Green Bay Packers’ dominant victory over Los Angeles Rams keeps playoff hopes alive
GREEN BAY, Wis. — One down. Three more to go.
The Green Bay Packers exited their late-season bye with the faintest faith, a small glimmer of hope, that a mildly miraculous sprint to the postseason might be possible. They need a lot of help to get there from the likes of the Washington Commanders, Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions.
They mostly needed to help themselves.
The Packers handled the first step toward doing that Monday night, beating the hapless Los Angeles Rams, 24-12, inside a frozen Lambeau Field. The four-win Rams were an early Christmas present, a terrible team from a warm climate that looked lifeless most of Monday night. To have any shot at the postseason – namely, to win out – the Packers need to accept their gifts. Mostly, they’ve failed to take advantage of those opportunities this season.
They’ve beaten only one other opponent by double digits. That came back in Week 2.
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Bigger tests are coming, starting later this week on Christmas Day. To win the rest of their schedule, they will need to hold up in southern Florida’s heat and humidity, against a Miami Dolphins team fighting for a playoff spot. After two straight wins, it seems the Packers are clicking more than they have perhaps all season. If they’re officially hot, they picked a good time for it.
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Here are some observations from Monday night’s victory:
AJ Dillon bulldozes Rams defense
It’s cold. That means it’s time for AJ Dillon to heat up. With temperatures in the teens, the Packers offense rode Dillon on Monday night. Dillon had two touchdowns, the first an 8-yard run that ended with him bulldozing three Rams defenders at the goal line. The second, a 2-yard carry, opened a 17-6 lead for the Packers with 8:04 left in the third quarter. Dillon has scored a touchdown in each of the past three games, four total in that stretch. Before then, the bruising tailback had one touchdown run in the season’s first 11 games.