The Los Angeles Rams were defeated by the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football by the score of 24-12. After securing an impressive come-from-behind win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 14, the Rams were unable to come up with any magic to upset the Packers on the road in Week 15.
With the loss to Green Bay, Los Angeles now falls to 4-10 on the season, tying them for the second-worst record in the NFC. Following Monday night’s double-digit loss to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, here are six takeaways from the matchup.
1
Cam Akers looked effective running the ball
Entering Monday’s contest, it was known that the weather was going to be frigid at Lambeau Field, and the Packers owned one of the worst run defenses in the NFL. Cam Akers would take advantage of the weather and Green Bay’s run defense despite Los Angeles going down double digits in the second half.
Akers finished the contest with 65 rushing yards on 12 rushing attempts while he also led the offense with three receptions for 35 yards. The former second-round pick averaged 5.4 yards per attempt, which were the most yards per attempt he’s had in a game since Week 14 of the 2020 season.
2
Greg Gaines put together another strong performance
It was another week where the Rams were without Aaron Donald and A’Shawn Robinson on the defensive line, giving more opportunities to the other guys. Greg Gaines had a productive outing in Week 14 versus the Las Vegas Raiders and he had another strong performance on Monday against the Packers.
Gaines would record six combined tackles, two tackles for loss, and one sack in the loss to the Packers on Monday night. Despite a slow start to the season due to injuries, Gaines appears to be finishing the season strong with an increased role.
3
Leonard Floyd was productive off of the edge
The Rams haven’t gotten consistent pressure off of the edge this season, but Leonard Floyd showed up on Monday night. The veteran edge rusher would post five combined tackles, two tackles for loss, and two sacks in the loss to the Packers.
After failing to log a sack in the first six weeks, Floyd has now tallied a total of seven sacks in his last eight games. Even though it’s been a forgettable season for the Rams, Floyd is looking to finish the season on a positive note.
4
Special teams unit struggled
We’ve seen the special teams unit for the Rams be underwhelming throughout the season and that carried over into Monday’s loss. There were multiple penalties on special teams, a short punt by Riley Dixon, and even Matt Gay missed an extra-point try after the Rams scored their first touchdown of the game.
For a team like the Rams that is plagued with injuries, they need the special teams unit to do a good job of avoiding plays that can put them in a hole. On Monday night, even though they don’t deserve the majority of the blame for the loss, the entire special teams group struggled for the Rams.
5
Penalties proved to be costly
Besides mistakes by the special teams, the Rams couldn’t get out of their own way. There were certainly questionable penalties called — or missed — for both teams on Monday night, but the Rams continued to shoot themselves in the foot.
The Rams would finish with eight penalties against the Packers, resulting in 76 yards of penalties. Whether it was a penalty on the defense to keep the Packers’ offense on the field, or a holding call on the offense to move the ball back, the Rams were unable to overcome the penalties they committed on Monday.
6
Baker Mayfield looked uncomfortable in the pocket
Baker Mayfield got a full week of practice with the Rams and there were certainly moments when he looked more comfortable in the offense as a whole. On the other hand, there were quite a few plays where Mayfield didn’t seem to trust the offensive line and would escape the pocket too early.
The former first-round pick witnessed Brian Allen go down on the first drive of the game, giving him his second center in his first two weeks with the Rams. Being that he was sacked five times, there were undoubtedly moments when the offensive line fell short. Meanwhile, Mayfield will need to learn to trust the offensive line — albeit a makeshift one — a little more to make some of the plays he missed on Monday night.
