Packers rip Rams to advance to NFC Championship - New York Post

It has taken a long time for Aaron Rodgers to get here, somewhere he has never been before.

At long last, he will play in an NFC Championship game at home, at Lambeau Field. For the first time in his career.

“It means a lot,’’ Rodgers said.

That upcoming moment was signed, sealed and delivered after Rodgers leaned on a powerful running game and did plenty himself through the air Saturday night to secure a 32-18 victory over the outmatched Rams in an NFC divisional playoff game in Green Bay.

“Made a lot of starts in this league without being a part of being able to host an NFC Championship,’’ Rodgers said. “There is a home-field advantage. It will be exciting to watch the game [Sunday] and know whoever wins is coming to our place.’’

Yes, indeed. Be it Tom Brady and the Buccaneers or Drew Brees and the Saints, whoever it is will have to face Rodgers and the No. 1-seed Packers at their storied home field. Since winning the Super Bowl after the 2010 season, Rodgers has advanced to three NFC title games since 2014, losing all three, all on the road.

Aaron Rodgers celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass to Davante Adams (17) during the Packers' 32-18 win over the Rams. — Aaron Rodgers celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass to Davante Adams (17) during the Packers’ 32-18 win over the Rams.

“We’re looking forward to coming back here next week,’’ star receiver Davante Adams said.

Why not?

There were about 9,000 fans allowed to watch in person at the not-frozen tundra, as the temperature at kickoff was 35 degrees at Lambeau Field and light snow fell from time to time. It was not vintage Green Bay postseason weather and this was not vintage pyrotechnic passing by Rodgers (23-of-36, 296 yards, two touchdowns). Unable to hit anything deep for more than three quarters against the NFL’s top-rated defense in 2020, the Packers took to the ground to accomplish what they needed to get done. They ran for 188 yards, split between Aaron Jones (99 yards), Jamaal Williams (65) and A.J. Dillon (27).

Rodgers, who was not sacked, used the word “stellar’’ to describe the play of his offensive line.

“That’s a good word because it’s rooted in ‘star’ and they were the stars of the game,’’ he said. “I don’t know if I got touched the entire night. They dominated the line of scrimmage.’’

There were about 9,000 Packers fans in attendance to see their team advance to the NFC Championship.

To have any shot at an upset, the Rams needed a huge game from Aaron Donald, their “Terminator’’ star defensive tackle, but did not come close to getting nearly enough. Donald, dealing with a rib injury, spent plenty of time watching from the sideline — he missed 11 snaps in the first half — and never got into a groove. His only impact came early in the second quarter, when he got into a scuffle with Elgton Jenkins and was flagged for a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty for grabbing Jenkins’ facemask.

“Aaron Donald, to me I don’t think he had too much of an impact on the game,’’ Packers receiver Allen Lazard said.

Since winning the Super Bowl following the 2010 season, the Packers, while not exactly playoff patsies, have certainly not been playoff powerhouses. They made it into the postseason seven times and are 7-7 in their past 14 playoff games — losing once in the wild-card round, three times in the divisional round and the three times on the road in the NFC Championship game.

To keep chugging along, the Packers looked as if they might make this a rout, leading 19-10 at halftime and 25-10 early in the third quarter after a 75-yard touchdown drive — every yard on the ground — sparked by Jones’ 60-yard run.

The Rams, playing with an ineffective Donald on defense and without top receiver Cooper Kupp (knee injury) on offense, hung in. Cam Akers out of the Wildcat formation took a direct snap and powered 7 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter. Some trickery on the 2-point conversion — Akers got into the end zone after a hook-and-ladder flip from rookie Van Jefferson — cut the deficit to 25-18.

A response was needed. A response was made.

The Packers got a stop on defense, thanks to a sack of Jared Goff by Kenny Clark. Rodgers saved a possession by pouncing on a fumble on a botched exchange with Dillon. Three plays later, Rodgers after an exquisite play-fake hit Lazard, who split defensive backs Jordan Fuller and Troy Hill, for a 58-yard catch-and-run touchdown hookup with 6:52 remaining. That was that.

The start, and the close, made Rodgers emotional. The Packers in this COVID-19 season played at home in front of a handful of fans a few times this season but never with this many in the building. Rodgers said the 9,000 in attendance “felt like 50,000.’’ At the two-minute warning, the fans chanted “MVP … MVP’’ at their quarterback, the heavy favorite to indeed win that award.

“You forget how much you truly, truly miss having a crowd out there,’’ Rodgers said. “It’s hard to really put into words how special that feeling is. You can feel it, it’s so palpable. You can feel the energy.’’

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