Five things to watch in Packers vs Rams: Will OBJ make his mark?

Can Green Bay’s offensive line hold up?

The Packers’ O-line was dealt a huge injury blow last week as Elgton Jenkins became the latest player to have their season ended prematurely by an ACL injury.

Adam Stenavich has done a tremendous job of getting his patchwork group to produce every week, but the offensive line has not performed at the level it did last year, and its fair to question whether Jenkins’ injury will be too much to overcome.

There is hope the Packers will get some help up front if David Bakhtiari and Josh Myers are able to return for the stretch run, but against a formidable Rams defensive line this week, Green Bay will be relying on Yosh Nijman to step up.

Nijman has been up to the task when called upon so far this season, but he and his fellow linemen will have their work cut out for them on Sunday against the likes of Aaron Donald, Von Miller and Leonard Floyd.

Will OBJ make his mark?

Green Bay came very close to adding Odell Beckham Jr. to their squad after he was ‘freed’ by the Browns, making it that much more frustrating when he instead opted to sign for one of the Packers’ main rivals in the NFC.

Everyone had their fun as he and Matthew Stafford struggled to get on the same page in their first game together, but coming off a bye week with plenty of practice time under his belt in LA, Beckham may prove to be more of a threat this time out.

Despite a stop-start few years which have as been frustrating to observe as they must have been for OBJ to endure, he is still an extremely talented player, and potentially adds another weapon to a receiving corps already boasting the league’s leading receiver in Cooper Kupp.

For the Packers’ beat up cornerback group which will be without Kevin King on Sunday, this week’s game will serve as a tough test.

The questionables

The Packers’ injury report has been growing lengthier by the week, as the team literally limps towards their bye week. However, they may get some help this week in the shape of some key names returning to the lineup.

Aaron Jones, Rashan Gary and Allen Lazard will all be listed as ‘questionable’ to play on Sunday, with the trio trending in the right direction to have a shot at contributing in some form.

The return of Jones and Gary in particular would be hugely welcome, as both players are capable of changing the game from their respective positions.

AJ Dillon has made the most of his increased role this season, but Jones is the type of player opposing defenses have to account for on every single play as a dual threat on the ground and through the air.

Green Bay’s pass rush department is currently operating with a bare bones crew and took yet another hit after Jonathan Garvin was placed on the COVID-19 list. Having Gary return and take his place opposite Preston Smith would give a massive boost to the Packers’ chances of applying pressure on Stafford.

Can Green Bay’s defence force a turnover?

As much as Packers fans are loathe to admit it, Kirk Cousins is having a good season for the Vikings. However, he put the ball up for grabs at least five times in the narrow loss the Minnesota, with Green Bay’s defense failing to take advantage and hold onto the ball.

Matthew Stafford is a more explosive quarterback who presents more of a threat to chuck the ball deep, but he also has a propensity to put the ball in harm’s way.

If the Rams’ QB gives the Packers a chance to grab an extra possession on Sunday, they cannot afford to pass up the opportunity to punish those mistakes.

Matt LaFleur’s play-calling

There have been too many stretches within games this year where the Packers offense has banged its head against the wall, struggling to get into any kind of rhythm

Whether that is the result of uninspiring play-calling by Matt LaFleur, or Aaron Rodgers changing too many plays at the line is impossible to say, but something has not been quite right for the Packers on offense for much of the year.

They did however appear to click into gear against Minnesota, scoring touchdowns on four straight drives to finish the game, save for a Jordan Love kneel down at the end of the first half, putting up 30 points for the first time since week three.

With a compromised offensive line and facing a fearsome defense, it will be imperative for Matt LaFleur to put his players in a position to succeed on offense this week.