touchdowns and an interception while Ryan Grant had 83 yards on 18 carries for the Packers (2-3), who have dropped three straight games. Greg Jennings had four catches for 87 yards and a score in the loss.

"We need to do a better job of demanding as a staff to get it done the right way from the players," said Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy. "I'm not happy with the way it's going as far as the fundamentals. We're making common mistakes, things you're stressing in practice and we need to clean it up."

After the Packers had tied the game on a score from Jennings, the Falcons got a 54-yard kickoff return from Jerious Norwood to help set up a 41-yard field goal from Jason Elam for a 20-17 lead with 7:19 remaining.

Rodgers had a costly turnover after getting the ball back as a pass fell short and Michael Boley picked it off to give Atlanta the ball at the Green Bay 19.

"They dropped eight guys pretty deep," said Rodgers about the interception. "I was trying to make a play in a situation where I probably should have checked it off (to) the back. Boley made a nice play."

Three plays later, Turner punched it in from two yards out for a 27-17 lead with 3:35 to play.

Green Bay didn't quit, though, as it needed just 1:39 to march down the field and a four-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers to Donald Lee made it a three- point game with 1:56 to play.

Atlanta, though, recovered the onsides kick and killed off the remainder of the clock for the win.

Atlanta started the game with the ball and drove the length of the field to take the early lead. The team converted a pair of third downs on the drive and on 4th-and-goal at the one-yard line, Ryan hit Justin Peelle in the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

The Falcons held the Packers to a three-and-out, including a sack of Rodgers, on the ensuing possession and got the ball back at their 39. The drive stalled at the Packers 24 and a 42-yard field goal from Elam with 4:15 left in the first made it a 10-0 game.

The Packers got their offense on track in the second quarter to cut into their deficit. On 3rd-and-1, Rodgers lofted a bomb that found its way between two defenders and into the hands of Donald Driver for a 44-yard score to make it a 10-7 game with 9:42 left in the first half.

However, the Falcons answered on their ensuing possession. A nine-play, 90- yard drive was capped when Ryan threw up a pass to the right side of the end zone and White came down with it for a 22-yard score and a 17-7 advantage with 6:02 left in the second.

"They were playing man coverage and it was just a go route," said White about the score. "Matt told me that if I had one-on-one out there that he would throw me the ball and that's exactly what he did."

Green Bay lined up for a 43-yard field goal from Mason Crosby with 1:20 left in the first half and he nailed it, but a holding penalty nullified the field goal and Crosby's subsequent 53-yard attempt fell short and wide and the Falcons took a 10-point lead into the half.

The teams exchanged punts in the third quarter and Green Bay started a scoring drive at its own two-yard-line. On 1st-and-10 at the Green Bay 46, Grant busted a 14-yard run around the right end to get the ball into Atlanta territory. The drive, though, stalled and a 50-yard field goal from Crosby with 27 ticks left on the clock in the third made it a 17-10 game.

Atlanta attempted to answer the field goal with a score of its own and got into scoring position, but Ryan had a pass picked off by Tramon Williams in the end zone and the Packers took advantage of the turnover.

The team struck quickly as they needed only four plays to tie the game as Rodgers found Jennings in the end zone from 25 yards out to make it a 17-17 contest with 10:08 left in the game.

Game Notes:

Driver, who finished the game with three catches for 68 yards, has caught a pass in 100 straight games, which is the second longest in team history. Also, it was the 40th touchdown catch of his career...The Packers were 7-0 when Grant had 18-plus rushing attempts coming into the game...Green Bay had won three of the past four against Atlanta...Elam has converted all 11 field goal attempts this season...White has 20 catches for 341 yards and two scores in the past three games.


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