Two Aarons lead Packers as they scorch Rams at their own game
A powerful run game, lethal passes off run fakes and a swarming pass rush — those are the primary recipes for success for Sean Mcvay’s Los Angeles Rams these past four seasons.
On Saturday night in Green Bay, all three were on display in an impressive NFL playoff victory — not by the Rams, however, but by the host Packers.
Aaron Jones ran for 99 of Green Bay’s 188 yards rushing, Aaron Rodgers aerially shredded one of the NFL’S best pass defences, and Packers defenders in the second half sacked Rams quarterback Jared Goff four times and roughed him up on three more occasions as the Packers scorched the Rams
32-18 in the first of two weekend NFC divisional-round playoff games.
“This feels really good right now,” Rodgers told Fox Sports on the field.
The win gave Green Bay, the NFC’S No. 1 seed, seven days to prepare for the NFC championship next Sunday, again at Lambeau Field, against the winner of Sunday night’s Tampa Bay at New Orleans game.
Yeah. Aaron Rodgers vs. either Tom Brady or Drew Brees, with a Super Bowl berth on the line. Yes, please, pass the popcorn — that is, unless you still disapprove of the NFL trying to get in an entire season of 269 games during a pandemic. If so, give it up; after this weekend, there are but three to go.
The weather wasn’t even a factor Saturday night. Tundra? What tundra? It wasn’t cold in Green Bay for mid-january, and the occasional flurries were so light you could detect them on TV only on close-ups.
Oh, and because of the pandemic, fewer than 10,000 fans were in the stands at Lambeau Field, including 7,439 paying customers. But they were the first of the season able to attend a game at Lambeau, and made their presence known.
“It’s special. There’s absolutely nothing like it,” Rodgers said of Lambeau crowds. “We have really missed that part of this experience. So to run out of the tunnel tonight with fans was unbelievable. It’s hard to explain how much that means, just having that energy from the crowd.”
The Packers offence — masterminded by former Mcvay acolyte Matt Lafleur — showed no signs of rust after a bye week.
“We came out strong. That was the key,” Rodgers said. “We didn’t get a touchdown on the first drive, but we followed up with a touchdown, and then later a two-minute field goal, to score on all four possessions in the first half.”
A quick six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to open the second half gave Green Bay a 25-10 lead.
From that point on, the Rams defence had to pay extra attention to the underrated Green Bay run game, while Mcvay couldn’t afford to call as many runs as he’d have probably liked — and as his quarterback Goff (so reliant on effective play-action) requires.
On the night, Rodgers ran for a nifty touchdown and threw for two, to bring his Nfl-leading season total to 50 TD throws.
“Frankly, it could have been a few more,” Rodgers said. “I had a couple of rough throws, we had a couple of rough drops. But I’m just so proud of our guys.”
And especially of his offensive line, he said. You’d never know that fivesome lost all-pro left tackle David Bakhtiari two weeks ago, the way they plowed open holes against one of the NFL’S best defensive fronts.
“It’s all about the offensive line,” Rodgers said. “Jonesy, Jamaal and AJ ran the ball well and I was barely touched all night.”
Jones averaged 7.1 yards per carry, Jamaal Williams 5.4 (in gaining 65 yards) and AJ Dillon 4.5 (in gaining 27).
“I think we have three great backs,” Jones told Fox. “When one of us comes in or comes out, there’s no dropoff … We’ve got a special group here.”
Midway through the fourth quarter, with the Rams having scrapped their way back to within seven points, Rodgers stuck a deep heater onto the hands of free-breaking receiver Allen Lazard, on a simple play-action post route. Lazard zipped 58 yards for the game-sealing score.
If the Packers can keep this up, their first Super Bowl berth in 10 years appears not only possible, but likely.