Good, bad and ugly from Packers’ 36-28 win over Rams
The Green Bay Packers used three touchdowns created by Aaron Rodgers and three turnovers from Joe Barry’s defense to take down the visiting Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The win improved the Packers to 9-3 entering the bye week.
Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Packers’ 36-28 victory over the Rams:
The Good
Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Another turnover win: The Packers improved to 9-0 this season when winning the turnover battle (in fact, the Packers are 9-0 when getting just one takeaway this season). Green Bay got a strip-sack setting up a score, a defensive touchdown on an interception and a special teams takeaway. The turnovers led to 16 points for the Packers.
Dominating the football: The Packers held the ball for almost 40 minutes and ran 78 total plays. That’s a great way to win games at home in the cold at Lambeau Field.
Wide receiver production: Davante Adams, Randall Cobb and Marquez Valdes-Scantling combined to catch 16 passes for 249 yards and a score. All three players had a catch over 20 yards, including a 43-yarder to Adams and a 54-yarder to Cobb setting up scores. The Packers consistently found ways of getting the ball to the receivers in the passing game.
RB A.J. Dillon: He got 25 touches and created 90 yards and a score. His production wasn’t overwhelming, but he ran hard, produced yards after contact and was the driving force of the offense on both a touchdown drive to open the second half and during the fourth quarter.
The patchwork offensive line: It wasn’t a perfect performance from the starting five offensive linemen, but it was certainly good enough. The Rams’ talented front had just one sack and three tackles for losses. There was pressure at times but never a disaster. In a matchup that heavily favored the Rams, the Packers offensive line held their own and were rarely overwhelmed.
Defensive front: The Rams rushed for 68 yards on 20 attempts despite the Packers playing light in the box. And Stafford was sacked twice, including once for a turnover and another on third down. The return of Rashan Gary, who drew two holding penalties and created the strip-sack, provided a boost.
The Bad
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson (12)
Giving up explosive plays: The Packers defense prides itself on not giving up big plays, but the Rams got a pair of long touchdowns to temporarily shift momentum. The first was a 79-yarder to Van Jefferson against Chandon Sullivan’s coverage; the second was a 54-yarder to Odell Beckham Jr. after a double move beat Rasul Douglas and Adrian Amos. Matthew Stafford had over 300 passing yards, but 133 came on just two plays. He averaged 4.7 yards per attempt on his other 36 passes.
WR Allen Lazard: The receiver’s struggles in the passing game continued. He caught two of six targets for only 13 yards. He misjudged a deep pass and had a potential touchdown pass go off his hands in traffic.
More dropped interceptions: Rasul Douglas had the pick-six of Stafford, but he also dropped an easy interception right before Beckham’s long touchdown. Eric Stokes had a shot at a pick-six but couldn’t finish the play, and Darnell Savage had another interception opportunity end up in an incompletion. The Packers need to start taking better advantage of takeaway chances, especially against veteran quarterbacks.
Another miss: Mason Crosby went 3-for-4 on field goal attempts, but he clanked a 42-yard attempt off the left upright and was dangerously close to hitting the upright on two other kicks. The field goal operation is still an adventure every time. Crosby has an NFL-high nine misses.
The Ugly
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb (18)
Punt returning: Amari Rodgers failed to catch the Rams’ first punt, allowing the kick to roll to the 6-yard line. The Packers replaced the rookie with Randall Cobb, who promptly muffed his fair catch attempt and gave the ball back to the Rams. Luckily for the Packers, Johnny Hekker put his final three punts out of bounds, negating any chance for a return (or another mistake). The Packers are clearly losing faith in Rodgers, but after Cobb’s mistake, and now his groin injury, the team might not have another realistic option. Rodgers wasn’t much better returning kicks; his three returns gained only 38 yards. The Packers are stuck with a terrible return game, again.
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