Davante Adams, Jalen Ramsey Separated After Verbal Spat Before Rams vs. Packers
Jan 16, 2021
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 27: Jalen Ramsey #20 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on while heading in for halftime against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on December 27, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
Jalen Ramsey isn't afraid to trash-talk anyone, so it's not a surprise the Los Angeles Rams star was engaged in a spat with Green Bay Packers star Davante Adams prior to kickoff of Saturday's NFC Divisional Round game.
The two Pro Bowlers had to be separated on the field after engaging in a verbal sparring match:
The chirping between Davante Adams and Jalen Ramsey already on full display in warmups. A referee walked Adams back to the Packers side of the field.
Even though Ramsey and Adams have been in the NFL together since 2016, Saturday will mark their first head-to-head matchup. Ramsey did play against the Packers in his first career game with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he was lined up in the slot against other receivers.
Ramsey and Adams are arguably the best players at their respective positions. The Rams star is one week removed from holding Seattle Seahawks star DK Metcalf to 33 yards on three catches last week when the two were lined up opposite each other.
Adams led the NFL with 18 touchdown catches during the regular season and had 1,374 yards on 115 catches.
Another round of NFL playoff action is upon us. While the thrilling six-game slate of Super Wild Card Weekend is still fresh on the minds of football fans, the divisional round is here...
Rams vs. Packers: Daily Fantasy Sleepers, Lineup Picks for FanDuel, DraftKings
Jan 16, 2021
Green Bay Packers' Marquez Valdes-Scantling races to the end zone for a 72-yard touchdown reception during the first half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams tortured opposing defenses throughout the regular season, but their connection in the divisional round could be halted by one of the best individual defenders in the NFL.
Adams' matchup with Los Angeles Rams defensive back Jalen Ramsey could lessen his daily fantasy football value. If Ramsey takes away Adams' threat in the passing attack, Rodgers will have to call on Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard and others to make up for those totals.
If the Packers work around Ramsey and put up a large total, the wide receivers beneath Adams on the depth chart could be the biggest fantasy success stories of Saturday's slate.
The fantasy numbers produced by Los Angeles' wide receivers could be lower than expected if Jared Goff's injured thumb acts up. With that in mind, the best DFS option from the Rams roster should be come from their running back unit.
DFS Lineup Picks
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay
It is hard not to start Rodgers in single-game and full-day slates, even if Adams is occupied by Ramsey for most of Saturday afternoon.
Rodgers completed more than 70 percent of his passes in the regular season for the first time in his career as a full-season starter. He completed 71.4 percent of his throws in a two-game stint in 2007.
The Packers quarterback concluded the regular season with back-to-back four-touchdown outings against a pair of playoff qualifiers. In his seven four-score performances, Rodgers turned over the ball on a single occasion.
Rodgers' high completion rate and lack of turnovers make him a better quarterback option than Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Goff on Saturday. He does have a tough defensive matchup, with Aaron Donald and Ramsey lining up on the other side of the ball, but he has an abundance of weapons to work with to get around the impact of both players.
Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams both caught more than 30 passes this year, and Robert Tonyan turned himself into a touchdown machine with 11 scores.
If Rodgers utilizes those three players on short passes to negate Donald's impact on the pass rush, he could enjoy a similar level of success as he had throughout the regular season.
Cam Akers, RB, Los Angeles
Akers is the most trustworthy DFS option on the Rams roster.
The rookie out of Florida State totaled his second-best single-game yardage total in the Wild Card Round, as he ran for 131 yards on 28 carries.
For Los Angeles to win, Akers needs to be as effective to take some pressure off Goff from making every big play on his own out of the pocket.
Dating back to Week 13, Akers has been a high-volume back for the Rams, as he earned 15 or more carries in five games. Akers also recorded more than 20 receiving yards in four of the five contests. He shouldn't be chosen for DFS lineups based off his points-per-reception potential, but that would be an added bonus if Goff calls on him to catch short throws.
If Akers averages more than three yards per carry with a high volume of touches, he may end up as the top-scoring running back across Saturday's two-game slate.
Sleeper Picks
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, Green Bay
Valdes-Scantling was a boom-or-bust sleeper pick throughout the regular season.
In the final six games, Valdes-Scantling had two performances with 85 yards and a touchdown and failed to catch a pass in two contests.
With Adams going head-to-head with Ramsey, Valdes-Scantling must be included as a sleeper play because of his big-play potential.
When Rodgers targets him, Valdes-Scantling is typically breaking away from defenders. Four of six touchdown catches went for 45 yards or longer.
Valdes-Scantling may be in for a higher volume of targets and receptions since Ramsey allowed a little more than 50 percent of the balls thrown at him to be caught. Opposing wide receivers averaged 9.8 yards per catch versus Ramsey.
If Adams is shut down on a few drives, Rodgers could look to break open the Rams defense or exploit other matchups with short throws to take attention off his primary target.
A handful of other offensive players could be chosen for a lineup stack with Rodgers, but if you are looking for a wide receiver who can earn high yardage totals in a quick burst, Valdes-Scantling is the man.
Tyler Higbee, TE, Los Angeles
We should learn how effective Goff's throwing hand will be early in the contest.
In the Wild Card Round, Goff completed nine of his 19 passes for 155 yards and a score. Tyler Higbee was third behind Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp in targets.
Higbee could be the key to unlocking Goff's effectiveness in the short passing game, while Woods and Kupp take up Green Bay's best pass defenders. From Weeks 13-17, Higbee hauled in at least three catches in four of five games and caught a pair of touchdown passes.
The tight end could be a solid secondary option behind Woods and Kupp, and he makes the most sense in a supporting role from a DFS perspective.
Since Woods and Kupp take up a majority of the wide receiver targets, it is hard to trust Josh Reynolds or Van Jefferson as a sleeper pick. If Higbee brings in a few catches and gets one or two chances inside the red zone, he could carry some of the best value at tight end.
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Rams vs. Packers: Updated Odds, Stat Predictions for 2021 NFC Divisional Game
Jan 15, 2021
Aaron Rodgers, de los Packers de Green Bay, se prepara para lanzar un pase en el duelo del domingo 3 de enero de 2021, ante los Bears de Chicago (AP Foto/Nam Y. Huh)
Aaron Rodgers has a chance to open divisional-round weekend with an extension of the form that made him one of the NFL's top Most Valuable Player candidates in 2020.
The Green Bay Packers quarterback combined with wide receiver Davante Adams to torch opposing defenses on a weekly basis this season. Rodgers could do that again Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams. The 37-year-old comes into the postseason with four consecutive victories in playoff openers.
Over the past few weeks, the Los Angeles Rams have been dealing with some uncertainty at quarterback because of the injuries suffered by quarterbacks Jared Goff and John Wolford.
Goff, who is expected to start Saturday, only completed nine passes in the wild-card win over the Seattle Seahawks. If he is not as effective in the pocket again, the Rams will need to rely on their rushing attack to leave Lambeau Field with a spot in the NFC Championship Game.
Rams vs. Packers Odds
Spread: Green Bay (-6.5)
Over/Under: 45.5
Moneyline: Green Bay -315 (bet $315 to win $100); Los Angeles +270 (bet $100 to win $270)
Rodgers owns four straight multi-touchdown performances in playoff openers.
Last season, the Green Bay signal-caller produced a pair of scoring throws in a 28-23 win over the Seahawks.
In the regular season, Rodgers reeled off seven games with four touchdown passes and five more with a trio of scoring passes. One of the most remarkable stats of his prolific campaign is the lack of interceptions. He was picked off once in the final six games.
Rodgers has 12 playoff interceptions, but he has not been turned over through the air in his previous six postseason openers. If those trends continue into Saturday, Rodgers should extend a terrific campaign in which he set career single-season bests in completion percentage and touchdown passes.
The Rams will try to make life tough on Rodgers through Aaron Donald's pass rush and Jalen Ramsey's coverage skills against Adams. Los Angeles' defense held the Seahawks to 142 passing yards in the Wild Card Round and limited its last five regular-season opponents under 200 yards through the air.
However, none of the quarterbacks hampered by the Rams possessed as deep of an offensive attack as Rodgers.
The Arizona Cardinals and Seahawks have strong No. 1 wideouts, but the depth beneath DeAndre Hopkins and DK Metcalf failed to show up in those games.
While Rodgers would prefer to connect with Adams at a high rate, he can work the ball to Robert Tonyan across the middle and in the red zone, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard on deep balls and the running back duo of Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams on short plays out of the backfield.
In the four games Adams recorded less than seven receptions, the Packers went 3-1. The only loss was the 38-10 defeat suffered against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6.
If Rodgers combines well with his abundance of options, Green Bay should be able to deal with the pass rush and he could put up another high passing total.
Prediction: 28-of-41, 310 yards, 3 TD
Cam Akers
The Rams need Cam Akers to be effective on the ground to sustain offensive success Saturday.
Even though Goff got through the Wild Card Round without too much trouble, he is just two weeks removed from surgery on his broken thumb.
Akers ran for 131 yards and a touchdown in Seattle. He also caught two passes for 45 yards. The rookie out of Florida State will face a Green Bay defense that allowed its last three opponents to earn more than 100 rushing yards.
If Akers breaks through the Packers front seven for a few decent gains in the first quarter, the Rams may be able to put together scoring drives without relying too much on Goff's injured throwing hand. If the Rams succeed with that, Akers could achieve more gains as the game goes on. He averaged more than 3.4 yards per carry in three of the four games in which he earned more than 20 carries.
Akers' individual success should at least keep the Rams competitive, but they are facing a defense that held four of its past five opponents under 20 points.
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Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers won at least one playoff game in their last four trips to the postseason. To keep that streak alive on Saturday, the No...
Davante Adams: Aaron Rodgers' MVP 'Should Be Locked Up' After Week 17 Win
Jan 4, 2021
Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers runs off the field after an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers won 24-16. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams has no doubt that quarterback Aaron Rodgers should be named the 2020 NFL MVP.
Following Green Bay's 35-16 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 17, Adams told reporters:
"The MVP should be locked up. There's nothing else to really talk about. You look at what we've done and what he's been able to do, and they've hit him with everything.
"[They] said he didn't have any weapons, and we go out there and go 13-3 regular season, which isn't our main goal, obviously, but it's a hell of an accomplishment, especially when you're in your second year with a new staff."
While Rodgers led the Packers to a 13-3 record and a trip to the NFC Championship Game in his first season under head coach Matt LaFleur in 2019, there were major question marks about whether he was entering the twilight of his career ahead of the 2020 campaign.
Last season, the Packers largely leaned on running back Aaron Jones, and Rodgers finished with only 4,002 yards and 26 touchdowns through the air.
Rather than selecting a complement to Adams in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft, the Packers took quarterback Jordan Love, which seemed to suggest that Rodgers was on borrowed time in Green Bay.
Rodgers answered by completing a career-best 70.7 percent of his passes for 4,299 yards and a career-high and NFL-leading 48 touchdowns. He also threw only five interceptions and had a league-best 1.0 interception percentage.
Most importantly, Rodgers led the Pack to a 13-3 mark for the second consecutive season, and he helped them capture the No. 1 seed in the NFC, which gives them a bye into the divisional round of the playoffs.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry all deserve MVP consideration as well, but it is difficult to argue against the efficiency Rodgers displayed in 2020.
If Rodgers does win the MVP, he will become only the sixth player in NFL history to take the honor at least three times, joining Jim Brown, Johnny Unitas, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning and Brady.
Davante Adams Joining 99 Club Tops Madden 21 Week 16 Player Ratings Update
Dec 31, 2020
Green Bay Packers' Davante Adams catches a pass in front of Tennessee Titans' Malcolm Butler during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Adams has 109 catches, 1,328 receiving yards and an NFL-high 17 touchdowns this season despite missing a pair of games. His 102.2 receiving yards per game also leads the league.
The four-time Pro Bowler dominated the Tennessee Titans last Sunday, amassing 11 catches for 142 yards and three scores. The 12-3 Pack currently lead the NFC with one game remaining.
Adams is one of just six players to hold a 99 rating. The other five are Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald and Arizona Cardinals wideout DeAndre Hopkins.
Elsewhere, Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey dipped one point from 99 to 98 this week. McCaffrey, who led the NFL with 2,392 scrimmage yards and 19 scores last year, has been limited to just three games this year because of injury.
Other notable changes include Titans running back Derrick Henry and Buffalo Bills wideout Stefon Diggs each moving from 95 to 96. Diggs, in particular, was sensational last Monday, amassing nine catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-9 road win over the New England Patriots.
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara inched up a point from 92 to 93 after his six-touchdown performance against the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day.
Elsewhere, Vikings running back Dalvin Cook and Saints wideout Michael Thomas each fell from 96 to 95. Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb dropped one point to 94, which is where Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady found himself after accruing 348 passing yards and four scores in a 47-7 win over the Detroit Lions last Saturday.
The 2020 NFL regular season will conclude on Sunday, with all 32 teams in action.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams (17) plays against the Detroit Lions during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams is the newest member of the exclusive Madden NFL "99 Club," achieving a 99 overall rating—the highest available—in the 2021 edition of the video game.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was one of seven players to earn the rating in Madden NFL 19, delivered the news to the four-time Pro Bowler.
Back in November, Adams said he was expecting his 97 rating to rise soon.
Through 13 games this season, the 28-year-old has collected 1,328 receiving yards (good for fourth in the league), with a league-leading 17 touchdowns, while his average of 102.2 yards per game also outranks the rest of the NFL.
He'll have a chance to add to those stats when the Packers close the regular season against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
The modern NFL is dominated by high-powered passing games. A handful of teams with elite quarterbacks and wide receivers will continue dominating in 2021...
Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams Connect for 3 TDs as Packers Cruise Past Titans
Dec 27, 2020
Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers runs for a first down during the second half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)
The Green Bay Packers are one win away from the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC.
Green Bay defeated the Tennessee Titans 40-14 on Sunday at Lambeau Field and improved to 12-3 on the season with a fifth straight win. Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams and AJ Dillon led the way for the victors, who only need to win in Week 17 to clinch that top seed.
The Titans had an opportunity to clinch the AFC South and a playoff spot with a win but fell short despite a solid showing from Derrick Henry.
AJ Dillon, RB, GB: 21 carries for 124 yards, 2 TDs; 1 catch for 5 yards
Ryan Tannehill, QB, TEN: 11-of-24 for 121 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs; 3 carries for 55 yards, 1 TD
Derrick Henry, RB, TEN: 23 carries for 98 yards
Packers Primed for Playoffs with Rodgers-Adams Combination
Sunday represented a timely test for the Packers.
Rodgers-to-Adams has been as automatic as any combination in the league with the wide receiver scoring a touchdown in eight straight games before his streak came to an end in Week 15 against the Carolina Panthers. However, throwing the ball in Green Bay weather in the postseason could be challenging, so this game gave the combination an opportunity for some practice.
Davante Adams has a receiving TD in 9 straight Sunday Night Football appearances, breaking a tie with Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski for the longest such streak in NFL history
Seriously, though: Rodgers is objectively, undeniably great. Totally legit MVP case. But the idea that he has no help is insane. He just had nine years to throw from the 10-yard line to the best WR in the league who was open by eight yards in every direction in the end zone.
The pair wasted no time setting the tone with a touchdown strike on the game's opening possession, which set the stage for Tennessee to shift additional attention Adams' way and open up other playmakers. Equanimeous St. Brown took advantage with a touchdown catch on Green Bay's second possession.
It was a pick-your-poison situation, as Adams torched Adoree' Jackson whenever he faced single coverage. He caught a fade for the Packers' third touchdown and then scored again after the Titans pulled within five points in the second half.
That third Adams touchdown came after officials missed Aaron Jones stepping out of bounds on a long run, but it didn't matter. The visitors had no answer for Nos. 12 and 17, and even Dillon got in on the fun with two touchdown runs as the Packers pulled away with an offense operating on all cylinders.
The snow was no match for Rodgers and Adams. The Titans were no match for Rodgers and Adams. The question now is whether anyone in the NFC will be a match for Rodgers and Adams.
Titans Offense Falls Short in Marquee Matchup
Suboptimal weather traditionally means pounding the ball on the ground, and few teams in the NFL are better equipped to do just that than the Titans.
After all, tackling Henry in perfect conditions is daunting enough for defenders. Doing so while also dealing with the elements is even more difficult, especially with the roll he was on entering play. The Alabama product ran for more than 100 yards in five of the last six games, including the 215 yards he tallied against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
However, Tennessee fell behind almost immediately in Sunday's contest and couldn't just run the ball and control the clock.
Tannehill steps up and puts the @Titans on the board! #Titans
Green Bay's pass rush was a nightmare for Ryan Tannehill in the early going, and he threw an interception to Darnell Savage to set up a Packers score in the first half. The only saving grace for the visitors before halftime was Tannehill's touchdown pass to Jonnu Smith to remain within striking distance, but any hopes of just riding Henry to victory seemed to fade.
To Tannehill's credit, he exploited all the attention the running back drew with a 45-yard read-option keeper for a touchdown.
That was where the momentum stopped for the Titans, as the quarterback threw another interception (this one to Christian Kirksey), threw an incompletion on fourth down in the red zone and could only watch as his counterpart picked apart his team's secondary.
What's Next?
Both teams are on the road against divisional foes in Week 17 when the Packers face the Chicago Bears and the Titans play the Houston Texans.
