Green Bay Rookie James Starks, a sensation against the Philadelphia Eagles, looked like just another running back Saturday night in the Green Bay Packers' 48-21 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC divisional playoffs.
Starks carried 25 times and gained 66 yards, a paltry 2.6-yard average that paled in comparison to his 23 carries, 123 yards, 5.3 average six days earlier in Philadelphia.
"I'm a lot better than that," Starks said. "My standards for myself are a lot higher. I've got to pick my legs up. Break more tackles. I've got to break the big one."
Four of Starks' carries were for minus yardage, four for no gain and four for a gain of 1 yard. His long rush was 13 yards.
"That's something I have to look at," said Starks when asked if he missed any holes. "I think I could have done better."
Counting playoffs, Starks has rushed 77 times for 290 yards (3.8) and no touchdowns.
Moving up: The Jets' Darrelle Revis and Nnamdi Asomugha, who won't be back with Oakland in 2011, probably would be the choice of scouts as the league's top cornerbacks.
After intercepting two more passes Saturday night, Tramon Williams was asked if he had played better than any cornerback in 2010.
"I think it's definitely up for argument," Williams said. "Obviously, those guys have big names. But on the film, I guess you could say . . . "
One of the marks of cornerback play is interception total. Williams has nine, including three in the playoffs. Neither Revis nor Asomugha had an interception this season.
Revis and Asomugha were joined by New England's Devin McCourty on the AFC Pro Bowl team. The NFC selections were the Packers' Charles Woodson, the Eagles' Asante Samuel and the Redskins' DeAngelo Hall.
"Tramon is catching balls over receivers that are 6-4, 6-5," nose tackle B.J. Raji said. "I mean, who's really doing that in this league? Not many."
First ever:Counting playoffs, Greg Jennings has played 80 games with 71 starts. The first lost fumble of his career came on the Packers' third play from scrimmage.
Jennings broke free in the middle, turning a short third and 13 pass into a 30-yard gain, before he was stripped from behind by linebacker Stephen Nicholas. Cornerback Brent Grimes recovered.
"We saw quite a bit on film that they had holes in their secondary, and we were going to try to exploit it as much as possible," said Jennings. "On that particular play we got it, exploited it and I lost the ball in the process."
Jennings' only other fumbles of the season (two) came against Atlanta. From 2006-'09, he had been charged with three fumbles.
"We feel like we can get after anybody," Jennings said. "It doesn't matter who we play."
Rodgers redux: On Sunday, Falcons coach Mike Smith conducted his normal day-after press briefing. He said that only once before in his 12-year NFL coaching career had he encountered a quarterback as hot as Aaron Rodgers. It was New England's Tom Brady.
"We had four opportunities to get the quarterback on the ground," said Smith. "The penalty on the third-down sack (second quarter) changed the whole complexion of the football game.
"Aaron had a good game. Mike McCarthy had a good game plan. Their receivers caught the ball and we didn't play up to our level as a team. It's something you run into."
Defensive end John Abraham, who beat Chad Clifton inside for one of the Falcons' two sacks, blamed himself for blowing two other sack chances on third-and-long situations.
"We just didn't do a good job containing him," said Abraham. "Whatever we did, it didn't work."
Said cornerback Dunta Robinson: "I don't know who that team was. We picked the wrong time to play our worst game of the year.
"(Rodgers) did some amazing things. He was unbelievable. He was in a zone. He felt that there wasn't anything he couldn't do. When any player on the professional level gets in a zone like that, they are going to be tough to stop."
Raji said one of the differences between Rodgers and Matt Ryan was offensive philosophy.
"To be honest, I feel our offensive coaches have more confidence in Aaron," said Raji. "They both can throw the ball. Recently, they opened up the offense for Aaron. For whatever reason. Maybe it's because he's better. I don't know. But I know one thing: I'm happy we have him on my team."
In the third quarter, the Packers opened with a sack and short completion to set up third and 13. Under heavy pressure, Rodgers escaped and found James Jones for 15 yards.
"Third play, we leave a guy free off the edge, somehow the Lord was helping me with eyes in the back of my head today," said Rodgers. "I was able to spin out and make a great play. After that first down, we got rolling."
On a roll: In the last decade, only two teams in playoff games scored more than the Packers did against Atlanta.
In a pair of wild-card games, Indianapolis beat Denver, 49-24, after the 2004 season and Arizona beat Green Bay, 51-45, after the 2009 season. In the Super Bowl after the 2002 season, Tampa Bay downed Oakland, 48-21.
"I think the only team that could have beaten us tonight was us," safety Charlie Peprah said. "Things didn't go our way early but everybody just kind of kept playing."
"If we keep playing like this we'll be there," Raji said, referring to the Super Bowl. "We're a very good team.
"A lot of people were on our bandwagon last week. Everybody's going to be a Packers fan this week. We just have to stay the course and keep focused. Everything will take care of itself."
Looking back: The Packers lined up 13 starters Saturday night that also started in the overtime playoff loss to the Cardinals last January. They were favored by three points before a poor start and bad finish doomed them.
"Last year, we went against a team we felt like we were going to beat, but we didn't," said Jenkins. "A lot of people realized how real the playoffs are and how much you have to bring it because everybody steps it up to another level.
"I think the guys understand that now and we're bringing it to another level."
"Bob McGinn" wrote: