On Other Side of Ball, Packers Have Big Advantage

For all the focus on Green Bay's offense vs. Los Angeles' defense, it's the Packers' defense that could carry the team to the NFC Championship Game.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers led the NFL in scoring. The Los Angeles Rams led the league in scoring defense.

It’s the other side of the ball where the Packers might have the distinct advantage for Saturday’s divisional playoff game at Lambeau Field. While neither the Packers’ defense, which finished 13th with 23.1 points allowed per game, nor the Rams’ offense, which finished 22nd with 23.3 points scored per game, are elite units, at least Green Bay’s defense has been on a much stronger trajectory.

Over the final five regular-season games, the Packers yielded merely 17.2 points per game. That was the fourth-fewest in the NFL and barely more than the mighty Rams allowed (16.4) during that same span.

Moreover, over those last handful of games, the Packers ranked fourth in opponent passer rating (75.4), seventh in opponent completion percentage (60.6), third in sacks (tied with 17) and 11th in yards allowed per carry (4.38).

So, while there’s obvious room for improvement – they’ve been horrendous on third down with a 30th-ranked 52.0 percent – the defense is looking a lot more like the unit defensive coordinator Mike Pettine envisioned after finishing ninth in scoring last year.

“We’re certainly a lot closer to what we want it to look like, you’re right,” Pettine said on Wednesday. “We’re always striving. The bar is set extremely high and we’re always striving for it. Of course, we feel like we’ve progressed, we’ve trended in the right direction. But you’re only as good as your last performance.”

Los Angeles’ offense, on the other hand, averaged a 20th-ranked 21.8 points per game over the final five weeks of the regular season. Moreover, it ranked 29th in passer rating (80.1), 19th in completion percentage (64.7) and 17th in yards per carry (4.46).

In the final three games, the Rams scored touchdowns on a league-worst 22.2 percent of their red-zone drives while the Packers allowed touchdowns on a league-best 25.0 percent of opponent red-zone drives.

“At this moment, we know the world is watching,” outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith said. “This is the playoffs. Win or go home.”

While the Rams scored 30 points in last week’s playoff win at Seattle, seven were scored by the defense and seven more were set up by a special-teams takeaway. Los Angeles was a woeful 3-of-15 on third down (plus 0-for-2 on fourth down).

Quarterback uncertainty is never a good thing, and that’s especially true in a playoff game in which Aaron Rodgers is the opposing passer. Jared Goff, who got the Rams to the Super Bowl in 2018 and piloted arguably the best offense in the NFL in 2017 and 2018, is playing with a surgically repaired thumb. Even when he was healthy, he was struggling. Over the final nine games of the regular season, he had just one game with a 100-plus rating with a combined nine touchdowns vs. nine interceptions.

With Goff out of action in Week 17 with the thumb, former undrafted free agent John Wolford got the start. He wasn’t very good, either (57.9 percent, 64.7 rating) but at least can run (six carries, 56 yards). Wolford started against Seattle but was knocked out by a neck injury and hasn’t practiced to start the week. Goff’s thumb will be a week healthier, though that could be offset by the 25-degree chill.

Rookie running back Cam Akers, who was drafted 10 slots ahead of AJ Dillon in the second round, had 176 yards from scrimmage vs. Seattle. Receivers Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods each had 90-plus receptions, and tight ends Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett combined for 86 grabs. So, the talent is there.

Nonetheless, if Green Bay’s defense can continue its strong play from the end of the regular season, it could carry the team to next weekend’s NFC Championship Game.

“What we’ve done getting to this point, when we step on the field on Saturday means absolutely nothing,” Pettine said. “If we want to play in the NFC Championship Game, we have to go out and earn it.”