GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Until this week, the Atlanta Falcons didn’t know much about Green Bay Packers running back James Starks.
And after smothering the Packers’ running game when the two teams played back in November, the Falcons certainly don’t plan to allow some unheralded rookie to have a big performance in Saturday’s playoff game at the Georgia Dome.
Starks is a sixth-round pick out of Buffalo who has struggled to get on the field because of injuries and inconsistent practice habits. Then he rushed for 123 yards in Green Bay’s 21-16 playoff victory at Philadelphia on Sunday.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy says Starks has earned a bigger role in the offense, but even the Packers concede that one big game doesn’t mean they’ve solved their season-long running game issues.
