In a rematch of a week 5 shoutout the Rams head into Lambeau field seeking revenge. In the week 5 matchup where the Rams won by 7 Matthew Stafford had 5 picks while the combo of Henson Hooker and Arod combined for less then 150 passing yards. By the looks of the box score Matthew Stafford is what kept them in the game with 5 turnovers as the Packers got nothing going offensively. AJ Dillon and Cam Peoples were shut down as well combining for 33 yards on 20 carries. The Rams squeaked out the win by 7 but they’ll be lucky if the Defense bails them out as you can’t afford to do that on the road and in the playoffs especially if you hope to win vs a quality opponent.
Coming into this rematch I feel the Packers are well prepared and will have to the proper gameplan put together to sustain success against this stingy Rams defense led by Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey. Although the Rams have a top 2 defense statistically, they can be had and when the packers are on, they’re on. I have no doubt in my mind the Packers will have over 200 total yards this time around. I’m more worried about the Packers defensively this time as the Rams have a deadly passing attack with man beaters all across the board. The Packers at times live and die by cover 0 which is a good thing because they run it effectively but Vs a team like the Rams with superior route runners in Cooper Kupp and Michael Thomas it can be their Achilles heel. Along with the top tier route runners they love the condensed sets that create natural rubs and are h*** for teams that rely on man coverage so the Packers will need to change it up or throw some type of Wrinkle in or we could be in for a long day. The Rams were almost 100% balanced in their divisional win vs the Commanders throwing the ball 23 times and running 22. The Rams have to keep this up to be successful on the road in a blizzard, you can’t expect to stay behind the chains, be one dimensional and expect to have the same success you’ve had the previous 2 rounds.
I think this game comes down to the wire with a slow start but fireworks for the last 2 1/2 quarters as teams settle in and get the early jitters out. Both qbs have great abilities so it honestly comes down to who makes the big mistake first because when locked in both teams are hard to get off the field. Both coaches are ok with slow methodical drives and taking whatever the defense gives them so it’s all about who can outsmart who in a critical moment with their user or a slight adjustment. I think the Packers lean on that run game and defense/home field advantage to carry them to victory. It won’t be a pretty game by any means, but I see Mathew Stafford throwing his signature crunch time Int and Jaire Alexander or Quay Walker making a game ending play to seal the deal.
Prediction: Packers 30 Rams 24
