The Green Bay Packers are set to face the Atlanta Falcons this evening on Thursday Night Football. This will be the Packers’ first game of the season in Lambeau. Green Bay (1-1) welcomes a struggling Atlanta (0-2) team to town. Despite the rocky start to the 2026 season, the Packers have a chance to beat a faltering team, improve to 2-1, and contain the outside fire.
Through two games, the Packers have generated more concerns and questions than most fans would like. Green Bay recovered from a Week 1 meltdown with a come from behind victory in Week 2 against the Jets. However, after collapsing against the Vikings, the Packers played three quarters of ugly football in New York. Nonetheless, the Packers came to life in the 4th quarter and defeated the Jets in overtime, to avoid a 0-2 start. Now, the team has a chance to improve to a winning record heading into a mini-bye week, where they can prioritize fixing their flaws.
Through two weeks, the Packers lead the NFL in penalties and drops. Green Bay has the lowest pass block win rate and has not been able to find consistent sledding in the run game. These concerns have left an uneasy feeling with the fanbase. Despite these issues, the Packers do play their first home game, which should help with communication along the line. Hopefully, that will lead to a stronger performance. If the Green Bay offensive line can find momentum, then the offense should be able to settle in.
Packers Keys to the Game
The Falcons are expected to have their starting quarterback, Michael Penix, back for the first time this season. Penix should give the Falcons a boost but Atlanta still has several worries. The Packers must exploit the Falcons and find a way to keep the their hopes down in the dumps. The keys for the Packers tonight are to ignite the Lambeau crowd, contain Bijan Robinson, and make Michael Penix uncomfortable.
As previously mentioned, the fanbase is on edge because of the end of the 2025 season and the Packers followed that up with two shaky performances to start this season. Expect the Lambeau crowd to be excited and to bring the energy but the level of importance surrounding the energy level in the stands tonight, cannot be understated. The Packers need to give the fans an early reason to feel confident. Maybe that is a quick touchdown or a turnover, but the team must give the crowd hope or they may turn quickly.
The other two keys are simple. Falcon RB Bijan Robinson is a game changer. He has the ability, similar to Derrick Henry last season, to single handily win a game. The Green Bay defense is tied, with the Chargers, for number 1 in the NFL for the lowest yards per carry (2.8 yards) allowed. The Packers defense will need to bring that same mentality tonight against one of the league’s best. The third key is making Falcons QB Michael Penix uncomfortable. This is Penix’s first game since tearing his ACL in week 11 last season. Green Bay must make life uneasy for Penix and prevent him gaining any sort of confidence.
