Atlanta Falcons

NFC Championship 2017: 5 Players Who Will Decide Packers vs Falcons

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 12:56 a.m. ET

Fansided, Joe Soriano/FanSided via NFL Spin Zone

Which five players will have the biggest impact on the outcome of the 2017 NFC Championship game between the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons?

The 2017 NFC Championship game is upon us, and the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers are led by MVP Matt Ryan and his top challenger Aaron Rodgers. However, there are more key players than just the quarterbacks.

Both the Packers and Falcons had a grueling road to the NFC Championship game. After a hot start to the season, the Falcons seemed to falter around midseason when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a late charge. They made sure they wouldn’t repeat a collapse from Dan Quinn’s first season on the job in 2015, winning five of six games following their bye to recover from a disappointing loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 10.

Meanwhile, the Packers looked dead in the water at one point this year, and it looked like they would suffer an even more disappointing season than their Jordy Nelson-less 2015 campaign. Instead, Aaron Rodgers made the haters pay, running the table with six straight wins to end the year. That six-game winning streak snapped a four-game losing streak.

The Falcons took advantage of their bye week, defeating the seasoned Seattle Seahawks, 36-20 ,in a display of offensive firepower. That win was certainly impressive, but what the Packers did in their two playoff games tops that. Green Bay dismantled the New York Giants, and they escaped with a win over the Dallas Cowboys with some more heroics from Rodgers.

These two teams are battle-tested, and they have the star talent to prove it. Either team can win this one, and here are five players who could swing the game to their team’s side.

Jan 8, 2017; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers running back Ty Montgomery (88) during the game against the New York Giants at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

5. Ty Montgomery, RB – Packers

When the Packers were at their worst in the regular season, they had absolutely no running game. Eddie Lacy‘s injury left the Packers backfield completely barren, and Aaron Rodgers was easily their most effective rusher for stretches of the season. James Starks no longer looked like one of the best backup backs in the business, and his removal from the gameplan was nothing more than a “coup de grace.”

The savior to the Packers running back woes could have been Christine Michael, but it actually ended up being someone who was on the roster all along—second-year wide receiver Ty Montgomery.

More from NFL Spin Zone

On just 77 rushing attempts, Montgomery piled on a team-high 457 yards, scoring three touchdowns in the process. The most impressive stat is, of course, Montgomery’s 5.9 yards per carry, which even topped Lacy’s 5.1 clip.

Montgomery was a big factor in the win over the Cowboys, rushing for 47 yards on 11 carries. He converted two touchdowns, and he consistently made plays when asked to. The former Stanford star made his presence felt in the passing game, chewing up the Cowboys defense for six catches on seven targets.

In the previous week, Montgomery only mustered 27 yards on 11 carries. Even then, he remained a positive part of the gameplan with three receptions for 41 yards on four targets.

Against the Falcons, Montgomery’s work on the ground will be key, but we could argue that he’s important to the Packers offense regardless of the opponent. What makes him especially noteworthy this week is his work in the passing game. According to Football Outsiders, no team surrendered more passing yards to running backs than Atlanta (53.5 yards per game). Look for Rodgers and Mike McCarthy to take advantage of that.

Jan 1, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Vic Beasley (44) applies pressure to New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) in the fourth quarter of their game at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons won 38-32. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

4. Vic Beasley, DE – Falcons

With all due respect to Mike Daniels and Devin McCourty, the best defensive player left in the 2017 NFL Playoffs is undoubtedly Vic Beasley, who deserved some serious Defensive Player of the Year love behind Oakland Raiders stalwart Khalil Mack.

Beasley was simply electric for the Falcons in the regular season, and you may be surprised to learn that he led the league with 15.5 sacks. The former Clemson star also tied a certain Raiders pass rusher for the league lead with six fumbles forced (that pass rusher is Bruce Irvin).

Every week, it seems like Beasley sets a new bar for rushing the passer in the league, and I wish more people appreciated the fact that there are very few players on his level right now. No defensive player in the postseason has a chance to make as much of an impact on any given play, and the Packers will be put on notice.

Against David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga, the Falcons will need Beasley to be at his best. Wreaking havoc in the backfield doesn’t always affect the nimble and crafty Rodgers, who can hit any throw from any platform, but it’s the only way the Falcons can take the fight to the best quarterback in the NFL.

Jan 15, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) throws in the pocket against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Divisional playoff game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

3. Aaron Rodgers, QB – Packers

It feels a little cheap giving one of these spots to either quarterback, because it’s obvious that Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan are capable of winning games on their own. However, Rodgers is playing at such a high level that it would feel even less fair to fail to discuss him extensively.

What Rodgers did to the Dallas Cowboys last week is nothing short of remarkable. His throw to Jared Cook was the type of play we’ll see over and over again, and it came a year after a miracle Hail Mary to Jeff Janis against the Arizona Cardinals.

Rodgers has a penchant for making free play touchdowns, Hail Mary scores, and pinpoint passes to wide receivers locked in perfect coverage look easy. The game comes so naturally to him that we take for granted just how much better he makes the players around him look. Remember James Jones and Jarrett Boykin? Those two were able to craft careers because of Rodgers’s ability to find a role for any receiver.

When the Packers were in trouble this season, some people wanted to question Rodgers’ leadership or personality traits. In last week’s win over Dallas, we saw why those should not be called into question. While winning a game with a last-ditch effort takes the type of moxie that would make someone writing a Derek Carr scouting report proud, the real story involves the player who caught Rodgers’ pass.

During the first half, Cook made a few drops and was hurting the Packers at times. Rodgers saw that he kept getting open, stuck by him, and reaped the benefits. Not only did he trust Cook to make that critical catch on the sidelines, but he also helped Cook post a career day with six receptions for 104 yards. Rodgers wasn’t deterred by Cook’s poor first half, and I love the trust he shows in his receivers.

The last time Rodgers faced the Falcons in the postseason, he lit them up and went on to win the Super Bowl. As we saw this season when he ran the table (and in 2010 when he ran the table before capturing his only Super Bowl ring), Rodgers is at his best with everything on the line.

Dec 24, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Mohamed Sanu (12) gets tackled by Carolina Panthers defensive back Leonard Johnson (23) in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

2. Mohamed Sanu, WR – Falcons

Julio Jones is a scary man and there isn’t a more talented non-quarterback who will suit up for this matchup. However, that’s far too obvious in this game. Jones has always been a huge threat to the Packers, and he actually averages more than 100 receiving yards per game for his career against Green Bay.

If the Packers decide to sell out on covering Jones, they could find themselves in trouble against Mohamed Sanu, who has quietly turned into the Falcons reliable possession receiver. Taylor Gabriel is the sparkplug and Jones is the superstar, but Sanu is the man with a team-high 72.8 percent catch rate. That stat isn’t nearly as impressive as Jones’s 100.6 receiving yards per game, but, again, we already know Jones will be a huge factor in this one.

Sanu is the sleeper against Green Bay. The Packers were 31st in the NFL at defending throws to the right side of the field, per Football Outsiders, and Sanu had a catch rate over 80 perecent on passes thrown to the right.

Although he once averaged 14.1 yards per reception in a season while with the Cincinnati Bengals, Sanu has a different role for the Falcons. If the Packers forget about him, it could be “death by a thousand cuts.” Sanu won’t pile up big numbers, but he comes through in key moments. Against the Seattle Seahawks, Sanu made some great catches in Jeremy Lane‘s coverage and he left the victory with a touchdown reception.

There’s also the chance that Jones isn’t healthy enough to make a big impact in this game, which means more targets—and even bigger plays—could go to Sanu. Watch for that potential storyline on game day, in addition to updates on Jones. There’s no question Jones will play, but it will be interesting to see what his health will allow him to do in the Falcons gameplan. That could open the door for Sanu to stand out on the stat sheet.

Nov 28, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Green Bay Packers free safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (21) reacts after his interception of a Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (not pictured) pass during the second half at Lincoln Financial Field. The Green Bay Packers won 27-13. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

1. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, FS – Packers

Pro Bowl free safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix will have to be at the top of his game, too, because he might be the defense’s only hope when it comes to stopping the Falcons elite offensive attack. Atlanta led the NFL with 33.8 points per game, and they had no issues dropping 36 on a Seattle Seahawks defense that held Matthew Stafford‘s Detroit Lions to a mere six points.

The Packers defense has been put on notice, and it is a unit that has struggled mightily throughout the season. Green Bay allows 7.1 net yards per pass attempt, which is the third-worst in the business. That doesn’t bode well against Matty Ice, who topped all quarterbacks with 9.3 yards per pass attempt.

Clinton-Dix, however, is one of the premier safeties in the business. And while he didn’t make the third-year leap many hoped for, he managed to stand out as a bright spot in a secondary that featured some of the NFL’s most despicable cornerback play.

With five interceptions, Clinton-Dix had his best season as a ball-hawk yet. The gambles he took did not always pay off, but there’s something to be said about being one of only ten players with at least five picks on the season. Ryan had just seven interceptions in 2016, so Clinton-Dix—and Micah Hyde—needs to be on his game.