Tag: rams packers

Mics caught what Jalen Ramsey said to Davante Adams, Brandon Staley at Lambeau

Mics caught some of the back-and-forth between Jalen Ramsey and Davante Adams.

Before the Rams and Packers even squared off on Saturday, Jalen Ramsey and Davante Adams got into it during warmups. Adams had to be escorted back to his team’s sideline by an official, which drove up the anticipation for this matchup even more.

After the game, Adams revealed what he told Ramsey to spark the fireworks, telling the All-Pro cornerback to follow him all over the field. We didn’t know what Ramsey said, though, until now.

Bleacher Report and NFL Films released a video showing what was said between the two, with mics catching the conversation.

Also in the video, you’ll see what Ramsey said to Brandon Staley after Adams’ touchdown. He told the defensive coordinator, “If he goes in motion like that, I can’t get on him, though.”

This was a matchup between two alphas and two of the best players at their respective positions. It’s no surprise that there was some casual trash talk between Ramsey and Adams pre-game, given the magnitude of the clash.

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Sean McVay shares what bothers him most from Rams’ loss to Packers

The Rams’ second-to-last drive of the game stands out in Sean McVay’s mind as a missed opportunity.

The Los Angeles Rams’ season came to an end earlier than they hoped it would, losing to the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round of the playoffs – two wins shy of a Super Bowl appearance. It leaves a sour taste in the mouths of their players and coaches heading into the offseason, especially with the way the defense played all year long.

Sean McVay is especially disappointed with the way the season ended because he wishes he did a better job as a play caller down the stretch. During his end-of-season press conference on Sunday, McVay shared what sticks with him most about the loss – what really bothers him one day removed from the game.

He wishes he put the offense in a better position to tie the game when it was 25-18 in the fourth quarter.

“The thing that I mentioned to you guys in the postgame is what really resonates to me, is when I was asked earlier about where I’m at as a play-caller. Things like that drive, when you get the ball back after the defense gets to stop, when it’s 25-18, it’s a seven-point game. Those are where the really good teams find a way to deliver,” McVay said. “That’s where me as a play caller, you got to make sure that you’re activating the exact right plays that you want, that give your players the best situation, the best possible scenarios to try to execute and move the football down the field. That’s what I think it takes to be able to get over the hump and to win those divisional games and get yourself an opportunity to compete for a conference championship. That’s what sticks with me from that game because I did think our guys did a great job of kind of just hanging tough.”

The Rams defense got back-to-back stops against the Packers in the fourth quarter, scoring a touchdown after the first stop to make it 25-18. But then after the second stop, the Rams only moved it 25 yards on seven plays and were forced to punt it back to Green Bay. A dropped pass by Josh Reynolds and a sack taken by Jared Goff set the offense back in third-and-long, which they were unable to convert.

That’s when Aaron Rodgers hit Allen Lazard for a 58-yard touchdown to put Green Bay up 14 points, which was the final margin of victory.

“They’re a really explosive team, they did a good job of controlling the time of possession, but then got a stop, made enough plays to feel like you can kind of start to snatch and feel that momentum swinging in our direction after we convert the two-point and then we get the stop,” McVay continued. “For us not to get any points and especially a touchdown out of that possession, that’s the one that stings. But, they’re a really good football team, you’ve got to play really well to go up there and give yourself a chance. That’s why they’re going to be tough to beat next week at home as well.”

McVay refused to blame injuries or depth for the loss to Green Bay, putting more of it on himself for not doing a good enough job as a coach. The Rams had their chances against the Packers late in the game, but their second-to-last drive while down seven points was their biggest missed opportunity.

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Studs and duds from Rams’ 32-18 loss to Packers

The best and worst performers from the Rams’ loss to the Packers.

As disappointing as Saturday’s loss was, the Los Angeles Rams have a lot to be proud of for the way they battled against the Green Bay Packers. Though there were plenty of mistakes made on the field, the Rams also got strong performances out of several key players, as well as their head coach.

The offense was the one that played better than anticipated, while the defense lagged behind with a poor performance against the league’s top-scoring offense. Individually, Jared Goff and Cam Akers shined for the Rams, as did Van Jefferson and Michael Brockers.

Here are our studs and duds from Saturday’s loss.

6 takeaways from Rams’ season-ending loss to Packers

Everything we learned from the Rams’ loss to the Packers on Saturday afternoon.

After an up-and-down regular season, the Los Angeles Rams showed life in the playoffs with a 30-20 win over the Seattle Seahawks in the wild-card round. But one week later, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers gave them a reality check.

On the road, the Rams fell to the Packers 32-18 on Saturday afternoon, ending their season in the divisional round of the playoffs. It was a disappointing loss that ends the Rams’ season two wins shy of a Super Bowl appearance, but they can still feel good about the way they played this year.

Here are our six takeaways from the Rams’ season-ending loss to the Packers at Lambeau Field.

Davante Adams reveals what he told Jalen Ramsey before the game

Jalen Ramsey and Davante Adams got into it pre-game, and the Packers WR explained what happened.

Before the Rams and Packers even kicked off at Lambeau Field on Saturday afternoon, Jalen Ramsey and Davante Adams exchanged words along Los Angeles’ sideline. It wasn’t clear what sparked the conversation, but Adams had to be separated and escorted back to his side of the field by an official.

Ramsey never shies away from trash talk and is often the one chirping at the opponent, so it’s not exactly surprising that he and Adams had a pre-game chat. And after the Packers’ win, Adams revealed what he told Ramsey.

He meant no disrespect, but he invited Ramsey to shadow him the whole game, saying he’s not like the other receivers Ramsey has covered.

“It wasn’t in a disrespectful way. Like I said, I respect him as a player. I just said, ‘Look, I’m not some of the dudes that you’ve covered. So I just want you to come with me and follow me everywhere and let’s give the people what they came here for.’”

As a competitor, Ramsey would’ve welcomed that opportunity. But with the way the Rams game planned, he didn’t follow Adams everywhere he went. Sure, they matched up a bunch, but it’s not as if it was every play.

Adams finished the game with nine catches for 66 yards and a touchdown, most of which came when Ramsey was not in coverage.

Brandon Staley and the Rams run out of answers

Looking at how the Green Bay Packers were able to solve Brandon Staley’s Rams defense.

This season Brandon Staley took what was a good Los Angeles Rams defense – ranked ninth in Total Defense DVOA in 2019 – and made it great. Entering Division Round Weekend the Rams were fourth in Total Defense DVOA (and first overall in the Weighted DVOA, which emphasizes recent play). That success made Staley one of the hot commodities in this year’s head coach interview circuit, and the Rams a dangerous team to face in the playoffs.

But on Saturday afternoon, Staley and the Rams ran out of answers against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.

One of the things that made the Rams defense so tough was their ability to stop the run despite using a variety of two-high safety alignments before the snap. By implementing a lighter box, Staley was almost daring teams to run the football. Yet the Rams could still stop the run out of those alignments, as evidenced by their third-overall ranking in Run Defense DVOA, and the fact that Los Angeles allowed just 3.8 yards per carry this season (third-fewest in the league) and 90.5 yards rushing per game, also third-fewest in the league.

Well, if Staley was daring Matt LaFleur to run the football, the Packers were willing to comply. In the first half Green Bay ran for 74 yards on 18 attempts, averaging 4.1 yards per carry. Not flashy, but LaFleur would keep calling running plays against those lighter boxes.

Aaron Jones rewarded that faith on the first play of the second half:

This is just an inside zone running play, but as you can see Los Angeles plays with a light box here. That allows blockers to flow up to the second level almost immediately after the snap, enabling Jones to get into the secondary with ease. From there he puts a move on the safety in the open field, and it adds up to a 60-yard gain to pen the third quarter.

Jones would camp off the drive himself with this touchdown plunge to extend the Packers’ lead:

Of course anytime you start having success on the ground, that opens up the potential for the big shot play over the top of the defense. That would come midway through the fourth quarter, after the Rams cut the Green Bay lead to seven. Facing a 2nd-and-6 at the Packers’ 42-yard line, LaFleur called for the deep shot off of play-action. Notice how the Rams have a bigger box up front, and drop a safety into the front late before the snap:

In the blink of an eye, the Packers were up two scores again.

Thanks to the wonderful “dots” from NFL’s Next Gen Stats, you can see how the play-action worked to perfection on this play:

You can see how the two safeties – Jordan Fuller (#32) and John Johnson III (#43) – get sucked downhill, giving Allen Lazard (#13) a leverage advantage against the outside-aligned cornerback and over-the-top of the defense.

Despite their success of the season, Los Angeles’ defensive luck had run out.

Leading up to this game, this was the matchup people wanted to see: How Staley’s defense would try and stop Rodgers and the Packers. Would Jalen Ramsey be on an island all game long against Davante Adams? How would the Packers’ offensive line handle Aaron Donald?

On this night the Packers had all the answers, and the Rams were left to just ask more questions in the end.

Look: Aaron Donald was in tears after Rams’ loss to Packers

Aaron Donald was emotional after the Rams’ 32-18 loss to the Packers.

Aaron Donald didn’t play his usual number of snaps on Saturday in Green Bay, battling through torn rib cartilage that he suffered last week. And after the Rams’ 32-18 loss, he was in tears on the sideline.

Donald said during the week that he wasn’t in any pain and he was good to go, but it’s clear he wasn’t 100% for this game. He played just over half the defensive snaps, didn’t generate much pressure and struggled to have his usual impact.

Donald is a warrior and still has yet to miss a single game in the NFL due to injury. He wasn’t going to sit this one out, no matter how much discomfort the rib injury caused him.

It was yet another tremendous season from the Rams’ All-Pro, which unfortunately ended without a Super Bowl ring once again.

Rams come up short vs. Packers, lose 32-18: Everything we know from Saturday’s loss

The Rams’ season has come to an end at Lambeau Field, dropping to the Packers in the divisional round of the playoffs.

There was a lot working against the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round, facing a 13-3 Green Bay Packers team that was healthy and fully loaded. The Rams, on the other hand, were banged up and missing two key starters, Cooper Kupp and David Edwards.

Ultimately, the Packers were just too much for the Rams to handle. Los Angeles came up short at Lambeau Field, falling 32-18 to the Packers on Saturday afternoon.

It was a hard-fought game that was closer at times than the final score indicates, but the Rams’ season now comes to an end at the hands of the top-seeded Packers.

Here’s everything we know from Saturday’s loss.

How to watch Rams at Packers: Time, TV channel and streaming options

Everything you need to know for watching Rams-Packers in the divisional round.

For the second week in a row, the Los Angeles Rams will be on the road as they continue their path to the Super Bowl. They beat the Seahawks in the wild-card round, 30-20, earning them a spot in the divisional round with the Green Bay Packers up next.

They’ll visit Aaron Rodgers and the Packers on Saturday afternoon, the first game of the weekend. As 6.5-point underdogs, the Rams are once again being overlooked by many, but they have a chance to upset the Packers with the league’s No. 1-ranked defense.

The game will be broadcast nationally on FOX, so catching it on TV won’t be a challenge. Here’s everything you need to know.

Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers – Saturday, Jan. 16 at 4:35 p.m. ET

TV channel: FOX

Live stream: fuboTV (try it free), Amazon Prime

Radio: ESPN LA 710 AM

Location: Lambeau Field

Forecast: Cloudy, 35 degrees, 10 mph winds

Referee: Ron Torbert

Odds: Rams +6.5, O/U 45.5

Look: Cooper Kupp was walking gingerly to team plane, will be true game-time decision

Cooper Kupp’s status vs. the Packers is very much in the air.

There’s a legitimate chance the Rams will be without Cooper Kupp for Saturday’s game against the Packers. Kupp suffered a knee injury in the final minutes of last week’s win over the Seahawks, and is dealing with bursitis in his right knee.

It’s a painful injury that’s not necessarily a long-term issue, but it could keep him out of today’s game in Green Bay. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported this morning that Kupp will be a “true game-time decision” and the Rams won’t make a determination on his status until pre-game warmups.

It’s easy to understand why he’ll be a game-time decision after seeing the way he was walking to the team plane on Friday. The Rams posted a video on their Instagram story of players heading to the charter and Kupp was walking noticeably slow.

He was limping slightly and clearly not in full health, which raises the question of how he’ll possibly run routes and block in the game.

If the Rams are forced to play without Kupp, Josh Reynolds and Van Jefferson will need to step up alongside Robert Woods at wide receiver. Sean McVay could also use more two-tight end sets like he did when Kupp missed Week 17.

The Rams and Packers square off at Lambeau Field today at 4:35 p.m. ET on FOX.