2024 Week 5: Packers 24, Rams 19
The Rams surprisingly kept it close with Green Bay. LA was up 13-10 at the half and was outplaying GB, but the Packers rallied, and the Rams started to falter. LA had a chance late but fell short again on their final drive.
The Rams are (1-4) but could have 2 or 3 wins despite all their injuries. Darious Williams returned and their defense was much better. Once their offense gets back to full strength watch out. LAR is on BYE this week but I can see them rallying soon after. They’re only 1 game back in the NFC West, by the way….
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QB Report:
- Jordan Love (15/26 for 224 yards, 2TDs/ 1 INT) has completed under 60% of his passes in all three of his games this year. The first game of the season was that crazy rain game in Brazil where Love was hurt, and the cause for the last two games could be Love’s MCL isn’t 100%. If this persists through the next few games this could be a real problem. In college and the pros Love has been inconsistent.
RB Report:
- This game featured the debut of rookie RB Blake Corum (5-25-0). He looked good and is better than Kyren Williams (22-102-1) but Williams is the experienced one so he will be the lead in whatever fraction of a split this turns into.
WR Report:
- Dontayvion Wicks (2-20-0/7) was Jordan Love’s buddy this game and it could have been much better. Love was wildly inaccurate when throwing to Wicks. They opened the game with an easy 30+ yard pass but Love overthrew him by about 2 steps. The various misconnects totaled 3 catches for 70+ yards which would have meant a 100-yard game for him. Romeo Doubs should be back going forward, but there’s enough volume in this passing game to support Reed, Doubs, and Wicks.
- Tucker Kraft (4-88-2/5) is the winner of the TE1 position for Green Bay, pushing past Luke Musgrave. I didn’t expect this to happen and Kraft will be as good as any other solid tight end in a good passing game. I think reasonable expectations are in the Cade Otton and Jake Ferguson range going forward.
- Jordan Whittington (7-89-0/10) finally had a nice week with Nacua and Kupp out. He didn’t get a target until the 2nd quarter and got most of his action while the Rams tried to throw their way back into it. Whittington looked good but I don’t think Stafford was relying on Whittington the same way he does with Puka and Kupp. After the Rams BYE Kupp should be returning and Whittington will be fighting for targets with the rest of the Rams receivers and is done once Nacua returns.
- Colby Parkinson (7-52-0/13) also benefitted from the passing game the same way Whittington did. His volume becomes random and TD-dependent once Kupp is back.
image source: (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)