NFC championship: Packers battling plenty of injuries

Green Bay, Wis. — The Green Bay blueprint to slow down Atlanta in Sunday’s NFC championship game focuses on turning the high-octane Falcons into a one-dimensional offense.

It sounds simple enough. But this plan could be tough to execute for the Packers with their injury issues in the secondary. It’s tough enough to contain All-Pros Matt Ryan and Julio Jones with a healthy defense.

Linebacker Clay Matthews is eager to take on the next test when the Packers visit the Georgia Dome on Sunday.

“I think that’s easier said than done. But that’s ultimately what we strive for each and every week,” Matthews said about slowing down Atlanta’s fifth-ranked rushing attack to create favorable pass-rushing situations. “It’s about stopping the run and getting after the quarterback.”

The Falcons’ own leaky pass defense will also be stressed.

Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers has been nearly unstoppable of late, with 21 touchdown passes and one interception over an eight-game winning streak that stretches back to the regular season.

“We love a challenge,” Falcons cornerback Robert Alford said when asked if he was insulted by predictions of a high-scoring game.

But the conditions do seem ripe for a shootout, just like when Atlanta beat Green Bay 33-32 in Week 8. The Packers were ranked 31st out of 32 teams in the regular season in pass defense (269.3 yards per game); the Falcons were 28th (266.7 yards) in the league.

Rush just three or four defenders against Rodgers and he can make quick, accurate throws to keep the chains moving, or look for creases to run for a first down. Blitz Rodgers and he can extend plays outside the pocket.

This is part of what makes Rodgers elite, Atlanta cornerback Jalen Collins said.

“Just his ability to get out the pocket once a play breaks down and make plays with his feet, whether it be finding an open guy down the field or scrambling for a few yards or a first down,” Collins said.

Like the Packers, the Falcons have lost key players in the secondary.

Collins, a second-round draft pick in 2015, stepped up after top cornerback Desmond Trufant went down with a season-ending shoulder injury in early November.

Safety Kemal Ishmael, a part-time starter, also had season-ending shoulder injury in December. In nickel defenses, the Falcons have had to rely heavily on undrafted rookie cornerback Brian Poole.

The Falcons could get a break if some of the receivers on the Packers’ lengthy injury report can’t go. The Packers might not know the status of injured receivers Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams and Geronimo Allison until just before the game.

Coach Mike McCarthy said on Friday all three receivers would be “given every chance to play in the game.”

“But obviously this is a different time and this is a different point where we are in the season,” he said Thursday. “Everybody understands what’s on the line here.”

Nelson wasn’t at Lambeau Field on Friday because of an unrelated illness, McCarthy said. He apparently came down with a bug that bothered kicker Mason Crosby earlier in the week, as well as quarterback Aaron Rodgers later in the week.

“Rest. Fluids. All that stuff. We’ll be OK,” Rodgers said.

Adams, who has an ankle injury, had 12 touchdown catches. Nelson and Adams were the top two receivers for Rodgers in the passing game.

Allison, a rookie, emerged in the last couple of weeks of the regular season with eight catches for 157 yards and a score while filling in when Randall Cobb was hurt. Allison has a hamstring injury.

That includes veteran safety Morgan Burnett, an important piece in the secondary for his solid work against the run and pass. Burnett didn’t practice at midweek because of a quadriceps injury suffered in last week’s win over Dallas.

Having Burnett would help Green Bay match up against Falcons running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman, who combined for 85 catches and three touchdowns in the regular season.

“We know that Morgan is a very strong person and he’s going to do everything in his power to play in this game,” said rookie Kentrell Brice, who could step in if Burnett can’t play.

But the Falcons’ biggest threat in the passing game is the 6-foot-4 Jones, who had six catches for 67 yards and a score last week against Seattle. Cornerback has been one of the areas hardest hit by injuries this season.

LaDarius Gunter, who had a decent outing two weeks ago in the wild-card game against the Giants matched up against receiver Odell Beckham Jr., would likely draw the assignment against Jones. Gunter also got burned in last week’s divisional-round win against Dallas by Dez Bryant, who finished with nine catches for 132 yards and two scores.

Yet the Packers might draw some confidence from the fact they were also short-handed for their first meeting in Atlanta but lost only after Ryan connected with Mohamed Sanu for an 11-yard touchdown pass with 31 seconds left.

“I thought our guys did a pretty good job the first game, but we weren’t able to make plays to break their rhythm in other places,” defensive coordinator Dom Capers said Thursday night. “When you’re going against an offense that’s as efficient as they are, at some point in there, you have to make plays to break the rhythm of the offense.”

Matthews, along with cornerbacks Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins, each missed that game with injuries. Randall is healthy again.

Packers at Falcons

Kickoff : 3:05 Sunday, Georgia Dome, Atlanta

TV : Fox

Last meeting : Falcons 33, Packers 32, Oct. 30, at Atlanta

Line : Falcons by 5 1/2