The up and down Green Bay Packers will attempt to find the start of some stability out west when Matt LaFleur’s team goes to Los Angeles to play the struggling Rams at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.
The Packers are 2-2, with wins over two AFC South foes and a pair of losses to NFC contenders. A rocky start to the year — highlighted by Jordan Love’s knee injury — needs to smooth out entering this stretch. The Rams, while quarterbacked by Matthew Stafford and coached by Sean McVay, are 1-3, and the team’s one win required an unlikely comeback.
No team — especially with championship pedigree like the Rams — can be overlooked. But this is a game the Packers need to win on the road.
Here are five things to watch and a prediction for Week 5:
Receiver situation
Jayden Reed looks like a star. Christian Watson has an ankle injury and likely won’t play. Dontayvion Wicks is an elite separator but struggling to finish catches. Romeo Doubs missed practices on Thursday and Friday due to a mysterious off-the-field situation. There are a lot of moving parts at wide receiver for Jordan Love and the Packers. With Watson and Doubs both doubtful to play, the Packers will need more from Wicks, Bo Melton and Malik Heath on Sunday. Melton stepped up as a pass-catcher to end last season and has legitimate speed, and Heath could be an important blocker for a run-based offensive plan. Will the Doubs situation be a distraction for the Packers passing game?
Walker vs. Verse
A matchup of young, ascending players at premium positions to watch Sunday: Packers left tackle Rasheed Walker against Rams edge rusher Jared Verse. Walker, while penalty prone early on, has been excellent as a pass protector (5th in pass block win rate, per ESPN). Verse, a first-round pick, is arguably the top rookie pass-rusher. He has 17 pressures and a high pass-rush win rate (8th in pass rush win rate) through four games. They’ll be facing off on most passing snaps on Sunday. Can Walker keep Verse out of the pocket? If protected, opportunities to attack a shaky Rams secondary is possible for Jordan Love down the field. The Rams front is probably underrated — Verse, Kobie Turner, Byron Young and Braden Fiske are a young and disruptive front four.
Rushing battle
Without Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua available, the Rams’ top offensive weapon is running back Kyren Williams, who leads the NFL in rushing touchdowns and has a rushing success rate over 50 percent entering Week 5. The Rams offensive line is still settling in, but they rank third in run block win rate. Can the Packers stop Williams and the run game on early downs, forcing Matthew Stafford into obvious passing situations? On offense, don’t be surprised if this is a heavy Josh Jacobs/Emanuel Wilson gameplan. The Rams have allowed 130 or more rushing yards in all four games this season, and Rams opponents are averaging 5.0 yards per rush. Even the Bears were able to run the ball on the Rams. The Packers could lean on the Rams front and drain the life from the opponent’s pass-rushing potential on Sunday.
Love’s encore
The Packers turned the ball over four times last week, including three via Jordan Love interceptions. In his first game back, Love looked a little rusty early, and it certainly wasn’t easy facing Brian Flores’ heavy blitz and disguise scheme after missing two weeks with a knee injury. Expect Love to bounce back on Sunday. The Rams have only three total takeaways in 2024, including just one interception. In fact, opposing quarterbacks have thrown eight touchdown passes and only one pick in four games against the Rams this season. This matchup should be a good opportunity for Love to play his most efficient and mistake-free game of the year. The Rams rank last in passing yards allowed per attempt (9.1) and second to last in passer rating allowed (122.7) in 2024.
Explosive plays
The Packers lead the NFL in explosive plays through four games. While somewhat inconsistent down to down and even penalty-prone at times, the Packers have created scoring opportunities time and time again with explosive plays, both in the run and pass game. Can the Rams’ struggling defense keep the Packers from adding more explosive plays to their league-leading total? One other factor to consider: the Rams are bottom half of the league in the red zone on defense. Is this the week the Packers pair explosive plays with finish in the red zone?
Prediction: Packers 30, Rams 20 (0-4)
My weekly predictions have been the equivalent of falling behind 28-0 in the first half. Like the Packers last week, I desperately need a layup to get back on track. Can the Rams provide something resembling a muffed punt inside the 10-yard line? In many ways, the Rams look like an ideal opponent — Sean McVay’s team is struggling to protect the passer, the team’s top two receivers are out, and the Rams rank 31st in scoring defense thanks to a struggling run defense and iffy secondary. Can the Packers take advantage? Love’s passing game looks ready to explode, even with a few question marks at receiver to end the week, and you can bet the pass-rush will want to bounce back after a slow start. Add in the environment at SoFi Stadium, which could be majority Packers fans, and Matt LaFleur’s team should get a win. The only caveat is the potential distraction of Romeo Doubs’ absences. The Packers can’t let whatever is going on there to spill into Sunday’s performance overall.
