The Packers come into their re-match of last year's NFC Divisional Round playoff win with Atlanta riding high as perhaps the NFL's best team. They, along with the Detroit Lions, are the league's only unbeatens. When you consider how bitter a defeat it was for the Falcons Jan. 15 and the fact the Packers have yet to lose since that day, Atlanta surely feels they have something to prove.

For the first time since Super Bowl XLV, the Packers are on national television in prime time, kicking off at 7:20 (CT) on NBC's Sunday Night Football.

The Packers are also in a familiar setting at the Georgia Dome, having played there twice last season (Nov. 28 in the regular season and Jan. 15 in the postseason).

After the 48-21 thrashing by the Packers in the playoffs, Atlanta wide receiver Roddy White stated that he thought the Falcons were still the better team, but had been simply outplayed by Green Bay.

To be fair, the Falcons did beat the Packers last season in their first matchup, 20-17, and Atlanta was the No. 1 seed heading into the start of the postseason. Meanwhile, Green Bay squeaked in with a 10-6 record as the No. 6 seed. In the two team's first meeting, Atlanta running back Michael Turner was the difference, rushing for 110 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries.

This week, in response to White's comments of last January, Packers nose tackle B. J. Raji told reporters at his locker, "I don't think they're as talented as us. That's just my opinion. You go down the depth chart and look at us, and I think we're in a whole other class."

Whether they are in a whole other class will certainly play out over the course of the remaining three quarters of the season.

Offensively, Aaron Rodgers is entering a whole new rarefied air of elite. Officially, he is the NFL's career leader in quarterback rating at 100.5, easily out distancing Steve Young at 96.8. For what it's worth, the rest of the top ten:

3. Philip Rivers: 96.6

4. Tom Brady: 95.7

5. Tony Romo: 95.3

6. Peyton Manning: 94.9

7. Kurt Warner: 93.7

8. Joe Montana: 92.3

9. (tie) Drew Brees: 92.1

9. (tie) Matt Schaub: 92.1

What this shows is that Rodgers, while elite, is also the face of the new NFL. When one thinks of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, names like Matt Schaub and Tony Romo don't come up. But this is where we are in the game's history. Prolific offenses simply must have an elite passing game, and the way we judge what that means has changed.

Consider some other great names of quarterbacks from the past and where they stack up:

18. Otto Graham – 86.6

19. Dan Marino – 86.4

20. Brett Favre – 86.0

26. Jim Kelly – 84.4

45. Troy Aikman – 81.6

54. Bart Starr – 80.5

Obviously, quarterback rating isn't everything. After all, Starr is tied with Jeff Hostetler for 54th place on the list. I don't have to explain how absurd that is.

But my point is this. In the offenses of today; the offenses that put up big numbers and don't make mistakes, Rodgers has separated himself from the pack (no pun intended).

Through the Packers first four games, Rodgers has 103 completions in 141 attempts for a gaudy 73 percent completion percentage. He has also thrown 12 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Add it all up, and his 124.6 quarterback rating is more than 13 points higher than his nearest competitor, Tom Brady.

In today's NFL, the quarterback is always the most important player on the field. Through the first quarter of the 2011 NFL season, Aaron Rodgers is hands down the league's most valuable player.

Furthermore, if his record indoors is any indication, it could be a long evening for the host Falcons.

Three key matchups:

Packers defensive end Jarius Wynn vs. Falcons left tackle Sam Baker. Wynn's ability to pressure quarterback Matt Ryan will be a big key to keeping one of the top young quarterbacks in the league off balance. Ryan has had, for his standards, a pedestrian first quarter of the season, but has been waiting for this re-match since January. If Wynn can at least tie up Baker and fullback Ovie Mughelli, that may open the door up for Clay Matthews to get a sack or two, as well.

Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan vs. Green Bay cornerback Tramon Williams. Ryan was seeing Williams in his nightmares after these two teams last met. Williams picked Ryan off twice in the first half; the first, a touchdown saving pick in the end zone; the other, a 70 yard return for a score that ended the first half. Williams owned Ryan; Ryan wants redemption. Badly.

Packers right tackle Marshall Newhouse vs. Falcons defensive end Ray Edwards. Newhouse has been doing an adequate job of protecting Aaron Rodgers in the wake of starter Bryan Bulaga's knee sprain. Newhouse, however, did surrender two sacks in last week's Packers win over the Broncos. Edwards, now in his sixth season (his first in Atlanta) knows the Packers offense well from his time in Minnesota. Newhouse will have his hands full.

Three key games around the NFL:

Chicago (2-2) at Detroit (4-0). Are the Lions for real? They certainly look like they are, sporting the NFL's only other perfect record at the quarter pole of the season. This Lions team has also tried to put its past failures behind. One piece of evidence of that is the last time these two teams played. Dec. 5 saw Chicago pull out a close 24-20 win en route to the NFC North Division championship. The Bears then went on to the NFC Championship Game. The Lions haven't lost since. Prediction: Detroit 32, Chicago 17

Tampa Bay (3-1) at San Francisco (3-1). Who are the San Francisco 49ers and what has Jim Harbaugh done with them? The Niners are coming off last week's thrilling 24-23 comeback win in Philadelphia. This after Harbaugh had his team spend one week together in Ohio after beating the Bengals in Cincinnati. He's brash, he's unorthodox, but he's also the early favorite for Coach of the Year. Tampa Bay has yet to win convincingly, but hey, they're still winning. Prediction: Tampa Bay 27, San Francisco 24

New York Jets (2-2) at New England (3-1). Don't these two teams play each other every other week? The Patriots are leading the NFL in total offense with 507.5 yards per game. The Jets are struggling offensively through the first four weeks, as evidenced by their 150 total yards last Sunday 34-17 loss at Baltimore. The Jets need to find their swagger, but it's not going to happen this week. Prediction: Patriots 38, Jets 24

For what it's worth: This will be second time in three weeks the Packers will be playing an opponent for the third time on the road within one year. Previously, they played at Chicago's Soldier Field on Sept. 27, 2010, Jan. 2, 2011, and Sept. 25, 2011.

Prediction: Packers 28, Falcons 21