Packers Notebook (Divisional round)

By: 
Bill Huber
Correspondent

Good vs. good

Getting ready for Saturday’s NFC divisional playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams, one thing became apparent to Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur.

His high-flying offense, which led the NFL in scoring, would be facing a huge test against the Rams’ “legit, real-deal defense.”

Los Angeles was the only team in the NFL to allow fewer than 20 points per game (18.5) and 300 yards per game (281.9). It was No. 1 against the pass, No. 3 against the run, No. 2 in sacks and No. 3 on third down.

It is a unit driven by two of the best defenders in the NFL: All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald and All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Their matchups will go a long way toward determining which team will advance to the NFC Championship Game.

Can the Packers keep Donald out of the backfield? In seven seasons, the five-time All-Pro has 85.5 sacks and 131 tackles for losses. He added 13.5 sacks to that total this season. If he lines up on the defense’s right side, he’ll face standout left guard Elgton Jenkins. If he lines up on the defense’s left side, he’ll face right guad Lucas Patrick – perhaps the weak link on Green Bay’s line. Either way, he’ll see plenty of All-Pro center Corey Linsley.

“He’s a once-in-a-lifetime-type player,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur, the Rams’ offensive coordinator in 2017, said Jan. 12. “Being there with him, I don’t think you truly appreciate him until you start game-planning against him. This guy is dynamic. I think (defensive coordinator) Brandon Staley and his staff do a phenomenal job of just moving him all over the place, so it’s hard to get a bead on exactly where he’s going to be. He’s a guy that can totally disrupt and have a major impact on a game.”

The NFL could make Ramsey vs. Packers receiver Davante Adams a pay-per-view special. Adams had a record-breaking season with 115 receptions and 18 touchdowns. The Rams gave up only 17 touchdown passes all season, thanks in large part to Ramsey, who dominated one-on-one matchups against Seattle’s DK Metcalf in week 16, Arizona’s DeAndre Hopkins in week 17 and Metcalf again in the wild card game.

Ramsey figures to shadow Adams all over the field, whether he lines up on the perimeter or in the slot.

“In times like this and matchups like this, I feel personally it should be big on big,” Ramsey said last week before facing Metcalf again. “If you believe you have a top guy – and I’m looked at as a top guy – we should be matched up against each other a fair amount of times. That’s what I would like to see, selfishly. I feel like that’s what the game should be, that’s what the fans would like to see.”

Last week, the Rams’ defense thoroughly dominated a Seattle offense that finished eighth in the NFL in scoring. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was pressured on 20 of 36 dropbacks, with Donald collecting two sacks before dropping out with a rib injury. Donald is expected to play.

With Donald’s ability to destroy blocking schemes and with Ramsey’s ability to eliminate the No. 1 receiver, will Aaron Rodgers have enough time to find openings elsewhere in the secondary?

“It’s definitely a very well-thought-out scheme, and then when you couple that with some of these players they have on the defensive side of the ball, it creates major problems for the offense,” LaFleur said. “I think that’s a big reason why they’re No. 1 in almost or near the top in almost every statistical category.”

Brother vs. brother

Sean McVay and LaFleur were assistants together with Washington from 2010 through 2013. When McVay was hired as Rams coach in 2017, he brought LaFleur with as his offensive coordinator. McVay’s success — he has led the Rams to the playoffs in three of his four seasons — is no surprise to LaFleur.

“His ability to connect with people, I think that’s special,” LaFleur said. “He’s an excellent communicator. You knew quite quickly that he was destined to be a head coach in this league. We still talk pretty regularly. I don’t know how much I’ll talk to him this week. That’s one of my closest friends in life. I love him like a brother.

“We got pretty tight in our time in Washington. He lived right across the street from me there and he’d come over quite a bit. My wife and I, we’d have dinner together quite a bit. He’s a great friend of mine, but the gloves will be off on Saturday.”

Situational superiority

Last year, the Packers ranked 15th with 23.5 points per game. This year, they ranked first with 31.8 points per game.

How did that happen, considering the lack of high-profile additions to the offense? Yes, Rodgers is likely to win the MVP after a staggering season in which he became just the third player in NFL history to lead the league in completion percentage, touchdown percentage and interceptions in the same season. And, yes, the running game is about a half-yard per carry better than last season.

Those factors show up in the team’s dominance on third down and in the red zone. On third down, the Packers went from a 23rd-ranked 36% conversion rate last year to a second-ranked 49.4% this year. Meanwhile, the Packers went from good in the red zone (eighth-ranked 64% touchdowns) to all-time great. The Packers scored touchdowns on 80% of their trips inside the 20. The NFL has red-zone data going back to 1998. That’s the highest success rate during that span.

“I just think there’s been more consistency in terms of some of the concepts we’ve been able to practice throughout the course of the season,” LaFleur said. “Not always getting them called, but more carryover from game plan to game plan, but also our players’ understanding of what it is we’re trying to get done and their ability to go out and execute. I just think that everybody is one the same page and there’s a lot of guys that are playing at a high level. That certainly makes it easier, because it doesn’t really matter what you have drawn up if the guys can’t go out there and (win their) one-on-one battles.”

Welcome back

There was no way the Packers could replace All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari following his torn ACL. However, they added some valuable depth by bringing back Jared Veldheer.

Veldheer came out of retirement late last season, joined the Packers, and turned in exceptional performances in a key week 17 win at Detroit, when right tackle Bryan Bulaga suffered a concussion, and then in the divisional playoffs vs. Seattle, when Bulaga was inactive due to illness.

Unsigned in free agency this past offseason, Veldheer retired again. However, when the Colts lost starting left tackle Anthony Castonzo late in the season, they persuaded Veldheer to grab his cleats.

The Colts signed him to the practice squad and elevated him for starting assignments in week 17 vs. Jacksonville and the wild card game against Buffalo. With the Colts getting knocked out by the Bills, Veldheer reverted back to the practice squad. Green Bay grabbed him. According to a source, Veldheer went through his daily COVID testing in Indianapolis and drove to Green Bay Jan. 11.

Green Bay’s revamped offensive line has Billy Turner at left tackle and Rick Wagner at right tackle. Wagner has fought through knee issues for months, so Veldheer will provide reliable depth at a key position.

Common opponents

In games against common opponents, the Packers went 4-1 and the Rams went 3-2. Green Bay swept Chicago, beat Philadelphia and San Francisco, and got crushed at Tampa Bay. Los Angeles beat Chicago and Philadelphia, as well. The interesting differences: It was swept by San Francisco but beat Tampa Bay.

Both teams went 4-2 against teams that reached the playoffs. Green Bay beat Chicago twice, New Orleans and Tennessee, but lost to Tampa Bay and Indianapolis. Los Angeles beat Washington, Chicago, Seattle and Tampa Bay but lost to Buffalo and Seattle. The Rams added another victory against Seattle in last week’s playoff game.