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Packers deliver Rams their third straight loss fueled by critical Matthew Stafford turnovers

The Green Bay Packers won a matchup of NFC hopefuls on Sunday with a decisive 36-28 defeat of the Los Angeles Ram

In doing so, they sent the reeling Rams to a third straight loss, further dampening the Super Bowl hopes that were bolstered by a 7-1 start in Los Angeles.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers led the effort in his third game back from a bout with COVID-19 as Green Bay improved to 9-3. The reigning league MVP completed 28-of-45 passes for 307 yards without a turnover.

Stafford turnovers prove costly

His Rams counterpart Matthew Stafford also had a big day through the air, completing 21-of-38 passes for 302 yards and three touchdowns. But a pick-six to Packers cornerback Rasul Douglas in the third quarter put the Rams in a 36-17 hole that they wouldn't dig out of.

Stafford also lost a first-quarter fumble that set up Green Bay's first touchdown on a Rodgers sneak.

Los Angeles added 10 late points including a 54-yard pass from Stafford to Odell Beckham Jr. for his first touchdown as a Ram on the ensuing possession. But it was too little, too late after ceding a 19-point third quarter lead to Rodgers and Co.

Can Rams compete with NFL's best?

The Rams have now lost consecutive games to the Tennessee Titans, San Francisco 49ers and Packers, all teams with playoff hopes. Their previous four-game win streak arrived against the Seattle Seahawks, New York Giants, Detroit Lions and Houston Texans — teams most certainly not in the playoff hunt. The poor effort against quality teams is sure to raise questions about how good the Rams actually are after making headline-grabbing midseason acquisitions of Beckham and Von Miller.

The Packers, meanwhile, remained a half game behind the 9-2 Arizona Cardinals in the race for the NFC's No. 1 seed and the coveted playoff bye. The 8-3 Buccaneers also kept pace with a defeat of the Indianapolis Colts earlier Sunday.

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 28: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams is sacked by Kenny Clark #97 of the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field on November 28, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)