The Green Bay Packers are set to welcome Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams to Lambeau Field for the NFC Divisional Round playoffs on Saturday. The winner will go on to play either the New Orleans Saints or Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game.
The Packers haven’t played the Rams since 2018.
The obvious connection in this matchup: Packers coach Matt LaFleur worked with McVay in both Washington and Los Angeles. In 2017, LaFleur was McVay’s offensive coordinator with the Rams. The two are good friends and excellent coaches, setting the stage for a terrific schematic battle.
Here are 12 other things to know about McVay’s team:
1 Finished 10-6 in 2020
The Rams started 4-1 but finished just 6-5 over the final 11 games, highlighting the inconsistency of McVay’s team. After beating the Seahawks and Buccaneers in back-to-back games coming out of the bye to get to 7-4, the Rams lost three of the next five, including a loss to the New York Jets as a 17-point favorite. This is a team with a strong collection of talent but some up and down moments. Consider the Rams to a team that can beat anyone and lose to anyone. They are dangerous, but also combustible.
2 Just upset the Seahawks
The sixth-seeded Rams got 176 total yards from rookie running back Cam Akers and two takeaways, including a pick-six, to upset the third-seeded Seahawks on the road in Seattle during the NFC Wild Card Round. Darious Williams’ interception return for a touchdown gave the Rams an early 13-3 lead, Akers responded to a DK Metcalf touchdown with one of his own before the half, and Robert Woods delivered the dagger with a 15-yard touchdown catch late in the fourth quarter. Russell Wilson completed only 11 passes and took five sacks, while the Seahawks finished with just two third-down conversions and 278 total yards.
3 No. 1 defense
The Rams finished the regular season with the NFL’s No. 1 defense, at least statistically. Los Angeles was first in yards allowed, points allowed, passing yards allowed, touchdown passes allowed and first downs allowed. They also ranked first in yards per play, yards per drive and points per drive. Pro Football Focus graded the Rams defense as the No. 1 defense in football, with the second-best pass-rushing grade and top coverage grade. This is an elite group with two first-team All-Pros (Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey) and plenty of capable supporting pieces.
4 The deciding line
The Rams were 8-0 when allowing 19 or fewer points and just 3-6 when allowing 20 or more. This figure highlights the effectiveness of the Rams defense, but also the inconsistencies of the Rams offense. Scoring can put real pressure on Sean McVay’s team. In the six losses, the Rams gave up an average of just 25 points, well under the Packers’ season average (31.8) However, only one team, the Buffalo Bills, managed to score 30 or more against the Rams.
5 Two 90-catch receivers
The Rams might not know who will start at quarterback, but the eventual starter under center will have two highly effective targets on their side. Cooper Kupp (90) and Robert Woods (92) both caught at least 90 passes in 2020. The pair produced a little over 46 percent of the team’s completions and almost 46 percent of the team’s passing yards. Also, beware of potential run plays for Woods; he carried 24 times for 155 yards and two scores in 2020.
6 Sack attack
The Rams finished with 53 sacks, second in the NFL to only the Pittsburgh Steelers. First-team All-Pro Aaron Donald (13.5) and former Bear Leonard Floyd (10.5) led the way, but the Rams also have five other players with at least 3.0 sacks in 2020, including defensive linemen Morgan Fox and Michael Brockers. The Packers allowed only 20 sacks of Aaron Rodgers in 2020.
7 Turnover time?
The Rams didn’t have a turnover in Seattle, but McVay’s team did have at least one in all 16 regular season games. Los Angeles finished with 25 giveaways total, including 13 interceptions and three lost fumbles by quarterback Jared Goff. When turning the ball over two or more times, the Rams were 2-3, including a pair of losses with four turnovers against the Dolphins and 49ers. The Packers were 11-1 with at least one takeaway in 2020, and Mike Pettine’s defense delivered a pair of turnovers in both wins over the Titans and Bears to end the season.
8 Ballhawks
Cornerback Jalen Ramsey and safety John Johnson are the stars of the Rams secondary, but the supporting players can’t be overlooked. Cornerbacks Darious Williams and Troy Hill and safety Jordan Fuller delivered 10 interceptions, 29 pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and three defensive touchdowns during the regular season. Williams added a pick-six in Seattle. The Packers led the NFL with only 11 giveaways in 2020, but they need to be careful with the football on Saturday.
9 Grading Goff
After taking the NFL world by storm as the leader of Sean McVay’s offense in 2017 and 2018, Rams quarterback Jared Goff has cooled off considerably. Over the last two seasons, Goff ranks 23rd in passer rating (88.1) among the 32 quarterbacks with at least 500 attempts, and his 29 interceptions are the third-most. Goff is still only two weeks removed from thumb surgery, and he didn’t start in Week 17 or against the Seahawks last week. The Rams used him as an emergency quarterback after John Wolford went down with a neck injury, and Goff completed just nine passes. It’s currently unclear who will start for the Rams at quarterback on Saturday.
10 Road tested, but cold weather tested?
The Rams played five games on the road against playoff teams in 2020, including last week’s win in Seattle. They were 3-2 in the five games, with wins over the Seahawks, Buccaneers and Washington Football Team and losses to the Bills and Seahawks. This team won’t be afraid of going on the road to play a good team. But in the cold? Sean McVay’s team hasn’t played a true cold weather game all season. Expected temperatures below freezing in Green Bay will provide a brand new test for the visitors from Southern California.
11 Rookie runner
The Rams finished the season with three different running backs rushing for at least 400 total yards, including impressive rookie Cam Akers. The second-round pick has rushed for 130 yards or more in two of his last four games, including 131 in the win over the Seahawks. He’s a potential big-play threat. Expect the Rams to feed him the ball on Saturday. Akers has rushed at least 20 times in four of the last five games he’s played, and he’s averaging nearly 100 rushing yards in the five games.
12 Tight end tandem
The Rams completed 85 passes for nearly 1,000 receiving yards to tight ends Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett in 2020. Neither is truly dynamic, but both can get open and create big plays in the passing game. Add in No. 3 receiver Josh Reynolds to the two tight ends and Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp, and the Rams had five players with at least 400 receiving yards this season.
https://ift.tt/3sqWH7A
Sports
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Packers playoff preview: 12 things to know about visiting Rams - Packers Wire"
Post a Comment