The Good, Bad And Ugly From The Packers’ Win Over The Rams

McVay has been to the playoffs in five of his seven seasons as the Rams’ coach. And he’s won 59.7% of his games.

McVay must be awfully tired of seeing Matt LaFleur, though.

LaFleur, Green Bay’s head coach, improved to 4-0 against his close friend McVay as the Packers’ defeated the Rams, 24-19, at SoFi Stadium Sunday.

Green Bay improved to 3-2 to remain within shouting distance of the leaders in the ultra-competitive NFC North. The Rams fell to 1-4.

“I’m happy that our guys showed the resiliency that we need to have and that you have to have in order to go on the road and win,” LaFleur said. “It’s never easy winning in this league and I told them enjoy it but there’s plenty to work on and plenty to improve upon.”

Here’s the good, bad and ugly from the Packers’ win over the Rams.

THE GOOD

THE X MAN: Charles Woodson was the last Packer to capture Defensive Player of the Year honors, accomplishing that feat in 2009. Woodson had nine interceptions, three pick-sixes, 18 passes defensed, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and two sacks that year.

Green Bay safety Xavier McKinney is one of the early frontrunners to win that award in 2024.

McKinney snagged his fifth interception in just five games as a Packer. He also had a huge fumble recovery that helped change the game in the third quarter.

So in five games with Green Bay, McKinney has been part of a remarkable six turnover plays.

“I don’t want to jinx it,” LaFleur said. “It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The guy just has a knack for the football and he’s got great ball skills, he’s very instinctive and smart to allow him to anticipate, to make plays, and then he generally makes the play.”

McKinney became the first Packers player to ever have an interception during each of his first five games with the team when he picked off an overthrown Matthew Stafford pass intended for Tutu Atwell midway through the third quarter.

“It was great to see it,” McKinney said. “I got a good break off of it. Obviously he's one of the great quarterbacks that we've seen play. He's great at looking off and it was tough all game to be able to kind of get a good feel for him, but I knew if I stayed persistent and stayed consistent in what I was seeing from him that I was going to be able to get one and I got a good break and I made a play on the ball.”

McKinney became the first player since the 1970 merger to have an interception in his first five games with a team.

McKinney also tied Irv Comp — a Packers Hall of Famer who had sight in just one eye — as the only players in team history with interceptions in five straight games (1943).

“Five for five,” rookie safety Evan Williams said. “Being out there with him, it's just like watching greatness. It's pretty remarkable, the consistency at which he does it, but it's not really a surprise.”

McKinney also had a critical fumble recovery early in the third quarter.

The Rams led, 13-10, and were on the move when defensive end Kingsley Enagbare stripped running back Kyren Williams. McKinney was once again in the right place at the right time and recovered the loose ball.

Two plays later, Tucker Kraft hauled in a 66-yard touchdown and Green Bay never trailed again.

“The best thing about X is when the ball’s in the air, he’s going to make a play,” Packers quarterback Jordan Love said of McKinney. “There were so many plays in training camp where whether it was a tip, an overthrow, he just finds himself around the ball. He’s in the right spot all the time, and he makes the plays when the ball’s in the air.

“You don’t see him dropping a lot of those plays, so I think he’s a really good safety, he knows where he needs to be in our defense and he’s a really good leader as well. But the guy’s just got great ball skills. I can’t tell you how good his ball skills are just when the ball’s in the air.”

TUCKER KRAFT: The arrow keeps pointing up for Green Bay’s second-year tight end.

Early in the third quarter, Kraft worked right to left and came free on a crossing route. Love delivered a strike 17 yards downfield and Kraft hauled in the pass at the Rams’ 49-yard line.

Kraft stiff armed cornerback Darious Williams at the 30, picked up a big block from wideout Dontayvion Wicks and did the rest on his way to a 66-yard touchdown that gave the Packers a 17-13 lead.

Kraft’s 66-yard reception was the longest by a Green Bay tight end since Tom Crabtree hauled in a 71-yarder from Aaron Rodgers in 2012.

“Tucker is a dog, you know?” Love said. “Every time he touches the ball, he has that mindset that he’s trying to score. He’s not going to go down lightly. He’s going to run people over and stay up. He does really good things when he has the ball in his hands. I definitely keep trying to find ways to give him the ball. He’s a dog. He had a big-time performance today.”

One series later, the Packers drove to the Rams’ 7-yard line and called a tight end screen. Kraft caught the pass in the left flat, rumbled to the endzone and broke the plane by inches before his elbow hit the ground.

“He’s relentless,” LaFleur said of Kraft. “And he’s got a great mindset. That’s all he does. He shows up, he works, he gets better. It’s been really cool to see him blossom.

“I think the more confidence he’s gotten, the better he’s done. I mean, he’s just a tough-minded dude. It’s been really cool to watch a guy and see the his growth and development.”

COMING UP BIG: Nine months ago, Green Bay traveled to California and needed its defense to make a late-game stand. When that unit failed, the Packers’ season ended with a 24-21 loss to San Francisco in the NFC Divisional playoffs.

Green Bay made its first trip back to California since then on Sunday and this time the defense delivered.

With the Rams trailing, 24-19, they drove to the Packers’ 38 with 1:17 left. On second-and-5, though, Preston Smith and Karl Brooks combined to sack Matthew Stafford for a 7-yard loss.

“Did a really good job of rushing the passer whether it was getting pressures or getting sacks or whatever it was,” defensive tackle Kenny Clark said. “We did a good job.”

Then on fourth-and-5, rookie safety Evan Williams had terrific coverage on tight end Colby Parkinson and the pass fell incomplete.

“They had run it so many times,” Williams said of the Rams’ offensive approach. “I didn't think he was going to try to break out and try to make a long throw, so yeah, I was kinda just sitting on it. He broke back in, was able to get my hand in there, celebrated with the crowd.”

JORDAN LOVE: It wasn’t always pretty. There was a pick-six and a backwards pass ruled a fumble.

But there was far more good than bad from Love in his second game back from a sprained MCL.

Love finished 15-of-26 for 224 yards with two touchdown passes to tight end Tucker Kraft. Love had one terrible interception that was returned for a touchdown (see below), but had a 12-yard first down run late in the game and finished with a 95.7 passer rating.

“There’s some things we can clean up, certainly, him specifically, but I was proud of just how he battles, man,” LaFleur said of Love. “He’s the leader of the offense and I just love his approach to the game and everything he’s about.”

JAYDEN REED: The Packers’ second-year standout made a magnificent 53-yard reception between three defenders midway through the first quarter. One play later, Josh Jacobs scored his first touchdown as a Packer — a 2-yard run — to give Green Bay a 7-0 lead.

“I saw trust,” Reed said. “I had a field post and I ran it, I seen three guys and I just seen trust from 10 and I had to make the play.”

Reed finished tied for the team lead with four receptions and was second with 78 receiving yards.

EARLY STAND: The Rams drove to the Green Bay 8-yard line and had first and goal late in the first quarter.

After two short runs, Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford threw incomplete on back to pack plays and the Packers held.

THIS AND THAT: Packers safety Xavier McKinney had a tremendous pass breakup on the Rams’ first possession, forcing Los Angeles to punt. … Edgerrin Cooper had his first full sack late in the first half when he ran a nifty stunt and dumped Stafford for a nine yard loss. … Cornerback Carrington Valentine stopped wideout Tutu Atwell on a two-point conversion run late in the game and the Packers maintained a 24-19 lead.

THE BAD

DONTAYVION WICKS: The second-year wideout continues to struggle catching the ball — which seems to be the No. 1 requirement of his job.

One week after dropping three passes, Wicks had two more costly drops — both coming in the fourth quarter. Wicks has 20 targets in the last two games and just seven receptions.

Wicks finished with just two catches for 20 yards on seven targets against the Rams.

“I know he’ll bounce back from it, and he’s proven what he can do, for sure,” Love said of Wicks. “The ball’s going to keep coming his way. We’ve got to just get back to the drawing board, work throughout the week, and it comes down to making those plays.”

THIS AND THAT: Love threw a backwards pass late in the first half that was officially a ruled a fumble and a 10-yard loss. That killed the Packers’ drive and they eventually settled for a 46-yard field goal from Brayden Narveson on the final play of the half. … Green Bay was 0-for-5 on third downs in the first half. … Cornerback Eric Stokes fell down and allowed a 1-yard touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson with 3:30 left in the game.

THE UGLY

PICK SIX: Jordan Love threw the first pick-six of his career late in the first half.

Love rolled right and was under pressure from linebacker Byron Young in the endzone. Young hit Love and sent him stumbling.

Just before Love was about to hit the ground for a safety, he flipped the ball in the right flat, believing he was throwing it away. Instead, the ball went right to safety Jaylen McCollough, who caught the ill-advised pass and waltzed in for a 4-yard touchdown.

“Looking back on it, a safety is definitely better than a pick-six,” Love said.

PUTTING THE TEAM SECOND: Perhaps the Packers and Romeo Doubs will kiss and make up. Maybe they won’t.

But Doubs’ behavior last week that resulted in a suspension was remarkably amateurish.

Doubs skipped practices and team meetings on Thursday and Friday because he was unhappy with his role in the Packers’ passing game. Green Bay, worried about its third-year wide receiver, went to Doubs’ house to check on him.

Eventually general manager Brian Gutekunst decided to suspend Doubs, saying: “His decisions and actions during the week negatively impacted the team and required us to take this action.”

Green Bay was already shorthanded at wide receiver due to Christian Watson (ankle) being sidelined. Losing Doubs took a position of strength and made it mediocre, at best.

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to our conversation (Monday),” LaFleur said. “So, I fully anticipate him coming back and am hopeful that he’ll come back and get ready to work.

“Distractions happen in the National Football League. Distractions happen in life. You’ve got to do your best to focus on the task at hand. I thought our guys did a pretty good job of that.”

There are many ways to let your employer know you’re unhappy. The path Doubs chose was the most unprofessional possible.