Green Bay (2-2) at Los Angeles Rams (1-3)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, CBS
BetMGM NFL Odds: Packers by 3.
Against the spread: Packers 2-2; Rams 1-3.
Series record: Packers lead 50-47-2.
Last meeting: The Packers beat the Rams 20-3 in Green Bay on November 5, 2023.
Last week: the Packers lost to Minnesota 31-29; The Rams lost to Chicago 24-18.
Packers offense: total (3), rushing (2), passing (7), score (T-6).
Packers defense: total (20), rush (11), pass (24), score (20).
Rams offense: Total (18), rushing (28), passing (8), scoring (T-22).
Rams defense: overall (31), rush (32), pass (21), score (31).
Turnover differential: Packers plus-6; Rams minus-1.
Packers player to watch
WR Jayden Reed caught seven passes for 139 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings. He has 17 receptions for 336 yards and three total touchdowns (two receiving, one rushing) this season. He is the only player since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 to have at least 80 catches, 1,000 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns and 200 rushing yards in his first 20 NFL games.
Rams player to watch
Dr. Kobie Turner. The start to Turner’s second NFL season was slow, collecting one sack and one tackle for loss in four games. He had nine sacks and eight tackles for loss during a strong rookie campaign, although Turner had a chance to play alongside Aaron Donald. With Donald now enjoying retirement, the Rams need Turner to step up on their sluggish defense to find his footing.
Key match
Packers RB Josh Jacobs versus Rams defensive front. Jacobs has been solid in his first four games away from the Raiders, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. Where Green Bay needs the bruiser to step up is in the red zone, where the offense is running at 46.7 percent efficiency in scoring touchdowns, and Jacobs getting his first score in a Packers jersey could help unlock a recovery. The Rams struggled to stop the run, giving up 4.98 yards per carry. The defensive line is scrambled, although linebackers Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom have done a decent job of minimizing damage after contact. If they can’t stabilize and spark a talented pass rush, it’s going to be a long season in Los Angeles.
Key injuries
WR Christian Watson and DL Devonte Wyatt left the Vikings game with ankle injuries. It seems unlikely that Watson will play against the Rams, but he will avoid having to go on the injured list with a significant ankle sprain. … Packers CB Jaire Alexander (groin) did not play against the Colts and did not practice Wednesday. … Packers CB Carrington Valentine (ankle) missed Green Bay’s last two games but practiced limitedly this week. … Packers DL Kenny Clark (toe), LG Elgton Jenkins (knee) and TE Luke Musgrave (ankle) did not practice Wednesday, leaving their status uncertain for Sunday. … Packers OL Jordan Morgan (shoulder) missed two games but practiced on a limited basis Wednesday. … Packers quarterback Jordan Love played against the Colts after missing two games. He practiced on a limited basis Wednesday and should be ready to play for the Rams. … Rams WR Cooper Kupp will miss his third straight game with an ankle injury. … WR Demarcus Robinson is dealing with a hip injury, putting his status in question. … CB Darious Williams (hamstring) and DL Larrell Murchison (forearm) returned to practice after suffering illnesses in training camp.
Series Notes
The Packers have won four straight against the Rams, including an NFC divisional playoff game during the 2020 season that marked quarterback Jared Goff’s final appearance for Los Angeles before being traded to Detroit as part of the blockbuster trade for Matthew Stafford. … Stafford was unavailable during last season’s loss to the Packers due to a thumb injury. Brett Rypien started in his absence and finished 13 of 28 passing for 130 yards and an interception. … Green Bay has won nine of the last 10 games against Los Angeles.
Statistics and others
The Packers have 12 points to lead the NFL. They intercepted eight passes to tie Minnesota for the league lead. … Packers S Xavier McKinney has intercepted a pass in each of his first four games. The only other NFL players since 2000 to intercept a pass in each of their team’s first four games are Brian Russell of Minnesota in 2003, Devin McCourty of New England in 2019 and Trevon Diggs of Dallas in 2021. … Packers K Brayden Narveson went 0 for 2 on field goal attempts against the Vikings with misses of 37 and 49 yards. He missed four field goal attempts during his rookie season. … The Packers have an NFL-leading 40 explosive plays (a run of more than 12 yards or a pass of more than 16 yards). … Packers WR Dontayvion Wicks is coming off two touchdowns against the Vikings. … Packers quarterback Jordan Love had career highs in passing yards (389), touchdown passes (four) and completions (32) against the Vikings. He also threw three interceptions to tie his career high. … Packers P Daniel Whelan averaged 60 yards on his three punts against the Vikings, the highest single-game average for any Packers punter with at least three attempts since Boyd Dowler had one average of 62.0 against San Francisco in 1962. Wheland’s net average of 56.7 was the best. for a single game by any NFL punter with at least three attempts since Michael Dickson averaged 57.5 yards on six punts against Denver in 2018. …When Sean McVay’s offense was held to three points in Green Bay last year, it was the lowest output in 119 regular season games for him as head coach. … Stafford wasn’t the only star player missing for the trip to Lambeau Field in 2023. RB Kyren Williams was out with a high ankle sprain. … Rams OLB Byron Young had 10 tackles, two sacks, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble against the Packers last season. It was the only multi-sack game of Young’s rookie year. … Rookie K Joshua Karty missed his first career field goal from 43 yards left in the final minute of the first half of the loss at Chicago. … The Rams scored a touchdown in four possessions in the red zone against the Bears. They have seven touchdowns in 17 trips this season. … Williams has scored 21 touchdowns from scrimmage since the start of 2023, tied with the 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey and the Dolphins’ Raheem Mostert for the most in the NFL.
Fancy tip
Rams TE Colby Parkinson has shown a good rapport with Stafford in the red zone during training camp, and getting him more involved could solve the team’s struggles inside the 20. Parkinson could be worth a shot in deeper formats as Los Angeles tries to find a spark for its shorthanded passing game.
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This story has been edited to correct the network to CBS in the 2nd graphic.
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