Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Packer Plus
Packers can enjoy a week off after victory
A quick recap of the Green Bay Packers' 36-28 victory Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams:
Big picture
The Packers (9-3) gained another potential tiebreaker for postseason positioning by adding a victory over the Rams (7-4) to their earlier win over the Cardinals (9-2). They remained a half a game ahead of the Buccaneers (8-3) and now can finally enjoy a week off while the other contenders fight to keep up.
Turning point
Green Bay controlled the first half but led only 20-17 at the break. The Packers took command during their opening drive of the third quarter, marching 75 yards on 13 plays and taking 7:42 off the clock before scoring on a 5-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers to AJ Dillon. When the Rams fumbled on a punt return later in the quarter, Mason Crosby connected on a 29-yard field goal to give the Packers a 30-17 lead.
Game ball
Rodgers showed no ill effects from his fractured toe, completing 28-of-45 for 307 yards, two touchdowns no interceptions and a 97.2 rating. He also ran for a TD.
5 Takeaways
1. The Packers were weary and the Rams were rested
The Packers entered Week 12 having had just one weekend off and that came because they played the Cardinals on Thursday night. They were coming off a hard-fought game at Minnesota and then had to face the Rams before finally getting a bye. The Rams know the feeling. They were feeling the effects of a late bye in back-to-back losses to the San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans. In both games, they could not
stand up to the physical brand of football played against them and limped into their bye at 7-3. After resting up, they traveled cross country to face a beat-up Packers team. On Sunday, the Packers showed no lack of energy in making big plays and wearing down the Rams.
2. The Packers needed to get physical with the Rams
In their previous two games, the Rams had been knocked around, particularly on defense against the 49ers. In a 31-10 Rams loss Nov. 15, the 49ers ran the ball 44 times, including 14 times on an 18-play opening drive that set the tone for the entire day. The Packers had not gone after another team in that manner. They ran 33 times against Pittsburgh, 34 against Arizona and 32 against Seattle, but that was still fewer times than they threw it. With Rodgers (toe) ailing, it seemed like the time to lean heavily on the run game. Aaron Jones (knee) returned after missing one game, but AJ Dillon remained the main man. The Packers rushed 32 times for 92 yards led by Dillon's 69 on 20 carries,
and they dominated time of possession (39:40 to 20:20).
3. So long Justin Jefferson, hello Cooper Kupp
After giving up eight catches for 169 yards and two touchdowns against Minnesota's Justin Jefferson, the Packers faced 2021's most prolific receiver, Cooper Kupp, who led the league in receptions, yards and was tied for the lead in touchdowns). Jefferson ran through zone coverages with little resistance and the secondary had no answer. Defensive coordinator Joe Barry needed to play a lot of zone again this week, but somehow he had to slow down Kupp at the line of scrimmage, perhaps by pressing with slot corner Chandon Sullivan or moving linebacker De'Vondre Campbell to the slot to jam Kupp at the line. The Rams ranked tied for fourth in receptions of 25 or more yards with 25 and were looking to add to that with Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr., who had two weeks of study under his belt after picking the Rams over the Packers in free agency. On Sunday, the Rams did most of their damage on two big TD passes: a 79-yard bomb to Van Jefferson in the second quarter and a 54-yard shot to Odell Beckham Jr. early in the fourth. They kept Kupp contained (seven catches for 96 yards and no scores).
4. Offensive line faced interesting test against Miller
The Packers knew that No. 99 (Aaron Donald) was the focus of their protection scheme anytime they went back to pass, but they had to keep an eye on No. 40 as well. Linebacker Von Miller, who was acquired in a trade three weeks ago from Denver, joined Leonard Floyd at outside linebacker, giving the Rams a formidable trio of pass rushers ready to get after Rodgers. With the Packers forced to start Yosh Nijman at left tackle following Elgton Jenkins' season-ending knee injury and rookie guard Royce Newman in a midseason slump, running it 44 times like the 49ers seemed to make sense. On Sunday, the patchwork offensive line more than held its own. Rodgers was sacked only once and that came while he was stepping up in the pocket. Rodgers said he never had any concerns about how the tackles played.
5. Punting battle between teacher and student
When he was traded to the Packers just before the season, punter Corey Bojorquez praised Rams punter Johnny Hekker for teaching him the finer points of their craft and said he signed with the Rams in the offseason in part because he knew he could learn a lot from the veteran. Coming into Sunday's game, Bojorquez ranked No. 2 in the NFL in net average (44.5) and sixth in gross average (48.6). He was tied for the longest punt this season (82 yards). Hekker ranked 14th in net with a 41.3 average and 26th with a 43.1 gross average. Both punters were performing in their first cold-weather game this season and the 30-degree temperatures figured to be a good test of which was better at handling cruddy conditions. Bojorquez clearly performed better, booming five punts for 212 yards and pinning the Rams near their goal line a couple times.