Know the Foe: Packers vs Los Angeles Rams

It was a week of missed opportunity, as the Green Bay Packers lost in a thriller to the Vikings 34-31. Riddled with injury, the Packers limp into week 12 against the Los Angeles Rams before a much-needed bye. The Rams are coming into Lambeau off their bye and look to regroup after back-to-back beatings. In a battle for NFC supremacy, here is a closer look at the Rams.

An Offense That Can Hum

Despite back-to-back struggles, this offense can put up points in bunches. Long-time Lion Matthew Stafford is the driving force behind this well-oiled machine. He is top 5 in yardage and touchdowns on the season. Stafford also leads the league in plays over 40 yards. He has struggled lately with pressure and poor decisions but with a week off, fully expect him to bounce back. Now that Stafford is playing for a contender, expect even bigger things from the veteran quarterback.

His main weapon is fifth-year pro Cooper Kupp who is feasting on secondaries this season. Kupp leads the league with 85 catches for 1,141 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns. He just finds ways to get open and is a monster after the catch. With Robert Woods going down with a season-ending injury, the Rams lured in the services of Odell Beckham Jr. who is such a boom or bust player. Beckham is not the guy he was a few years ago but he still has dynamic qualities. His stint in Cleveland was a mixed bag but look for head coach Sean McVay to get the ball in his new wide receiver’s hands. Second-year pro Van Jefferson has also had big games while Tyler Higbee offers a big target at tight end.

The Rams running game hasn’t been dominant but it’s been efficient. Memphis product Darrell Henderson has 5 touchdowns on the year with a 4.7 yards per carry average. The offensive line has helped that run game but they have struggled in pass pro of late. Over the last two matches, Stafford has been sacked 7 times including a staggering 5 against Tennessee. The Packers must continue to generate pressure to win this contest.

Defense Forcing Turnovers and Pressures

The Rams defense has been getting home on quarterbacks and generating turnovers. The unit is built around blue-chip players and none is better than defensive tackle Aaron Donald. He is a generational talent and one of the greatest ever to lace it up. Donald is a man amongst boys in a league full of alphas. He can do it all and will be fired up after the playoff loss to Green Bay last year. The Packers will need to find ways to slow this wrecking ball down.

Adding to the problems up front is newly acquired stud, Von Miller. Injuries and some questions of effort have plagued Miller the last few seasons, but he’s still a force. This explosive edge rusher has dominated the league the last decade. Miller’s lightning explosion and rejuvenation of a new team is a scary combo. If that wasn’t enough, add Leonard Floyd to the quarterback heatseekers. Floyd is a long lanky speed rusher and leads the Rams with 7.5 sacks.

As nasty as the Rams are up front, they are strong in the secondary as well. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey is one of the league’s true shutdown corners. The confident and talented Ramsey can single-handedly take away his side of the field. Look for Ramsey and Davante Adams to have an epic battle Sunday. Darious Williams man’s the other side and the Packers may want to use their size and speed to their advantage.

The Rams also feature two young and upcoming safeties. Taylor Rapp and second-year pro Jordan Fuller work in sync to limit big plays. They umbrella the defense and are solid tacklers. Green Bay will look to do what the Titans and 49ers did by attacking the middle of the field and running the ball early. This is a pivotal NFC matchup folks. Strap in!!

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