ATLANTA – The track meet continued in the second quarter at the Georgia Dome on Sunday, and the first half ended with the Packers ahead, 24-19.
Beginning the quarter on the Atlanta 24, the Packers took it in for the score. A 10-yard reception by RB Knile Davis followed by a 9-yard catch-and-run by WR Trevor Davis made it first-and-goal. On third down, QB Aaron Rodgers found rookie WR Geronimo Allison for a 4-yard TD to put the Packers back on top, 14-10. It was Allison's first NFL reception.
The Falcons once again came right back. A 24-yard pass interference penalty on CB LaDarius Gunter covering WR Julio Jones got the drive started, and a 10-yard run by RB Terron Ward plus an 11-yard reception by WR Mohamed Sanu got the Falcons into field-goal range. The Packers got back-to-back tackles for loss on running plays to set up third-and-long, and Jones was tackled after a 5-yard reception by Gunter. K Matt Bryant came on to make a 40-yard field goal, pulling the Falcons within 14-13 with 8:52 left in the half.
The Packers went three-and-out, producing the first punt of the game. Rodgers was sacked on third down by LB Vic Beasley.
The Falcons then went three-and-out as well, with CB Demetri Goodson breaking up a third-down pass. Atlanta's punt was returned by Davis 55 yards to the Atlanta 15, putting the Packers in the red zone.
After a defensive holding penalty on the Falcons made it first-and-goal on the 7, the Packers caught a break. Adams caught a short pass but fumbled, and the ball went out of bounds before the Falcons could recover it. On the next snap, a scrambling Rodgers found Davis just inside the far pylon for a diving 9-yard TD catch, and the Packers led 21-13 with 4:22 left in the half.
The Falcons got moving again. Passes of 9 yards to RB Devonta Freeman and 14 yards to TE Austin Hooper preceded a roughing-the-passer penalty on DE Datone Jones. An 11-yard pass to WR Taylor Gabriel and a 5-yard run by Ward put the ball on the Green Bay 22 at the two-minute warning.
A 17-yard pass to Hooper made it first-and-goal on the 5, and Freeman finished it with a 5-yard TD catch. QB Matt Ryan was sacked on the two-point try by LB Julius Peppers, making the score 21-19 Packers with 27 seconds left.
Rodgers scrambled for 23 yards on the first play of the ensuing drive, and he hit WR Jordy Nelson over the middle for a juggling catch, good for 21 yards to the Atlanta 31. The Packers called their second timeout of the half with 9 seconds left. FB Aaron Ripkowski took a handoff for 9 yards, and the Falcons were flagged for a late hit, putting the ball on the 11 with 4 seconds left.
K Mason Crosby was good from 29 yards out on the final play of the half, putting the Packers up, 24-19.
