The Green Bay Packers advanced to the NFC title game with an impressive 32-18 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday at Lambeau Field.
The beauty in the win was the combination of expected production from star players and the bountiful contributions from role players up and down the roster of Matt LaFleur’s team.
Here are the studs and duds of the Packers’ divisional round win:
Studs
OLB Rashan Gary: The second-year edge rusher made the most of his opportunities once again. Playing just 32 snaps, Gary was in on a pair of sacks and had a team-high seven pressures. His best moment came on a third-down sack when he beat veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth with speed and power inside and then tracked down Jared Goff with help from Kenny Clark. He is playing faster, and the physical gifts are starting to create consistent production. Mike Smith’s prized pupil is slowly becoming a legitimate difference-maker.
WR Davante Adams: Nine catches for 66 yards aren’t “wow” numbers, but Adams was still impressive. He left Jalen Ramsey grasping at air on a devastating slant in the first half. Later, he had a chance at explosive play on a perfectly executed double move but Aaron Rodgers didn’t throw him a great ball. Matt LaFleur’s brilliant playcall and Adams’ crafty pre-snap movement created the touchdown.
RG Lucas Patrick: A big worry coming into Saturday was the Rams finding ways to isolate all-world defensive lineman Aaron Donald on Patrick, especially in the passing game. With Donald limited by a rib injury, Patrick had no issues. In fact, he was on the winning end of most of his matchups. The Packers ran inside zone relentlessly and effectively. Patrick, Corey Linsley and Elgton Jenkins did all the heavy lifting. On Aaron Jones’ 60-yard run to start the second half, Patrick’s one-on-one seal block created the alley.
RT Rick Wagner: Facing slippery edge rusher Leonard Floyd could have been a significant challenge for Wagner, but he held his own against the former Bear and was terrific in the run game. Although everyone was good up front for the Packers, Pro Football Focus had Wagner as the only offensive lineman to pitch a shutout in pass protection. Signing the veteran to replace Bryan Bulaga for a fraction of the price was a stroke of genius from Brian Gutekunst.
OLB Preston Smith: His pass-rushing production remains inconsistent, but the veteran outside linebacker still figures out different ways to impact the game. Twice, he got his hands up and deflected a pass downfield. The first came on third down on the opening series. He read Goff’s eyes, got in the passing lane and knocked it down, preventing a likely completion. Functionally speaking, the pass breakup was as good as a sack. He hit Goff once, and he helped force a field goal by beating a block and scrapping down the line to stop Cam Akers on 3rd-and-2 in the first half.
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling: The Packers may credit him with a drop in the end zone on the first series. It was a tough ball thrown over his head, but it wasn’t a contested-catch situation and he got two hands on it. Even so, MVS was solid. He made a tough catch away from his body on a comeback and juked past the defender for 12 yards on the first drive. The Rams had to respect his speed. Later, he made a smart adjustment in the scramble drill, opening late over the middle for a first-down catch. His late defensive maneuvering on John Johnson prevented an interception to end the first half. With a typically accurate Aaron Rodgers throw, he would have scored a 92-yard touchdown in the third quarter. He cooked the cornerback with a double move and was in the clear but Rodgers sailed the ball over his head out of bounds. His most meaningful play came in the fourth quarter when he made a spinning catch on a bubble screen and worked his way past the sticks for an important first down.
RB Jamaal Williams: He ran harder Saturday than maybe any other contest in his NFL career. When he gets moving downhill and lowers his shoulder, the pile is going to move. Six of his 12 runs gained first downs, and he gained 44 yards after contact, per PFF. Three of his runs converted third downs.
LB Krys Barnes: Coaches probably won’t appreciate Akers carrying him from five yards out into the end zone on the Wildcat run. They’ll probably appreciate just about everything else. Playing with a cast to protect an injured hand, Barnes didn’t miss a tackle on 10 attempts and was active all over the field. Late in the game, he made a terrific break on an out route and probably would have picked off Goff with two healthy hands. He can get manipulated as a middle of the field defender in coverage, but his game looks to be ever-improving.
Duds
LS Hunter Bradley: Two of his snaps weren’t even close. The first, which he fired three feet inside, resulted in the bungled extra point attempt. Later, he nearly skipped a snap off the turf on a punt. JK Scott did well to even catch the two snaps. Bradley has been far too inconsistent in 2020.
RB A.J. Dillon: The fumble could have been a game-changing moment. The exchange between the rookie and Rodgers wasn’t clean. It didn’t cost the Packers, but it’s the kind of play that will have LaFleur second-guessing snaps for Dillon late in games.
CB Kevin King: He tackled well, maybe at the highest level of the season. But the Rams still found five completions and three different first downs against his coverage. Robert Woods beat him twice for first downs, and rookie Van Jefferson caught all three of his targets with King in coverage. Teams are hardly throwing at Jaire Alexander, so King is going to get tested. Quarterbacks are still finding it too easy to find chain-moving completions underneath King’s coverage.
DL Damon Harrison: The Packers had him on the field for just three plays. He got washed out of all three, so Dean Lowry and Tyler Lancaster got much of the work the rest of the way. The Packers might have been uncomfortable with having Harrison on the field against the Rams’ up-tempo looks.
