ATLANTA The lack of a running game finally caught up to the Green Bay Packers.

When they needed a running back to complete the most elementary play in football to gain merely a yard or two they didnt have one who was up to the task.

So at one of the most critical points of Sundays game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome, the Packers looked to their quarterback to convert at the goal line.

But on two consecutive goal-to-go situations in the second quarter, Rodgers couldnt get in the end zone with his feet.

Whats worse, after he managed just 1 yard on second-and-goal from the 2, Rodgers fumbled the ball away on a third-and-goal sneak from the 1-yard line, and the Falcons recovered, robbing the Packers of what seemed like sure points in what was a tied game at the time.

The Packers can lament any number of plays from Sundays 20-17 loss, but that goal-line failure has to be near the top of the list.

We just need to convert those, whether its running it or throwing it, Rodgers said. Third-and -1, you expect to convert those.

Ever since the Packers lost starting halfback Ryan Grant in Week 1 to a season-ending ankle injury, the Packers running game has been mostly unreliable. Against the Falcons, it was practically nonexistent.

Brandon Jackson carried 10 times for 26 yards, and Dimitri Nance carried once for no gain. Rodgers, in spite of his short-yardage failings, provided the only semblance of a running game with 51 yards on 12 attempts.

Perhaps if Nance had not failed to convert a third-and-1 from the Falcons 5-yard line late in the first quarter, when the Packers had to settle for a field goal, coach Mike McCarthy wouldnt have called Rodgers number on the third-and-goal sneak on the next possession.

It was pretty tough down there, Nance said. It was just tough to get yards. A hole opened and a linebacker was right there in the hole, and I just couldnt convert it. Its frustrating. They did a pretty good of stopping it.

On the second-and-goal play from the 2 right before Rodgers goal-line fumble the quarterback changed the play at the line of scrimmage. The Packers were in their empty backfield spread formation, and Rodgers saw what he believed to be a soft spot in the middle of the defense. Not only did he not score on the play, he hit his funny bone when he got drilled by Falcons defensive tackle Peria Jerry.

On the next play, McCarthy sent in an extra offensive lineman, T.J. Lang, tight ends Tom Crabtree and Andrew Quarless plus Jackson and fullback Quinn Johnson, who were in the I-formation.

From under center, Rodgers tried to sneak between center Scott Wells and left guard Daryn Colledge, but Falcons linebacker Curtis Lofton jarred the ball lose and it ping-ponged into the end zone, where Falcons linebacker Mike Peterson recovered it for a touchback.

I went to bring it in and started moving and the guy hit me right on the ball, and the ball came out, Rodgers said. Inexcusable.

While Rodgers failed in short yardage, he was masterful when he ran in space. With the Falcons often rushing three and dropping eight into coverage usually without a spy on the quarterback Rodgers ran free. On a second-and-10 play in the first quarter, Rodgers broke from the pocket and picked up 11 yards to help set up a field goal. He also had runs of 9, 10 and 7 yards in the second half.

But when Rodgers gave the ball to his backs, they were stymied. On two different drives in the second half, the Packers opened with gains of 9-yards on first-down passes only to move backwards on the next play. On the first, Jackson was dumped for a 6-yard loss on a toss play. On the second, Jackson was stopped for a 1-yard loss on a handoff. Jackson looked more hesitant and indecisive than he has in recent games, although he may not have had much running room, either.

It was pretty hard; they were attacking, Jackson said. When I get the ball and theres guys in my face, Ive just got to try to make something happen.
It wasnt until a 12-yard run by Jackson on an outside zone play in the fourth quarter that the Packers got anything out of their backs.

I dont know that we had a lot of quantity to get a real good feel (for the running game), Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. A couple of times we had second-and-1s, and we ended up in a second-and-7 or third-and-6. I was disappointed in those, for sure. What did Brandon have 10, 12 carries?

When told it was 10 carries for 26 yards, Philbin added: That tells you right there its not very good.