The Green Bay Packers go on the road to face the Los Angeles Rams in Week 8, marking their first trip to play the Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum since 1978.
- It is the first time the Packers have played at the Los Angeles Rams since traveling to Anaheim in 1991.
- Even though it will be the first regular-season matchup between the two teams since the Rams moved back to Los Angeles, Green Bay has won five consecutive games over the Rams and 12 of the last 16.
- The Packers have outscored the Rams, 147-64 (plus-83), over the last five contests.
- Since 1990, the Packers are 11-2 during the regular season in California (49ers / Raiders / Chargers / Rams), including 4-1 under McCarthy.
- This is the first regular-season game Green Bay will play in California since the 2015 season when it beat the San Francisco 49ers, 17-3, in Week 4 and the Oakland Raiders, 30-20, in Week 15.
- The Packers will play four of the next five games on the road, including three games against teams that won their division last season (at Los Angles Rams, at New England Patriots, at Minnesota Vikings).
- Green Bay is currently No. 2 in the NFC North, trailing the Minnesota Vikings (4-2-1) and ahead of the Chicago Bears (3-3) and Detroit Lions (3-3).
- In Week 9, the Packers travel to the other side of the country to play the New England Patriots on Sunday night.
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OUT OF THE BYE
- Since 2006, the Packers have won the game going into the bye and coming out of the bye five times (2016, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2007).
- This is the first time in five seasons (2013) that the Packers have played a day game coming out of the bye.
- Green Bay will face an NFC opponent for the eighth time after the bye since 2006.
- The Packers have won six of the previous seven matchups against NFC teams in the week after the bye.
- Dating back to 2002, it is just the fourth time that the Packers have faced a team from the same division before the bye and after the bye (2015: San Diego and Denver, AFC West / 2009: Minnesota and Detroit, NFC North / 2008: Indianapolis and Tennessee, AFC South).
- In games immediately following its bye week, Green Bay has won 16 of its last 22 (.727), including wins in seven of the last nine. Overall, the Packers are 9-3 (.750) under McCarthy in games played the week after the bye.
- The Packers were 3-2-1 at the bye, marking the fifth straight season and the 10th time under Head Coach Mike McCarthy that Green Bay had a winning record at the bye (4-3 in 2017, 2-1 in 2016, 6-0 in 2015, 5-3 in 2014, 6-3 in 2012, 7-0 in 2011, 6-3 in 2010, 4-3 in 2008, 5-1 in 2007).
- Since McCarthy took over in 2006, the Packers have a 72-45-1 overall record (.614) after the bye. Since 2009, Green Bay is 55-32-1 (.631) overall after the bye.
WITH THE CALL
FOX Sports, now in its 25th season as an NFL network television partner, will broadcast the game.
- Play-by-play man Thom Brennaman joins analyst Troy Aikman and sideline reporter Erin Andrews.
- Milwaukee's WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since November 1929, heads up the Packers Radio Network that is made up of 50 stations in four states. Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and twotime Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (analyst) call the action. McCarren first joined the team's broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 24th season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 20th season of broadcasts together. In Week 1, they surpassed Jim Irwin and Max McGee for the most regular-season and postseason games broadcast for the Packers.
- Sports USA Radio will air the game on radio across the country. Larry Kahn (play-by-play) and John Robinson (analyst) will call the action, with Troy West reporting from the sidelines.
- DIRECTV subscribers can watch the game on Channel 714.
- The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio (WTMJ feed).
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:
Packers vs. Rams:
- Regular season, all-time: 45-45-2
- All-time postseason: 1-1
- All-time, in Los Angeles: 7-24-1
- Streaks: The Packers have won each of the last five regular season meetings.
- Last meeting, regular season: Oct. 11, 2015, Lambeau Field, Green Bay won, 24-10
COACHES CAPSULES
Mike McCarthy: 134-80-2, .625 (incl. 10-8 postseason); 13th NFL season
Sean McVay: 18-6, .750 (incl. 0-1 postseason); 2nd NFL season
Head to Head: 0-0
vs. Opponent: McCarthy 5-1 vs. Rams; McVay 0-0 vs. Packers
MIKE McCARTHY…Is in his 13th year as the Packers' 14th head coach.
- Led Green Bay to its eighth consecutive playoff appearance in 2016, tied for the fourth-longest streak in NFL history. Has led the team to nine playoff appearances in the last 11 years (2007, 2009-16).
- Ranks second in franchise history in total victories, trailing only Curly Lambeau.
- Guided the Packers to top-10 finishes in scoring in eight straight seasons (2007-14), joining the Patriots as the only other team to accomplish the feat over that span; Packers led the league in scoring in 2014.
- Reached the 100-win plateau faster than any active NFL head coach, needing just 155 games.
- Joined Vince Lombardi and Mike Holmgren as the only coaches to guide the Packers to a Super Bowl title with a win over Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV.
SEAN McVAY…Is in his second year as the Rams' 23rd head coach.
- In his first season guiding the Rams, completed one of the greatest offensive turnarounds in NFL history, helping the Rams move from the 32nd ranked scoring offense in 2016 to the league's top-scoring team in 2017, marking the first time in league history a team had gone from last to first in scoring.
- In 2017, led Los Angeles to an 11-5 record, its first NFC West title since the 2003 season and the team's first playoff berth since 2004.
- Following his first season in L.A., was named The Associated Press Coach of the Year, becoming the youngest head coach to ever win the award.
- Also helped RB Todd Gurley win Offensive Player of the Year honors, while DT Aaron Donald was named Defensive Player of the Year. Additionally, the Rams placed eight players in the 2018 Pro Bowl, the most in a single season by the franchise since the 1999 campaign.
- Previously coached in the NFL with the Washington Redskins as offensive coordinator (2014-16), tight ends coach (2011-13) and offensive assistant (2010). Began his coaching career as a coaching assistant for Tampa Bay in 2008.
THE PACKERS-RAMS SERIES
These clubs first met in 1937, when the NFL launched its long relationship with the city of Cleveland. The franchises met every year from 1937-71 except 1943, when the Rams didn't field a team. Green Bay went 12-1-1 in the first 14 matchups between the clubs from 1937-1944.
- The teams have met twice in the postseason, with the Packers topping the Rams, 28-7, in the 1967 Western Conference Championship. The Rams beat the Packers, 45-17 in a 2001 Divisional playoff contest.
- The Packers have won five consecutive games against the Rams, dating back to 2007.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Packers TE Lance Kendricks was selected by the Rams in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft and played six seasons (2011-16) in St. Louis/Los Angeles...Green Bay LB Korey Toomer spent part of the 2014 season on the Rams' practice squad/active roster, but did not see game action...Los Angeles CB Sam Shields played seven seasons (2010-16) for the Packers, appearing in 80 games and tallying 256 tackles (209 solo) and 18 interceptions...Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was the position coach of Packers senior advisor to football operations Ted Thompson while the two were with the Houston Oilers in 1976...Packers quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti Jr. and running backs coach Ben Sirmans coached together on the Rams' staff from 2012-15...Green Bay national scout Sam Seale played defensive back for the Rams in 1993...Los Angeles safeties coach Ejiro Evero spent the 2016 season as the Packers' defensive quality control coach...The Packers have a number of Southern California natives, including: DL Kenny Clark (Rialto), TE Marcedes Lewis (Long Beach), LB Clay Matthews (Agoura Hills), WR Equanimeous St. Brown (Anaheim) and RB Jamaal Williams (Fontana)...Additionally, Green Bay defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery was born in Los Angeles and secondary coach Jason Simmons is from Inglewood, Calif. ...Packer players who attended college in California include: WR Davante Adams (Fresno State), Clark (UCLA), Lewis (UCLA), LB Blake Martinez (Stanford), RB Ty Montgomery (Stanford), Matthews (Southern California), LB Nick Perry (Southern California) and QB Aaron Rodgers (California)...Green Bay wide receivers coach David Raih began his coaching career at UCLA as an intern from 2008-09...Rams T Rob Havenstein played at Wisconsin from 2011-14...Los Angeles cornerbacks coach Aubrey Pleasant also played for the Badgers from 2005-08... Pleasant coached alongside Montgomery at Michigan for two years (2011-12)...Additionally, Rams LB Blake Countess began his college career with the Wolverines in 2011 before eventually transferring to Auburn...Packers defense – pass game coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. was the assistant defensive backs coach in 2007 for the Falcons while Rams general manager Les Snead worked in Atlanta's personnel department…Rams running backs coach Skip Peete began his coaching career at the University of Pittsburgh, where he coached alongside Packers head coach Mike McCarthy from 1989-92...Los Angeles WR Brandin Cooks played alongside Green Bay TE Jimmy Graham for one season (2014) in New Orleans...Rams offensive line coach Aaron Kromer and defensive line coach Bill Johnson both coached in New Orleans during Graham's stint with the Saints...Packers LB Antonio Morrison and Rams OL Austin Blythe played their rookie seasons together with the Indianapolis Colts in 2016...Los Angeles quarterbacks coach Greg Olson served as Lewis' offensive coordinator in Jacksonville from 2015-16...Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine (2013) and offense – pass game coordinator Jim Hostler (2014) coached in Buffalo during Rams WR Robert Woods' tenure with the Bills...Hostler also coached with Los Angeles defensive quality control coach Thad Bogardus in Buffalo in 2014...Pettine coached with Rams special teams coordinator John Fassel in Baltimore from 2005-07...Pettine also worked with Los Angeles assistant offensive line coach Andy Dickerson in 2011 with the New York Jets...Rams tight ends coach Shane Waldron coached with Green Bay defense – run game coordinator/inside linebackers coach Patrick Graham for one year (2009) in New England...Los Angeles assistant wide receivers coach Zac Taylor served on Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin's coaching staff in Miami from 2012-15...Rams assistant head coach/linebackers coach Joe Barry coached linebackers at Southern California in 2010 while Perry played for the Trojans...Los Angeles offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur was Green Bay QB DeShone Kizer's position coach at Notre Dame in 2014...Cignetti and Packers tight ends coach Brian Angelichio were on the coaching staff at Pittsburgh during Rams DT Aaron Donald's freshman season with the Panthers (2010)...Former college teammates include: Packers S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Rams LB Mark Barron (Alabama), Packers DL Montravius Adams and Countess (Auburn), Packers CB Josh Jackson, Blythe and Rams TE Henry Krieger-Coble (Iowa), Packers CB Jaire Alexander and Rams OLB Trevon Young (Louisville), Perry, Woods and CB Nickell Robey-Coleman (Southern California) and Packers CB Kevin King, Rams CB Marcus Peters and LB Cory Littleton (Washington).
This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here:
