It began as a matchup in which the Los Angeles Rams went from underdog to a legit threat, but the Green Bay Packers kept throwing body blows en route to a 32-18 victory to stamp their ticket to the NFC Championship game for the second consecutive season and the third time since 2016. Aaron Rodgers had his offense cooking as usual on the opening drive of the first half, and even got his usual mental error from the opposing defense that awarded him a free play that put the Packers in the red zone. They ran into a brick wall immediately thereafter though, when the Rams defense clamped down to force a field goal instead of what felt like an inevitable touchdown.
From there, it was a mix of overhand rights by the Packers countered by one-two combos from a Rams team that refused to lay down and go to sleep -- until Rodgers ultimately put them to bed against their will.
Despite still nursing a broken thumb, Jared Goff came out of the gate firing with accuracy and rhythm on the following drive for the Rams, but the promising drive was ended deep in Packers territory after an ill-timed and unproductive wildcat call -- followed by a stopped run on third-and-short and a penalty on fourth-and-1 that forced them into a field goal of their own. They'd pay for those mistakes, with Rodgers again leading the charge but this time getting his touchdown by way of a short toss to superstar wideout Davante Adams early in the second quarter. One sack by defensive end Za'Darius Smith later and the Packers had the ball once again, punishing the Rams for another long drive -- these surely beginning to wear on the Rams defense -- to land a second touchdown, this time with Rodgers taking it in himself to stretch the lead to 13 points.
Refusing to lay down and die, however, Goff engineered a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in the final two minutes of the first half to cut their deficit with the help of rookie wide receiver Van Jefferson. Aaron Jones punched the Rams in the face to start the third quarter, but the Rams answered with some trickery from running back Cam Akers and timely defensive stops, only to ultimately become the latest victim of Rodgers being Rodgers in the clutch -- by way of a 58-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter to close the casket on the Rams' season.
Why the Packers won
I have to assume FedEx, UPS and USPS are jealous.
That's how great the Packers were on both the ground and in the air -- rushing for 188 yards (it was over 200 yards at one point) and throwing for another 296. They achieved the former by committing to not simply Jones, but also to Jamaal Williams and rookie second-round pick A.J. Dillon, the RB hydra having its way with a Los Angeles defense who saw perennial All-Pro Aaron Donald a bit too injured to help stop it. Donald was visibly frustrated by the Packers' offensive line for much of the game when he was on the field, and he wasn't the only one. Rodgers wasn't sacked a single time in four complete quarters of play, and his comfort fueled eight third-down conversions on 12 attempts en route to 482 total yards on the day and two passing touchdowns. It was also a matter of discipline for Green Bay, who had only three penalties all game for only 22 total yards.
They played like a team ready to move on, and that includes the defense stepping up in the big moments. For while the Rams couldn't get a whiff of Rodgers cologne -- including allowing him to scramble on a misdirection play for a rushing touchdown -- the Packers made Goff feel their presence on a regular basis. Goff was sacked four times and hit seven times, often on third down when the Rams could ill afford it. At one point, the Rams had converted zero of their first five third-down attempts and finished having converted only two of eight (25 percent). Kudos to Los Angeles for applying unexpected pressure to the Packers for a hefty bit of the contest -- scoreboard-wise -- but Rodgers is special, and even more so when he's in front of his home crowd with a trip to the NFC title game on the line.
Why the Rams lost
As noted, Rodgers might not have to wash his jersey later.
He was clean and upright for the entire game, and comfortable, even when standing in the pocket in his own end zone with the threat of a safety looming nearby. This was in stark contrast to the beating Russell Wilson took from the Rams one week prior, a nod to the abilities of the Packers offensive line, and also a hint at just how injured Donald truly is. With the Los Angeles defense under siege for much of the game, although they did have more than one key stop that threatened to turn the tide, it was Goff who felt the pressure to outduel an NFL legend on his own field, and he did his best. Although he finished with only 174 passing yards and one touchdown, he was as efficient as you could as a man with a broken thumb to be -- actually much more so. Goff had only six incompletions and helped engineer impressive drives on more than one occasion, but the wall in front of him collapsed time and again when he could least afford it to.
Without the ability to own the air, Akers needed to have a repeat of his dominant performance against the Seahawks, but he didn't because he couldn't. His 90 rushing yards on 18 attempts with a touchdown was solid football, but not the Herculean effort needed to overcome an inconsistent aerial attack and exhausted Rams defense. This is a team that showed a lot of heart in the face of a more potent opponent but simply ran out of air in the 12th round.
Turning Point
It was the Rams siphoning momentum to enter halftime, shrinking the lead and serving notice they wouldn't be the Packers punching bag in this game. But to start the third quarter, they took an uppercut to the face by way of a 60-yard run from Aaron Jones, who later polished off the drive with a touchdown to keep the Rams at bay until Rodgers could finish the job.
Play of the Game
With their season on the line and needing a touchdown to nail the coffin, who better to swing the hammer than Rodgers? This is the football version of having the Mamba Mentality -- the frontrunner for league MVP burying the Rams with a clutch throw they'll never forget.
Grab your popcorn
"Aaron Rodgers has never faced Tom Brady, nor Drew Brees, in the NFL Playoffs. So, there's that." - Andrew Siciliano of NFL Network
What's next
The Packers await the winner of the New Orleans Saints versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, either setting up what will be a historic NFC postseason clash of NFL titans at the quarterback position.
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