Go beyond the scoreboard
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1
The Rams lost to the Green Bay Packers, 20-3, on Sunday at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.
What we learned from the Rams’ defeat that dropped their record to 3-6 going into an off week:
2
Rams need Matthew Stafford’s thumb to heal … fast
The Rams need Matthew Stafford back. The quarterback is shown wearing a bandage to protect his injured thumb against Dallas.
(Julio Cortez / Associated Press)
With the Rams not playing again until Nov. 19 against the Seattle Seahawks, the right thumb injury that forced Stafford to sit out against the Packers might have a chance to heal.
If it doesn’t ...
Stafford, 35, has passed for eight touchdowns, with seven interceptions. But his value goes far beyond statistics.
Without the 15-year pro, coach Sean McVay’s playbook is not nearly as large. And the likelihood of off-schedule plays being made also shrinks.
3
Brett Rypien looked like a QB who hasn’t played much
(Morry Gash / Associated Press)
Rypien had the entire week to work with the first-team offense.
It did not result in a smooth operation.
Rypien, playing in his 10th NFL game and making his fourth start, completed 13 of 28 passes for 130 yards, with an interception.
With Brett Rypien starting at quarterback in place of the injured Matthew Stafford, the Rams could not muster much offense in a 20-3 loss to the Packers.
Rypien lost a fumble on a strip-sack that the Packers converted into a second-quarter touchdown.
The Rams managed only 187 yards and converted only five of 14 third downs.
4
Sean McVay can’t enjoy coaching against friends
Rams coach Sean McVay, left, and Packers coach Matt LaFleur shake hands after Green Bay’s 20-3 victory. The two are close friends.
(Matt Ludtke / Associated Press)
Sunday’s loss dropped McVay’s record to 0-4 against Packers coach Matt LaFleur, the former Rams offensive coordinator who is among McVay’s closest friends in the coaching world.
McVay’s struggle against LaFleur harks to his problems against San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who mentored both LaFleur and McVay.
McVay has not defeated Shanahan in a regular-season game since 2018, a string of nine losses. In the 2021 playoffs, the Rams defeated the 49ers in the NFC championship game to advance to Super Bowl LVI.
5
Cooper Kupp remains in a mini-slump
Rams receiver Cooper Kupp (10) had just two receptions against the Green Bay Packers.
(Michael Ainsworth / Associated Press)
Kupp’s value, like Stafford’s, cannot be measured entirely in statistics.
But there is no denying that Kupp’s production has waned.
For the third game in a row, the 2021 NFL offensive player of the year was barely a factor as a pass-catcher.
Breaking down the notable numbers behind the Rams’ 20-3 road loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday — scoring and statistics.
Kupp was targeted seven times and caught only two passes for 48 yards, one for 34 yards.
In the previous game against the Dallas Cowboys, Kupp caught four passes for 21 yards. The game before, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he dropped two passes and finished with two catches for 29 yards.
Puka Nacua caught three passes for 32 yards, Tutu Atwell four for 13 yards.
6
Rookies Byron Young, Kobie Turner making an impact
(Mike Roemer / Associated Press)
With linebacker Ernest Young sidelined because of a knee injury, Young and Turner tied for the team lead with 10 tackles each.
Young, an edge rusher, had two sacks — increasing his season total to five.
Nose tackle Turner also had a sack, his second.
Star lineman Aaron Donald had a sack, giving him 5½ this season and 108½ in his career.
7
Kicker Lucas Havrisik is not infallible
(Mike Roemer / Associated Press)
Havrisik followed a flawless performance in his NFL debut against the Cowboys by making one of two attempts against the Packers.
Havrisik kicked a 52-yard field goal near the end of the second quarter to pull the Rams to within four points, 7-3. He missed a 49-yard attempt in the third quarter, however, that would have cut the deficit to 7-6.
The Rams’ kickoff coverage also lapsed.
Keisean Nixon returned the second-half kickoff 51 yards, but the Rams got a break when rookie receiver Dontayveion Wicks fumbled on the ensuing play, the ball bouncing into the hands of Rams cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon.
