After crushing the Seahawks 30-20 in the wild-card spherical, the Los Angeles Rams will now pay the 13-3 Green Bay Packers a visit at Lambeau Subject. The divisional round opens with Rams-Packers on Saturday at 4:35 p.m. ET, a game Green Bay is favored by 6.5 points in.
The Rams haven’t been tested by an offense just like the Packers all season long, while Inexperienced Bay hasn’t seen a defense pretty much as good as Los Angeles’, both. That is shaping up to be an enormous matchup within the NFC playoffs, with the highest-scoring offense facing the No. 1-ranked protection.
It won’t be simple for the Rams to drag off an upset for the second straight week, but nobody must be shocked if they do. That’s how good their protection is enjoying proper now.
Keep the Packer’s offense on the sideline:
The best way to do that is to convert on third down and run the ball efficiently. If the Rams can control the time of possession and maintain drives alive, it can restrict the opportunities that Aaron Rodgers and the Packers have to attain – which is essential because they average about three factors per drive this season.
Rating touchdowns in the pink zone:
Subject goals will not get it done on Saturday. The Rams should rating touchdowns after they attain the pink zone, which has been a struggle all 12 months; they completed the season 19th in pink zone landing share (57.9). The Packers have the eighth-best pink zone defense, so that is the place the game will be won or misplaced.
Sack Aaron Rodgers:
When Rodgers has sacked on at least 4 times, he has a career document of 23-30-1. When he’s sacked fewer than 4 times, he’s 117-45. The Rams have had at the very least 4 sacks in every of their final three video games and have reached that total 9 times this year. Pressuring Rodgers and getting him on the ground is essential.
Packers secondary:
The Packers’ secondary isn’t as good as the Rams’ however it does boast proficient younger gamers such as Jaire Alexander and Darnell Savage. Goff is already coping with a thumb damage and hasn’t precisely had a banner 12 months, so his efficiency on Saturday is one of the most vital elements of this sport. If he doesn’t play higher than he did last week in Seattle, the Rams can have a tough time profitable.
Injuries:
In addition to Goff’s thumb, Aaron Donald has a rib injury, Cooper Kupp and David Edwards are questionable, and Terrell Lewis has been ruled out. Donald will play, but it stays to be seen if he will get a full workload; the same goes for Kupp, who’s anticipated to play however not sure. Injuries might hinder the Rams on this one towards a mostly wholesome Packers group that simply had the week off.
Protecting Goff:
Few quarterbacks perform as poorly as Goff under pressure, with seven of his 13 interceptions coming whereas pressured by the protection. The Packers have a solid defensive entrance that may generate strain on the quarterback, primarily with Za’Darius Smith. If Goff will get hit often and is rattled early, the offense goes to sputter in Green Bay. Good safety is the best way to get the most out of Goff.
