One of the best aspects of the NFL is that every week represents a new challenge in the form of a new team, but, it's not just the location, name, and colors that change.

Typically, teams are going up against a different animal than the week before. To keep it simple: The new opponent could run a 3-4 system on defense compared to the previous previous opponent's 4-3. Last week's opponent could've had a strong stable of pass-catchers, while this week's is run-oriented and has the best running back in the game.

By now, you get the point.

That's the exact case for the Green Bay Packers in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons. The Packers drubbed the Chicago Bears, 38-20, in Week 1, but the Falcons are going to represent a whole new challenge.

"The focus is on the Atlanta Falcons and we have a lot of work to do with them," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters Monday. "[They're] a team that we haven't played in, I want to say four years. So you know, there's going to be a lot of studying that goes into that. Obviously, they're coming off a big win over Carolina by two scores. And there's a lot of new pieces there. So there I'm sure there's a new excitement around that football team. And it'll be a really tough task going against them."

Packers run defense will be tested early and often

The Bears love to run the ball, but the game script limited opportunities to where they finished last week's contest with a 37:29 pass-to-run ratio (56% pass rate).

Unless the Packers get out to a big lead again, that won't happen in Atlanta. 

The Falcons are a true run-first team. They were one of just six teams to hand the ball off more times than they attempted passes in 2022 and so far, things are on track to finish the same in 2023, as Atlanta ran the ball 53% of the time against the Carolina Panthers in their 24-10 victory. Excluding Desmond Ridder's kneel-down to end the game, the Falcons averaged over 5.1 yards per carry after running for 129-yards and two touchdowns on 25 attempts.

The Falcons also have a much, much better offensive line than the Bears and while they run an outside zone scheme like Chicago, Arthur Smith's version has been giving defenses fits since 2019.

An important situation to monitor this week is Quay Walker's progress in the NFL's concussion protocol process. He played really well in Week 1, and specifically, was very good against the Bears' rushing attack. It would be a pretty big blow if he were to miss this game.

The Packers run defense looked good against the Bears, but this Falcons attack is much, much different and it can easily take over if Joe Barry and co. aren't prepared for the variety of looks and blocking schemes they'll encounter on Sunday.

The Falcons defense is a completely different defense, too

Let's be real. The Bears defense is as vanilla as they come. It's rush four, drop seven more than 90% of the time and the wrinkles they do throw in usually come on third down or a 4th and long (like, 4th and 4 or greater).

While there are advantages to that, it's very basic and opposing offenses can usually pick up on tendencies and whatnot. The rotation on the backend can be figured out more efficiently since quarterbacks aren't having to figure out where the pass rush is coming from. They can just read drops and keys and then go from there.

"No, I don't think they blitzed a whole lot today," Jordan Love told reporters after the Bears game. "That's kind of how their defense is run. We weren't expecting a whole lot. Maybe on third downs, longer third downs, something like that. [The] today was kind of just to play coverage and make us pass it, and that's what they did."

With Ryan Nielsen and the Falcons defense, this won't be the case.

Nielsen hails from the New Orleans Saints, where he was the defensive line coach from 2017-2022 and boy, let me tell you, that scheme isn't something to play with. 

Nielsen will constantly mix things up from his looks in the front seven to his looks in the backend of the secondary. Love will constantly see one look, just for it to turn into something else post-snap, which can really throw off quarterbacks.

The first-year defensive coordinator has no problem with blitzing when needed, either. He only blitzed Bryce Young eight times, which represented 19% of his dropbacks, but the Falcons defense brought home 2.0 sacks and Young completed just 60% of his passes for 34 yards when the Falcons came after him – so it certainly worked.

Plus, he's more apt to plan man coverage, especially with a guy like A.J. Terrell in the secondary. The Bears defense was in zone around 60% of the time against the Packers, per PFF, whereas the Falcons were in zone around 42% of the time against the Panthers. Nielsen isn't afraid to make teams beat his guys 1-on-1. 

The Packers are really going to need the offensive line to have another strong performance, or else the offense could be in for a long day against a much-improved front-seven.

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Add in the fact that it's only Week 2, meaning, that teams are still figuring out their identity and there's just not a lot of tape to go around, and it's easy to see why this week will be a challenge – even with the Packers favored on the road at 1.5.

Featured image via Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports