In what looks to be the game of the week, 2 NFC heavyweights face off in LA with potential future playoff seeding on the line. The all time series is tied 45-45-2, but the Packers have won 5 straight.
Green Bay is coming off a bye week after their 33-30 Monday night win over the 49ers. In week 4, the Packers blanked the Bills 22-0, and lost 31-23 to the Lions in week 5.
The Rams are coming off a 39-10 domination of the 49ers. In week 5, the Rams snuck by the Seahawks 33-31, and beat the Broncos 23-20 in week 6.
SportsBook.com has the Rams as 9(!!) point favourites with an O/U of 57.
Aaron Rodgers continues to produce greatness in front of our very eyes. Rodgers led yet another last minute drive to set Mason Crosby up for a game winner over the 49ers. Dealing with receivers in and out of the lineup, as well as a clearly injured knee, Rodgers has thrown for just shy of 2000 yards (1997) on 61.4 completion percentage, while throwing 12 touchdowns to just 1 interception.
Davante Adams is developing into a true #1 receiver as he now has 47 catches for 557 yards and 6 touchdowns on the season. The Packers other 2 top wide receivers, Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison have missed 3 and 2 games, respectively. The defense generates pressure like crazy from the interior, as Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry, and Mike Daniels have combined for 53 pressures, almost half of the teams total. The young secondary members have played well, but still have a lot of room for improvement.
Injuries and Inactive Watch
CB Jaire Alexander (groin) – questionable
WR Geronimo Allison (hamstring) – questionable
WR Randall Cobb (hamstring) – questionable
After a few close calls, the Rams dominated in all 3 facets on Sunday. Jared Goff was an efficient 18/24 for 202 yards and 2 touchdowns as they played with a lead for the entire game. Todd Gurley ran for 2 TDs and caught another on his way to 63 rushing yards on 15 attempts and 4 catches for 23 yards. Robert Woods (5/78/0) and Brandin
Cooks (4/64/1) were really the only other benefactors in the pass game, but created consistent separation. The offensive line continues to be among the elite in the NFL, opening up gaping running lanes for Gurley and backup Malcolm Brown (13 carries for 65 yards vs SF), and keeping Jared Goff upright.
Aaron Donald is a freak. The dude won Defensive Player of the Year last season, and after a bit of a slow start this season absolutely dominated with a career game. Donald had 4 sacks and was just throwing offensive linemen into the QB, and had a forced fumble/fumble recovery where he literally took the ball away and secured the ball in one motion. Troy Hill and John Johnson each had interceptions, and the Rams didn’t allow a reception to a wide receiver until the mid 3rd quarter. Cory Littleton also blocked a punt for a safety, which is his 4th blocked punt in 2 seasons, which is nuts.
Injuries and Inactive Watch
WR Cooper Kupp (knee) – doubtful
CB Troy Hill (concussion) – questionable
9 points marks the largest spread against an Aaron Rodgers led team in his NFL career. This scares me for a variety of reasons. Aaron Rodgers is still Aaron Rodgers, possibly the best quarterback of our generation and debatably ever. By himself, he has to be worth at least 3 or 4 points by himself. If you take Rodgers out of the question, are the Rams 13 points better than the Packers? Maybe, but that’s not the question. The Rams secondary is suspect and is dealing with a lot of injuries, and I could see Rodgers shouldering the load once again to an easy cover.
This comes with a caveat. The Rams offense is second to just Kansas City in terms of explosiveness and can seemingly put up points at will. Green Bay’s defense is nothing special, and will struggle to generate the same pressure they are used to against the Rams juggernaut of an OL. There is just too much to defend for the Packers defense, and this will be a huge test for their young corners. All in all, I think the Aaron Rodgers effect is enough to give Green Bay a back door cover at the least. This should be a fun one regardless, and is a must watch in my opinion.
Final Pick: Green Bay (+9)
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