Rams come up short vs. Packers, lose 32-18: Everything we know from Saturday’s loss

Cameron DaSilva
·4 min read

There was a lot working against the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round, facing a 13-3 Green Bay Packers team that was healthy and fully loaded. The Rams, on the other hand, were banged up and missing two key starters, Cooper Kupp and David Edwards.

Ultimately, the Packers were just too much for the Rams to handle. Los Angeles came up short at Lambeau Field, falling 32-18 to the Packers on Saturday afternoon.

It was a hard-fought game that was closer at times than the final score indicates, but the Rams’ season now comes to an end at the hands of the top-seeded Packers.

Here’s everything we know from Saturday’s loss.

Final score: Packers 32, Rams 18

(AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

Keys to the game

  • The Rams defense was not its usually dominant self. The Packers did whatever they wanted on the field Saturday, whether it was running the ball up the middle, throwing it deep, taking easy underneath passes. You name it, the Packers did it. They scored on each of their first five possessions before finally punting for the first time mid-third quarter.

  • Self-inflicted wounds really hurt the Rams. Aaron Donald had a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty after an incompletion on second-and-7, which the Packers eventually turned into a touchdown. Austin Corbett was called for a false start on fourth-and-1, forcing the Rams to settle for a field goal. And both Troy Hill and John Johnson dropped interceptions before halftime that could've saved three points.

  • Jared Goff was not the issue today, nor was the offense as a whole. He played well despite having a bad thumb, spreading the ball around nicely and making quality throws under pressure. If anything, he was one of the real bright spots for Los Angeles.

  • This game was won by the Packers in the trenches. The Rams got no push up front on defense, leading to struggles against the run, while Green Bay's pass rush applied pressure consistently on Goff.

  • The Packers thrive on creating big plays, and the Rams are typically great at preventing them. But Los Angeles lost in this department. The Packers had a 60-yard run and a 58-yard touchdown pass, sparking the offense in a big way during the second half.

  • Third down killed the Rams all game long, on both sides of the ball, too. They were just 2-for-8 on third, while the Packers converted 8-of-12 tries, and that includes a kneeldown at the end of the game.

  • In total, the Packers gained 484 yards to the Rams' 244 yards, which was a major difference in the game. Green Bay's offense ranked No. 1 in scoring for a reason, and the Rams got a taste of that today.

It was over when...

...Aaron Rodgers hit Allen Lazard for a 58-yard touchdown with 6:52 left in the game. That put the Packers up 32-18 with little time left on the clock, and all but sealed the victory for Green Bay. Troy Hill just got beat on the play and couldn't recover, and Jordan Fuller wasn't deep enough to prevent the touchdown. https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1350597619962134529

3 stars of the game

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

No. 3 star: Michael Brockers No. 2 star: Jared Goff No. 1 star: Cam Akers

Play of the game

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

It wasn't much of a highlight-reel play, but Cam Akers' 7-yard touchdown out of the wildcat formation was what kept the Rams in this ballgame. The score made it 25-18, Packers, with just 1:41 left in the third quarter. After two unsuccessful wildcat runs earlier in the game, Akers finally broke through with a touchdown on this 7-yard carry. https://twitter.com/RamsNFL/status/1350590098585354248 And then after that touchdown, Sean McVay dug deep into his bag of tricks and called a perfect hook-and-ladder on the two-point attempt, which was successful. https://twitter.com/NFLonFOX/status/1350590566631923715

What's next?

(AP Photo/Morry Gash)

The Rams will now shift to offseason mode and begin preparing for next season. That comes after some R&R, of course, giving players and coaches some time off after a successful and impressive season. Free agency will begin in March, the draft will be in April and as long as everything stays on schedule, OTAs and minicamps will be around the corner in May and June.