Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams came out of their bye week looking to make a major statement on the road against the Green Bay Packers. They were hoping to prove that the two consecutive games they lost before the bye were not indicative of who they were as a team. Unfortunately, the Rams ended up suffering their third straight loss by a final score of 36-28 to the Packers.
Not only did they lose the game, but they did so in very disappointing fashion. Matthew Stafford looked rough once again despite having decent numbers in the box score. The running game was unable to get going against a team that has struggled at times against legitimate ground attacks.
Defensively, the Rams looked lost going up against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Even though they faced an offensive line missing three key starters, LA was only able to sack Rodgers a single time. That is far from what they felt they built with their current roster and there is some concern within the organization.
Despite the rough loss, Los Angeles is still 7-4 this season and are legitimate contenders in the NFC. There were also some positives to be taken from a very disappointing loss. It wasn't an ideal finish to the game, but the Rams should not be in panic mode just yet.
All of that being said, let's dive in and take a look at three takeaways from the Rams' loss in Week 12 against the Packers at Lambeau Field.
Los Angeles Rams Week 12 Takeaways vs. Green Bay Packers
3. The running game has to rebound strong
First and foremost, McVay and company have to figure out how to get the ground game going. Stafford is a good quarterback, but he needs to have some pressure taken off of his shoulders. The best way to do that would be getting some kind of legitimate impact from the running game.
Against the Packers, Darrell Henderson led the way in rushing for the Rams. He ended up carrying the football 16 times for 55 yards, but did not find the end zone. Those numbers average out to just 3.4 yards per carry, which isn't going to get the job done for LA.
Moving forward, the Rams need to find a way to get their ground game established and working consistently. Losing second-year running back Cam Akers before the season was a rough blow, but they still have the talent to get more from their rushing attack. Next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, these issues need to be ironed out.
2. Los Angeles needs to get more pressure on opposing QB's
When the Rams made the move to acquire Von Miller from the Denver Broncos, many thought they would have an unstoppable pass rush. However, in a game where they had a great opportunity to pressure Rodgers against a banged up offensive line, LA didn't receive much from their defensive front. Only coming through with one sack in that matchup was a huge disappointment.
Green Bay was missing starting left tackle David Bakhtiari, star offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins and starting center Josh Myers. Despite all of those key linemen missing, the Packers kept Rodgers upright and dangerous. That is a situation that the Rams should find completely unacceptable.
The Rams need a lot more from Miller, Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd. Los Angeles has the potential to record at least three or four sacks each and every game, and sometimes more than that. It's time for them to look in the mirror, figure things out, and play up to their full potential.
1. Odell Beckham Jr. is starting to make the impact the Rams wanted
Since choosing to sign with the Rams over the Packers, Beckham has been facing a ton of pressure. In his first game with the Rams, Beckham only mustered up two catches for 18 yards and no touchdown. That performance made quite a few fans overreact to calling the signing a bust.
In his second game with the Rams against the only other team he was seriously considering signing with, Beckham put together a much better performance. He caught five passes for 81 yards and a touchdown. The biggest highlight of the day for Beckham was a 54-yard touchdown bomb from Stafford to begin the fourth quarter.
Los Angeles needs Beckham to be a consistent playmaker moving forward this season. With the loss of Robert Woods, he becomes an integral part of what the Rams will try to do offensively. If he can keep playing at the level that he showed against the Packers, their offense should be just fine moving forward.
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