The Green Bay Packers took on the Atlanta Falcons in the first week of the post-Mike McCarthy era. They got the win, and they got there with a team effort.

The Green Bay Packers were struggling through a mostly lost season heading into their matchup with the equally disappointing Atlanta Falcons. After giving up a quick seven points, things didn’t look great, but the team tightened up after that. The offense rattled off 20 straight points to end the first half, and the defense held the Falcons in check after struggling on that first drive, which is something they’ve struggled to do against good offenses this season.

In the second half, things were more of the same as the Falcons didn’t score again until the fourth quarter. Aaron Rodgers still made a few mistakes, such as holding the ball too long rather than utilizing the check down, but he looked like he was having fun playing football again, which has been a rare sight this year. The Packers started the Joe Philbin era 1-0, and things looked a lot brighter at Lambeau for the first time in a while.

The Packers (5-7-1) head to Chicago to take on the Bears (8-4) as of this writing as they look to build some momentum heading into the offseason. The Falcons (4-9) head back home for a matchup with the lowly Arizona Cardinals (2-10) as of this writing. Both teams will be looking to develop their future players and escape without serious injuries.