GREEN BAY – The Packers and Rams are all set to square off Saturday with a berth in the NFC title game on the line.
Here are five things to know:
1. The matchup pits Green Bay's No. 1 scoring offense in the league against LA's No. 1 scoring defense.
The Packers averaged 31.8 points per game in the regular season, a half-point better than anyone else in the NFL (Buffalo was second at 31.3) and a full point higher than anyone else in the NFC (Tampa Bay, 30.8).
The Rams allowed the fewest points in the league at 18.5 per game, about a half-point better than anyone else in the league (Baltimore, 18.9) and two points better than anyone else in the NFC (Washington, 20.6).
LA played roughly to its defensive average in the wild-card round, allowing Seattle 20 points in a 30-20 triumph.
2. A pair of first-team All-Pros will go head-to-head on the perimeter.
Packers WR Davante Adams and Rams CB Jalen Ramsey were both named first-team All-Pro and will likely line up across from each other plenty. It's the first All-Pro honor for Adams and the second for Ramsey (also 2017, with Jacksonville).
Adams put together perhaps the greatest season ever by a Packers receiver, setting the single-season franchise record with 115 catches and tying the franchise mark with 18 TDs, to go along with 1,374 yards, in just 13½ games. Ramsey had nine interceptions over his first three seasons in the league (2016-18) but has just two picks over the last two years as QBs have shied away from challenging him.
The Packers frequently have moved Adams around and lined him up in the slot to prevent teams from simply scheming to take him away. Whether or not Ramsey will be assigned to Adams everywhere or only in certain locations and situations remains to be seen.
3. Another pair of first-team All-Pros could match up inside as well.
Rams DT Aaron Donald just got his sixth All-Pro honor while Packers C Corey Linsley earned his first in 2020. Donald isn't a straight nose tackle, and will line up in different spots, but this will still be a battle in the trenches everyone will be watching when they do clash.
A candidate for a third straight NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, Donald recorded his fourth straight double-digit sack season, with 13½, and had two sacks in the wild-card game at Seattle before exiting with a rib injury. His health status will be a storyline to monitor all week long.
Linsley injured a knee vs. Chicago in Week 12, missed three games, but returned to the starting lineup for the Packers' last two regular-season games.
4. The Rams are not accustomed to the Green Bay weather.
Before Christmas, the Rams had not played this year with a game-time temperature less than 60 degrees. Since then, they've played two games in Seattle with kickoff temps of 45 and 39, respectively.
The Packers have played seven times this year with the temperature 38 degrees or less.
Saturday's forecast calls for highs in the 20s.
5. The two head coaches are good friends.
Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur got his first offensive coordinator job from LA's Sean McVay in 2017, when the Rams hired McVay as youngest head coach in league history at age 30. Prior to that, the two worked together for four years on Washington's staff (2010-13) as assistants on the offensive side of the ball.
LaFleur only stayed in LA for a year before moving on to another offensive coordinator post at Tennessee, where he'd be a play-caller for the first time. One year after that, LaFleur landed the Green Bay job in 2019. McVay led the Rams to a Super Bowl appearance in 2018.
