The Packers’ dominant 24-12 victory over the Rams keeps playoff hopes alive
Green Bay – One down. Three more to go.
The Green Bay Packers walked away with a late-season bye with a faint belief, a small glimmer of hope, that a miraculous sprint to the postseason might be possible. They need a lot of help getting there from the likes of the Washington captains, Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions.
They mostly need to help themselves.
The Packers dealt their first move toward action Monday night, defeating the hapless Los Angeles Rams 24-12 inside frozen Lambeau Field. An early Christmas gift, the four-win Rams were a terrible team from a warm climate that looked lifeless for most of Monday night. To get any shot in the postseason—that is, to win—the Packers must accept their gifts. Mostly, they failed to capitalize on those opportunities this season.
They only defeated one opponent by double digits. It came back in the second week.
square score: Packs 24, Rams 12
Bigger tests are coming, starting later this week on Christmas Day. To win the rest of their schedule, they’ll need to hold out in the South Florida heat and humidity, against the Miami Dolphins fighting for a playoff spot. After two straight wins, the Packers seem to be clicking more than they’ve had all season. If it’s officially hot, they’ve picked the right time for it.
Here are some notes from Monday night’s victory:
AJ Dillon demolishes the Rams defense
it’s cold. This means it’s time to heat up AJ Dillon. With temperatures in the teens, Dillon’s Packers rode Monday night. Dillon had two touchdowns, the first on an 8-yard run that ended in routing three Rams defenders at the goal line. The second, 2-yard carry, opened up a 17-6 Lakers lead with 8:04 left in the third quarter. Dillon has scored a touchdown in each of the past three games, four in total in this stretch. Prior to then, the affected tailbacks had run once in the first 11 games of the season. It is no coincidence that the past three games have been played in Philadelphia, Chicago and Green Bay, each one after Thanksgiving. Dillon was drafted in the second round in no small part due to his suitability for the cold weather team. Aaron Jones finished with the best streak, gaining 90 yards on 17 carries (5.4-yard average). Dillon’s ability to punish the defense went a long way toward smoothing Lil Jones. Dillon finished with 36 yards on 11 carries before being checked out and assessed for a concussion, but his score set the tone.
Romeo Dobbs and Christian Watson fit in perfectly
For the fourth time this season, rookie receivers Christian Watson and Romeo Dobbs played an entire game together. In context, this is a bit misleading. Because it was the first time Dobbs had played the field since Watson exploded into something akin to a supernova, scoring eight touchdowns in four games before Monday night. So this was the first time we saw how Doubs and Watson fit together in this form after the former had missed the past four matches with a sprained ankle, and early returns have been promising. Watson was quieter than he was, though his speed remained a perceived threat, especially on a 16-yard penalty for pass interference on a deep shot in the second half. His ability to widen the field also helped open things up for Doubs. It’s easy to forget now, but it was Doubs who popped up first this season. Since training camp, he has shown his potential. Doubs finished with a team-high five catches for 55 yards, each of which came at the short and middle. Watson added four catches on six targets for 46 yards. In theory, Doubs’ ability to work downhill routes should complement Watson well. This is how I played on the field on Monday night.
The Packers defense lives on in the Rams backfield
Kenny Clarke set the tone from the start, cutting through the Rams’ offensive line in the first two games. He was unable to get running back Cam Akers on first down, which enabled a 15-yard gain. In the second, Clark dropped Akers for a 2-yard loss. The rest of the early defensive front followed suit, destroying the Rams offense throughout Monday’s win. The Packers had three sacks, six quarterback hits and four tackles for loss in the first half alone. The third sack, a missile attack by rookie linebacker Quay Walker, forced a fumble by Baker Mayfield (Rams recovered). The Rams entered Monday night and allowed 46 sacks this season, fourth most in the NFL. Even without Rashan Gary (a torn ACL), the Packers showed they had enough pass rushing to dominate a poor offensive line.
Casen Nixon stabs with a knife through the return punt
The Packers coaching staff has been slow to respond to their personnel this season. It took a long time for Josh Nijman to move the right save. It took a long time to safely replace Darnell Savage with Rudy Ford. Their own teams were not immune. How it took the Packers two full months to give Keisean Nixon a chance to get back on the boat is a total mystery. It’s not like they didn’t know Nixon well. First-year Packers special teams coordinator Rich Pesaccia was Nixon’s special teams coordinator for three seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. He made the switch to running back to start early in the season, but it wasn’t until Week 10 against the Dallas Cowboys that he fielded a punt. Since then, the Packers punt game has come back to life. Nixon has six punting returns for 92 yards this season — a 15.3-yard average — including a pair of 36-yard returns Monday night. Amari Rodgers, who was released a few weeks ago, had 139 yards on 20 catches (7-yard average). Nixon is unorthodox, if not daring, taking kicks that others might not. It’s a risky way to live, but he had no fielding problems on any of his six attempts. So far, the reward has vastly outweighed the gambling.
Inside:The turning point in the Packers win was a penalty kick on Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey
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