In Saturday morning’s one-liners, we mentioned that Aaron Rodgers was one of only three NFL quarterbacks to start a game without fumbling this season.
It was a particularly timely item as Rodgers no longer shares space on that list with Tony Romo and Colt McCoy. Rodgers coughed the ball up on a quarterback sneak on the Falcons’ goal line. Curtis Lofton got credit for forcing the fumble and Mike Peterson recovered it in the end zone for a touchback. It was a second straight sneak attempt by Rodgers at the end of an 84-yard drive.
The Falcons made Rodgers and the Packers pay. Matt Ryan found Tony Gonzalez in the end zone with eight seconds to play in the half to give the home team a 10-3 lead going into halftime. Ryan was six-of-seven on the drive, including a completion to Gonzales for six yards on fourth-and-three from the Packers’ 36-yard-line.
The two final drives of the half represented a big change from what had been a defensive struggle. The Packers gained 144 yards in the first half while the Falcons managed 147 in a game that figures to have major implications on the NFC playoff picture.
