The Cheeseheads Play Their Drives, And Stop The 4 Game Losing Streak Against The LA Rams
Packers 20 – Rams 3
Whad Up “Salute To Service” Gear Day, Whad Up Cheeseheads!!!! It is ThePenguinAZ back for another Packers breakdown. Of course it is Sunday Football Action. Longtime friends and coaching buddies Matt LaFleur and Sean McVay would have a showdown at Lambeau Field. Both teams coming into this game after losing their last game respectively.
Matthew Stafford former Lions QB was out for this game with a ligament sprain on his right thumb but the rookie sensation #17 Puka Nacua from BYU was questionable all week but active for this game. I would share the Packers injury report but it would most likely be half this article. Does Stafford’s replacement Canadian rookie #11 Brett Rypien out of Boise State win, throwing to Nacua? Terry Bradshaw on Fox NFL Sunday predicted a Packers win.
Vamos. The Rams would receive the opening kickoff. #27 Henderson got the pigskin for a 5 yard run on first down. Rypien throws to Nacua for 10 yards picking up the first down. Henderson again would run for yards and Rypien threw a pass causing negative yard gain. 4 and 3rd Rams settle for a punt.
Here comes the struggling Packers offense, after the defense was able to hold the Rams to a zero. Inside the 10 yard line, Love would pitch to Jones for one. Love would throw to Jones for a few and #13 Wicks for 9. Packers 1st down! Love continued to spread the ball between run and passing plays making it 4th and 1. Love runs up the middle to get the 1st down but that flag flew for a penalty on #73 Nijman offsides on the offense, running in D. Whelan punts. The starting drive would be 9 plays for 28 yards.
The Rams would start again with #24 Freeman running for 2. Rypien would fumble but recover to complete a pass. But wait not without a flag flying again this time on the new extension #52 Rashan Gary for a face mask. 15 yards. Penalties Penalties. Gary would be the disruptor again causing a Rypien sack but as you might guess another flag, defensive offsides. GB just can’t get out of their way. Freeman again for a few making the 1st down. Rypien experiences a sack for a fumble by J. Owens, recovered by D. Campbell. Lets Go Defense!
Onto drive deuce for The Pack. They would score with a combination from Jones, Dillon and even Deguara. #33 Sombrero Jones would finally get the rock on this early drive to score on a 3 yard run.Packers Touchdown. Finally a first half Td scoring drive. Packers 7 Rams 0.
The third drive for both teams would result in punts keeping the score 7-0. Onto drive FOUR, rain would start falling and become a factor. Punts all around again. Now drive 5 for the Rams with Rypien still at the helm, would result in a field goal. Rypien threw his first deep pass to Kupp for 45 yards but the flag flew again to D.
Wyatt for defensive offsides which was declined. But the injury report would get a new addition. #97 Kenny Clark would get on the cart heading to the locker room before the end of the first half. The Rypien and Henderson drive would fall short of a TD. But the kicker from UofA #8 Lucas Havrisik kicks his first 50 plus yarder. FG. 7-3 Packers.
The last drive before the 2nd half for the cheese, the offense struggled to score. Love threw, ran, pitched and helped get within field goal range. Carlson misses the field goal try keeping it 7 to 3. Would the 25th ranking Packers offense start the 2nd half be more like the offense in the timespan from 1992 to 2022 which was ranked in the top 5.
2nd half action here they come. #25 Keisean Nixon returns the kickoff for 51 yards. Packers with the energy. But Loves pass to rookie #13 Wicks would be fumbled and recovered by Rams #44 Witherspoon. Adding to this drive #97 Clark would not return from his shoulder injury.Here come the Rams for their 1 drive in the 2nd half.
The Rams RB Freeman had a decent drive. Rypien with short passes but one major as a flag is thrown for offensive pass interference on Nacua. Rypien tries to get it to Kupp again but throws incomplete. Henderson for 8 but another flag on the offense for delay of game doesn’t help and it is punting time again. Making the 7th drive for the Packers begin. This drive for both teams is short with once again trading punts. The score remained 7-3. Oh yeah Rams kicker Havrisik would also get his first miss of the season on a field goal wide right.
The 8th drive would change the score as the Packers got 3 on a long drive. #88 Musgrave and #13 Wicks shared passes from Love as #33 Jones and #28 Dillon got sprinkled in as well. Love gets sacked for a yard loss and here comes Carlson for a 26 yard kick. Whad Up Packers 10 Rams 3.
The Rams Rypien threw incomplete passes a few times but one got caught by Nacua. The end of the 3rd quarter came about with a pass to Henderson making it 4th and 2. Packers defense shines and holds Freeman for no gain, yes not even 2 yards. Turnover on downs.
The 4th quarter started and would be the most productive quarter for The Pack in this game. Yet it did not start so well as they would produce a punt from #19 Whelan on their 9th drive. Enter Rypien but soon the crowd is loud. #11 would throw a pass intended for Kupp again but pesky #23 Alexander tips the ball and #36 Anthony Johnson grabs it.
The rookie A. Johnson with his first INT. Let’s Go!!!! The offense would start the scoring drive. Pass to Wick, runs to Jones and runs to Dillon, Pack moving the rock. In field goal range Carlson delivers a 34 yard strike. 13-3 Pack.
Now Rypien and the Rams not so much on the scoreboard. Incomplete passes and short yard gains were not enough to keep the offense on the field. A 65 yard punt from #42 Ethan Evans kept it 13-3. Number eleven drive is here. Jones runs, Doubs catches…..INJURY. #8 Christian Watson stays down after a nice long 37 yard pass from Love.
He would walk off the field on his own. Jones would get fired up running to the LA 20. The rookie tight end #88 Musgrave would receive a Love dime for 6, getting his first touchdown of his young career. Go Pack Go 20-3
This 11th drive would be the last chance at a miracle for the Rams. Rypien closed it on a passing drive only to throw it on 4th and 2 incomplete to Kupp making a turnover on downs. Now The Pack would seal this 12 drive game with a pass or two, run or two and kneeling. Not the National Anthem kneeling though. Packers Win 20-3 over The Rams. Are the Rams in trouble? Is McVay on the hot seat?
Did the Packers show enough on offense to turn this into a winning streak? Might be a far each but Love finally got the ball on a deep route to Waston and Love was a bit better on deeper throws with 10 plus air yards. He entered the game with a league worst 36% rate on those throws. The rookie Musgrave might have had his best game of the season catching his first NFL touchdown. Oh also I might add they rushed for a whopping 184 yards.
This game was enough to stop the losing streak but I won’t get ahead of myself saying a winning streak is coming. The next FOUR games which are Steelers, Chargers, Lions and Chiefs will not be easy. None of them have Brett “Not Favre” Rypien. But at last thanks for reading all of the article, some of it or none of it. As always ” Go Pack Go” “Go Pack Go”
