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It started as a clash in which the Los Angeles Rams went from the underdog to a legitimate threat, but the Green Bay Packers continued to throw body shots en route to a 32-18 win to stamp their Ticket to the NFC Championship game for the second consecutive season. and the third time since 2016. Aaron Rodgers cooked his offense as usual on the opening disc of the first half, and even got his usual mental error from the opposing defense who granted him a free play that put the Packers in the red zone. However, they ran into a brick wall immediately after, as the Rams’ defense tightened to force a basket instead of what looked like an inevitable touchdown.
From there it was a mix of rights of way from the Packers, countered by a combo or two from a Rams team refusing to lie down and fall asleep – until Rodgers finally puts them to bed against their will.
Despite still having a broken thumb, Jared Goff walked out the door pulling with precision and rhythm on the next drive for the Rams, but the promising drive ended deep in Packers territory after an untimely wild call. and unproductive – followed by a stopped run on the third and short and a penalty on the fourth and 1 that forced them to score their own basket. They would pay for those mistakes, with Rodgers leading the charge again, but this time getting his touchdown through a short toss to superstar Davante Adams early in the second quarter. A sack by defensive end Za’Darius Smith later and the Packers got the ball again, punishing the Rams for another long haul – these surely start to wear on the Rams’ defense – to land a second touchdown , this time with Rodgers taking it into himself to stretch the lead to 13 points.
Refusing to fold and die, however, Goff engineered a nine-game, 75-yard touchdown in the final two minutes of the first half to reduce their deficit with the help of rookie wide receiver Van Jefferson. Aaron Jones punched the Rams in the face to start the third quarter, but the Rams responded with a deception from running back Cam Akers and timely defensive saves, eventually becoming Rodgers’ latest victim being Rodgers in the clutch – by through a 58-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter to close the coffin of the Rams season.
Why the Packers won
I have to assume that FedEx, UPS, and USPS are jealous.
That’s how formidable the Packers were both on the ground and in the air – rushing for 188 yards (it was over 200 yards at one point) and throwing for another 296. They pulled it off. first by committing not only to Jones, but also to Jamaal Williams and second-round rookie AJ Dillon, the Hydra RB having his way with a Los Angeles defense that saw perennial All-Pro Aaron Donald a bit too hurt to help stop it. Donald was visibly frustrated with the Packers’ offensive line for much of the game when he was on the field, and he wasn’t the only one. Rodgers hasn’t been sacked once in four full quarters of play, and his comfort fueled eight third-bet conversions in 12 attempts en route to 482 total yards on the day and two touchdowns. It was also a question of discipline for Green Bay, who had just three penalties the entire game for just 22 total yards.
They played like a team ready to move on, and that includes the defense that steps up in big moments. Because while the Rams couldn’t smell Rodgers’ cologne – including allowing him to scramble on bad steering for a rushed touchdown – the Packers made Goff feel their presence regularly. Goff was sacked four times and punched seven times, often on the third down when the Rams couldn’t afford it. At one point, the Rams had converted zero of their first five third-failure attempts and ended up converting only two of eight (25%). Kudos to Los Angeles for putting unexpected pressure on the Packers for a major part of the contest – as far as the scoreboard is concerned – but Rodgers is special, and even more so when he’s in front of his home crowd with a trip to the game for. the NFC title on the line.
Why the Rams lost
As noted, Rodgers might not have to wash his jersey later.
He was clean and upright throughout the game, and comfortable, even when he stood in the pocket of his own end zone with the threat of imminent safety. This was in stark contrast to the beating Russell Wilson had inflicted on the Rams a week before, a nod to the Packers’ offensive line capabilities, and also a hint at just how hurt Donald really was. With the Los Angeles defense under siege for much of the game, although it had more than one key save that threatened to turn things around, it was Goff who felt the pressure to outsmart an NFL legend on his own ground, and he did his best. Although he finished with just 174 passing yards and a touchdown, he was as efficient as he could get as a man with a broken thumb – in fact a lot more. Goff only had six incompletions and helped design impressive drives on several occasions, but the wall in front of him collapsed time and time again when he could least afford it.
Without the ability to own air, Akers needed to repeat his dominant performance against the Seahawks, but he didn’t because he couldn’t. His 90 rushing yards on 18 touchdown attempts were solid football, but not the Herculean effort required to overcome a inconsistent aerial attack and exhaust the Rams’ defense. They are a team that showed a lot of heart against a more powerful opponent but simply ran out of air in the 12th round.
Turning
It was the Rams who siphoned off the momentum to enter at halftime, narrowing the lead and notifying they wouldn’t be the Packers’ punching bag in this game. But to start the third quarter, they took an uppercut to the face thanks to a 60-yard run from Aaron Jones, who then polished the run with a touchdown to keep the Rams at bay until Rodgers could finish the job.
The game of the game
With their season on the line and needing a touchdown to nail the coffin, who better to swing the hammer than Rodgers? It’s the footballing version of Mamba Mentality – the league MVP favorite burying the Rams with a clutch throw they’ll never forget.
Take your popcorn
“Aaron Rodgers has never faced Tom Brady or Drew Brees in the NFL Playoffs. So there is that.” – Andrew Siciliano from NFL Network
And after
The Packers await the winner of the New Orleans Saints over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, either by hosting what will be a historic NFC post-season clash of the NFL Titans as quarterback.
Check out all the highlights and action you might have missed in the live blog below.
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