NFC

The NFC won the Pro Bowl for the third straight year on Sunday, topping the AFC 76-63.

Afterward, a pair of NFC North stars took home the Pro Bowl MVP awards.

Detroit Lions star quarterback Jared Goff was named the Offensive MVP while Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. took home the Defensive MVP.

Byron Murphy & Jared Goff are your 2025 #ProBowlGames MVPs! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/WUCN2Y9TQQ

— NFL (@NFL) February 2, 2025

Murphy, a first-time Pro Bowler, had a big day that featured a pick-six. Afterward, he expressed his gratitude to get to play among the league's best for the first time.

"Obviously, first Pro Bowl, very blessed to be here," he said. "But the defense today came to show up... the guys on the defense came to play today, we had fun and coach Eli [Manning] got us right."

This year was Goff's fourth Pro Bowl appearance, but it was the first time he earned MVP honors. He had 126 passing yards and three touchdowns in the win.

"It was fun, it was a really good week," Goff said. "I thought they did a really good job putting it together down here in Orlando. It was fun. Coach Eli did a hell of a job for us, leading us all week."

Kyle Juszczyk scores the first TD of the Flag Football game!

📺: #ProBowlGames on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/rwHTXuceEP

— NFL (@NFL) February 2, 2025

Malik Nabers scores and flips into the foam pit 😂

📺: #ProBowlGames on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/8o4EJpSHRI

— NFL (@NFL) February 2, 2025

.@jaxon_smith1 high-steps in the Deion cleats and pays homage to @terrellowens ✍️

📺: #ProBowlGames on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/E0fil4INus

— NFL (@NFL) February 2, 2025

#ProBowlGames PICK 6‼️@byronmurphy

📺: @ESPN | @ABC pic.twitter.com/ggwI0TmrDK

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) February 2, 2025

1st Pro Bowl ✅
Pick 6 ✅
NFC Win ✅
Defensive MVP ✅

What a day, @byronmurphy! pic.twitter.com/VMquRgUGCw

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) February 2, 2025

Murphy is coming off the best season of his career, racking up 81 tackles, a forced fumble, 14 passes defended and six interceptions. If he can continue his momentum from the big year, he could be on his way to another Pro Bowl appearance in 2026.

Goff also had a tremendous season, throwing for 4,629 yards and a career-high 37 touchdowns while leading the Lions to a 15-2 record.

While both Murphy and Goff would rather be preparing for the Super Bowl, winning MVP honors at the Pro Bowl isn't a bad way to wrap up the season.

Executives, coaches and scouts around the NFL consider the Los Angeles Rams' Matthew Stafford the top NFC quarterback heading into the 2024 season, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

The surveyed league leaders ranked the Detroit Lions' Jared Goff at No. 2 in the conference, with the Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott, San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy and Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love rounding out the top five, Fowler said on ESPN's SportsCenter.

The Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts was not named to the list.

To tease the Top 10 QB rankings dropping soon, here’s how league scouts, execs, coaches value the NFC QBs.

No. 2 a surprise? Maybe it shouldn’t be. pic.twitter.com/5alXgMjp6G

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) July 14, 2024

Fowler noted that Stafford and Goff topping the executive, coach and scout rankings indicate that these conference leaders use more than just statistics to value quarterbacks.

"This is where I love my project, because if you go by the numbers, maybe (Stafford's) not No. 1 in the NFC," Fowler said. "But eye test, ability to lift his teammates— one NFC executive called him a 'kingmaker.'

"Puka Nacua, good player. With Stafford, he's great. Cooper Kupp, good player. With Stafford, he's great... his presence creates a massive swing for a team in a winning direction."

Just behind Stafford in the poll was Goff, who Fowler said did not receive any votes in his annual executive, coaches and scouts poll as recently as three years ago.

The new ranking represents his improving representation among NFL front offices, with one survey respondent calling Goff "the very best in the NFL in throwing against zone coverage," according to Fowler.

Fowler has yet to release the entirety of the 2024 survey, although AFC quarterbacks are likely to dominate for the second straight year.

Last season five rival-conference signal callers led the survey with the Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow, Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen, New York Jets' Aaron Rodgers and Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert ranking top in the NFL.

Among NFC quarterbacks on the 2023 survey, Hurts ranked top in the conference. This season the rise of Goff and Stafford appears to have bumped him out of the top five.

The NFC currently consists of the unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles, then everyone else.

A sort of malaise hangs over the majority of the NFL. No truly dominant team has emerged. Even the Eagles were down a pair of touchdowns Sunday to the Jacksonville Jaguars before ripping off 29 straight points.

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were supposed to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Instead, Tom Brady and Co. have started 2-2 after their 41-31 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football.

Back-to-back home losses to the Green Bay Packers, who are still trying to figure out who they exactly are as a team, and the Chiefs don't bode well for the Bucs.

Yet everything remains in front of Tampa Bay, and it's far too early to write such a talented squad off, especially when the GOAT resides behind center.

The Buccaneers played from behind all night long after rookie Rachaad White fumbled the opening kickoff, and the Chiefs quickly capitalized with a Patrick Mahomes' touchdown pass to his favorite target, Travis Kelce.

The game quickly snowballed as Tampa Bay struggled to contain the Chiefs offense—the same offense that made significant mistakes in last week's loss to the struggling Indianapolis Colts. Things can change rapidly.

"Our red zone defense was poor. Our run defense was poor. Our pass defense was poor. Our third-down efficiency was poor, and we played a poor game," head coach Todd Bowles told reporters after the loss. "That falls on me. I'll take that."

Professional football is funny in a way. Performances don't always carry over from week to week.

The Eagles found a recipe for success. They have the league's best offensive line. The defense flies all over the field. Jalen Hurts is a legitimate threat as a passer and runner, which stresses opposing defenses to the breaking point.

A.J. Brown is everything the team envisioned as its WR1. DeVonta Smith is playing well. Zach Pascal adds a certain level of physicality at wide receiver. Everything is clicking in the City of Brotherly Love.

Meanwhile, multiple franchises own 3-1 records, yet questions still persist if some are any good at all. We're all looking at the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings and wondering if they really are the best their respective conference has to offer, even with their combined 9-3 record.

Tampa Bay is very much in the mix with this group based on how its immediate future currently stands.

An ugly loss against the Chiefs shouldn't be indicative of the entire team or the season. Mahomes made plays. Kansas City came out with an exceptional offensive game plan, as it tends to do. It's one of those games where those within the locker room can simply forget what happened and turn their attention toward the next contest.

A favorable lineup of opponents should certainly help matters.

Over the next three weeks, Tampa Bay faces the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers. The Falcons barely made it past the Cleveland Browns this weekend despite Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney not playing.

The Steelers will have a rookie making his second start in the contest, assuming Kenny Pickett is now the guy after replacing Mitchell Trubisky in Sunday's game. The Panthers are struggling with the league's worst offense.

A 5-2 record is a strong possibility for the Buccaneers, especially as the roster's health improves. Left tackle Donovan Smith and wide receivers Chris Godwin and Julio Jones were active for the Chiefs contest. Those are steps in the right direction.

Defensive lineman Akiem Hicks could be back during the aforementioned stretch as he recovers from a torn plantar fascia in Week 2.

Obviously, the Bucs played from behind the entire night and abandoned the run, which resulted in Brady throwing for 385 yards. Mike Evans looked fantastic with eight receptions for 103 yards and a pair of touchdown grabs.

The 6'5" target remains one of the league's biggest mismatches, and the offense will only improve as Jones and Godwin get more reps by staying on the field.

Despite the outcome, the Chiefs knew what they were facing going into the contest.

"Yeah, they're one of, if not the best, defense in football," Mahomes told reporters last week. "They have a great coach, defensive coach with Coach Bowles, who's done it for a long time and been really good everywhere he's been.

"And they have great players in every phase: linebackers, D-line, secondary, and they've played together for a while, so they're going to kind of confuse you, give you different looks, and they're going to fly around and make plays. So, it's about us executing, getting the ball out of my hand and making these other guys make plays."

Mahomes certainly executed. If the play didn't work, the quarterback usually made something happen. But Mahomes is a one-of-a-kind talent. Tampa isn't going to face another top quarterback until Week 8 when Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens come to town.

Typically, the Buccaneers are one of the best coached and most aggressive defenses. Mahomes wasn't lying with his assessment.

Vita Vea is a powerhouse along the interior. Lavonte David and Devin White cover as much space as any two linebackers. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. has a nose for the football. The talent is there for the Bucs defense to bounce back quickly.

All of the mistakes and shortcomings can be highlighted, but in the end, the Buccaneers are still in first place in the NFC East with a 2-2 start and a 1-0 divisional record. And outside of the Eagles, no one has really separated themselves from the pack.

When looking at the Giants, concerns at quarterback—where running back Saquon Barkley was forced to take snaps in the second half because of injuries—aren't going away anytime soon.

Dak Prescott should return to the Cowboys soon, which will make them a difficult out. The Vikings didn't stack up well against the Eagles when the two teams played in Week 2.

Otherwise, who's really left to challenge for the NFC's top spots?

Aaron Rodgers continues to lead the Packers, even though the back-to-back league MVP is still finding a footing with his new receivers.

The reigning Super Bowl champs, the Los Angeles Rams, couldn't handle the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, only to beat two inferior teams in the Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals. Still, this duo sits among the NFC's second tier.

The 2-2 Chicago Bears are a one-sided team with a talented defense but no confidence whatsoever in quarterback Justin Fields.

The Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals sport the same record. The former is currently flying high with Geno Smith behind center, but he can't possibly keep up his record pace of completing 77.5 percent of his passes for an entire season.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals' poorly concocted offense has been highly inconsistent. DeAndre Hopkins' eventual return from a six-game suspension should help the latter issue, though.

Maybe the one-win San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints or Washington Commanders make a run after poor starts. The possibility of that actually happening seems slight, with so many questions littering those rosters.

The Eagles got off to a runaway start. Even so, every other NFC team remains in the mix, no matter how they started.

The conference is just waiting for another top squad to emerge, and the Buccaneers are as good of a bet as any to be that team.

---

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.

If the Los Angeles Rams are going to win a Super Bowl this season, they are going to have to go through Tom Brady and his seven rings in the divisional round.  

On Wednesday, Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters the team has a lot of respect for what Brady has done at his best, but they aren't afraid of facing the future Hall of Famer.

I think it's tremendous respect, but not fear. And so, as a competitor, he is a great, phenomenal player. We have tremendous respect for him, but we're going to have the expectation and anticipation that we're preparing to try to go win this game. And so, we know what a great challenge it's going to be. We've got to have a great week of work, and then go play to the best of our ability and let the chips fall where they may.

Brady's postseason record speaks for itself: He's 35-11 in the playoffs and 7-3 in Super Bowls. He's a perfect 5-0 in the postseason with the Bucs. 

"I mean, he's got so much experience," McVay said. "He's so smart. He's so twitchy in his upper half and can beat it up. He recognizes exactly what's going on. And so, I think the best way is try to influence and affect—move him off his spot, be able to win with your rushes. Easier said than done. It's why he's the most successful quarterback of all time."

The Rams do have the players to get in Brady's face, however. Aaron Donald (12.5 sacks) remains arguably the best player in football, period, and one of the league's most impactful pass-rushers. Von Miller and Leonard Floyd combined for 14.5 sacks off the edge. The team's 50 sacks this season were third in the NFL. 

The last time Von Miller faced Tom Brady in the playoffs, he and the Broncos' defense hit Brady 17 (!!!) times. Miller had 2.5 of his team's 4 sacks, and an interception.

Miller + Aaron Donald + Leonard Floyd against Brady should be fun.

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) January 18, 2022

So the Rams will get after Brady. Whether they get to him in time, of course, is another matter altogether. 

The Bucs will hardly be full strength on the offensive side of the ball, however. Wideout Chris Godwin (ACL/MCL) is out for the season. Antonio Brown was released. The availability of running back Leonard Fournette (hamstring) is up in the air. 

Arians says Leonard Fournette is still wait and see. Not a full out practice today and the Bucs coach says he hopes to have everyone up to full speed tomorrow. #GoBucs

— Sara Walsh (@Sara_Walsh) January 19, 2022

The Bucs still have players like Mike Evans and Rob Gronkowski for Brady. But this is hardly Tampa at its optimal potency. 

Underestimate Brady at your own peril, of course.

"It's tough. We're going to need all 11 guys," Miller told reporters. "Tom sees the whole field. We all know about Tom in the playoffs. He's incredible. We've got to play our best ball to have a chance, but if we can play our best ball, I like our opportunity."

The second-seeded Los Angeles Rams (14-3) will have revenge on their minds Sunday when they visit the top-seeded New Orleans Saints (14-3) as small road underdogs at sportsbooks for the NFC Championship Game.

The Rams suffered a 45-35 loss to the Saints at the Superdome in Week 9 despite closing as two-point road favorites.

NFL point spread: The Saints opened as three-point favorites; the total is at 57, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or Spotify or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week’s top sports betting news.

         

Why the Rams can cover the spread

This will be the first time Los Angeles has been an underdog all season, including that last meeting with New Orleans. The last time the Rams were underdogs with something to play for was Week 16 of 2017, and they routed the Seattle Seahawks 42-7 on the road to take the NFC West.

The Rams are coming off a 30-22 win over the Dallas Cowboys last Saturday in the divisional round, covering the spread in their third straight game as seven-point home favorites.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vM7HESLEV0

         

Why the Saints can cover the spread

New Orleans earned a so-called "character victory" last Sunday vs. the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, scoring 20 unanswered points after finding themselves down 14-0 in the first quarter. The bottom line is the Saints defense shut down the Eagles in the final three quarters en route to the win, and they were a missed 52-yard field goal away from covering the spread as 8.5-point home favorites.

New Orleans got off to a fast start in the regular-season meeting with Los Angeles, jumping out to a 35-17 halftime lead behind three touchdown passes from quarterback Drew Brees.

             

Rams vs. Saints NFL betting pick

Unlike in the AFC Championship Game, the outside elements will not be a factor here inside the Superdome, where the Saints have won their last nine games against teams with winning records. They have also won their previous seven playoff games there, going 3-4 against the spread, although none of the ATS losses saw them favored by less than four points.

Offensively, this rematch will likely come down to Brees versus Rams counterpart Jared Goff, who has looked shaky at best down the stretch. That said, side with the future Hall of Famer Brees and his New Orleans team to cover.

OddsShark computer pick: 27.0-20.6, Saints (Get NFL picks on every game via the OddsShark computer).

         

NFL betting trends

The total has gone over in five of the Rams' last six games on the road against the Saints.

The Rams are 0-3 SU and ATS in their last three games on the road vs. the Saints.

The Saints are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games after consecutive ATS losses.

          

All NFL odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper spent plenty of time lining up against Los Angeles Rams cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters when he was on the Oakland Raiders, and he plans on using that to his advantage for Saturday's NFC divisional-round game.

"I've played against those guys twice a year, both of them. I know them in and out," Cooper said, per David Helman of the Cowboys' official website. "I know how they play, and I'm able to tell my teammates, the quarterback their tendencies."

Peters played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2015 through 2017, while Talib played for the Denver Broncos from 2014 through 2017. They lined up against Cooper twice a year as AFC West rivals when he was in Oakland during the first three-plus seasons of his career.

Herbie Teope of NFL.com broke down Cooper's prior meetings with the two cornerbacks, noting he was far more successful against Peters and the Chiefs than Talib's Broncos. He posted 17 catches for 160 yards and two scores in six games against Denver, compared to 32 catches for 457 yards and two touchdowns in six games against Kansas City.

It should be noted, though, that Talib and Peters each sat out one of those matchups with Cooper when he was on the Raiders.

The Cowboys acquired the Alabama product via trade in October, and his presence helped elevate the offense. He has tallied 53 catches for 725 yards and six touchdowns in nine games for Dallas, finishing the regular season with 1,005 receiving yards when combined with his Oakland production.

It was the third time in four years since the Raiders selected him No. 4 overall in the 2015 draft that he surpassed 1,000 yards.

Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys' rushing attack often forces opposing defenders into the box, which opens up passing lanes downfield. Cooper's ability to exploit those openings was a major reason the Cowboys went 7-2 down the stretch of the regular season to clinch the NFC East crown.

He will need to continue producing against a Rams defense that was a middling 14th in the league in passing yards allowed per game this season if Dallas is going to advance to the NFC Championship Game.

The Dallas Cowboys' 13-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints to kick off Week 13 drew the highest overnight rating in Thursday Night Football history, according to The Athletic's Richard Deitsch.

Per Deitsch, Fox revealed the battle between the pair of NFC division leaders drew a 14.6 overnight rating.

That's great news for Fox, which earned the rights to Thursday Night Football earlier this year after bidding more than $660 million per year, according to ESPN's Darren Rovell.

Thursday Night Football has received criticism through the years for the lack of compelling matchups. This year's slate has been solid though, with this game featuring arguably the best competition to date. 

New Orleans entered Week 13 on a 10-game winning streak and tied for the best record in the NFL at 10-1. And with Drew Brees leading the high-scoring offense, the Saints had the front-runner for the league MVP award.

Meanwhile, Dallas has caught fire since acquiring receiver Amari Cooper last month, having now won four of its last five games. Not to mention the fact that Ezekiel Elliott had rushed for 120-plus yards in three straight games prior to Thursday night. As a result, the Cowboys have climbed atop the NFC East standings. 

And of course, "America's Team" is always ratings gold.

Fox also lucked out that the game stayed close throughout the duration. Dallas jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the first half, but Brees and Co. were able to fight back and draw within a field goal by the end of the third. With a one-score game throughout the fourth quarter, fans had every reason to stay tuned in.

With one month remaining in the 2018 regular season, Fox still has a number of opportunities to put up big numbers. Next week's matchup features the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans, while Week 15 will pit the 9-2 Kansas City Chiefs against the 8-3 Los Angeles Chargers in a clash that could decide the AFC West.

The top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles will kick off their postseason against the sixth-seeded Atlanta Falcons as rare home underdogs for Saturday's NFC Divisional Round matchup. The Eagles have not been home dogs in the playoffs since 2000, when they upset the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21-3, while the Falcons are listed as road chalk in the postseason for the first time.

NFL point spread: The Falcons opened as 2.5-point favorites; the total was 44 early in the week, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

NFL betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 21.6-20.8 Eagles (NFL picks on every game)

Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more picks and a breakdown of this week's top sports betting news.

       

Why the Falcons can cover the spread

Atlanta showed last week that experience matters now more than ever, as the defending NFC champions doubled up the Los Angeles Rams 26-13 on the road. The Falcons get to face a Philadelphia team without MVP candidate Carson Wentz, and they have the reigning MVP on their side in Matt Ryan, who threw for 218 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions versus the Rams.

Ryan outplayed Los Angeles' Jared Goff and will be the best signal-caller on the field again opposite counterpart Nick Foles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU2u4zPFtAQ

        

Why the Eagles can cover the spread

The Eagles know they are underdogs in this game and will undoubtedly use that as motivation here. Not only that, but they have won seven of the past eight home meetings with Atlanta straight up, going 6-1-1 against the spread in those games.

They have also gone 5-1 SU in their last six divisional playoff games, and Philadelphia head coach Doug Pederson will make sure that Foles is more than ready for the challenge ahead. The Eagles still have a strong running game and defense, which can get them a win.

       

Smart pick

No top-seeded team has ever been a dog in the divisional round, but no top-seeded team had lost its top player going into the postseason either.

While this will not be an easy task for Philadelphia, Atlanta is not playing in Los Angeles, where the weather and crowd were not factors working in the home team's favor. The Eagles have been home dogs in the playoffs twice dating back to 1995 and won both times. Bet on them to do it a third time in this spot as the Falcons show their weaknesses that led them to only a wild card.

       

NFL betting trends

The total has gone under in nine of the Falcons' last 12 games against the Eagles.

The Falcons are 1-7 SU and 1-6-1 ATS in their last eight games on the road against the Eagles.

The Eagles are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games at home.

        

All NFL odds and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.

Valiant effort by @TYHilton13!

Doing work by himself 😂 #ProBowlSkills https://t.co/khNddwh20i

— NFL (@NFL) January 27, 2017

Members of the AFC and NFC Pro Bowl squads took part in a different type of skills challenge Thursday. 

The two conferences faced off in a classic game of dodgeball in front of an audience of fans. Patrick Peterson, Odell Beckham Jr., Mike Evans, Thomas Davis, Gerald McCoy, Ezekiel Elliott, Jason Kelce, Kirk Cousins, Drew Brees and Dak Prescott represented the NFC. 

T.Y. Hilton, Chris Harris Jr., Geno Atkins, Philip Rivers, Jarvis Landry, Alex Smith, Joe Thomas, Jay Ajayi, Andy Dalton and Von Miller played for the AFC. 

Beckham, not surprisingly, impressed with his on-the-ball skills and athleticism, and Elliott completed a soccer-esque celebration after the NFC defeated the AFC. 

.@OBJ_3 got handles with the dodgeball 🔥#ProBowlSkills https://t.co/UluVUjE3qt

— NFL (@NFL) January 27, 2017

.@EzekielElliott goes crazy after the NFC Dodgeball win! 😂😂😂#ProBowlSkills https://t.co/wqg0n1Mn33

— NFL (@NFL) January 27, 2017

The Dallas running back likely has more important wins in his future. 

[Twitter]

Injury reports and overall health have taken a bigger spotlight than most would have predicted ahead of Sunday's NFC Championship Game between the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons. 

No team reaches the NFL's final four fully healthy. On the AFC side, names such as Ben Roethlisberger and Rob Gronkowski have battled or continue to fight issues. Sunday's early game, though, features more than just injuries thanks to a potential bug working through Green Bay's locker room.

A still-developing story, updates continue to paint an ever-developing picture of the NFC title game. A projected high-scoring affair, here is a look at the latest before Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan square off in Atlanta.     

Game	Date	Time (ET)	TV	Live Stream	Point Spread	Prediction
Green Bay at Atlanta	Jan. 22	3:05 p.m.	Fox	Fox Sports Go	ATL (-4)	GB 33-30

    

Packers

Name	Position	Game Status
Adams, Davante	WR	Questionable
Allison, Geronimo	WR	Questionable
Burnett, Morgan	S	Questionable
Crosby, Mason	K	-
Elliott, Jayrone	LB	-
Janis, Jeff	WR	-
Lang, T.J.	G	-
Matthews, Clay	LB	-
Michael, Christine	RB	Questionable
Nelson, Jordy	WR	Questionable
Peppers, Julius	LB	-
Perry, Nick	LB	-
Rollins, Quinten	CB	Questionable
Starks, James	RB	Out
Tretter, JC	C/G	Out

As one can see from the injury report above, the Packers have some serious questions at wideout heading into Sunday. 

One could argue, though, it doesn't much matter. Over the team's current eight-game tear, Rodgers has thrown 21 touchdowns against just one interception while various names have popped in and out of the lineup.

Case in point, Green Bay's 34-31 escape of the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round had a game-winning field goal set up by a wicked catch-and-throw from Rodgers to Jared Cook. The up-and-down tight end had seen little usage all year and scored one touchdown before grabbing not only the critical catch, but six total for 103 yards and a score while leading the team in receiving.

So no, seeing four receivers on the injury report wouldn't normally be a bad thing. The problem with the Packers, though, is the bug assailing the locker room at the most inopportune time—headlined by Rodgers getting sick.

"We'll be OK," Rodgers said, according to ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky. "It's kind of going around. I know Jordy had it. Mason had it. I got it. So we're all...we're going to be OK and deal with it."

It goes without saying the Packers will find themselves in deep trouble away from home if Rodgers isn't at 100 percent, especially with his wideout corps hobbled. 

Then again, it makes for one incredible storyline if Rodgers posts a huge game while sick.

     

Falcons

Name	Position	Game Status
Babineaux, Jonathan	DT	-
Gabriel, Taylor	WR	-
Jones, Julio	WR	-
Neal, Keanu	S	-

The injury report surrounding the Falcons isn't nearly as dramatic.

Receivers Julio Jones and Taylor Gabriel show up on the report, though it seems more like a formality than anything.

Jones' health has been a lingering question mark all year, yet he still dropped 1,409 yards and six touchdowns. So long as Jones takes the field, the Falcons shouldn't skip a beat—keep in mind he only caught three passes for 29 yards in a Week 8 matchup between these teams, a win for the Falcons, as Mohamed Sanu and Gabriel had huge days.

Gabriel used the Week 8 game with his three grabs for 68 yards and a score as a launching pad of sorts. He went on to score five touchdowns over Atlanta's final six games and establish himself as a breakout star. His presence on the report also smacks of formalities due to a slight issue of wear and tear after a lengthy season.

Like Rodgers, Ryan can make the offense work with almost anyone. In the last round, a 36-20 win against the tough Seattle Seahawks defense, running back Devonta Freeman led the team in receiving while four players caught four or more passes.

At home against a weaker defense, Ryan should cruise even if Jones and Gabriel are mere decoys.

     

Prediction

Provided Rodgers isn't masking a serious illness capable of impacting his pay, it is hard to go against the Packers.

Rodgers and Ryan combined for seven touchdowns and no interceptions in Atlanta back in Week 8. The difference in the 33-32 Falcons win was a Ryan touchdown pass with 31 seconds left in the game.

The outcome there and the play of the quarterbacks explains the close line out of Las Vegas. Ryan just rolled the Seahawks, and Rodgers hasn't slowed, not even against strong New York and Dallas defenses as of late.

Though the injury report looks scarier, Rodgers doesn't flinch on the road or in the face of a rush. After beating a team like Dallas, winning a shootout against Ryan with a diverse cast of weapons seems likely.

Look for Rodgers to orchestrate the late-scoring drive this time and deflate the home crowd as the Packers keep marching.

Prediction: Packers 33, Falcons 30

       

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All betting information courtesy of OddsShark. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.