The Green Bay Packers (2-2) are headed back on the road to play the struggling Los Angeles Rams (1-3) on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
Matt LaFleur’s team will attempt to bounce back from last week’s disappointing defeat to the Minnesota Vikings and beat an NFC opponent for the first time this season (0-2).
The Rams are a big comeback win over the 49ers away from a winless start. Through four weeks, Sean McVay’s team has a point differential of -40, which ranks second worst in the NFC and fourth worst overall. And the Rams just lost on the road to the Chicago Bears.
Still, the combination of McVay and Matthew Stafford make the Rams dangerous every week.
Here are five keys to the Packers beating the Rams in Week 5:
Contain Rams pass rush
The Rams no longer have future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald, but the defensive front is still a formidable one. First-round pick Jared Verse looks like a future star, Byron Young had over 50 pressures as an edge rusher last season and both Kobie Turner and rookie Braden Fiske are flashing disruptive ability from the interior. Verse is the top threat. As Matt LaFleur said Thursday, he’s big, athletic and relentless. Left tackle Rasheed Walker will have his hands full, but the rest of the Packers offensive line — one of the best in the NFL so far at protecting the passer — must also be good on Sunday. Jordan Love and the Packers weapons in the passing game will have opportunities to pick apart a shaky secondary if the quarterback is protected.
Bottle up Kyren
The Rams are still settling in along the offensive line after injuries and unexpected absences decimated the unit to start the 2024 season. While struggling overall to protect the passer, the Rams have been able to run the ball at times this season. Kyren Williams has a rushing success rate of almost 54 percent, an NFL-high five rushing touchdowns and 20 runs gaining first downs, which ranks third. The Rams are third overall in run-block win rate at ESPN. The Packers are better down-to-down against the run this season, but Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor and Aaron Jones all rushed for 90 or more yards against Jeff Hafley’s group through four weeks.
Time to power up the pass rush
No excuses this week for the Packers pass-rush. The Rams offensive line, while improving as players return, has struggled to protect the quarterback this season, and Matthew Stafford is no threat to tuck the ball and escape the pocket. While the Packers aren’t expected to have Devonte Wyatt available, and Kenny Clark is still dealing with a lingering toe injury, this is an opportunity for the four-man pass-rush to get back on track. Stafford has been under pressure on roughly 35 percent of his dropbacks in 2024, and the veteran quarterback has really struggled from disrupted pockets (47.2 completion percentage, four turnover-worthy plays, per PFF). Even without his top receiving weapons, Stafford is an efficient and dangerous passer if he’s protected. Pressure is a must on Sunday.
Going deep
This ties into protecting the quarterback, but the Packers could feast in the deep passing game on Sunday. According to Next Gen Stats, the Rams have allowed the most touchdown passes and the highest EPA per play on passes thrown over 20 yards in the air this season. Cornerbacks Tre’Davious White and Quentin Lake have a combined depth of target average of almost 14 yards against their coverage, highlighting how often teams are willing to attack in the intermediate to deep areas against the Rams. Jordan Love is not afraid to hunt big plays down the field. Even without Christian Watson this week, the Packers — who lead the NFL in explosive plays — could do damage in the downfield passing game on Sunday.
Win situationally
The Rams rank in the bottom half of the NFL on third down and in the red zone on both offense and defense. Two stick out: the Rams are allowing 50 percent conversions on third down as a defense, which ranks 30th. And the Rams have scored touchdowns on just seven of 17 trips inside the red zone, ranking 29th at 41.2 percent. Can the Packers extend drives on third down and keep the Rams out of the end zone in the scoring area? This might also be a chance for the Packers to get right in the red zone — the Rams have allowed nine touchdowns on 15 chances this season. Exerting dominance situationally is one pathway for the Packers to get out of Los Angeles with a win.