Zielinski: Packers will soar past Falcons

By DAN ZIELINSKI

The Jordan Love era got off to a great start in the first week of the regular season against the Chicago Bears. The Packers QB thrived against a weak defense, throwing for 245 yards and three touchdowns.

Can Love continue to produce like that against the Atlanta Falcons on the road on Sunday? Love’s success against the Bears should give him and the Packers confidence. But some uncertainty remains for the Packers, who are the youngest team in the NFL.

The Packers’ offense will remain a storyline on Sunday and really the entire season. They are young and inexperienced at most of their skilled positions, minus running back with the two-headed attack in Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. Their offense is a work-in-progress, but early on, you can see the signs of a talented and explosive unit.

Sunday’s game will come down to the Packers’ defense versus a young Falcons’ offense. 

Second-year QB Desmond Ridder flashes potential but has little NFL experience, starting four games last year and starting the season by throwing for 115 yards and one touchdown for the Falcons last week.

The Falcons’ offense is built on their quality rushing attack. Tyler Allgeier and Bijan Robinson, who they drafted eighth overall in this year’s NFL Draft, are a dangerous rushing duo who also are a threat as pass catchers.

It’s always challenging to win on the road in the NFL. But after seeing how the Packers played in Week 1, I have high expectations for them against the Falcons. As long as the Packers’ offense doesn’t make mistakes and their defense lives up to their potential, they should move to 2-0 on the season.

Prediction: Packers 27, Falcons 17