It started as a game in which the Los Angeles Rams went from underdog to legal threat, but the Green Bay Packers kept hitting on their way to a 32-18 victory to secure their ticket to the NFC Championship for to print the second consecutive season. and the third time since 2016. Aaron Rodgers, as usual, cooked up his offense for the first time in the first half and even got his usual mental foul by the defense giving him a free game that put the Packers in the red zone . However, they immediately hit a brick wall when the Rams defense clung on to force a field goal instead of an unavoidable attack.
From there, it was a mix of overhand rights by the Packers, backed by one or two combinations from a Rams team that refused to lie down and go to sleep – until Rodgers finally got them into bed against their will. sat.
Despite still nursing a broken thumb, Jared Goff came out of the gate with accuracy and rhythm and shot on the next ride for the Rams, but the promising ride ended deep in the Packers area after a bad time and unproductive wildcat call – followed by a stop run on third-and-short and a penalty kick on fourth-and-1 that forced them into a field goal of their own. They would pay for these mistakes, with Rodgers taking the lead again, but this time his touchdown by a short throw to superstar Davante Adams early in the second quarter. One bag at the defensive end, Za’Darius Smith, and the Packers had the ball again and punished the Rams for another long ride – it certainly started carrying the Rams defense – to land a second attack, this times with Rodgers it in himself to stretch the lead to 13 points.
Goff refused to lie down and die, but kicked a 75-yard nine-yard line in the final two minutes of the first half to reduce their backlog with the help of Van Jefferson, the rookie. Aaron Jones punched the Rams in the face to start the third quarter, but the Rams responded with a bit of deceptive answers from Cam Akers and the timely defensive stops, to eventually become the last victim of Rodgers beating Rodgers in the clutch was – a 58-yard shot late in the fourth quarter to close the coffin on the Rams season.
Why the Packers Won
I have to assume that FedEx, UPS and USPS are jealous.
That was how amazing the Packers were on the ground and in the air – they rushed for 188 yards (that was more than 200 yards at one point) and threw for another 296. They achieved the first by not only committing themselves to Jones, but also to Jamaal Williams and AJ Dillon, the rookie’s second round, had the RB hydra with a defense in Los Angeles, which the permanent All-Pro Aaron Donald got a little injured to help stop it. Donald was visibly frustrated by the Packers’ attacking line for most of the game, and he was not the only one. Rodgers was not sacked a single time in four full quarters, and his ease fueled eight-thirds shutouts on 12 attempts on the day after 482 yards on the day and two passing touchdowns. It was also a matter of discipline for Green Bay, who had just three penalties for just 22 yards.
They played like a team that was ready to move on, and that includes the defense having to act in the big moments. While the Rams could not get a little Rodgers-Cologne, including that he could play a wrong direction for a quick attack, the Packers Goff regularly made their presence felt. Goff was sacked four times and beaten seven times, often in third place if the Rams could afford it badly. At one point, the Rams converted their first five attempts to put down for the third time to zero and converted only two of eight (25 percent). Kudos to Los Angeles for putting unexpected pressure on the Packers for a solid part of the game – scoreboard-wise – but Rodgers is special, and even more so than he is in front of his home crowd with a trip to the NFC title game on the line .
Why the Rams Lost
As noted, Rodgers may not need to wash his jersey later.
He was clean and upright for the entire match and comfortable, even when he was in his own end zone in the pocket with the threat that a safety would be threatened nearby. This was in stark contrast to the pack blows Russell Wilson had taken at the Rams a week earlier, a nod to the capabilities of the Packers offensive and also an indication of how injured Donald really is. While the Los Angeles defense was under siege for much of the game, although they had more than one major stop threatening the tide, it was Goff who felt the pressure to become an NFL legend on his own. field to transgress, and he did his best. Although he finished with just 174 yards and one touch, he was as efficient as you could be as a man with a broken thumb to be – actually much more. Goff had only six unfinished tasks and on more than one occasion helped design impressive rides, but the wall in front of him collapsed every time he could least afford it.
Without the ability to own the air, Akers had to repeat his dominant performance against the Seahawks, but he did not because he could not. His 90 running yards on 18 attempts with a touchdown were solid football, but not the Herculean effort needed to overcome a conflicting air attack and exhaust the Rams defense. It’s a team that has shown a lot of hearts in the face of a more powerful opponent, but has simply run out of air in the twelfth round.
Pivot point
It was the Rams ‘momentum to go to halftime, shrink the lead and note that they would not be the Packers’ punching bag in this game. But to start the third quarter, they hit a capital letter in the face with a 60-year-old run from Aaron Jones, who later rounded off the ride with a touch to keep the Rams on point until Rodgers completes the task. could complete.
Playing the game
With their season underway and a touch needed to nail the coffin, who better to swing the hammer than Rodgers? This is the football version of the Mamba Mentality – the forerunner of the league MVP who bury the Rams with a clutch throw they will never forget.
Grab your popcorn
“Aaron Rodgers has never faced Tom Brady, or Drew Brees, in the NFL playoffs. So, there it is.” – Andrew Siciliano van NFL Network
What’s next
The Packers await the winner of the New Orleans Saints against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who will set up the historic NFC post-season clash of NFL titans at the quarterfinals.
Capture all the highlights and action from you that you may have missed in the live blog below.