Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has just one home loss in three years as a starter. He’d love to be playing in the Georgia Dome well into January.
The Green Bay Packers are one of the teams trying to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Ryan’s run of home dominance will be put to the test Sunday when Aaron Rodgers and the Packers visit the NFC-leading Falcons in a matchup that could dictate home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
Both teams are in the midst of four-game winning streaks and each can lay claim to the title of best team in the NFC.
The Falcons (8-2) have been riding the hot hand of Ryan, who is thriving in Atlanta’s no-huddle offense. He is in the top 10 in passing yards (2,518) and touchdowns (18).
Nicknamed “Matty Ice” for his cool demeanor, Ryan has certainly lived up to his reputation this season.
Ryan notched the most impressive win of his career against Baltimore two weeks ago, leading the Falcons 80 yards in less than a minute and tossing a game-winning 33-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White.
It was the 14th straight home win for Ryan, who improved to 18-1 at the Georgia Dome in his young career.
And Ryan made sure the Falcons didn’t suffer a letdown the following week. He threw two touchdowns – including the go-ahead score to backup tight end Justin Peelle - in a 34-17 road victory over St. Louis last Sunday.
Ryan, as he has all season, got plenty of help from White and Michael Turner against the Rams. White caught nine passes for 83 yards and Turner ran for 131 yards, helping the Falcons notch their 11th win in the last 13 games dating to last season.
White leads the league in receptions (79) and is second in receiving yards (1,017). Turner (864), meanwhile, is sixth in the league in rushing.
Ryan and the offense aren’t the only ones getting the job done, however. Atlanta’s defense is ranked seventh in the NFL (19.2 ppg) and has helped the Falcons to a plus-10 turnover margin, which is good for second in the league.
Rookie safety William Moore came up with the latest big play, intercepting a shovel pass from Sam Bradford late in the fourth quarter to help seal the win over St. Louis.
The victory helped Atlanta maintain a one-game lead over Tampa Bay (7-3) and New Orleans (7-3) in the NFC South.
While the Falcons are red-hot, Green Bay (7-3) is one of the few teams capable of ending Ryan’s home winning streak.
Aaron Rodgers threw for 301 yards and a career-high four touchdowns – three to Greg Jennings – in the Packers’ 31-3 rout at Minnesota on Sunday.
Rodgers has thrown for 590 yards and seven touchdowns in his last two games. Jennings has been his favorite target in that stretch, posting 17 catches for 232 yards and four touchdowns.
The offense continues to be prolific, but the driving force behind the Packers’ four-game winning streak has been the defense.
Green Bay is tied with Chicago (7-3) atop the NFC North thanks in part to a dominating stretch from a unit that has nine takeaways over its last three contests.
Led by NFL sacks leader Clay Matthews (11.5), the Packers have allowed just 10 points in that span, the franchise’s best stretch since 1974. The impressive run started with a 9-0 victory over the New York Jets on Oct. 31.
This will be the first meeting since 2008, when Ryan threw two touchdowns in a 27-24 win at Lambeau Field. Ryan outdueled a banged-up Rodgers, who threw for 313 yards and three touchdowns despite a sprained shoulder.