With a home tilt against the Los Angeles Rams, the Green Bay Packers find themselves with an opportunity to gain momentum by beating a young and banged-up Rams team. On both sides of the ball, there are matchups for Green Bay to exploit in their upcoming game.
3 Key Matchups for the Green Bay Packers to Exploit vs. the Los Angeles Rams
Dominate the Trenches
First off, the Rams could be playing Sunday’s game without quarterback Matthew Stafford. After suffering an injury to his thumb against the Cowboys in Week 8, Stafford is listed as questionable heading into Sunday’s game. If Stafford is unable to go, Los Angeles will be relying on journeyman Brett Rypien to lead the offense. If Rypien gets the start, the Packers have an opportunity to get right by rattling the young quarterback and forcing him into mistakes.
Green Bay must dominate the trenches no matter who starts at quarterback for the Rams. Los Angeles has rotated out a handful of different starters on their offensive line over the weeks, which has produced mixed results for the group. Through eight games, PFF ranks the Rams as having the 26th-best offensive line in the league. Their schedule has not offered many favors, with previous tilts against teams with ferocious pass rushes like Dallas, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia.
Overall, though, the offense has generated the 9th most yards (per ESPN stats) and has been competitive in most of the games they have played. Getting the ball out quickly has been essential for Stafford, which means the Packers must succeed in applying pressure, especially on the interior. Disrupting this Rams’ quick-hitting offense starts up front, and Green Bay has opportunities to exploit this matchup in the trenches.
A Young Secondary Must Step up
After trading Rasul Douglas, the Packers will be down one of their top players in the secondary. Douglas was a leader of the team, and the trade shook the locker room. Playing without Douglas will be a test of not only their talent but also their mindset. The Packers will be relying on a handful of former late-round picks and previously undrafted free agents to fill the void.
With the emergence of rookie Puka Nacua, Los Angeles fields one of the better receiving tandems in the league, behind Nacua and Cooper Kupp. Green Bay will be trotting out rookie Carrington Valentine to man the starting corner spot and try to slow down the Rams top receivers. Jaire Alexander, despite his inconsistencies in 2023, remains Green Bay’s top corner, so the Rams will likely look to target Valentine in his fourth career start. Being targeted will not be new for Valentine, as Russell Wilson did just that when the Packers and Broncos faced off in Week 7. With how efficient the Rams quick-hitting passing attack has been, it is essential that Valentine shows aggressiveness and does not let either Nacua or Kupp beat him immediately off the line.
Generate Explosive Plays on the Ground
For both teams, the run game has been an issue. Los Angeles, after struggling early in the year to find consistency from its backs, averages 109.5 yards per game on the ground (per ESPN stats). Green Bay, on the other hand, has struggled to generate a strong run game and ranks as the league’s seventh-worst rushing attack. Whether or not Aaron Jones plays significant snaps for the Packers, A.J. Dillon needs to play with the same sort of explosiveness and power that he displayed against the Vikings in Week 8.
For Green Bay’s offense to get rolling, they need the running backs to find success early. Matt Lafleur’s offense has shown over the years that, without a respectable run game, it struggles. Play-action will also help open up opportunities for players like Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs to exploit what is a young and retooled Rams secondary.
With Jones still on the mend, Dillon must step up and produce big plays on the ground. Throughout seven games, Dillon has not ripped off a run longer than 15 yards (per ESPN stats). The Rams, meanwhile, have surrendered runs of 20+ yards in four of their seven games so far this year. If the running game stalls, Green Bay could be in trouble against the Rams.
