Green Bay Packers: 3 Lessons from win vs L.A. Rams
By Tadhg Flynn
The Green Bay Packers continue their excellent form with a win over the L.A. Rams. What did we learn from their dominant win?
The Green Bay Packers continued their Super-Bowl-or-bust journey in the 2021 NFL season with a statement win over the L.A. Rams. The Packers led from wire to wire in this Week 12 game, doubling the time in possession of their opponents and making a dangerous Rams’ offense look limited and incohesive.
Aaron Rodgers led the team to victory despite his fractured toe, and with a 9-3 record the Green Bay Packers are now the leading favorites for the number 1 seed in the NFC. But what did this Week 12 win mean for their season moving forward? We look at this game and list 3 lessons learned from stomping the listless L.A. Rams.
3. Green Bay Packers have a sneaky good running game
Of all the 2021 Super Bowl favorites, the Green Bay Packers were a franchise highlighted as possibly missing out thanks to their ground game. Naturally, the Packers’ main offensive strength lies in the generational talent of Aaron Rodgers. This is a pass-first team, and in years past this has damaged their chances of winning it all.
This season has seen the Packers develop a one-two punch in the running game. Aaron Jones has been a core piece of the Packers’ offense for the past few seasons. He is the main rush option, with more carries and yards through the season so far. However, the tandem that has been developed with A.J. Dillon in the younger player’s sophomore year is making the Packers very difficult to beat.
On Sunday, Dillon bullied the Rams’ defense, securing crucial 3rd downs on multiple occasions and keeping the ball away from the Rams’ offense. Dillon had 20 carries for 69 yards, forcing the Rams to be wary of his threat and not committing too many players to the pass.
This created space on the outside and clever offense allowed the Packers to dominate the Rams from start to finish. Dillon is having a breakout year, and the offense has become far more dynamic thanks to his powerful presence.
Both Jones and Dillon have over 500 yards through 12 games, a significant chunk of the Packers’ total yards. What makes this pair of running backs so particularly good, however, is their dual-threat ability. Both Jones and Dillon are very comfortable receiving the ball. Dillon had 21 receiving yards and a touchdown on Sunday.
The confusion and mismatches this can create on defense for opponents give Rodgers more time to make good decisions. It is hard to see how teams will counter this Green Bay Packers’ offense over the remaining month of the season if they keep playing to this standard.