Has it always been nice? No, but the Green Bay Packers left Los Angeles with a victory after defeating the Rams 24-19.
The Packers’ trip to the West Coast was plagued by many of the same problems in the form of penalties, missed opportunities and costly mistakes. And yet they found a way to win and improve their record to 3-2.
Among the most glaring errors was Jordan Love’s destitute attempt to get rid of the ball, which turned into a six and gave Los Angeles the lead overdue in the second quarter. Fortunately, that was Love’s only turnover after three goals last week against the Minnesota Vikings.
The offense never really hit its stride, but made enough plays to win. For Love and Company, this will have to do until they start clicking like they did in 2023.
Defensively, Green Bay once again got a little facilitate with a pass rush, but still held the Rams to just one touchdown as Love gifted them the second.
Matthew Stafford threw for 260 yards and Kyren Williams had 102 yards on 22 attempts, but it still wasn’t enough to secure the W. The Packers’ defense was effective at the right moments, and none was more significant than on the final drive when they stopped Los Angeles in fourth place with just over a minute left.
Green Bay still has a lot of fixing to do, but was fortunate to get some significant contributions on both ends of the court. Here are the honorable mentions from the week five win:
JORDAN LOVE. JAYDEN REED.
📺: #GBvsLAR on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/gCdw5h1Ma1— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2024
It was assumed that without Christian Watson and Romeo Doubas, Reed would have a large week. Well, that assumption turned out to be correct, even though the Rams knew Reed was the most unsafe receiver on the field. Green Bay’s breakout offensive tackle finished with four receptions for 78 yards, including one of the first offensive tackle of the year candidates. Love threw a deep ball to a well-covered Reed, who made an incredible catch despite having three Los Angeles defenders nearby. A great play brought the offense to the two-yard line, allowing Josh Jacobs to score his first touchdown as a Packer. Reed also had two rushing attempts, totaling 19 yards. Year 2 is off to a great start and Reed’s presence is felt strongly each week.
Cooper gets a full sack for the first time in his career!#GBvsLAR pic.twitter.com/h038X9kU47
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) October 6, 2024
The more Cooper plays, the more noticeable his impact becomes, as the rookie defenseman appears to be making at least one eye-catching play per week. This week, Cooper broke free with a second-quarter stunt and was able to sack Matthew Stafford on third down while also putting the Rams out of field goal range. Cooper had another large moment rushing the passer when he forced Stafford to rush a throw on the last down of a fourth down. Cooper remains in a rotational role, but it’s only a matter of time before Green Bay fully unleashes the rookie. In Sunday’s matchup with the Rams, he recorded a career-high five tackles, including one tackle for loss.
It’s still early, but Enagbare has probably made the most noise among Green Bay’s edge rushers. He lost to the Tennessee Titans two weeks ago and suffered another key loss on Sunday. Los Angeles was driving to start the second half until Enagbare knocked the ball out of Kyren Williams’ grasp. Spinning machine Xavier McKinney got the bat back. The Rams moved the ball to the Green Bay 27, but the road situation prevented them from extending their lead to 13-10.
KRAFT WILL NOT REFUSE.
TOUCHDOWN 66 YARDS!#GBvsLAR pic.twitter.com/7cK5YPTP2o
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) October 6, 2024
The Packers got a large performance from Kraft, who led the team with 88 yards on four catches and also contributed two touchdowns. Kraft’s first touchdown came immediately after Enagbare’s forced fumble, when he found himself in open field space for a 66-yard catch and running touchdown to give the Packers the lead. On the next possession, Kraft found the end zone again on a tight end net near the goal line. He is starting to make a name for himself with his ability to run after the catch while continuing to stand out as Green Bay’s top quarterback.
I got QB again!#GBvsLAR pic.twitter.com/2bfGHrTCEY
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) October 6, 2024
The pass rush was once again inconsistent and at times non-existent until Brooks got involved. Brooks, seeing more time on the field in place of the injured Devonte Wyatt, showed up when his team needed it most, racking up 1.5 sacks in the fourth quarter. The first came on a critical third down when Brooks picked off right tackle Rob Havenstein, who had done well against Rashan Gary. Brooks then made another play when he and Preston Smith homered against Stafford on the final drive. Surrounded by a group of first-rounders, last year’s sixth-round pick in 2023 proved he could do it and definitely earned himself some snaps.
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The second-round pick against Georgia fit well into his starting role alongside McKinney. He seems to be in the right spot more often and has shown some physical ability in the first five games. Bullard set the tone for Sunday’s game by flying downfield from the opposite side of the direction of play to track down Kyren Williams, who stopped within one yard. This is an art he has already demonstrated many times this season. Bullard was in action most of the day, even on special teams, when he made a perfect tackle during the kickoff broadcast. The rookie safety finished with eight tackles, his most since week one.
5️⃣ straight games with an interception for Xavier McKinney!! An unrealistic start in the UK for the safety of five-year-olds.
📺: #GBvsLAR on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/I9sIlUdd9B— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2024
Someone may need to check to make sure McKinney’s hands aren’t being magnetized to the ball. Playoff security in Green Bay improved thanks to a two-takeaway day in Los Angeles. In addition to his recovery, McKinney now has an unprecedented five interceptions in five games, making him the first Packers player to record a pick in each of his first five games with the team. The pick occurred while McKinney was walking down the middle of the field on third down. Stafford tried to pass the ball to receiver Tutu Atwell, but found McKinney instead. The safety continued his All-Pro campaign with another forceful performance and should be at the front of the Defensive Player of the Year discussion.
Paintings by Gary A. Vasquez-Imagna
Considering how disappointing the Packers’ safety room was a year ago, three stellar performances in one game represents a significant turnaround. After a training camp where all the rookies were talking about Williams, we finally got to see what he could do in an expanded role in Los Angeles. Williams recorded a team-high 11 tackles and provided good coverage, which resulted in two pass breakups. Williams made the most of his opportunities in Week 5, especially after Stafford’s final throw on fourth down fell incomplete. Williams covered the game brilliantly and broke up a pass intended for Colby Parkinson’s edged shot. After Sunday, Williams certainly deserved more attention in terms of defensive development.
