After stunning the Seahawks a week ago, the Rams are heading into Lambeau Field with a newfound confidence and energy. This team has been up and down throughout the season, but with the league’s best defense, it’s never a good idea to count them out.
Los Angeles is facing a tougher task against the Packers in this divisional matchup, but there are plenty of reasons to like their chances of pulling off another upset. At the end of the day, there are three key matchups that will likely determine which of these two teams will be one step closer to Super Bowl LV.
3. Ram’s O-line vs the Smith Brothers
Andrew Whitworth had a nice game against the Seahawks last week, but he won’t have much time to rest before facing a much tougher task against the Smith brothers. Za’Darius and Preston Smith are one of the most dynamic duos in football, and they’ll be coming in with an extra week of rest.
The two brothers have 16.5 sacks between the two of them, and they will test the Rams’ hobbled O-line from the start. Now that we know who will be starting the game for LA, it will be that much more important for this offensive line to give him as much time in the pocket as possible.
2. Aaron vs Aaron
In a battle between the league’s best offense and the league’s best defense, there’s usually one or two guys that deserve most of the credit. In this case, the credit belongs to one Aaron Rodgers and one Aaron Donald. Both players had career seasons in 2020, and this game may come down to who can get the best of the other.
Aaron Rodgers will want to attack through the air, and he’ll need time in the pocket to make that happen against this stingy Rams defense. Aaron Donald, on the other hand, will do everything in his power to make sure that doesn’t happen. Even while double and triple-teamed on seemingly every snap, Donald still managed to notch 13.5 sacks on the season. With the Packers missing LT David Bakhtiari in this game, expect a concerted effort by Donald to bring Rodgers to the ground consistently.
1. Jalen Ramsey vs Davante Adams
If there were one matchup that could decide the outcome of Saturday’s game, this is the one. Adams has been on an absolute tear this year, ending the regular season with 1374 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns, the latter being a career-high. He has been Rodgers’ best friend on the field and will give any defender nightmares heading into a game.
This matchup is the reason that the Rams made Ramsey the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. With everything on the line and the stakes at their highest, he could be the difference between his team being one step closer to the Super Bowl or taking an early vacation instead. Rodgers will test this matchup early on, but Jalen Ramsey could force him to look elsewhere if he’s on his game.
Game Info
- Los Angeles Rams @ Green Bay Packers
- Saturday, January 16th @ 1:35 PST on FOX
