Za'Darius Smith gets a Lambeau Field reunion tonight, and the timing could hardly be better for the Falcons.
With Atlanta heading into its Week 3 matchup against the Packers, the spotlight has mostly been on the offense. Michael Penix Jr. is back, and the Falcons badly need a bounce-back showing on that side of the ball. But the more fascinating angle might be on defense, where Smith is set for a mini-homecoming against the team he once helped anchor.
Smith spent 2019 through 2021 in Green Bay, piling up 26 sacks over his first two seasons there before missing most of 2021. Now he returns to the building where he made his name, and the matchup looks tailor-made for him and Atlanta’s front.
That’s because the Packers’ offensive line has been a problem. Their run game has taken a hit with the loss of Josh Jacobs, and the protection issues have only made life harder for Jordan Love.
According to ESPN, Green Bay ranks last in pass-block win rate, and Love has already been sacked seven times in two games. The situation got even worse on Sunday when star tackle Zach Bako-Bewele, formerly Zach Tom, tore his patellar tendon and was lost for the season.
Smith has been one of the early bright spots for the Falcons since coming out of retirement this summer. His 2.5 sacks lead the team and are tied for sixth in the NFL, and he’s also tied for the league lead in tackles for loss. In a stretch where Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. have been sidelined, he’s kept Atlanta’s pass rush moving.
The numbers behind his first two games back make the case even stronger. Smith’s 36% pass-rush win rate is tied with Vikings edge rusher Dallas Turner for the best mark among all edge rushers, and he’s done it while playing 20 fewer snaps. He hasn’t been on the field every down, but when he’s out there, he’s been wrecking plays.
That view isn’t limited to Atlanta. Freddie Boston, a site expert at Lombardi Ave., pointed to the offensive line as the Packers’ clear vulnerability when asked about what the Falcons could exploit on Thursday Night Football.
"The weakness is an easy answer: the offensive line," Boston said. "Expect Za'Darius Smith to cause a few problems in his return to Lambeau Field. It'll be his mission to spoil the day in Green Bay's home opener, and he looks as good as ever."
Even with Samson Ebukam ruled out because of a hamstring injury, Atlanta should have chances to generate pressure. The Falcons have actually gotten more pressure from the interior of their defensive line than from the edge, and they’re one of just five teams to do that.
Against a Packers front that has struggled to hold up and has already lost a key tackle, Smith looks positioned for a big night in the place where he once starred.
In Other News...
Bijan Robinson Suddenly Has A Rare Falcons Milestone In Reach
Bijan Robinsons name has already become central to the Falcons offense, and now it sits next to a piece of team history that would be unusual even by Atlanta standards. Amid a run of recent NFL milestones around the league, Robinson has given the Falcons something more immediate to watch in Week 3: the possibility of a running back reaching a franchise mark that has been on the books for years.
It is the kind of threshold that says as much about how the offense is using him as it does about Robinsons own versatility. For Atlanta, the larger point is not just that he is piling up touches, but that he is being put in position to leave a mark in a category not often associated with backs. The record is there, the opportunity is there, and now the Falcons have one more reason to pay close attention when the ball gets near the goal line. [Read more 🡒]
Drake Londons Frustration Puts Falcons Quarterback Decision Under A Spotlight
Drake Londons body language told the story during a recent Falcons game, when the receiver was seen yelling and pointing on the sideline as Atlanta struggled to find a rhythm on offense. It has not been the start London or the Falcons wanted, with the third-year pass catcher working through two games alongside backup quarterbacks and producing 6 receptions for 80 yards.
Michael Penix Jr. looms over the conversation because the pairing has already shown real promise when given time together. In 14 games with Penix, London has piled up 91 catches for 1,286 yards and 9 touchdowns, a track record that makes the quarterback decision feel even more important as Atlanta tries to stabilize its passing game and keep one of its top weapons engaged. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Face An Ugly Reality Entering Packers Matchup
The Falcons head into their Week 3 trip to Green Bay already carrying the kind of concerns that can make a road game feel even longer. The Packers bring the cleaner roster and the steadier quarterback situation, while Atlanta is still trying to find reliable play under center and across the board, two issues that have already shaped the early part of the 2026 season.
For Atlanta, the matchup is less about matching the Packers punch for punch and more about avoiding another lopsided afternoon that deepens the pressure around the team. Green Bay is being forecast to handle this one comfortably, which leaves the Falcons with an ugly reality in front of them and a chance to show some progress in a spot where the margin for error looks thin. [Read more 🡒]