Rams at Packers in Divisional Playoffs
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers will host the Los Angeles Rams in next weekend’s NFC divisional playoffs.
As the No. 1 seed, the Packers get to play the lowest-remaining seed following wild-card weekend. That’s the Rams, who as the No. 6 seed upset the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday. Second-seeded New Orleans knocked off seventh-seeded Chicago on Sunday to book the Rams’ flight to Green Bay.
Kickoff is 3:35 p.m. Saturday. The Packers are 7-point favorites at most sportsbooks, including Westgate SuperBook, PointsBet and DraftKings.
There are two obvious story lines.
One, it’s Green Bay’s offense, which was No. 1 in the NFL in scoring, vs. the Rams’ defense, which was No. 1 in points allowed.
Two, it’s the coaches. The Rams are coached by Sean McVay, who is 43-21 in four seasons and in the playoffs for the third time. In his debut season of 2017, the Rams went 11-5 with Matt LaFleur as his offensive coordinator. LaFleur is 26-6 as Green Bay’s coach after a second consecutive 13-3 season.
The Rams finished this season with a 10-6 record. With the NFL’s top-ranked defense but an inconsistent offense, Los Angeles has put together five two-game winning streaks but never won three in a row. With an 18-7 win over Arizona in Week 17 and a 30-20 victory over Seattle, the Rams will be packing a two-game winning streak for their trek to Lambeau Field.
The Rams lead the all-time series 47-46-2 and earned a 29-27 victory in the last matchup in Los Angeles in 2018.
The teams have split two playoff games but none in their current homes. In the 1967 Western Conference Championship, the Packers won 28-7 in Milwaukee. In the 2001 playoffs, the Rams won 45-17 in St. Louis.
The Rams are powered by their defense, and that unit is powered by defensive tackle Aaron Donald. The All-Pro had 13.5 sacks, 26 quarterback hits and four forced fumbles. He exited the Seattle game with an injured rib. An X-ray showed it was not a break and he is expected to be ready for the game.
Quarterback Jared Goff, who struggled with an injured thumb on Saturday and has struggled in the cold in his career, finished with passing 3,952 yards, 67.0 percent accuracy, 20 touchdowns vs. 13 interceptions, and a 90.0 rating. Cooper Cupp (92 receptions, 974 yards) and Robert Woods (90 receptions, 936 yards) are the top targets. Rookie Cam Akers (625 yards) has emerged as the top runner and had a big game at Seattle.
There will be some fans in attendance.
Divisional Playoffs Schedule
Saturday
NFC: 3:35 p.m. - Los Angeles Rams (11-6) at Green Bay Packers (13-3) (FOX, FOX Deportes).
AFC: 7:15 p.m. - Baltimore Ravens or Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills (14-3) (NBC, Universo).
Sunday
AFC: 2:05 p.m. - Cleveland Browns or Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs (14-2) (CBS, CBS All Access, ESPN Deportes).
NFC: 5:40 p.m. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-5) at New Orleans Saints (13-4) (FOX, FOX Deportes).
