Green Bay Packers vs Atlanta Falcons live stream: Watch NFC Championship game live on TV, preview, start time
The Green Bay Packers, led by superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and the Atlanta Falcons, led by PFWA NFL MVP Matt Ryan, will lock horns in the NFC Championship game at the Georgia Dome on Sunday.
The winner of the contest will face either the New England Patriots or the Pittsburgh Steelers, who will clash in the AFC Championship game later in the day, during next month's Super Bowl LI in Houston, Texas.
The game has historical implications for both franchises. While the Falcons are chasing only their second-ever Super Bowl appearance since the loss to Denver Broncos in 1999, the Packers are trying to return to the NFL championship game for the first time since 2010 when Rodgers powered Green Bay past Pittsburgh.
The city of Atlanta has been craving for a major sports championship since 1995, when the Braves won the World Series. While the Falcons have never won a Super Bowl, the Hawks are yet to win an NBA championship (since moving to Atlanta) and NHL club Thrashers moved out of the city in 2011 after a lengthy postseason drought.
According to odds makers, the Falcons begin the game as favourites primarily due to Matt Ryan's impeccable run of form. "Matty Ice" finished the regular season with the fifth-best passer rating in NFL history (117.1) and made a statement during the 36-20 victory against the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round. During Atlanta’s ongoing five-game winning streak, Ryan has been nearly flawless, finishing with 14 touchdown passes and zero interceptions.
Green Bay Packers vs Atlanta Falcons: Battle between elite quarterbacks
Dan Quinn, coach of the Falcons, realises that the game will come down to two outstanding quarterbacks trying to outdo each other. "It's always a cool thing to watch when you see a good player (Matt Ryan) go to a new spot. You guys have for sure seen it (with Aaron Rodgers). You know what it looks like, and Matt did that with his own game."
"It started way back in February in terms of his intent for the offseason, the way he was going to set it off. He had some things in his own game that he wanted to improve upon and, honestly, it carried over all the way through OTAs, into training camp," Quinn said ahead of Sunday's game, via ESPN.
Meanwhile, Rodgers has led the Packers to eight consecutive victories. During the winning streak, the two-time MVP has racked up an impeccable passer rating of 117.9 at an accuracy of 68.9 percent. Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy reckons Rodgers is playing the best football of his career. "I think he's played incredible. It's important for our team to play our best football come Sunday. He's in a great rhythm right now. Is he playing the best he ever has? He's played at this level so often, but I think this is probably one of his best runs," McCarthy said of Rodgers, who has 21 touchdowns during the winning streak which extends to the NFL Playoffs.
Typically, teams with poor defensive lines struggle to get this far into the postseason. While Green Bay finished the regular season 21st in points allowed, Atlanta finished 27th. And Matt Ryan acknowledged that both teams will rely on their offense. "I think on offense we've done a great job of staying balanced. We've done a great job in the run game, the pass game, created a bunch of explosive plays which helps in terms of scoring some points, and we've done a great job taking care of the ball. I think the combination of those things has led to us playing well."
Rodgers, who won the 2011 Super Bowl MVP, wants his team to play their natural game on Sunday but didn't deny that they will be nervous. "How do you not think about (getting to the Super Bowl)? We're 60 minutes away from being there again. It's obviously on our minds."
How to watch Green Bay Packers vs Atlanta Falcons live stream
Start time: 3:05PM (ET), 12:05PM (PT), 6:05AM on Monday (AEST), 7:05AM (AEDT)
On TV: FOX (USA) ESPN (Australia)
Live Stream: Fox Sports GO (USA), Watch ESPN (Australia), NFL Game Pass (Global)
