GREEN BAY, Wis. – Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers aren’t giving up hope that they can still make the playoffs even if they go under .500 for several games.
AJ Dillon ran for two points, Rodgers threw a touchdown pass to Aaron Jones and the Packers kept their playoff hopes alive with a 24-12 win over the Los Angeles Rams Monday night in freezing conditions. The temperature was 15 degrees (minus 9 degrees Celsius) with a wind chill of 7 just before the opening kickoff.
“We just practiced a little bit better,” Rodgers said. “The energy was a bit better. It’s hard to put your finger on it. We played against a few teams that we should have beaten, so it’s still hard to win in the league. And like I said before, I think we can beat anyone. We can also lose to anyone. But when you win a pair in a row, it starts to give you some confidence.”
The Packers (6-8) will likely need to win and get plenty of help to secure a fourth-straight postseason finish. They visit Miami (8-6) on Sunday before hosting the Minnesota Vikings (11-3) and Detroit Lions (7-7) in their final two games.
“We know we’re in a one-game season from now through the end of the year,” said Packers coach Matt LaFleur.
Dillon put Green Bay ahead with a tied 8-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and also scored from 1 yard in the third period. He rushed for 36 yards on 11 carries before leaving the game midway through the second half to be checked for a concussion.
Rodgers went 22 of 30 for 229 yards with a touchdown and an interception to win his ninth straight Monday Night Football start, though the four-time MVP admitted he’s at the stage of his career that’s late Kickoffs Not So Fun Kenny Stabler, who won 11 straight wins from 1975-80, has the longest Monday Night Football winning streak by a quarterback.
“As a young player, your dream is to play on Monday night,” said Rodgers, who turned 39 earlier this month. “As an older player, you want those midday games. So my bedtime is over. I’m ready to go home and go to sleep.”
Rodger’s only touchdown pass was a 7-yarder to Jones, who ran for 90 yards and had four catches for 36 yards.
The Rams (4-10) have the highest total losses of any defending Super Bowl champion. When John Elway retired after guiding Denver to back-to-back Super Bowl titles in the 1997 and 1998 seasons, the Broncos finished 1999 6-10.
Los Angeles played that game without several notable injured players, including three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald and All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp. Quarterback Baker Mayfield made his first Rams start with injuries that sidelined Matthew Stafford and John Wolford.
“That was a real struggle in a lot of instances, a lot of adversity that we went through,” said Rams coach Sean McVay. “But I think what we’ve seen from our guys is that they’re going to keep fighting. They’re going to end those last three games in the right way, with the right attitude and mentality and we’re going to play to the best of our ability. That is all I can do and I have faith that together as a group we will do just that.”
Mayfield had led the Rams to a 17-16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on December 8, less than 48 hours after they freed him from Carolina. Mayfield wasn’t as effective on Monday, going 12 of 21 for 111 yards with a touchdown and an interception
His touchdown was an 8-yarder against Tyler Higbee, the Rams’ first touchdown by a tight end this season.
Mayfield was sacked five times while working behind an offensive line missing center Brian Allen, who injured a calf on the first play of the game. Preston Smith picked up two sacks for Green Bay.
The Rams also had field goals from 33 and 55 yards from Matt Gay, who also sent an extra point attempt wide to the right. Gay’s 55-yarder scored the third-longest field goal ever scored at Lambeau Field.
Mason Crosby had a 34-yard field goal for Green Bay as he played his 255th straight regular-season game to tie Hall of Famer quarterback Brett Favre for the longest streak in franchise history.
INJURIES
Alongside Dillon and Allen’s injuries, Rams LB’s Jake Gervase injured his ankle late in the first half.
Rams DT and three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald missed a third straight game with a high ankle sprain. The Rams were also missing DT Marquise Copeland (ankle), LB Travin Howard (hip) and DB David Long Jr. (groin).
Packers OT David Bakhtiari missed a second straight game as he recovers from appendectomy.
NEXT
Rams: host Denver on Sunday.
Packer: On Sunday in Miami.
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