Here’s How the Packers Beat the Rams to Advance to the N.F.C. Title Game

Here’s How the Packers Beat the Rams to Advance to the N.F.C. Title Game Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers celebrates after his second passing touchdown.

The Green Bay Packers are back in the N.F.C. championship game with a 32-18 rout of the Los Angeles Rams. Green Bay’s offense was dominant both running and passing; Aaron Rodgers had two touchdowns passing and one running, while Aaron Jones had a touchdown after setting himself up with a big run. Soon, the Baltimore Ravens will play the Buffalo Bills in a marquee matchup between two of the most well-rounded quarterbacks (and offenses) in the league. Lamar Jackson of the Ravens and Josh Allen of the Bills also each got their first playoff win last week.

Green Bay Packers receiver Allen Lazard, with a 58-yard touchdown, put the game out of reach for the Los Angeles Rams. After pounding the middle of the Rams defensive line with running plays for much of the game, on a second-and-6 near midfield, Aaron Rodgers called an audible at the line of scrimmage and switched to a deep pass to wide receiver Allen Lazard. Rodgers began the play with a backfield play-action fake then connected with Lazard, who was untouched as he split two defenders and caught Rodgers’s perfect pass in the open field for a 58-yard touchdown. The score increased the Packers lead to 32-18 with seven minutes remaining which proved to be the final score.

The Rams got a stop, then pulled out some tricks to narrow the Packers’ lead. Cam Akers scored a touchdown for the Los Angeles Rams after accepting a direct snap from the center. After forcing the first Packers punt of the game midway through the third quarter, the Rams offense rallied to give Los Angeles the jolt it needed to get back in the game. Well aware that he is now in a shootout, Rams Coach Sean McVay came out throwing as Jared Goff completed six consecutive passes for 51 yards. The Rams went back to the rushing attack for several plays, and then on a first-and-goal from the Packers’ 7-yard line, running back Cam Akers lined up at quarterback. Taking the direct snap, Akers bulled into the end zone. McVay stayed inventive. On a two-point conversion try, Goff threw to wide receiver Van Jefferson in the flat, who tossed a lateral to Akers on a hook and ladder play that succeeded and cut the Packers lead to 25-18. The fourth quarter is underway. Just a beautiful pay call for the Rams on this 2pt conversion 👌



(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/8oAcdjAyv1 — FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 16, 2021

With Donald out, the Packers’ running game is thriving. Aaron Jones of the Packers broke open a big run before using a shorter one to roll into the end zone. The intermittent absences of Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who is widely considered the best defensive lineman in the N.F.L., continues to be a key to the Packers’ dominance. Donald did not start the second half with the Rams first-team defense and on its first play, Green Bay handed the football to running back Aaron Jones who gashed through the middle of the Rams defense on a startling 60-yard run. After an Aaron Rodgers incomplete pass, the Packers went back to the ground attack on four successive plays, with Jones finishing off the drive on a 1-yard touchdown run that put Green Bay ahead, 25-10. The two-point conversion attempt that followed failed. Donald injured his ribs in last weekend’s playoff game in Seattle and has been off the field for roughly half of the Rams’ defensive snaps so far. His presence as a run-stopper was considered a pivotal weapon against the potent Packers offense, which has instead moved up and down the field. The Packers have 160 rushing yards, including 85 yards from Jones on 10 carries.

A Packers first-half lead usually ends well in Green Bay. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has put together a season worthy of M.V.P. consideration. The Green Bay Packers, leading 19-10 after the first half of Saturday’s divisional playoff game with the Los Angeles Rams, are on a familiar route to success so far. The Packers have now outscored opponents 318-173 in the first two quarters this season, which was the key to 13 victories in 16 regular season games. Green Bay has been outscored in the final quarter of games by 17 points, but their early leads have provided the necessary cushion most weeks. With only 39 seconds remaining before intermission Saturday, and after the Rams had pulled to within six points, the Packers rebounded by added to their lead. Aaron Rodgers led Green Bay down the field but narrowly avoided being intercepted on two consecutive plays as he looked for receivers in the end zone. The Packers instead got a 39-yard field goal from Mason Crosby on the final play of the second quarter. Unreal drive by Aaron Rodgers with 29 seconds left but the Rams can’t drop back to back picks! That 3 points — mark schlereth (@markschlereth) January 16, 2021

Jared Goff looked sharp on a touchdown drive to keep pace. Jared Goff celebrating after his first touchdown, a pass to Van Jefferson. While Rams quarterback Jared Goff seemed unable to get in sync with his wide receivers in the early stages of Saturday’s game — perhaps missing Cooper Kupp, who is out with a knee injury — he led Los Angeles on an aggressive, proficient scoring drive late in the second quarter. It was a quick strike that the reeling Rams, down 16-3 at the time, needed and proved that Goff’s surgically repaired right thumb (he injured it Dec. 27 against the Seattle Seahawks) is healthy enough for him to help the Rams keep pace with high-flying Green Bay. After Cam Akers rumbled for five key rushes, Goff picked up 21 key yards on a Josh Reynolds reception. Goff then threw an accurate 4-yard touchdown pass caught to rookie receiver Van Jefferson, who is Kupp’s replacement. Goff has completed nine of 10 passes for 91 yards through halftime. The rookie Van Jefferson getting himself a playoff TD 🙌 @VanJefferson12 @RamsNFL



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(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/DSVKWIsjZQ — The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) January 16, 2021

An injured Aaron Donald is being held in check. Aaron Donald, who has been recovering from an injury, left the game during the first series and was not playing as well as most offenses fear. The Rams star defensive tackle Aaron Donald has been frustrated and largely been held ineffective in the first half. Donald lost his temper and was signaled for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for tussling with Packers offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins after he was successfully blocked on one first-quarter play. Donald, who tore some of his rib cartilage in last weekend’s victory over Seattle and missed practice time this week, has also been sidelined periodically during the first half. He came off the field before the Packers’ first possession ended and was not playing during the Packers drive during the middle of the second quarter.

Aaron Rodgers pump-faked his way into a touchdown run. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers ran in Green Bay’s second touchdown of the game. For the first time this season, the Packers are hosting about 6,500 spectators at Lambeau Field and the fans are certainly not sitting on their hands because of the 35-degree temperatures. The crowd is vociferous and laying down a loud soundtrack for the game since their Packers are controlling the action so far. They were at their loudest when Green Bay advanced deep into Rams’ territory with a series of productive runs by the impressive running back duo of Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones and short passes to Davante Adams. With a first-and-goal at the Rams’ 8-yard line, and with Los Angeles defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who had been sidelined in the drive, back in the game, two runs by Williams set up a third-and-goal at the 1-yard line. Rodgers faked a handoff then scrambled to his right, apparently without an open receiver to throw to. Rodgers faked a pass that caused his closest pursuer, Leonard Floyd, to jump in the air. That gave Rodgers the room, and the time, to scamper into corner of the end zone. According to Pro Football Reference, it was the first playoff rushing touchdown for Rodgers in 10 years. The extra point attempt failed as the Packers took a 16-3 led with about three minutes and 30 seconds left in the first half. The pump fake!



AARON RODGERS IS IN. #GoPackGo #NFLPlayoffs



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The Packers go up 10-3 as Davante Adams beat Jalen Ramsey for a touchdown. As faint snow flurries began to fall late in the first quarter at Lambeau Field, the Packers offensive line, which is missing All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari due to injury, began to dominate the line of scrimmage. Packers running back Jamaal Williams burst through gaping holes, running for 17 yards on three consecutive plays and Aaron Jones adding 11 yards on two rushes. Green Bay then benefited from a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald who got into a snarling tussle after a play. Four running plays set up a play-action fake in the backfield and quick throw to Davante Adams for a 1-yard touchdown pass that gave the Packers a 10-3 lead. In one of the featured one-on-one battles of the game, Adams beat the Rams top cornerback, Jalen Ramsey, on the play. After the whistle, Ramsey seemed annoyed at teammate Nick Scott for impeding his path to covering Adams. Rodgers. Adams. Another TD from 12 to 17. #GoPackGo #NFLPlayoffs



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Los Angeles Rams kicker Matt Gay put his team on the board with a field goal in the first quarter. Stealing a tactic from the Packers, the Rams unleashed their no-huddle offense on their second possession of the game with immediate success. With the Green Bay defense retreating, quarterback Jared Goff fit some precise passes in small windows over the middle of the field. First, Goff connected with wide receiver Josh Reynolds for 28 yards and, on a similar route, Robert Woods caught a 19-yard pass. Goff was 4 of 5 for 51 yards on the Rams' 8-play, 62-yard FG drive. — Tom Silverstein (@TomSilverstein) January 16, 2021 Those gains set up a fourth-and-1 for the Rams at the Packers’ 11-yard line and Los Angeles chose to go for it (perhaps recognizing that Green Bay had the league’s highest scoring offense.) But a false start penalty on both Rams guards forced them to settle for a 37-yard field goal by Matt Gay that tied the game at 3-3.

The Packers settle for a field goal on their first drive. Equanimeous St. Brown tries to run past Rams safety Jordan Fuller, left, and John Johnson III. The Packers advanced inside the Rams’ 20-yard line on their opening drive but had to settle for a 24-yard Mason Crosby field goal. The key play of the drive was a 27-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers to Equanimeous St. Brown when the Packers used their no huddle offense to catch the Rams defense unprepared and still moving to get set before the snap. In fact, the Rams ended up with 12 players on the field. But despite a first-and-goal at the Rams 4-yard line, Green Bay lost a yard in three plays — two of them incomplete passes — to set up Crosby’s field goal. Equanimeous St. Brown took the hit and kept going 😤 @Equanimeous @packers



📺 #LARvsGB on FOX pic.twitter.com/RuRpxPgnob — The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) January 16, 2021

Davante Adams and Jalen Ramsey started the mind games even before kickoff. The Rams-Packers game features several matchups of strength against strength, both teamwide and among individual players. One of the most anticipated, between Packers receiver Davante Adams and Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, turned chippy in pregame warm-ups. Ramsey and Adams traded barbs as Adams was on the turf at Lambeau Field and Ramsey watched from the sideline. Adams had to be walked back toward Green Bay’s side of the field by Packers staffers. Davante Adams had to be walked back to the Packers' side of the field after chirping with Jalen Ramsey.



Game on 🍿



(via @WISN_Watson)pic.twitter.com/6hbZoNo97R — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 16, 2021 How much Ramsey can inhibit Adams, who had 115 receptions in the regular season, figures to be a key to the outcome.

The Rams are visiting Lambeau Field in the playoffs for the first time. Green Bay Packers fans cheer for their team at Lambeau Field before the game. Saturday will be the Rams’ first playoff game at Lambeau Field, although not their first postseason game in Wisconsin. On Dec. 23, 1967, Green Bay defeated the Rams at Milwaukee’s County Stadium, 28-7. It was the first of three Packers postseason victories that season, the last being a 33-14 rout of the Oakland Raiders in the second Super Bowl. The Rams and Packers have met in the playoffs only one other time, on Jan. 20, 2002, when the Rams were in St. Louis. Playing at home, the Rams won easily, 45-17, with quarterback Kurt Warner outperforming his counterpart Brett Favre, who threw six interceptions. Those Rams advanced to the Super Bowl and were upset 20-17 by the New England Patriots, the first Super Bowl championship in the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era. Here come the @RamsNFL 👏 pic.twitter.com/5Dv4OLHs8c — FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 16, 2021

Jared Goff was 9 of 19 passing for 155 yards and one touchdown last week against the Seattle Seahawks. Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff, who will be making his first start since having surgery on his right thumb on Dec. 28, was wearing gloves on both hands in warm-ups before Saturday’s game against Green Bay at Lambeau Field. Temperatures at game time in central Wisconsin are predicted to be not much more than 30 degrees. Goff, who was raised in the California Bay Area and played collegiately at Cal-Berkeley, does not have extensive experience performing in cold weather and passers often opt to wear thin, tacky gloves since the football can get slick as the thermometer drops. But some quarterbacks find the gloves distracting. Goff at times seemed to be struggling to grip the football during the Rams’ 30-20 defeat of Seattle last weekend in the wild-card round. Goff did not start that game, but replaced John Wolford when he left the game in the first quarter with injury and completed 9 of 19 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown. Getting warm. #RamsHouse



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📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app pic.twitter.com/kfXs8kzE3K — NFL (@NFL) January 16, 2021