The Packers beat the Falcons with relative ease, 48-21, in a conference semifinal here to advance to next weekend’s NFC championship game.

Rodgers completed 31 of 36 passes for 366 yards and three touchdowns in a breathtaking showing that further justified the Packers’ decision to make him their starter and oust legendary quarterback Brett Favre, against Favre’s wishes, in the summer of 2008.

Rodgers didn’t throw an interception and also ran for a touchdown, then gave way in the final minutes to backup Matt Flynn.

Williams, who had a late interception to seal the Packers’ first-round playoff triumph at Philadelphia, added two more interceptions Saturday of Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, the second of which he returned for a touchdown as time expired in the first half. Fullback John Kuhn had one touchdown run and one touchdown catch for the Packers. Rodgers also had touchdown passes to wide receivers Jordy Nelson and James Jones.

Place kicker Mason Crosby provided a pair of fourth-quarter field goals in what was, by then, a rapidly emptying stadium. The Packers will play at either Chicago or Seattle in the NFC title game, depending on the outcome of Sunday’s Bears-Seahawks game at Soldier Field.

The Falcons were the NFC’s top playoff seed after going 13-3 during the regular season. But they unraveled Saturday after starting the game solidly, crafting an early lead on a touchdown run by tailback Michael Turner and Weems’s kickoff return. Ryan threw a six-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Roddy White in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. But it was far too little, far too late.

The Packers were coming off a road triumph over the third-seeded Eagles. That win meant there wouldn’t be a return to Atlanta this postseason by Eagles quarterback Michael Vick to face his original NFL team. It also established the Packers as an extremely dangerous team in these playoffs, given that they’d gotten some effective running by rookie tailback James Starks to complement the passing of Rodgers.

The Falcons went 7-1 at home during the regular season, with the only loss coming to the New Orleans Saints in their next-to-last game of the season. That forced the Falcons to beat the Carolina Panthers in the regular season finale to wrap up the conference’s top seed. They defeated the Packers at the Georgia Dome during the regular season, but were short-handed in the secondary Saturday against Rodgers because cornerback Brian Williams was on the inactive list due to a knee injury.