Hawks' next opponent | Atlanta outlasts Green Bay

GREEN BAY, Wis. — With every rock-solid read and on-target spiral, Matt Ryan takes another step toward making everybody forget Michael Vick, Bobby Petrino and everything else in the Atlanta Falcons' ugly recent past.

The rookie quarterback turned in another sharp performance as the Falcons beat the Green Bay Packers 27-24 at Lambeau Field on Sunday, upstaging a gritty showing by Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

It was the first road win of the season for the new and improved Falcons (3-2), putting a team that is supposed to be rebuilding over the .500 mark. Falcons coach Mike Smith had a feeling during pregame warmups that his young quarterback wasn't going to get rattled on the road this time around.

"He said, 'Hey, this is pretty cool,' " Smith said. "Just nice, calm, cool and collected."

And efficient.

Ryan completed 16 of 26 passes for 194 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Falcons wide receiver Roddy White caught eight passes for 132 yards and a touchdown, while Michael Turner ran for 121 yards and a touchdown.

Ryan stole the stage from Rodgers, who played hurt and played hard — but not quite well enough to avoid the Packers' third consecutive loss.

Rodgers started for the Packers despite a sprained shoulder that kept him out of practice for most of the week. He got better as the game went on, even as the signs that his shoulder was bothering him became more obvious.

Rodgers hurt his shoulder at Tampa Bay last Sunday, and insisted during the week that the quarterback-record consecutive starts streak held by his predecessor, Brett Favre, didn't put additional pressure on him.