Packer Central

Stock Report: Big Plays Save Packers from Embarrassing Loss to Rams

The Packers went into halftime trailing 13-10 and needed to do some soul searching. With the help of some big plays on both sides of the ball, the Packers escaped with a 24-19 victory over the Rams.

Jacob Westendorf

Oct 6, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Green Bay Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (56) sacks Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) during the second quarter at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
Oct 6, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Green Bay Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (56) sacks Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) during the second quarter at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
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After a week of drama in the building, it was back to football for the Green Bay Packers, as they headed to SoFi Stadium to take on the Los Angeles Rams.

On paper, this game should have been a walkover for the Packers. They’re expected to be contenders, and despite the absences of Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, they’re significantly healthier than the Rams.

Of course, nothing is easy for the 2024 Green Bay Packers.

The sloppiness and mistake-riddled football that has plagued them through the start of the season continued to rear its ugly head.

Something changed dramatically in the second half.

Kingsley Enagbare’s forced fumble that was recovered by Xavier McKinney started the avalanche, and Tucker Kraft’s two touchdowns gave them a two-score lead, but it still took a late stand from Jeff Hafley's defense to finish off a 24-19 victory.

Risers and fallers come in all shapes and sizes in this one. Here’s our stock report after the Packers survived against the Rams.

Rising

Kingsley Enagbare

There’s a really good argument to be made that Kingsley Enagbare has been the Packers’ best defensive end to begin the season.

That’s probably not the way they drew it up, but with the overall silence of Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, and Lukas Van Ness, it’s true.

One of the biggest plays of the game came with Enagbare channeling Charles Woodson.

Engabare punched the ball out of Kyren Williams’ arms, and it was recovered by Xavier McKinney.

Two plays later, Jordan Love found Tucker Kraft for a 66-yard touchdown, and the Packers had regained the lead.

Xavier McKinney

Death, taxes, Xavier McKinney making big plays.

McKinney started the game with a bang, breaking up a pass on a third down from Matt Stafford that forced a punt

His aforementioned fumble recovery gave the Packers new life in the second half, as well.

Not content with just a fumble recovery, McKinney continued on what could be a Defensive Player of the Year type of campaign with an interception of Stafford on the next possession.

That makes McKinney 5-for-5 in games with an interception. He’s transformed the safety room.

According to the CBS broadcast, that made McKinney the first player since 1970 to have an interception in each of his first five games with his new team.

Simply put, if the Packers defense needs a big play, in the words of rapper DMX –

X gon’ give it to em.

Evan Williams

A big day for the safety room. Evan Williams is rising based on the amount of snaps he’s taken.

Javon Bullard has been the starter at the safety spot next to McKinney all season and taken a vast majority of the snaps.

Williams, one of the stars of training camp, has been biding his time.

Whenever he’s been on the field, the ball has always seemed to find him.

Against the Colts in Week 2, his first game in which he received any playing time, he finished the day with an onside kick recovery and game-clinching interception.

On Sunday, he helped break up a deep ball from Stafford to Tutu Atwell midway through the third quarter to save a big play. He finsihed the game in coverage for Stafford's final incompletion.

It’ll be interesting to see how this situation evolves moving forward, but Williams continues to find his way on the field.

Tucker Kraft

With two receivers down, someone had to step up in the passing game.

The first half belonged to Jayden Reed, who had one big play to set up a touchdown run for Josh Jacobs.

The second half? That was the Tucker Kraft Show.

Following McKinney’s fumble recovery, Kraft changed the scoreboard in Green Bay’s favor just two plays later.

A 66-yard touchdown gave the Packers a 17-13 lead.

Green Bay’s next possession had Kraft find the end zone again.

 Kraft scored on a tight end screen, showing off his abilities to make plays after the catch.

There was not much of a question as to who Green Bay’s top tight end was, but Kraft continues to separate himself.

Colby Wooden

What a difference a week makes right? The last three weeks, Wooden was a healthy scratch.

This week, due to an injury with Devonte Wyatt, Wooden not only was active but played a key role.

With the Rams driving for a potential go-ahead score, Wooden made what turned out to be one of the biggest plays of the game.

Wooden helped sack Stafford to force the Rams to use their final timeout.

Two plays later, the game was over, and the Rams final pass was short of the sticks. Without Wooden's big play, Stafford count have continued to march down the field.

He'll likely be asked for more with Wyatt's injury status uncertain moving forward

Falling

Jordan Love

Listen, we have to talk about it. Jordan Love was as good as any quarterback to finish the 2023 season. That’s what led to him getting a massive contract extension in the offseason.

With the obvious caveat that Love has only played three games, Love has not been worth that contract to start the season.

Love’s first half looked a lot like the quarterback who struggled his way through the first half of the 2023 season.

They were 0-for-5 in the first half on third downs. Love’s accuracy was spotty.

His best play of the first half, a deep ball to Jayden Reed, was a great throw, but a poor decision. When Love released the ball, there were three Rams around Reed.

It worked that time, but it’s not something that can be considered a good decision.

Love followed that up later with his worst decision of the season. On a rolling pocket backed up in his own end zone, Love failed to pull the trigger. Instead of throwing the ball away, Love held the ball for pressure to be applied.

As he was falling down, Love threw the ball up in the air, and Jaylen McCollough was waiting for it.

The big plays are there, as evidenced by his deep ball to Reed and the long touchdown to Tucker Kraft to open the second half.

The second half was significantly better for Love, and showed how good Green Bay’s offense can be. He went 7-for-7 after the interception, including two touchdowns to give the Packers a 24-13 lead.

There’s also way too many mistakes.

For a team that has Super Bowl aspirations, they make too many silly mistakes.

That starts with the quarterback, who has made too many in his three starts to begin the year.

Rashan Gary

Speaking of high-paid players that need to play better. Rashan Gary had another quiet day at the office.

Gary has one sack this season, and it came on a play where Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson thought the play was blown dead.

Gary is paid to be an impact player, and the impact plays have not been there.

Going back to last year, Gary has 1.5 sacks since his 3-sack performance on Thanksgiving Day against Detroit.

For a guy who just signed a new contract extension last year, the Packers need more from him.

Run Defense

Not to beat a dead horse that we’ve been able to since the invention of Twitter, but the Packers’ run defense was putrid again on Sunday. The Rams’ offense was missing two offensive linemen and two of their top receivers.

The path for the Rams was obvious, and they needed to lean on Kyren Williams and Blake Corum to carry them to a victory.

In the first half, the Packers were largely pushed around by the Rams’ makeshift offensive line and dynamic running backs.

Williams and Corum both averaged more than five yards-per-carry in the first half.

They finished the day with 28 carries for 134 yards.

In fact, the only time the Packers really stopped the Rams’ run game was on Enagbare’s game-changing forced fumble.

That play, in essence, changed the game script, and forced the Rams to lean on Matthew Stafford and their depleted passing game.

Next on the schedule is Arizona, who has Kyler Murray and James Connor.

At some point, this group needs to make some improvement… right?

More Green Bay Packers News

Game story: Packers 24, Rams 19 | Live updates: Packers 24, Rams 19 | Highlights: Packers 24, Rams 19 | The big matchup | Packers-Rams three reasons to worry | Packers-Rams three reasons to believe | Packers suspend Romeo Doubs | Packers-Rams: Five keys

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Jacob Westendorf
JACOB WESTENDORF