Perfectly balanced offense helps boost Green Bay into NFC title game
GREEN BAY - A quick recap of the Green Bay Packers’ 32-18 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday at Lambeau Field.
Big picture
All that talk about the Packers’ No. 1 offense vs. the Rams’ No. 1 defense? It was no contest.
Green Bay piled up 484 yards en route to a dominant 32-18 win that puts the Packers into the NFC championship game next Sunday. In his fifth trip, Aaron Rodgers finally will get his wish to play a title game at Lambeau Field. And it shapes up as a QB duel for the ages against either Tom Brady or Drew Brees.
Turning point
The Packers were in control of Sunday’s game, leading 16-3 nearing halftime. But a 4-yard TD pass from Rams quarterback Jared Goff to Van Jefferson sliced the Green Bay lead to six. On the Packers’ next drive, Rams defensive backs twice dropped what should have been interceptions in the end zone, allowing the Packers to retain possession and extend their lead to 19-10 with a field goal just before the break. On the first play of the second half, Aaron Jones burst through the middle of the Rams’ defense for a 60-yard gain, and shortly thereafter plunged into the end zone for a 1-yard TD that boosted the lead to 25-10.
Thumbs up
The first real crowd (8,465 total) this season at Lambeau Field serenaded Rodgers with chants of “MVP” after another masterful performance by the 37year-old quarterback (23 of 36, 296 yards, 2 TDs, 108.1 rating, plus a 1-yard TD run). But Rodgers got plenty of help in a perfectly balanced offense (36 passes, 36 rushing attempts). The Packers for the first time deployed all three of their top running backs to batter the Rams into submission. Jones gained 99 yards on 14 carries, Jamaal Williams 65 on 12 and AJ Dillon 27 on six before leaving the game late with a quad injury.
Thumbs down
Special teams struggled again, with a bad snap botching an extra-point attempt after the Packers had gone up 16-3. Kicker Mason Crosby got roughed up during an aborted effort to score two points on the play, and clearly was experiencing discomfort while kicking a field goal later in the first half. Punter JK Scott practiced his field-goal form on the sidelines before the third quarter, but fortunately for the Packers, Crosby was able to finish out the game.
5 things to watch revisited
1. SAFETY IN THE BOX: The Rams weren’t an explosive running team this season, but in their victory over Seattle, they dominated time of possession (33:39 to 26:21) by rushing 43 times for 164 yards and a touchdown. It wasn’t that they were breaking off long runs (3.8-yard average), it’s that they kept getting first downs and kept the Seattle offense off the field. That was the same recipe it would take to beat the Packers. As one NFL offensive assistant coach said about defending the Rams’ run game, it would be critical for the Packers to bring a safety down into the box to protect the middle of the defense. And Green Bay did succeed in slowing Rams running back Cam Akers early by bringing up a safety to stack the line. But when they went back to the dime late in the first half, Akers found his groove. Akers gained 44 yards during a nine-play, 75yard drive that cut the Packers’ lead to 1610.
2. PLAYING MAN COVERAGE: If the Packers were willing to devote a safety in the box on non-passing downs, they were going to have to play a lot of man coverage in the secondary. That meant CB Jaire Alexander handling one of the receivers — speedy Robert Woods. But the Packers got a huge break when Rams leading receiver Cooper Kupp was designated inactive due to knee bursitis. Cooper had 92 catches during the regular season and was the focal point of their passing game. Without him, and with Alexander helping the secondary throw a blanket over Woods (eight catches for only 48 yards), the Rams’ offense remained pretty much one-dimensional. When Goff did try to throw, he was harassed by Packers pass rushers (four sacks, including 1.5 each by Kenny Clark and Rashan Gary, and two deflections by Preston Smith).
3. NOT JUST JALEN: Much was made of the matchup between Packers WR Davante Adams and CB Jalen Ramsey and for good reason. Adams became the first NFL receiver to catch 100 passes and score 18 touchdowns and Ramsey gave up only two touchdowns all season guarding the opposition’s best receiver. Per ESPN, Ramsey lined up across from Adams on eight of Adams’ 16 routes in the first half. Adams had two receptions for 13 yards and a TD on two targets with Ramsey lined up across from him, ESPN reported. Adams scored the game’s first TD, a 1-yard catch out of jet motion (only his fourth target out of jet motion all season). Adams finished with a game-high nine receptions for 66 yards.
4. DONALD AND FRIENDS: All-world defensive tackle Aaron Donald, the likely defensive player of the year, suffered a painful ribs injury last weekend against Seattle. He didn’t practice all week and although he played against the Packers he clearly wasn’t his usual dominant self. He spent a good chunk of the game on the sidelines and was credited with just one tackle and no sacks or pressures. Despite the absence of injured left tackle David Bakhtiari, the Packers’ offensive line excelled once again. Billy Turner did an admirable job in Bakhtiari’s spot, and Rick Wagner held up well at right tackle. Rodgers wasn’t sacked and was rarely pressured. Left guard Elgton Jenkins even coaxed a 15-yard penalty out of Donald for a face-mask grab during a second-quarter altercation.
5. GOING NOWHERE: The Packers’ punt-return game has remained woeful even with the addition of Tavon Austin. Over the previous nine games, the Packers had 21 punt-return yards and in the season finale, Austin coughed up a return. The biggest failure on punt returns had been the inability to control the opponent’s gunners and allow Austin some room to run. The returners did no damage against the Rams (Austin returned two punts for 17 yards), and the botched extra point was the only glaring special-teams sin.