Tag: rams packers

This Aaron Rodgers stat should give Rams hope in divisional round

Aaron Rodgers has lost four straight games to teams with the No. 1-ranked defense in the NFL, which the Rams have.

Aaron Rodgers owns a career record of 126-63-1 in the NFL, including a remarkable 26-6 run in the last two seasons. Rarely does he ever lose four straight games in any situation, but he’s currently on a four-game losing skid against No. 1-ranked defenses.

The Rams will have a chance to make it five in a row on Saturday afternoon, coming into the divisional round with the top defense in football by allowing the fewest total yards, points and passing yards per game.

Rodgers is likely to be crowned NFL MVP, but he hasn’t faced a defense like the Rams’ this season. That should give Los Angeles fans hope that their team can pull off the upset on the road.

Of course, it’ll take more than just a strong defensive performance against the Packers. The Rams also have to find success on offense, likely needing to score at least 25 points to come away with the victory.

Slowing down Rodgers is just the first of many tasks the Rams must accomplish, and it’s arguably the toughest, too.

Rams secondary could be the big-play Packers’ kryptonite

As good as the Packers are at creating big plays, the Rams are equally great at preventing them.

The Green Bay Packers did a lot of things well on offense during the regular season. Not only did they lead the league in scoring with an average of 31.8 points per game, but they also had the fewest turnovers, scored on an NFL-high 49.7% of their drives and were the most efficient team in the red zone, finding the end zone 80% of the time when reaching the opponent’s 20-yard line.

The Packers also created the most big plays through the air of any team in the NFL. Aaron Rodgers completed 14 passes that went for at least 40 yards, tied for the most in football with the Cardinals. Additionally, they scored 13 touchdowns of at least 20 yards, which was tied for sixth-most in the league.

This big-play offense could meet its match on Saturday afternoon, though, when the Los Angeles Rams visit Lambeau Field. No team was better at preventing big plays through the air than the Rams.

During the regular season, the Rams allowed only two passing touchdowns longer than 20 yards. That’s the fewest in the league, one fewer than the Saints and three fewer than every other team.

According to Pro Football Focus, neither of those touchdown passes were given up by the cornerbacks, which gives the Rams the only cornerback unit not to allow a 20-yard touchdown pass this season.

One was a 44-yarder to George Kittle, and the other was a 59-yarder to Dan Arnold on a blown coverage.

Additionally, the Rams only gave up four passes of at least 40 yards, which is yet another example of how good they are at preventing big plays downfield. That was tied for the fewest in the league with the Ravens.

The Packers are a really tough offense to match up against. They obviously move the ball well through the air thanks to Aaron Rodgers, who’s the likely NFL MVP, but they can also produce on the ground, as evidenced by their eighth-ranked rushing offense.

But as good as Green Bay is offensively, the Rams have the skill players and scheme on defense to ground the high-flying Packers. If any team is capable of doing it, it’s the Rams.

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Rams at Packers: 6 key matchups that will decide the game

Saturday’s game between the Rams and Packers will come down to these six matchups.

The Los Angeles Rams are two wins away from reaching their second Super Bowl in three seasons. Unfortunately, the first of those wins will need to come against the top-seeded Green Bay Packers, who went 13-3 in the regular season and are led by MVP favorite Aaron Rodgers.

But this game won’t just come down to stopping Rodgers, or the Rams offense as a whole having success. There are six key matchups in this NFC showdown that will decide the outcome of the game, beginning with Jalen Ramsey vs. Davante Adams, a battle between two first-team All-Pros on the outside.

Rams’ history in frigid conditions doesn’t bode well for Lambeau visit vs. Packers

The Rams have historically struggled in cold conditions, especially in the playoffs where they’re 1-5 in sub-30-degree conditions.

Nothing says “playoff football” like January at Lambeau Field. Heavy coats and heaters on the sidelines, windy conditions, a chance of snow in the forecast. The Rams will get a hefty helping of the cold on Saturday when they visit Lambeau to take on the Packers in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Being a West Coast team, they don’t often play in frigid conditions. Sure, Seattle can be cold and rainy at times, but Lumen Field doesn’t compare to Lambeau when it comes to tough conditions.

Unfortunately, the Rams have historically struggled in colder temperatures when playing outdoors. In outdoor playoff games where the temperature was 30 or below, the Rams are only 1-5 all-time. Their lone win came against the Cowboys at Texas Stadium in 1983, which was a domed stadium, but the roof had a hole in it – so it was technically considered an outdoor game.

Their five losses were all on the road and between the years of 1967-1983, so they haven’t had a cold playoff game in quite some time. Here’s a look at those six games, via Stathead.

Query Results Table
Cond Cond Cond
Rk
▲		 Year Date Opp Week G# Day Result Surface Roof Temperature
1 1983 1984-01-01 @ WAS 18 18 Sun L 7-51 grass outdoors 27.9
2 1983 1983-12-26 @ DAL 17 17 Mon W 24-17 astroturf outdoors 19.9
3 1976 1976-12-26 @ MIN 16 16 Sun L 13-24 grass outdoors 19.4
4 1974 1974-12-29 @ MIN 16 16 Sun L 10-14 grass outdoors 28.5
5 1969 1969-12-27 @ MIN 15 17 Sat L 20-23 grass outdoors 10.5
6 1967 1967-12-23 @ GNB 15 15 Sat L 7-28 grass outdoors 12.7
Provided by Stathead.com: View Stathead Tool Used
Generated 1/12/2021.

For comparison, the Packers have historically been exceptionally good in cold playoff games. Calling Lambeau Field home, they’ve played a lot of games in frigid conditions. Since 2008, Aaron Rodgers’ first year as a starter, the Packers have played seven playoff games outdoors when the temperature was 30 or below.

In those games, all of which have occurred since the 2010 season, the Packers are a stellar 6-1. Their average scoring margin in that game is 25.4-17.1, with their only loss being a 23-20 defeat at the hands of the 49ers in the 2013 playoffs when San Francisco made it to the NFC Championship Game.

Query Results Table
Cond Cond Cond
Rk
▲		 Year Date Opp Week G# Day Result Surface Roof Temperature
1 2019 2020-01-12 SEA 19 18 Sun W 28-23 grass outdoors 23.0
2 2016 2017-01-08 NYG 18 17 Sun W 38-13 grass outdoors 14.0
3 2014 2015-01-11 DAL 19 17 Sun W 26-21 grass outdoors 24.0
4 2013 2014-01-05 SFO 18 17 Sun L 20-23 grass outdoors 5.0
5 2012 2013-01-05 MIN 18 17 Sat W 24-10 grass outdoors 29.0
6 2010 2011-01-23 @ CHI 20 19 Sun W 21-14 grass outdoors 20.0
7 2010 2011-01-09 @ PHI 18 17 Sun W 21-16 grass outdoors 30.0
Provided by Stathead.com: View Stathead Tool Used
Generated 1/12/2021.

Obviously, this is a very different Rams team than the ones from the ‘60s-‘80s. There are no similarities, so it might seem unwise to use decades-old struggles as a projection of future results. But we don’t need to look back that far to find a bad performance by the Rams in cold conditions.

Since Jared Goff took over in 2016, they’ve played two outdoor games in sub-30-degree conditions. The first was a 23-20 win over the Broncos in October of 2018, a game in which Goff only completed 14-of-28 passes for 201 yards with one interception and five sacks taken. Todd Gurley carried the offense with 208 yards rushing and two touchdowns, but Goff had some trouble in the cold.

The second game was one many Rams fans remember, but would rather forget: the 15-6 loss to the Bears in Chicago. Goff was 20-for-44 in that game, throwing for only 180 yards with four interceptions and a fumble. It was arguably the worst game of his career, and the first real example of a team completely shutting down the Rams under Sean McVay.

Again, just because Goff had some trouble in those games doesn’t mean he’s going to struggle in Green Bay – if he even gets the start. But with a bad thumb, the cold could make things even worse for the Rams quarterback.

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NFL power rankings: Rams are lowest-ranked team left ahead of divisional round

The Rams are No. 8 in the power rankings this week, but there are only eight teams left in the postseason.

Good news: The Los Angeles Rams have climbed into the top 10 of this week’s power rankings from Touchdown Wire.

Bad news: They’re the lowest-ranked playoff team remaining.

With the final eight set ahead of the divisional round, the Rams sit in the basement of those squads, sitting one spot behind the Cleveland Browns, who upset the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night. Mark Schofield came away impressed with the way the Rams shut down the Seahawks and bottled up the likes of DK Metcalf and Russell Wilson, but he questions whether they can do it again against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.

The big spark from that unit came from the Pick-Six turned in by cornerback Darious Williams, when he perfectly read a smoke-screen intended for D.K. Metcalf, jumped it by fighting through the block attempt by Freddie Swain, and stepped in front of the throw from Russell Wilson for six points the other way. Jalen Ramsey was his usual stellar self, including a leaping deflection of a downfield throw to prevent a big play.

Now the question becomes, can that defense replicate that performance against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers?

Here’s how the top eight shakes out following wild-card weekend.

8. Rams
7. Browns
6. Ravens
5. Buccaneers
4. Saints
3. Bills
2. Packers
1. Chiefs

The Rams’ next opponent, the Green Bay Packers, come in at No. 2, and deservedly so. They went 13-3 in the regular season and are coming off a first-round bye, fresh and rested ahead of Saturday’s game against the Rams. They led the NFL in scoring and have the likely MVP leading them at quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, along with three other first-team All-Pros.

The Rams boast a dominant defense, but they haven’t run into an offense this good all year.

Rams playoff preview: 12 big things to know about the Packers

Everything you need to know about the Rams’ upcoming opponent, the Green Bay Packers.

After taking down the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, the Los Angeles Rams will now face the top-seeded Green Bay Packers in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs. It’s the Rams’ toughest test yet, especially with the game being played at frigid Lambeau Field on Saturday afternoon.

The Packers went 13-3 in the regular season, were almost unstoppable offensively and have a roster that’s littered with Pro Bowlers. And so Los Angeles will need to play its best game of the season to have a shot at upsetting the Packers.

To prepare you for Saturday’s game, here are 12 things to know about the Packers in advance of this NFC clash.

Sean McVay shares initial thoughts on facing high-powered Packers

Sean McVay says “these are the types of matchups” he can’t wait for.

The Rams’ No. 1-ranked defense will be put to the test on Saturday when they visit the Packers at Lambeau Field, taking on a Green Bay team that led the NFL in points scored. It’s also a game between two good friends who coached together previously, with Matt LaFleur facing Sean McVay for the first time.

After the matchup was initially revealed Sunday when the Saints beat the Bears, McVay shared his initial thoughts on the Rams’ upcoming test against the Packers. He predictably recognized the talent Green Bay has on offense, but he also pointed out that the defense is playing well, too.

“Great football team, obviously. I think they’re playing really well in all three phases. It’s why they’re the one seed,” McVay said. “I follow them very closely because of my relationship with Matt. It’s well-documented how well they played offensively. Aaron (Rodgers) is playing like Aaron’s played, it’s unbelievable. Davante Adams, you look at the amount of skill players that they get involved while they play upfront. They’re explosive. They can beat you in both phases. I think their defense is playing really well, special teams. I’ve always been impressed with anytime that you go 13-3 back-to-back years, it’s a real credit to the job Matt’s done and their ability to really play complementary football, win in a variety of ways. It’s something that we will really jump into, because we had to kind of clean up our stuff, see where we’re at and start to really evaluate ourselves as we move forward without truly knowing the opponent based on the outcome of that game that we just saw. That was kind of where, after this conversation, that’ll really represent the start of the preparation for the Packers for us and our coaching staff.”

There are a number of individual matchups within this game, including Jalen Ramsey against Davante Adams, Jaire Alexander against Robert Woods, Aaron Donald against a strong Packers offensive line and McVay against LaFleur, two highly intelligent offensive coaches.

In McVay’s mind, these are the types of games that he loves, with the No. 1 defense going up against the No. 1 offense, led by a future Hall of Fame quarterback and an All-Pro receiver.

“It’s a great matchup,” he said. “Our defense has done a great job, but I have tremendous respect for these coaches, these players and what they’ve done for the Packers. This is what you love. These are the type of matchups and opportunities that as a competitor, you can’t wait for. We have to take it a day at a time and have a great week of prep.”

The Rams certainly have their hands full with the Packers, but Green Bay will need to be prepared for a defense that’s unlike any other it has faced this season.

Twitter can’t wait to watch Jalen Ramsey vs. Davante Adams

It’ll be “big on big” next weekend, just as Jalen Ramsey wants.

The Rams have a date with the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field next Saturday, pitting the No. 1 defense against the top-scoring offense. But as always, there’s a game within the game, and this heavyweight bout is no different.

When it was revealed that the Rams would be playing the Packers in the divisional round, Twitter erupted with excitement for the Jalen Ramsey vs. Davante Adams matchup. It’ll be arguably the best cornerback in football against arguably the top wide receiver, both of whom were All-Pros this season.

Here’s how fans on Twitter reacted to this matchup coming to fruition, and it’s hard to blame them. This one is going to be a blast to watch.

Rams open as 7-point underdogs vs. Packers in divisional round

The Rams are predictably big underdogs against the top-seeded Packers.

The Los Angeles Rams will be on the road for the second straight week after beating the Seahawks in Seattle on Saturday and advancing to the divisional round. They’ll visit the Green Bay Packers next weekend at Lambeau Field.

Kickoff is set for 4:35 p.m. ET on FOX, with the league’s No. 1 scoring defense taking on the highest-scoring offense. Being on the road, it’s no surprise the Rams have opened as underdogs.

According to BetMGM, the line opened as Packers -7. The over/under is set at 46.5 points.

On the money line, the Rams are +260 and the Packers are -350. That means a $100 wager on the Rams to win outright returns a profit of $260. For the Packers, a $350 wager would return a $100 profit if Green Bay wins straight-up.

The Rams were also underdogs against the Seahawks in the wild-card rounds, getting three points from Seattle. They covered, obviously, winning 30-20 on Saturday.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Rams will face Packers in NFC divisional round on Saturday afternoon

The Rams will take on the Packers for the first time since the 2018 season.

After a day of waiting, the Los Angeles Rams finally know who they’re going to face in the divisional round of the playoffs next weekend. The Saints knocked off the Chicago Bears on Sunday, which means New Orleans will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the next round.

As for the Rams, they’ll travel to Green Bay for a matchup with the top-seeded Packers, who earned a first-round bye after going 13-3 in the regular season. The game will be played at 4:35 p.m. ET on Saturday.

This will be the Rams’ first game against the Packers since Oct. 28, 2018, a game they won 29-27 at the Coliseum. The forecast calls for frigid temperatures and wind, so the Rams will have to be prepared to play in difficult conditions.

The Packers boast the No. 1 scoring offense in the NFL this season, also ranking fifth in yards, first in giveaways and eighth in rushing. Aaron Rodgers led the league with 48 touchdown passes and five interceptions.

This will be the best defense Green Bay has faced, however. The Rams allowed the fewest yards and points in the league, as well as the fewest passing yards and touchdowns through the air.

For the Rams to beat Green Bay, they’ll need another outstanding performance from the defense and a solid effort from the offense, likely needing to score at least 30 points to beat the high-powered Packers.

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