Packers host Falcons in home opener

After playing the first two games of the season on the road for only the fourth time in team history (1924, 2016, 2023), Green Bay will have its first home game this Thursday against Atlanta.

• Green Bay has won 13 consecutive home openers (2013-15), tied with the Miami Dolphins (1976-88) for the longest streak in NFL history.
• It is the third time the Packers have faced Atlanta in their home opener (1981, 2002).
• It is the first-ever Thursday meeting between the teams.
• Green Bay holds a 17-15 advantage in the regular-season series, including wins in each of the last four meetings at Lambeau Field.
• The Packers are 12-4 as the home team in the regular-season series against the Falcons.
• This will be the first of five scheduled weekday games for the Packers, the most in a season in franchise history.
• It is the first of five scheduled home prime-time games, the most in a season in team history.
• The Packers return to the road for a Week 4 trip to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, marking only the third time in team history that Green Bay has played three of its first four games on the road (1922, 2014).

WITH THE CALL

The game will be broadcast across the country on Prime Video. If you live in the Green Bay market, it will also air on free, over-the-air television on NBC26 (WGBA), and if you live in the Milwaukee market, it will be shown on FOX6 (WITI). It will be available on mobile devices with NFL+ as well.

• Play-by-play man Al Michaels joins analyst Kirk Herbstreit and sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung.
• All Packers games can be heard on the Packers Radio Network, which is made up of 54 stations in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, North Dakota and South Dakota. The flagship station of the Packers Radio Network is 95.7 BIG FM - WRIT. For a map and full listing of radio affiliates, go to packers.com/video/radio-network. Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play), two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (analyst), and three-time Packers Pro Bowler John Kuhn (sideline reporter) call the action. McCarren first joined the team's broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 32nd season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 28th season of broadcasts together. They surpassed Jim Irwin and Max McGee for the most regular-season and postseason games broadcast for the Packers with 313 at the 2018 season opener against Chicago.
• The radio broadcast can also be heard on Sirius XM NFL Radio on Channel 192 or in the app (Packers Radio Network feed).
• Westwood One will be broadcasting on radio to a national audience with Kevin Kugler (play-by-play) and Derek Rackley (analyst) on the call and studio host Scott Graham.

This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here (PDF).

THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:

Packers vs. Atlanta:

• All-time, regular season: 17-15
• All-time, postseason: 2-2
• All-time, at Green Bay: 8-4 (1-1 postseason)
• Streaks: Green Bay has won the last four regular-season games played at Lambeau Field.
• Last meeting, regular season: Sept. 17, 2023, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Falcons won, 25-24

COACHES CAPSULES

• Matt LaFleur: 77-41-1, .651; (3-6 postseason); 8th NFL season
• Kevin Stefanski: 45-58-0, .437; (1-2 postseason); 7th NFL season
• Head to Head: LaFleur 1-1 vs. Stefanski
• vs. Opponent: LaFleur 1-1 vs. Falcons; Stefanski 1-1 vs. Packers

MATT LaFLEUR…In his eighth season as the Packers' 15th head coach.

• Is in his 18th season in the NFL in 2026, having served as an offensive coordinator for two seasons (Los Angeles Rams, 2017; Tennessee Titans, 2018), a QBs coach for six seasons (Washington Redskins, 2010-13; Atlanta Falcons, 2015-16) and an offensive assistant for two seasons (Houston Texans, 2008-09).
• In his first seven seasons leading the Packers, has authored one of the finest starts to a head-coaching career in NFL history. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, his 76 regular-season wins are tied with Paul Brown for the second most in league history by a head coach in his first seven seasons in the NFL, trailing only George Seifert (86 in 1989-95). Green Bay's 76-40-1 (.654) regular-season record since 2019 ranks No. 1 in the NFC and No. 3 in the NFL over that span.
• In his first three seasons in Green Bay (2019-21), became the first head coach in NFL history to post 13-plus wins in three straight years. His 39 victories over that span passed Seifert (38 in 1989-91) for the most wins by an NFL head coach in his first three seasons in the league and are also tied for the fourth most by a coach over any three-season span in league history (Mike Ditka, 40 from 1985-87; Andy Reid, 40 from 2020-22 and 2022-24).
• Led the Packers to six playoff berths in seven seasons (tied for No. 2 in the NFL over that span), tied with Vince Lombardi and Mike Holmgren for the most playoff appearances by a Green Bay head coach in his first seven seasons.
• In his first season leading the Packers in 2019, became the first coach in club history to guide the team to the playoffs in his debut season. Also led the largest one-year win improvement in team history (plus-seven wins).

KEVIN STEFANSKI…In his first season as the Falcons' 20th head coach.

• In his 13th season as an NFL coach, having previously spent time with the Minnesota Vikings (2006-19) and the Cleveland Browns (2020-25, head coach).
• Named AP coach of the Year in 2020 after leading the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and their first playoff win since 1994 with an 11-5 record, their best since 1994, and again in 2023 when the Browns made the playoffs and finished 11-6.
• During his tenure in Cleveland, his teams consistently were one of the league's best rushing units with three top-six finishes in average rush yards per game.

This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here (PDF).

THE PACKERS-FALCONS SERIES

five games of the series, with the first coming in 1966 en route to becoming the first Super Bowl champions.

• Green Bay averaged 34.4 points while winning the first five games of the series, with the first coming in 1966 en route to becoming the first Super Bowl champions.
• In February 1992, Atlanta traded QB Brett Favre to Green Bay after drafting him in the second round (33rd overall) of the 1991 NFL Draft. Favre would go on to go 4-3 against the Falcons while with the Packers, including a 37-20 win in a 1995 NFC Wild Card contest.
• The Packers and Falcons have met in the postseason four times, with the Falcons winning the last playoff matchup in the NFC title game on Jan. 22, 2017, 44-21.

NOTABLE CONNECTIONS

Brinson was born in Savannah, Ga…S Javon Bullard is from Milledgeville, Ga., and attended Baldwin High School…EDGE Brenton Cox Jr. was born in Stockbridge, Ga., where he attended Stockbridge High School…G/T Travis Glover was born in Vienna, Ga. and attended Dooly County (Ga.) High School…LB Ty'Ron Hopper is from Roswell, Ga., and attended Roswell High School…S Xavier McKinney was born in Roswell, Ga., where he attended Roswell High School…DT Devonte Wyatt is from Decatur, Ga., and attended Tower High School…Packers players and staff who played college football in Georgia: Cox Jr. (2018), Wyatt (2018-21), Brinson (2020-24) and Bullard (2021-23) played at the University of Georgia…Glover played at Georgia State University from 2018-23…G/T Anthony Belton played at Georgia Military College from 2019-20...Packers coaches who have coached in Georgia: Assistant OL coach Eddie Gordon served as an OL graduate assistant from 2019-21 and spent the 2022 season as the offensive quality control coach at the University of Georgia…Falcons with connections to Wisconsin: QB Jack Strand was born in Bloomer, Wis., and attended Bloomer High School…OL coach Bill Callahan served as the OL coach at Wisconsin from 1990-94…Senior defensive assistant Dave Huxtable was the LBs coach for Wisconsin in 2011…Assistant QBs coach Jordan Reid served as the WRs coach at Wisconsin for one season (2025)…Former Falcons: Head coach Matt LaFleur coached QBs for the Falcons from 2015-16…Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon served as the defensive assistant/quality control coach for the Falcons in 2007…TE Jonnu Smith played for the Falcons in 2023…Former Packers: DE Za'Darius Smith played for the Packers for three seasons (2019-21)…WR Chris Blair spent time on Green Bay's practice squad in 2021…Secondary coach Justin Hood was the defensive quality control coach for the Packers from 2021-23…QBs coach Alex Van Pelt served in multiple roles over six seasons (2012-17) in Green Bay, working as the QBs coach in his final four seasons (2014-17)…TEs coach Kevin Koger was the offensive quality control coach for the Packers from 2019-20…Notable NFL connections: Gannon and Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski were on the same coaching staff with the Minnesota Vikings from 2014-17…Gannon was the Arizona Cardinals' head coach when Falcons defensive passing game coordinator Patrick Toney coached DBs for the Cardinals from 2023-25…Toney also overlapped with Packers LBs coach Sam Siefkes with the Cardinals…Falcons DE Cameron Thomas and LB Josh Woods played for the Cardinals when Gannon and Siefkes were on the coaching staff in 2023…LaFleur was the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans in 2018 when Falcons special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman was the assistant special teams coach and Falcons C/G Corey Levin played there…Smith and Levin were teammates with the Titans from 2017-18…LaFleur crossed paths with Falcons assistant general manager Jeff Scott on the Washington Redskins' staff from 2012-13…Packers special teams coordinator Cam Achord was the assistant special teams coach (2018-19) and special teams coordinator (2020-23) for the New England Patriots when Falcons P Jake Bailey and K Nick Folk played for the Patriots from 2019-22…Bailey, Folk and Smith were teammates with the Patriots from 2021-22…Packers OL coach Luke Butkus and Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich spent two seasons on the Seattle Seahawks' coaching staff together (2010-11)…Packers CBs coach Daniel Bullocks was on the San Francisco 49ers' coaching staff for nine seasons (2017-25), where he crossed paths with Falcons DE Samson Ebukam, RB Brian Robinson Jr. and TE Charlie Woerner…Ebukam and Packers G Aaron Banks were teammates with the 49ers from 2021-22…Packers WR Skyy Moore was teammates with Robinson with the 49ers in 2025…Hargrave and Woerner played together with the 49ers in 2023…Siefkes was the assistant LBs coach for the Vikings when Za'Darius played there in 2022…Packers offensive quality control coach T.C. McCartney was the QBs coach with the Patriots when Van Pelt was the offensive coordinator for the Patriots and TE Austin Hooper played there in 2024…Van Pelt played quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs when executive V.P. and director of football operations Russ Ball was the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Chiefs in 1993…Packers defensive analyst Scott Fuchs was the assistant OL coach for the Titans when Callahan and Falcons assistant OL coach Matt Jones were on the coaching staff from 2024-25…Packers TE Josh Whyle, Folk and Levin played for the Titans when Fuchs coached there in 2024…Falcons DL coach Nate Ollie was the Indianapolis Colts' DL coach when Packers LB Zaire Franklin played there from 2022-23…Franklin and Ebukam were teammates with the Colts for three seasons (2023-25)…Packers EDGE Micah Parsons and Falcons QB Cooper Rush were teammates with the Dallas Cowboys from 2021-24…Falcons WRs coach Robert Prince was the Cowboys' WRs coach from 2022-24 when Parsons played there…Prince was also the Texans' WRs coach when Packers QB Tyrod Taylor played there in 2021…Falcons passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand and Ulbrich were on the New York Jets' coaching staff when Taylor played for the Jets…Taylor and Folk played together with the Jets in 2025…Koger and Falcons OLBs coach John Timu spent time on the Los Angeles Chargers' coaching staff, crossing paths with Packers LB Nick Niemann from 2021-23…Ollie was the assistant DL coach for the Philadelphia Eagles when Hargrave played for the Eagles in 2020…Moore and Falcons OT Jawaan Taylor played together with the Chiefs from 2023-24…Packers CB Keisean Nixon and Falcons ILB Divine Deablo were teammates with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021…Bailey and Falcons QB Tua Tagovailoa played for the Miami Dolphins when Jonnu (2024) and Packers RB Chris Brooks (2023) played there…Robinson and Falcons WR Olamide Zaccheaus were teammates with St-Juste with the Washington Commanders in 2024…St-Juste was also teammates with Falcons WR Jahan Dotson in Washington from 2022-23…Packers LS Matt Orzech, Falcons CB C.J. Henderson and Taylor were teammates with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020…Packers DT Jonathan Ford was teammates with Falcons DT Gervon Dexter Sr. with the Chicago Bears from 2024-25…Notable college connections: LaFleur was the offensive coordinator for Ashland University when Hood played there in 2007…Koger and Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich were graduate assistants together at Michigan in 2013…Bullocks and Falcons ILBs coach Barrett Ruud played together at Nebraska for four seasons (2001-04) while Callahan was the head coach for the Huskers in 2004…Henderson and Falcons TE Kyle Pitts Sr. were teammates with Cox Jr. and Hopper at Florida in 2019…Dexter Sr. was also teammates with Cox Jr. and Hopper in 2020 and Packers K Trey Smack and DT Chris McClellan in 2022…Packers RB MarShawn Lloyd and Falcons WR Zachariah Branch played together at USC in 2023…Tagovailoa, Robinson, Falcons LB Christian Harris and S DeMarcco Hellams crossed paths with McKinney at Alabama…Packers EDGE Barryn Sorrell and Falcons RB Bijan Robinson were teammates at Texas from 2021-22…Packers S Evan Williams and Falcons DL Brandon Dorlus were teammates at Oregon in 2023…Lloyd and Falcons TE Nick Muse played together at South Carolina from 2020-21…Other notable connections: T Jake Matthews' cousin, Clay Matthews, spent the majority of his playing career with the Packers (2009-18)…Blair and Packers P Daniel Whelan were teammates with the DC Defenders (UFL) in 2023.