The Green Bay Packers (2-2) return to the road to face the struggling Los Angeles Rams (1-3) on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
Matt LaFleur’s team will try to recover from last week’s disappointing loss to the Minnesota Vikings and defeat an NFC opponent for the first time this season (0-2).
The Rams returned to action against the 49ers after a scoreless start. Through four weeks, Sean McVay’s team has a -40 point differential, which ranks second-worst in the NFC and fourth-worst overall. And the Rams just lost to the Chicago Bears on the road.
Still, the combination of McVay and Matthew Stafford makes the Rams risky on a weekly basis.
Here are five keys to the Packers beating the Rams in Week 5:
Stop the Rams’ pass rush
The Rams no longer have future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald, but the defensive front is still formidable. First-round pick Jared Verse looks like a future star, Byron Young had over 50 pressures as a forward last season, and both Kobie Turner and rookie Braden Fiske are showing disruptive ability from deep within the team. The verse is the greatest threat. As Matt LaFleur said Thursday, he’s massive, athletic and tenacious. Left tackle Rasheed Walker will have his hands full, but the rest of the Packers’ offensive line – one of the best in the NFL so far in pass protection – also needs to be good on Sunday. Jordan Love and the Packers’ weapons in the passing game will have the opportunity to pick apart a shaky secondary if the quarterback is protected.
Bottle Kyrena
The Rams are still settling into the offensive line after injuries and unexpected absences decimated the team heading into the 2024 season. While the Rams have generally struggled to protect the passer, they have struggled to run the ball at times this season. Kyren Williams has a nearly 54 percent rushing success rate, five rushing touchdowns in the NFL and 20 first downs, which ranks third. The Rams rank third in run block win rate on ESPN. The Packers are better in consecutive games this season, but Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor and Aaron Jones have all rushed for 90 or more yards against Jeff Hafley’s group in four weeks.
It’s time to enhance the feed speed
There are no excuses for the Packers pass rush this week. The Rams offensive line, while improving with players returning, has struggled to protect the quarterback this season, and Matthew Stafford is not a threat if he holds the ball and escapes the pocket. While the Packers are not expected to have Devonte Wyatt available and Kenny Clark is still dealing with a lingering toe injury, this is a chance for the four-man lineup to get back on track. Stafford was pressured in about 35 percent of his losses in 2024, and the veteran quarterback really struggled as a team (47.2 percent completion, four turnovers per PFF). Even without his best weapon, Stafford is an effective and risky passer when protected. On Sunday, pressure is a must.
Going deep
This involves protecting the quarterback, but the Packers could feast on deep passes on Sunday. According to Next Gen Stats, the Rams have thrown the most touchdown passes this season and had the highest EPA per play on passes thrown more than 20 yards in the air. Cornerbacks Tre’Davious White and Quentin Lake have a combined target depth averaging nearly 14 yards against their coverage, highlighting how often teams are willing to attack in intermediate and deep areas against the Rams. Jordan Love isn’t afraid to make massive plays on the pitch. Even without Christian Watson this week, the Packers, who lead the NFL in explosive plays, could do damage in Sunday’s downfield passing game.
Win situationally
The Rams rank in the bottom half of the NFL at third overall and are in the red zone on both offense and defense. Two stand out: The Rams are allowing 50% third-down conversions on defense, which ranks 30th. The Rams scored touchdowns on just seven of 17 red zone trips, ranking 29th at 41.2%. Can the Packers extend third-down drives and keep the Rams out of the end zone in scoring territory? This could also be a chance for the Packers to hit the red zone – the Rams have allowed nine touchdowns on 15 chances this season. Executing situational dominance is one path for the Packers to get out of Los Angeles with a victory.
