Los Angeles Rams 12-24 Green Bay Packers: AJ Dillon scores two TDs in routine Packers win to keep their faint playoff hopes alive
Baker Mayfield, who rallied the Rams (4-10) to a last-minute win on debut last week, had no such magic in his first start for LA; he went 12 of 21 for 111 yards, with a touchdown and an interception; Aaron Rodgers was 22 of 30 for 229 yards, with a TD and a pick, for the Packers (6-8)
Tuesday 20 December 2022 11:26, UK
AJ Dillon ran in two touchdowns as the Green Bay Packers earned a routine 24-12 win over the visiting Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football at a frigid Lambeau Field.
Story of the game
Aaron Rodgers completed 22 of 30 passes for 229 yards, with a touchdown and an interception, as Green Bay (6-8) won a second straight game following a 1-7 mid-season slump.
Dillon and Aaron Jones combined for 28 carries for 126 yards, with the devastating backfield duo also adding 71 receiving yards and Jones snagging Rodgers' TD pass.
Baker Mayfield, who rallied the Rams (4-10) to a last-minute victory in the team's most recent outing and on his debut - just two days after signing for the squad - had no such magic in his first start for Los Angeles. He went 12 of 21 for 111 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.
With the Packers edging a sloppy first half 10-6, the hosts then broke open the game with a pair of third-quarter touchdowns.
Firstly Dillon plunged in from a yard out while, following a three-and-out by Los Angeles, Green Bay needed only six plays to find the end zone again, this time on a seven-yard scoring strike from Rodgers to Jones.
The Rams answered back just over two minutes later with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Mayfield to Tyler Higbee. However, Matt Gay missed the extra point, keeping the margin at 24-12 - and that's how it stayed.
The teams exchanged fourth-quarter turnovers. Mayfield had his arm hit on a throw that was intercepted by Rasul Douglas. Two plays later, Jones fumbled and Jalen Ramsey recovered for Los Angeles.
With the defeat, the Rams are now officially out of playoff contention, while they also matched the highest loss total by any defending Super Bowl champion. When John Elway retired after leading Denver Broncos to consecutive titles in the 1997 and 1998 seasons, the Broncos finished 6-10 in 1999.
Stats leaders
Rams
- Passing: Baker Mayfield, 12/21, 111 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
- Rushing: Cam Akers, 12 carries, 65 yards
- Receiving: Tyler Higbee, four catches, 27 yards, 1 TD
Packers
- Passing: Aaron Rodgers, 22/30, 229 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
- Rushing: Aaron Jones, 17 carries, 90 yards (& one receiving TD)
- AJ Dillon, 11 carries, 36 yards, 2 TDs
- Receiving: Romeo Doubs, five catches, 55 yards
What was said | 'Things are looking up'
Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers: "Well, it's three [wins needed] now. We've got two in the bag.
"Those of us who sometimes peek ahead [on the schedule] knew that we had to win five and have a lot of things go our way. So, we've won two and just about everything we needed to happen has gone our way. So, things are looking up."
"We've just been practising a little bit better, the energy has been a little bit better. Its hard to put your finger on it. We've played a couple of teams we should have beat [Chicago Bears and Rams]. That being said, it's still tough to win in this league.
"I think we can beat anybody. We can also lose to anybody. But when you win a couple in a row, it starts to give you some confidence."
Rams head coach, Sean McVay: "It's a very humbling season for sure.
"This has been a real struggle in a lot of instances, a lot of adversity that we've gone through. But I think what we've seen from our guys is that they're going to continue to battle.
"They're going to finish up these last three games the right way, with the right mindset and mentality and compete to the best of our ability. That's all I know how to do, and I trust that that's exactly what we'll do collectively as a group."
What's next?
Live NFL
Week 16 in the NFL kicks off with a huge Thursday Night Football clash between the Jacksonville Jaguars (6-8) and New York Jets (7-7) at MetLife Stadium, with the loser almost certainly eliminated from playoff contention in the AFC. Watch it live on Sky Sports NFL and Main Event from 1.15am in the early hours of Friday morning.
The Packers and Rams, meanwhile, are both next in action on Christmas Day - live on Sky Sports NFL - as Green Bay first visit the Miami Dolphins (8-6) from 6pm, while LA host the Denver Broncos (4-10) at 9.30pm on Sunday night.
Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season - featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don't forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports - on the go!
