The Green Bay Packers (9-3) host the Atlanta Falcons (5-7) at Lambeau Field on Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. CT in a Monday Night Football game televised on ESPN.

The Big Picture: What's at Stake?

Coming off a win over a very good New England Patriots team, the Packers are tied for the best record in the NFL and look to continue their success as they enter the final month of the season.

Despite facing a team with just a 5-7 record, the Falcons are very much in contention for the NFC South title and are coming off a double-digit win over an Arizona Cardinals team that entered last week with the best record in the NFL.

What to Watch When the Packers Have the Ball

A) Aaron Rodgers' 100th Regular-Season Start: It's no secret the type of season Rodgers is having, particularly during November, for which he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month when he threw 13 touchdowns and not a single interception.

Entering his 100th career regular-season start on Monday, Rodgers already has the most games with a 100-plus passer rating (59) and the most games with zero interceptions (57) for a player in his first 100 starts.

Rodgers looks to continue his MVP campaign in front of the Packers' first and only game on a Monday night this season in front of a nationally-televised audience.

B) Randall Cobb's Utilization: For the first time in weeks, the Packers lined up Cobb as a running back in the Packers' last game against the Patriots to get favorable match-ups against slower linebackers and defensive backs.

Cobb caught several passes out of the backfield, including four on one drive in the second quarter, and he also carried the football twice for a modest eight yards. But the change in personnel showed some creativity by head coach Mike McCarthy, making the Packers offense one of the most dangerous in the NFL.

As one of the league leaders in receiving touchdowns (10) and just 78 yards shy of 1,000 receiving yards on the season, Cobb is a movable chess piece that can be used anywhere on the field.

C) Rookie Receivers Ascension: Coming off arguably his worst game of the season at Minnesota, Davante Adams had arguably his best game last week against New England when he caught six passes for 121 yards.

Keeping the theme of offensive rookies making a big impact, tight end Richard Rodgers now has touchdowns in back-to-back games, his first two of the season.

The more receiving threats that emerege apart from Cobb and Jordy Nelson, the more multiple the Packers offense becomes. Green Bay is 7-0 when seven or more players record a reception this season.

What to Watch When the Falcons Have the Ball

A) Sam Barrington at Inside Linebacker: The Packers made a bold move last week against the Patriots, taking A.J. Hawk—the longest-tenured player on the Packers defense—out of the starting lineup for the first time since the first game of the 2010 season that wasn't because of injury.

Barrington played well in Hawk's place, showing a thumper mentality not seen since Desmond Bishop was healthy and seemingly making a perfect complement to the speed and playmaking ability of Clay Matthews.

The coaching staff insists there's still a role for Hawk in their defense, but after the way Barrington played last week it's difficult to envision a slow and aging Hawk receiving more playing time than Barrington down the stretch.

B) Sam Shields and the Cornerback Position: After suffering a concussion against the Patriots, Shields didn't practice at all this week leading up to the Falcons game and is listed as "questionable" on the Packers' injury report, conceivably giving him a 50/50 shot at playing.

When Shields came out of last week's game, Davon House took his place at the right cornerback position and allowed a touchdown pass by Tom Brady when he was targeted in coverage.

If Shields doesn't play, House and perhaps Casey Hayward could play a bigger role against a Falcons team with a deep group of receiviers, including Julio Jones, Harry Douglas and Roddy White (who is also "questionable" for Monday's game).

C) Defensive Line Depth: Both Mike Daniels (back) and Josh Boyd (knee) missed practice time this week as the wear and tear of a long season catches up to them, although both are listed as "probable" for Monday's game.

Neither of the injuries to Daniels or Boyd is considered serious, but both players have been a big part of the Packers' defensive resurgence since the bye week. If either player were to miss time, the Packers defense would suffer, especially with Luther Robinson being ruled out with a calf injury.

Boyd is becoming a tough run stuffer, while Daniels is equally effective against both the run and the pass. Daniels, in particular, has been seeing more playing time on third downs as a pass rusher of late, a move that paid off when he teamed up with Mike Neal for a critical fourth quarter third-down sack last week against the Patriots.

What to Watch on Special Teams

Devin Hester in a New Environment: The Packers are very familiar with facing Hester from his days with the Chicago Bears and can't avoid him even though he's left the NFC North division.

In his first season with the Falcons, Hester is leading the NFL in punt returns (15.4 ypr) and remains a threat on kick returns as well. As the league's all-time leader in return touchdowns, the Packers will need to be on high alert any time Hester touches the football.

Packers special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum and special teams ace Jarrett Bush have plenty of experience facing Hester, which could be a benefit. There will be 10 other younger players on the coverage units that need to help Bush out, however, to contain Hester.

Brian Carriveau is the author of the book "It's Just a Game: Big League Drama in Small Town America," and editor at Cheesehead TV and its "Pro Football Draft Preview." To contact Brian, email [email protected].