They had to wait until the Divisional Round, but the Packers finally had a significant amount of fans at Lambeau Field -- and boy, did it make a difference.
Green Bay downed the Los Angeles Rams, 32-18, on Saturday in front of a crowd of 7,439, the most to attend a Packers game during the 2020 season. For the first time during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Aaron Rodgers and Co. heard the roar of jovial fans each time they put points on the board. That support helped them win a playoff game and secure a home berth in the conference title game next week.
"It's special. There's absolutely nothing like it," Rodgers told FOX after the game. "We have really missed that part of this experience. So to run out of the tunnel tonight with fans was unbelievable. It's hard to explain how much the presence means on the field and just having that energy from the crowd. Being able to play in front of them tonight, to hear the chants, to hear them banging the boards they got was really special."
Rodgers put together another excellent performance, completing 23-of-36 passes for 296 yards, two touchdowns and a passer rating of 108.1. Green Bay combined to rush for 188 yards, with Aaron Jones leading the way with 99 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. With the Packers needing a late stop to put away a two-score game, Green Bay's fans used their voices and their giveaway signs (the "boards" Rodgers mentioned) to drum up more noise than most NFL teams have heard in this unique season, helping the Packers sack Jared Goff to force a turnover on downs.
The sack followed a crucial completion earlier in the quarter that ultimately served as a game-sealing score, with Rodgers finding Allen Lazard on a well-timed play-action pass for a 58-yard touchdown that sent those in attendance into a frenzy.
"It felt like 90,000," Lazard said, via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Tom Silverstein. "It played a huge role in our win today."
Green Bay will host the winner of Sunday's Tampa Bay-New Orleans showdown in the NFC Championship Game next weekend. It will be Rodgers' first conference title game played at Lambeau Field in his illustrious career. If Saturday was any indicator, it'll come with a home-field advantage.
