St. Louis Rams vs. Green Bay Packers: What's the Game Plan for St. Louis?

The St. Louis Rams (2-2) will travel to Lambeau Field this Sunday to take on the Green Bay Packers (4-0). The undefeated Packers have been virtually invincible in the first quarter of 2015, so it'll take a monumental effort and flawless game plan for St. Louis to come out on top. 

The up-and-down nature of the Rams makes this an intriguing matchup. St. Louis appeared flat against Washington and Pittsburgh but resembled a playoff team against Seattle and Arizona. Last Sunday, the Rams were able to take down the previously undefeated Cardinals on the road, so it'll be interesting to see which version of the Rams takes the field in Green Bay.

Despite the Packers' recent success, the team is certainly not unbeatable. The margin of victory in three of their four games was 10 points or less. The team achieved its largest victory against the San Francisco 49ers last week, but the score was only a modest 17-3.

The Lambeau advantage will certainly go against St. Louis, and the Packers should be considered the favorites in this game, but an upset is not out of the question as long as the St. Louis game plan is solid.

Here's what to look for:

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Offensive Game Plan

The best defense for the Rams in this game is a good offense. 

With 11 touchdowns and nearly 1,000 yards already this season, Aaron Rodgers has been unstoppable. As long as he's on the field, the Packers will score points. Even the tough St. Louis defense will have a difficult time keeping Rodgers and the offense out of the end zone. 

To beat Rodgers, the St. Louis offense must keep him off the field. That will require long, scoring drives that eat up the clock and keep the Packers' offense off the field. 

In order to accomplish that, the Rams need a healthy run game for all four quarters. Moving the chains and marching downfield at a slow pace will keep the St. Louis defense rested and force Rodgers to watch helplessly on the sidelines. 

After two pitiful offensive performances against Washington and Pittsburgh, it appears the St. Louis offense has received a much-needed boost in running back Todd Gurley. Gurley, who's coming off a 161-yard performance against a tough Arizona defense, is one of the only playmakers on St. Louis' offense. The Rams will be counting on him in this game. 

If Gurley can move the chains and have a repeat performance, it will help St. Louis accomplish its primary goal—eating the clock and keeping Rodgers sidelined. 

However, the run game alone will not be enough to keep up with Green Bay. The Rams must also lean on their other young playmaker—Tavon Austin. 

Austin has four touchdowns in four games and has been the only consistent contributor on offense. The Rams must find a way to get the ball in his hands, and he'll take care of the rest. When Austin gets into the open field and makes plays, it electrifies the entire offense. 

Overall, the only way for St. Louis to have success is by igniting the run game. If this game turns into an aerial shootout, the Rams have no chance.

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Defensive Game Plan

The offense will do everything in its power to keep Rodgers off the field, but the defense must step up and do its part as well.  

The best weapon St. Louis has against Rodgers is its ferocious pass rush. The Rams must rattle Rodgers early on with blitz packages and intense pressure. If the defensive line can make Rodgers uncomfortable, he'll be prone to errors and the entire Green Bay offense will become out of sync. 

However, that's easier said than done. Rodgers is an intelligent player with a lightning-quick release. His ability to get rid of the football might disarm the St. Louis pass rush. 

To prevent that, the St. Louis secondary need to play tighter than usual. The Rams typically give receivers wide cushions in order to prevent big plays, but Rodgers is capable of capitalizing on that. In this game, the secondary needs to be more aggressive in order to give the pass rush a chance. 

Additionally, the linebackers have to shut down running back Eddie Lacy. At 234 pounds, Lacy is a dangerous runner once he reaches the second level. Defensive backs have a tough time bringing him down. 

To prevent big gains by Lacy, the linebackers need to be aggressive and assure Lacy is consistently tripped up near the line of scrimmage. If the Rams can shut down the run, it'll make the Green Bay offense one-dimensional, making it that much easier to defend against Rodgers. 

Heavy pressure and stout run support is the key to this game—that, along with tight red-zone defense. If the Rams can hold Green Bay to field-goals instead of touchdowns, as they did against Arizona last week, St. Louis will have a chance. 

Key Matchups

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Clay Matthews vs. Rams Offensive Line

Clay Matthews has been a one-man wrecking crew so far in 2015. He already has three sacks this season and had six quarterback hurries against Kansas City two weeks ago. 

What makes Matthews especially dangerous is the fact he lines up all over the field. He'll take snaps in the middle and as an edge-rusher on both sides. That makes it difficult to keep tabs on him and adjust plays accordingly. 

Stopping Matthews will require stellar communication by the St. Louis offensive line. That might be difficult to accomplish given the crowd noise at Lambeau, but it's essential. The offense must know where Matthews is at all times. 

If the Rams' offensive line is incapable of containing Matthews, it will disrupt the entire offensive effort. 

Randall Cobb vs. Janoris Jenkins

Janoris Jenkins has had it rough in recent weeks. He was forced to cover Antonio Brown in Week 3 and held him out of the end zone. Last week, he kept Larry Fitzgerald out of the end zone as well, even though Fitzgerald entered that game with five touchdowns in three weeks. 

Things will get slightly easier for Jenkins this week, but not by much, as he'll be at least partially responsible for covering Randall Cobb. 

Cobb leads the Packers with 25 receptions and four touchdowns. He's second on the team in yardage, with 289. Cobb had an eight-catch, 116-yard performance against Seattle in Week 2. In Week 3, he torched Kansas City for 91 yards and three touchdowns. 

Jenkins has a habit of giving up big plays on occasion. If Cobb runs wild this week, the Rams are finished. 

This is, perhaps, one of the most vital matchups for the Rams defensively in this game. 

Aaron Donald vs. Green Bay Offensive Line

If the Rams end up defeating Green Bay, it will be the result of stellar play by the defensive line. Fortunately for St. Louis, the Packers will struggle to contain the front four, especially Aaron Donald. 

According to Pro Football Focus, the Packers' offensive line has a negative grade in both pass protection (-4.8) and run blocking (-17.8). 

The Packers have had success despite the sloppy play up front, but that could change, as Green Bay has yet to face a defensive front as stout as St. Louis'. 

The Rams will be counting on Donald to expose Green Bay's weakness and create mayhem behind the line of scrimmage. If the Packers cannot stop Donald, it'll put the St. Louis defense in a great position.