The Green Bay Packers ranked fourth in the NFL with a plus-10 turnover ratio this season. The only team in the NFC that performed better? The Atlanta Falcons, the Packers' opponent in the Divisional round of the playoffs on Saturday.

Turnover ratio played a large role in the outcome in the Packers' 20-17 loss to the Falcons during their Week 12 regular season meeting on Nov. 28.

Aaron Rodgers had a critical fumble in the second quarter on a quarterback sneak while the Packers were on Atlanta's one-yard line and threatening to score. The Falcons recovered and went on to win by a margin of three points.

Meanwhile, the Falcons didn't turn the ball over at all. Michael Turner had success running the ball on early downs, setting up favorable down-and-distance scenarios for quarterback Matt Ryan.

"Last game we didn't do a good job of that," said defensive tackle B.J. Raji. "We didn't tackle very well, so Matt was in a more comfortable situation a majority of the third downs."

Ryan has a done a good job protecting the football this season. His nine interceptions are big reasons the Falcons offense is so efficient, the Falcons are plus-14 in turnover margin and Ryan was named a Pro Bowler.

When the Falcons' trigger-puller is set up by a ground game that presents him with third-and-short, he's very effective.

"He does a good job of getting the ball out of his hands really quick," said linebacker Desmond Bishop. "So when a quarterback does that, it's really hard to get to him and throw him off rhythm.

"So I think this week we're going to have to switch up coverages and do the best we can to get home to get to him and distract him and whenever we have a chance, get hits on him, but also just tighten up in our coverage and just play it honest."

So how do the Packers force Ryan in making mistakes? Get pressure on the quarterback, right? That's the task of Clay Matthews, Raji and the rest of a unit that ranked second in the NFL with 47 sacks this season.

But first things first. In order to pressure Ryan, they have to impose circumstances that require him to make deep dropbacks.

"We're going to try to get some pressure on him, but he's going to make some quick throws," said Raji. "That's just the type of quarterback he is, he's very efficient.

"I think we did some other things poorly [in the first meeting], like tackling, stopping them a little bit on first down and getting them in a situation where you feel a lot more comfortable on third-and-short as opposed to third-and-long situations."

If the Packers can stuff the run and then get some pressure on Ryan, it will greatly increase their chances at getting some turnovers, which head coach Mike McCarthy sees as one of the keys to the game.

"They didn’t have any turnovers so we want to take the ball away," said McCarthy. "We need to stop the run, and that was a product of our tackling in that game.

"I thought Atlanta did a very good job of staying on schedule as far as their play selection and did some things particularly against our run force on the front side or back side of runs. So we need to adjust to that."

It's all easier said than done. The defense has a monumental task in front of them that goes a little something like this:

A. Stop Turner and the Falcons running attack to force long down-and-distance, something most teams in the NFL have struggled to do.

B. Put pressure on Matt Ryan and force him into mistakes, something he rarely does.

C. Get turnovers, something the Falcons seldom give up.

At least the task isn't lost on the Packers.

"Usually you have to force turnovers, no one's just going to turn the ball over, especially this time of the year," said Raji. "The four best teams in the NFC are still playing and no one's gonna just give 'em to you. You have to force them. That's why they're called turnovers."