The Los Angeles Rams are set to hit the road for their NFC divisional round showdown with the Green Bay Packers on Saturday afternoon.
In this battle between the NFL’s top-ranked offense versus the No. 1 defense, it will be interesting to see which side prevails as the Rams look to keep their season alive.
Rams Offense vs. Packers Defense
Once again, the biggest question for the Rams offense falls under center. Although backup quarterback John Wolford started last week versus the Seattle Seahawks, Jared Goff will be taking over once again less than three weeks removed from his thumb surgery.
Wolford has already been ruled out versus the Packers so Blake Bortles will be backing Goff up. Meanwhile, wide receiver Cooper Kupp and left guard David Edwards were both listed as questionable but are officially inactive. Kupp tried to give it a go despite suffering a knee injury last week but unfortunately was not ready enough to suit up.
While their offense has stolen much of the spotlight this season, the Packers defense will be looking to capitalize on Goff’s injured status by forcing turnovers and getting their offense the ball as much as possible. Pass rushers like Za’Darius Smith, who led the team with four forced fumbles this season, will have their eye on the prize.
Rams Defense vs. Packers Offense
The Packers scored more points than any other team in the league thanks in large part to the efforts of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He has established himself as the frontrunner for MVP by setting franchise single-season records for touchdown passes (48) and completion percentage (.707) on an offense that scored 31.8 points per game.
However, Green Bay will be without All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari after he suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice on Dec. 31. L.A.’s pass rush will surely be looking to capitalize on a potential weak spot along the offensive line.
They certainly have more than enough talent to make that happen after registering a whopping 53 sacks this season. While he is expected to play, there is still plenty of speculation regarding how much the rib injury will hinder defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
One matchup to watch out for is Jalen Ramsey against Davante Adams, which is as good as it gets on the outside in the NFL.
Keys To Victory
Keep Defense On Their Toes
Even prior to the thumb injury, Goff has always been at his best when working out of play-action. The expected harsh weather conditions will offer up another challenge for him when it comes to throwing the ball.
The onus will fall once again on running back Cam Akers and the offensive line to carry the load up front but they will need Goff to make the Packers pay through the air on play action.
Sean McVay
There is no shortage of mutual respect between head coaches Sean McVay and Matt LaFleur. Though this comes as no surprise considering they are part of the same coaching tree, McVay should hold a slight edge considering LaFleur was once his offensive coordinator.
It is safe to assume that both know each other inside and out so it will be interesting to see which side is able to take advantage of the other’s tendencies. Even if the Packers are the favorites, McVay has an opportunity to show his former coach what it takes to win big games.
