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Green Bay Packers v. Rams: Behind Enemy Lines – The Divisional Round

By Paul Bretl

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 20: Head coach Sean McVay speaks with Jared Goff #16 of the Los Angeles Rams during the first quarter of a game against the New York Jets at SoFi Stadium on December 20, 2020 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 20: Head coach Sean McVay speaks with Jared Goff #16 of the Los Angeles Rams during the first quarter of a game against the New York Jets at SoFi Stadium on December 20, 2020 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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Green Bay Packers
Dec 27, 2020; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) returns to the sideline following a turnover on downs against the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Jared Goff doesn’t have a lot of experience in the cold and when he has played in it, he’s struggled. Couple that with his recent thumb injury, and do you see moving the ball through the air being an issue for the Rams?

Bret: The LA Rams have been absolutely inconsistent in their passing game all season.  Much of the time, defenses have sold out to stop the Rams passing attack by overloading pass rushers. To counter, the Rams switched to pass-heavy play calling. Even when the Rams showed significant success in running the ball, the Rams inevitably put the ball into Jared Goff’s hands. While the Rams did claw their way back into some respectable final score, the tactics left many befuddled.

The Rams can run the ball and demonstrated that clearly against a pretty good New England Patriots defense. With the option for the Rams at quarterback, either a veteran quarterback with a bum throwing hand or a backup with almost no NFL experience coming off a neck stinger, I cannot fathom any game planning for this one that does not feature a heavy dose of running the ball. If the Packers get ahead by double digits early, the Rams won’t have the horsepower to recover.

5. The Packers are the favorites, but if LA is going to pull off the upset, what does their path to victory look like?

Bret: The Rams love to play the underdog and have done so very effectively this year. The key to winning on the road is much like the Rams success against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers mid-season, or similar to their victory in Seattle in the Wild Card Round. In both games, the Rams entered halftime with a lead.  The Rams are wizards at the halftime adjustments and have frequently been an even more stifling defense after halftime.

The Rams need to do four key things to win this game. They must win the turnover battle, hopefully by committing no turnovers. They must control the game clock and win the time of possession. They must be able to rush for over 150 yards. And the defense must hold the Packers’ offense to under 20 points.  If the Rams can do all four things in this game, they have a good chance of emerging as the victor.  That is easier said than done.

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