media guys on the vikes game

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  • September 1, 2016 at 11:32 pm #52008
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    Jared Goff faceplants in preseason finale

    By Chris Wesseling
    Around the NFL Writer

    http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000694353/article/jared-goff-faceplants-in-preseason-finale

    Brace yourselves for Case Keenum versus Blaine Gabbert when the Los Angeles Rams open the season on Monday Night Football.

    If Jared Goff had even a slim chance of overtaking Keenum for the Week 1 quarterback job, Thursday night’s performance in the preseason finale slammed the door shut.

    The draft’s No. 1 overall pick authored an encouraging opening touchdown drive, highlighted by a 30-yard, read-option pass to Bradley Marquez. The wheels fell off thereafter.

    Goff’s next five third-down opportunities resulted in three consecutive overthrows, a bail-out throw short of the first-down marker and a muffed shotgun snap inside the Rams’ 10-yard line. His next throw after the lost fumble was tipped at the line of scrimmage and intercepted.

    Operating almost exclusively out of the shotgun, Goff struggled with the follow through on his mechanics, showed errant ball placement and got rattled by pressure.

    After going 3-of-4 for 53 yards on the opening drive, he was a disturbing 3-of-12 for 14 yards with two turnovers on the final seven first-half possessions.

    The Rams’ quarterback of the future finished his first preseason 22 of 49 (44.9 percent) for 232 yards (4.73 yards per attempt), two touchdowns, two interceptions, three fumbles and a 55.8 passer rating.

    Perhaps most telling, Goff has shown little awareness — struggling with snaps, taking too many hits and failing to process at NFL speeds.

    August quarterback assessments are notoriously difficult. A seemingly overmatched Cam Newton posted similar numbers to Goff in his first preseason, only to break the rookie record for passing yards in his regular-season debut.

    While it’s premature to downgrade Goff’s career outlook, Rams fans have to be disappointed that he’s headed for a redshirt rookie season rather than delivering the same brand of promise that Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota provided in Tampa and Nashville last year.

    September 1, 2016 at 11:40 pm #52010
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    Five Takeaways: Preseason at Vikings

    By Myles Simmons

    http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Five-Takeaways-Preseason-at-Vikings-/8f1f370d-aded-4111-a497-2baeee103cee

    MINNEAPOLIS — With the Rams’ 27-25 loss to the Vikings, the 2016 preseason is now complete.

    Like it is with all preseason games, the final score doesn’t quite tell the whole story. With that in mind, here are five takeaways from the contest.

    1) Good start, not-so-good finish

    Quarterback Jared Goff started his first game of the preseason and things went well for his opening drive. The rookie out of Cal completed three of his four passes, including converting both third downs the Rams faced. On the first — a 3rd-and-2 play — Goff recognized the rush and got off a quick pass to running back Chase Reynolds in the flat that ended up going for 22 yards. Then on 3rd-and-goal from the one-yard line, Goff hit wideout Kenny Britt with a back-shoulder pass on the right side of the end zone to cap the drive with a touchdown.

    But from there, the quarterback struggled to find a rhythm, including a particularly rough stretch inside two minutes in the second quarter. On 3rd-and-7 from the Los Angeles 12-yard line, Goff dropped a shotgun snap that went right to his hands. The Vikings would recover on the L.A. eight, but managed only a field goal with some solid defensive play.

    On his next play from scrimmage, Goff would throw an interception to diving defensive lineman Toby Johnson off a pass tipped at the line. This time, Minnesota would capitalize on the turnover with a touchdown.

    Playing the entire first half, Goff finished 6-of-16 passing for 67 yards with a touchdown, an interception, and a fumble. His preseason ends 22-of-49 passing for 232 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

    2) Vikings, meet Morgan Fox

    Defensive tackle Morgan Fox may have been a relative unknown heading into the fourth preseason game. But you can be sure Vikings quarterbacks Joel Stave and Brad Sorensen will remember his name going forward.

    The undrafted rookie out of Colorado State-Pueblo dominated the Vikings’ offensive line in the first half, racking up three tackles — two for loss — 2.0 sacks, and four quarterback hits.

    His first outstanding play came when he sacked Minnesota quarterback Joel Stave. Fox beat the right guard with a swim move, bringing down the QB in another step or two. Fox had another run stuff midway through the second quarter when he beat the center off the line knocked down running back Jhurell Pressley for no gain. Later, Fox burst through the interior of the line to sack the second quarterback up, Sorensen — on his first play, no less.

    Who knows how much Fox may have helped his case to make the initial 53-man roster, but he certainly didn’t hurt it.

    3) Rushing the passer

    By and large the Rams got after the Vikings quarterbacks well on Thursday night. In the first half alone, Los Angeles tallied 3.0 sacks and nine quarterback hits.

    Ethan Westbrooks was the other Angeleno to take down a quarterback in the first half, sacking Stave to begin the second quarter with an eight-yard loss on third down. Westbrooks registered two quarterback hits in the first half.

    Defensive end Matt Longacre got in on the action in the fourth quarter, taking down Sorensen for a six-yard loss on third down. As did linebacker Josh Forrest, who registered a sack for a four-yard loss with just over four minutes remaining in the contest.

    Linebacker Akeem Ayers, linebacker Brandon Chubb, and safety Christian Bryant also recorded quarterback hits in the contest.

    4) Run stuffs and TFLs

    Maurice Alexander missed some time in the preseason due to injury, but made his presence felt when he was on the field.

    On 2nd-and-7 from the Minnesota 35, Alexander knifed his way through the offensive line to stop running back C.J. Ham for a one-yard loss. A few plays later, Alexander earned another run stuff up the middle by halting a play for just a one-yard gain.

    Overall, the Rams had eight TFLs on the night — two from Fox, and one each from Alexander, Longacre, Forrest defensive tackle Cam Thomas, and a team TFL.

    5) Extra points

    — Los Angeles held many major contributors out of this game, including Todd Gurley, Case Keenum, Tim Barnes, Lance Kendricks, Tavon Austin, and Benny Cunningham. Defensively, the only two starters on the field were Alexander and linebacker Akeem Ayers.

    — Right tackle Rob Havenstein played a few series on offense for his first preseason action after being taken off the physically unable to perform list last week.

    — Minnesota returned a kick 106 yards for a touchdown midway through the third quarter, marking the second score surrendered on a Rams kickoff this preseason. That’s an unusual mark for special teams coordinator John Fassel’s unit. Los Angeles also muffed two punts that the Vikings recovered inside the red zone.

    September 2, 2016 at 12:50 am #52012
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    Rams’ Jared Goff finishes preseason on a sour note

    Alden Gonzalez

    http://www.espn.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/30501/rams-jared-goff-finishes-preseason-on-a-sour-note

    In case you were still unsure, the Los Angeles Rams’ final preseason game confirmed it — Jared Goff is not ready.

    The rookie quarterback and No. 1 overall pick led an impressive touchdown drive to open Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, but he completed only about a third of his passes and made a couple of key turnovers through the rest of the first half in the Rams’ 27-25 loss at U.S. Bank Stadium.

    Aaron Green broke off a 26-yard touchdown run to pull the Rams to within two with just under two minutes left. The Rams then got the ball back at their own 39-yard line with 40 seconds remaining, but third-string quarterback Sean Mannion threw two incomplete passes and took two sacks to seal the loss. Prior to that, Mannion was 15-of-21 for 131 yards and a touchdown.

    For the Rams, the game featured some ugly special-teams play, an impressive showing from their backup defensive linemen and important contributions from a bevy of wide receivers fighting for spots on the final 53-man roster. But the story was Goff, who didn’t come close to taking advantage of his first preseason start.

    QB depth chart: Goff led an impressive opening drive, going 3-of-4 for 54 yards and sealing it with a perfect back-shoulder pass to Kenny Britt for a 1-yard TD pass. And then it all came undone. The 21-year-old went 3-of-12 for 13 yards the rest of the first half and committed a couple of turnovers deep in his own territory, both of which led to Vikings scores. Goff dropped a snap from the shotgun, starting to drop back before securing the football, and gave the Vikings the ball inside the 10-yard line with less than two minutes left in the first half. On his next snap, Goff tried to set up a screen pass but had the ball tipped and subsequently intercepted by Toby Johnson. Goff, given eight first-half drives with starter Case Keenum sitting out, also overthrew his intended receiver three times on third down.

    Starter status: The only defensive starters to play were linebacker Akeem Ayers and safety Maurice Alexander, who made a couple of nice tackles in the backfield. None of the Rams’ three running backs played, a list that includes Todd Gurley, Benny Cunningham and Malcolm Brown. Receiver Tavon Austin and tight end Lance Kendricks also sat. So did left tackle Greg Robinson, who is still going through the concussion protocol. Britt saw plenty lot of action in the first half, however. And right tackle Rob Havenstein, who spent most of training camp dealing with an injury to his right foot, was able to start his first game.

    Who got hurt? The Rams have some tough decisions to make at linebacker, and a couple of them who don’t appear to have solidified spots came out of the game early. Bryce Hager was taken to the locker room, seemingly for a concussion, and Nic Grigsby was shown icing his left thigh on the sidelines. With halftime seconds away, offensive lineman Garrett Reynolds appeared to injure his leg.

    Surprise player who impressed: Thursday may go down as the night casual Rams fans learned about Morgan Fox, the undrafted rookie defensive lineman out of Colorado State-Pueblo. Fox notched two sacks, two tackles for a loss and four quarterback hits, creating disruption throughout the first half.

    Reason to be encouraged: Thursday’s game served as further proof of how dominant and deep the Rams’ defensive line can be. Fox was the star, but several others helped dominate the line of scrimmage in the first half. Ethan Westbrooks and Matt Longacre each recorded sacks, and Cam Thomas had a nice day creating pressure.

    Reason to be concerned: Special teams was a mess, though it was composed mostly of backups. First there was a fumble on a punt, which hit Duke Williams in the leg. Then the Rams allowed a 106-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to Jhurell Pressley, who broke at least five tackles. And then Paul McRoberts muffed a punt, which led to a fumble deep in Rams territory and an ensuing score by the Vikings. This from a Rams team that began the preseason by giving up a touchdown on the opening kickoff at Los Angeles Coliseum.

    Checking in on the wideouts: Special teams blemishes aside, Williams made a nice leaping catch on a throw across the middle and McRoberts made another nice leaping catch in the end zone, hauling in Mannion’s 2-yard pass. Mike Thomas had a couple of really good kickoff returns, while also making three catches for 38 yards. Austin Hill caught a 9-yard pass and Brian Quick dropped an early one on a crossing route, though Goff’s throw was slightly behind him. Rams receivers were statistically the worst in the NFL last season and will enter the season banged up. Pharoh Cooper (shoulder) and Nelson Spruce (knee) don’t figure to be ready by Week 1, and Bradley Marquez’s right ankle may still be bothering him.

    Say what: One of the referees said “St. Louis” instead of “Los Angeles” when referring to the Rams on a challenge in the fourth quarter. That also happened in the second preseason game.

    September 2, 2016 at 12:51 am #52013
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    Goff, Rams lose 27-25 to Vikings in preseason finale

    Associated Press

    http://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400874794

    MINNEAPOLIS — Rookie Jared Goff’s first start of the preseason for Los Angeles featured two turnovers and one touchdown, as the Minnesota reserve running backs led a 27-25 victory by the Vikings over the Rams on Thursday night.

    Goff played the whole first half, finishing 6 for 16 for 67 yards. The first overall pick in the draft capped the first drive with deft touch on a 1-yard scoring pass to Kenny Britt, but ugliness ensued.

    The Rams punted on the next four possessions. Then Goff dropped a shotgun snap for a fumble at his 9-yard line, setting up the second field goal for the Vikings by Blair Walsh. A minute later, Justin Trattou tripped Goff’s pass at the line and defensive tackle Toby Johnson made a diving interception at the 28.

    Jhurell Pressley turned a short throw by Brad Sorensen into a 28-yard touchdown reception on the next play. Pressley also returned a kickoff 106 yards for a score, and C.J. Ham carried 15 times for 59 yards and a touchdown. After each score, the Vikings showed off their new stadium by dimming the lights, blaring Prince’s hit “Let’s Go Crazy!” and flashing purple and gold bulbs around the ceiling.

    With Adrian Peterson, Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata well established as the running backs, there’s no room for the undrafted rookies Pressley (New Mexico) or Ham (Division II Augustana in South Dakota). But they each made a strong case for the practice squad or another team.

    After losing Teddy Bridgewater for the season to a major knee injury just two days ago, the Vikings kept new starting quarterback Shaun Hill safely on the sideline. Joel Stave went 9 for 18 for 76 yards and left with a hand injury. Sorensen took over for the rest of the game.

    Rob Havenstein started at right tackle for the Rams, after recently returning to practice from a foot injury.

    ROOKIE WATCH

    Rams: With the starting defensive linemen resting, DT Morgan Fox took advantage of the extra playing time with two sacks and four QB hurries in the first half. Fox was undrafted out of NCAA Division II school Colorado State-Pueblo.

    Vikings: First-round draft pick Laquon Treadwell started at WR but dropped a pair of passes. He was targeted four times but didn’t record a reception.

    POSITION BATTLES

    Rams: Rookie WR Paul McRoberts, part of a large bubble at the position behind starters Britt and Tavon Austin and fourth-round draft pick Pharoh Cooper, caught a short TD pass from Sean Mannion midway through the fourth quarter. McRoberts was undrafted out of Southeast Missouri State.

    Vikings: Sixth-round draft pick David Morgan, vying for a spot as a fourth TE, recovered a fumble and had two catches for 15 yards as well as an offensive pass interference penalty.

    INJURY UPDATE

    Rams: LB Bryce Hager, who started in place of Alec Ogletree in the middle, limped off the field after Minnesota’s second play from scrimmage.

    Vikings: CB Jabari Price, a seventh-round draft pick in 2014 on the roster fringe, limped off in the fourth quarter unable to put weight on his right knee.

    September 2, 2016 at 1:40 am #52015
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    Rams, Jared Goff end exhibition season on a down note in loss to Vikings

    http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rams-727741-vikings-final.html

    MINNEAPOLIS – The preseason is over. The Jared Goff revolution never materialized, but the Rams remained mostly injury-free and displayed some good depth on defense. All in all, call it a draw.

    That’s how it will go down officially, as the Rams won twice and lost twice, and ended the warm-up portion of their schedule with a 27-25 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday at the new U.S. Bank Stadium.

    The Rams led 7-0 after the first drive, then bumbled on offense and special teams – they allowed a 106-yard kickoff return for a touchdown – which negated a good showing by their defense. The Vikings turned four Rams turnovers into two touchdowns and two field goals and led 27-10 in the fourth quarter.

    But if the preseason was meant to be a moratorium on Goff, then it’s difficult to declare it a success. All along, though, the Rams insisted they would take a slow-go approach with their rookie quarterback, and against the Vikings, Goff showed why an immediate anointing probably wasn’t a good idea.

    In fact, Coach Jeff Fisher indicated after the game that he will “probably” list Sean Mannion as his season-opening No. 2 quarterback, behind starter Case Keenum, with Goff as the third-stringer.

    “You know, I think it’s going to take a little bit more time,” Fisher said of Goff’s potential to back up. “That’s not to say he can’t be a two or start, but if we were starting right now, I’d probably have Sean as the two. Because it’s all about being patient with him. He’s not frustrated or anything.”

    Goff, who took the reins early Thursday as Keenum rested to prevent injury, looked great as he led the Rams on a seven-play, 62-yard touchdown drive to start the game.

    Goff ended that drive with a nicely timed 1-yard touchdown pass to receiver Kenny Britt, and that proved to be the last great moment for Goff and the Rams’ offense, which slumbered throughout the game.

    By the end of the first half, Goff had misfired on several attempts, and also fumbled and thrown an interception on consecutive plays deep in his own territory. That helped the Vikings take a 13-7 halftime lead, even though the Rams’ strong defense held Minnesota to 125 yards in the first half.

    Goff played the first half and finished 6 of 16 for 67 yards, one touchdown and one interception. In four preseason games, Goff was 22 of 49 for 232 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

    “I felt like I made good strides and made a lot of progress,” Goff said. “I feel like I’ve come a long way, through OTAs and summer and camp. I feel good about where I’m at.”

    Thursday’s game had little else to analyze. The Rams played six starters: Britt, offensive linemen Jamon Brown, Rob Havenstein and Rodger Saffold, linebacker Akeem Ayers and safety Maurice Alexander.

    The Rams gave major playing time to young players, with the knowledge that within the next two days, they must reduce their roster from 75 players to the league-maximum 53.

    Perhaps a few players gave Fisher and General Manager Les Snead some tougher decisions to make Friday, but for the most part, the Rams didn’t change much from their first three games.

    The Rams showed great depth among their defensive front seven. They recorded nine hits on the first 22 drop-back attempts by Minnesota starting quarterback Joel Stave and the game was a (late) coming-out party for lineman Morgan Fox, who had been quiet throughout the preseason but recorded three sacks.

    The Vikings got a lot of help because of turnovers. Their four scoring drives started, respectively, at the Rams’ 19-, 9-, 28- and 6-yard lines, and resulted in two touchdowns and two field goals.

    Minnesota’s Jhurell Pressley returned a kickoff 106 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter, and the Rams muffed one punt and had another deflect off the leg of receiver Duke Williams for a turnover.

    Goff figured heavily in two of the Rams’ miscues. He fumbled a shotgun snap late in the second quarter, which turned into a field goal that cut the Rams’ lead to 7-6. On Goff’s next play, he threw an interception, and the Vikings scored a touchdown on their next play to take the lead for good at 13-7.

    September 2, 2016 at 3:06 pm #52037
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    Rams, Jared Goff end exhibition season on a down note in loss to Vikings

    RICH HAMMOND

    http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rams-727741-vikings-final.html

    MINNEAPOLIS – The preseason is over. The Jared Goff revolution never materialized, but the Rams remained mostly injury-free and displayed some good depth on defense. All in all, call it a draw.

    That’s how it will go down officially, as the Rams won twice and lost twice, and ended the warm-up portion of their schedule with a 27-25 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday at the new U.S. Bank Stadium.

    The Rams led 7-0 after the first drive, then bumbled on offense and special teams – they allowed a 106-yard kickoff return for a touchdown – which negated a good showing by their defense. The Vikings turned four Rams turnovers into two touchdowns and two field goals and led 27-10 in the fourth quarter.

    But if the preseason was meant to be a referendum on Goff, then it’s difficult to declare it a success. All along, though, the Rams insisted they would take a slow-go approach with their rookie quarterback, and against the Vikings, Goff showed why an immediate anointing probably wasn’t a good idea.

    In fact, Coach Jeff Fisher indicated after the game that he will “probably” list Sean Mannion as his season-opening No. 2 quarterback, behind starter Case Keenum, with Goff as the third-stringer.

    “You know, I think it’s going to take a little bit more time,” Fisher said of Goff’s potential to back up. “That’s not to say he can’t be a two or start, but if we were starting right now, I’d probably have Sean as the two. Because it’s all about being patient with him. He’s not frustrated or anything.”

    Goff, who took the reins early Thursday as Keenum rested to prevent injury, looked great as he led the Rams on a seven-play, 62-yard touchdown drive to start the game.

    Goff ended that drive with a nicely timed 1-yard touchdown pass to receiver Kenny Britt, and that proved to be the last great moment for Goff and the Rams’ offense, which slumbered throughout the game.

    By the end of the first half, Goff had misfired on several attempts, and also fumbled and thrown an interception on consecutive plays deep in his own territory. That helped the Vikings take a 13-7 halftime lead, even though the Rams’ strong defense held Minnesota to 125 yards in the first half.

    Goff played the first half and finished 6 of 16 for 67 yards, one touchdown and one interception. In four preseason games, Goff was 22 of 49 for 232 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

    “I felt like I made good strides and made a lot of progress,” Goff said. “I feel like I’ve come a long way, through OTAs and summer and camp. I feel good about where I’m at.”

    Thursday’s game had little else to analyze. The Rams played six starters: Britt, offensive linemen Jamon Brown, Rob Havenstein and Rodger Saffold, linebacker Akeem Ayers and safety Maurice Alexander.

    The Rams gave major playing time to young players, with the knowledge that within the next two days, they must reduce their roster from 75 players to the league-maximum 53.

    Perhaps a few players gave Fisher and General Manager Les Snead some tougher decisions to make Friday, but for the most part, the Rams didn’t change much from their first three games.

    The Rams showed great depth among their defensive front seven. They recorded nine hits on the first 22 drop-back attempts by Minnesota starting quarterback Joel Stave and the game was a (late) coming-out party for lineman Morgan Fox, who had been quiet throughout the preseason but recorded three sacks.

    The Vikings got a lot of help because of turnovers. Their four scoring drives started, respectively, at the Rams’ 19-, 9-, 28- and 6-yard lines, and resulted in two touchdowns and two field goals.

    Minnesota’s Jhurell Pressley returned a kickoff 106 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter, and the Rams muffed one punt and had another deflect off the leg of receiver Duke Williams for a turnover.

    Goff figured heavily in two of the Rams’ miscues. He fumbled a shotgun snap late in the second quarter, which turned into a field goal that cut the Rams’ lead to 7-6. On Goff’s next play, he threw an interception, and the Vikings scored a touchdown on their next play to take the lead for good at 13-7

    September 2, 2016 at 9:39 pm #52070
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    What we learned from the Rams’ 27-25 exhibition loss to the Minnesota Vikings

    Gary Klein

    http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-vikings-what-we-learned-20160901-snap-story.html

    Jared Goff is not ready to be the starter … or the backup.

    The Rams traded up – and gave up a lot of draft picks – to pick quarterback Jared Goff No. 1 in the draft.

    The big move will not pay immediate dividends.

    That was fairly clear after three exhibitions, and Goff’s performance against the Vikings solidified it.

    During the first series, Goff looked like he finally had found his groove. He was making plays outside the pocket and passed for a short touchdown.

    That was it for highlights.

    After the game, Coach Jeff Fisher acknowledged that Goff was “not ready” and said he’d probably go with Sean Mannion as the No. 2 quarterback.

    Brian Quick still has trouble catching the ball

    Perhaps Fisher needs to publicly jump on Quick’s case every week.

    After several drops in practices and early exhibitions, Fisher twice called out Quick to reporters, saying the fifth-year pro needed to catch the ball.

    Voila! Quick was targeted three times against the Denver Broncos and he caught the ball each time.

    But against the Vikings, Quick dropped a pass on the Rams’ second play from scrimmage. He was targeted twice and did not have a catch.

    With rookie Pharoh Cooper possibly sidelined for the opener because of a shoulder injury, Quick needs to make good on his prove-it contract.

    Special teams are not living up to their name

    The Rams got a pass when they allowed the Dallas Cowboys to return the opening kick-off for a touchdown in the first exhibition game.

    It was the first game at the Coliseum in more than 20 years…. The stadium was packed and the players were overly excited…. They came back and won…. Fill in another excuse of your choice here.

    Against the Vikings, with young players desperately trying to make a good final impression, the Rams allowed Jhurell Pressley to return a kick-off 106 yards for a touchdown. At least six Rams players had shots at Pressley and missed.

    Duke Williams let a punted ball bounce off his leg, and the Vikings recovered to set up a field goal.

    Paul McRoberts muffed a punt and the Vikings recovered at the six-yard line, setting up a touchdown.

    Rob Havenstein is back

    Havenstein started at right tackle after returning from a foot injury that sidelined him throughout organized team activities and training camp.

    He still needs to work himself into game shape, but his limited appearance was an encouraging sign for a line that needs to take the next step.

    Havenstein’s presence enables versatile Rodger Saffold to possibly move back to left guard. Saffold had been playing right tackle. Against the Vikings, Saffold filled in at left tackle for Greg Robinson, who went through concussion protocol last week after playing against Denver.

    Morgan Fox plays defensive tackle

    The Rams are very deep along the defensive line, so the low-profile Fox is a long shot to make the roster.

    But the former Colorado State Pueblo standout made the most of his opportunity against the Vikings, getting two sacks and pressuring the quarterback four times.

    It was exactly the kind of performance an undrafted free agent needed in his final audition for the Rams … and other NFL teams if he gets cut.

    The Rams’ new stadium will be impressive

    The renderings for the Rams’ Inglewood stadium, scheduled for completion in 2019, resemble U.S. Bank Stadium in some ways.

    That’s not a coincidence because the Dallas-based HKS architecture firm designed both.

    We won’t even begin to speculate about how much the luxury suites and personal seat licenses will cost in star-obsessed Southern California.

    Inglewood does not present the same visible skyline opportunities that Minneapolis boasts, but it’s certain that there will be plenty of cutting edge bells and whistles at the Rams’ new home.

    September 3, 2016 at 8:35 am #52104
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    LA-MIN GRADES: VIKINGS SAFETIES SHINE IN PRESEASON WEEK 4 WIN OVER RAMS

    Top takeaways and highest-graded players from the Minnesota Vikings’ preseason Week 4 win over the Los Angeles Rams.

    BOBBY SLOWIK

    https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-la-min-grades-vikings-safeties-shine-in-preseason-week-4-win-over-rams/

    Minnesota Vikings 27, Los Angeles Rams 25

    Here are the biggest takeaways and highest graded players from the Minnesota Vikings 27-25 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in preseason Week 4.

    Los Angeles Rams

    Quarterback grades: Sean Mannion, 50.2; Jared Goff, 40.2

    Jared Goff continues to struggle in preseason

    Goff was turnover-prone again Thursday night as he dropped a snap and threw a batted pass that wound up being intercepted. To be fair, the batted pass was largely a product of luck and an impressive diving snag by a defensive lineman, but the turnover trend is concerning in year one for the young QB. He had little help from his WRs as well, who contributed four dropped passes that add up to a paltry 37.5 completion percentage for the first overall pick.

    Goff’s passing numbers under pressure for the preseason:

    Top offensive grades

    C Eric Kush, 82.3

    OT Pace Murphy, 80.6

    OG David Arkin, 78.8

    OT Andrew Donnal, 73.8

    OG Garrett Reynolds, 73.2

    Offensive line shows some bright spots for Rams

    All five of the top offensive players for the Rams last night played offensive line. C Eric Kush had the best performance of the bunch with an 80.1 run-block performance although he surrendered a sack in pass protection. OT Pace Murphy led the charge in pass protection with a clean sheet while also contributing in the run game for a 75.5 run-block grade on 30 snaps. OG David Arkin was another player that stood out in the run game with a run-block grade of 77.8 as well as a pass protection grade of 81.4 despite surrendered a QB hurry.

    Top defensive grades

    S Christian Bryant, 88.9

    LB Josh Forrest, 83.7

    DI Morgan Fox, 83.5

    S Maurice Alexander, 79

    DI Dominique Easley, 78.7

    Safeties show up in the run game

    S Christian Bryant had a great night in run support with a total of four tackles and two run stops, earning a run-defense grade of 91.7. He also added in a QB hit and allowed no receptions on two targets on the night. LB Josh Forrest also was evident in the run game, posting an 86.2 run-defense grade. He also contributed a sack and a QB hurry as a pass-rusher. The highest-graded pass-rusher was DI Morgan Fox, who earned a 82.9 grade in that area and compiled two sacks and two QB hits along with some other impressive rushes that did not result in a stat.

    Minnesota Vikings

    Quarterback grades: Joel Stave, 50.5; Brad Sorensen, 45.3

    Vikings QBs do little to comfort reeling fans

    QB Joel Stave had a below-average night, which did little to soothe a fan base that is still reeling from the injury to Teddy Bridgewater. QB Shaun Hill did not play, which gave Stave the opportunity to build some confidence. He wound up going 9-for-19 for 76 yards and a 58.2 QB rating. Although he did have two drops from his targets, he was also sacked twice and was inconsistent with his accuracy. The same could be said for QB Brad Sorensen, as he was plagued by inaccuracy on his nine attempts and was also sacked three times.

    Top offensive grades

    OT Jeremiah Sirles, 80.8

    WR Jarius Wright, 75.4

    HB C.J. Ham, 70.8

    OT T.J. Clemmings, 68.6

    HB Jhurell Pressley, 60.2

    Running backs help lead the way for the Vikings

    OT Jeremiah Sirles had a solid game in pass protection, earning an 84.0 pass-block grade despite surrendering a sack. His run-block grade of 69.8 was less impressive on 31 run-play snaps. WR Jarius Wright had three catches for 35 yards and no drops leading the way in the receiving game although only three of those yards came after the catch. HBs C.J. Ham and Jhurrell Pressley had good games, although they were productive in different ways. Ham had a positive rushing performance with 59 yards on 15 attempts and 20 yards after contact, as well as posting a pass-protection grade of 82.8. Pressley led the way in receiving from the backfield with 4 catches for 49 yard and 1 TD, and he forced two missed tackles after the catch. Altogether that earned the HB a 83.5 receiving grade.

    Top defensive grades

    S Jayron Kearse, 87.3

    DE Zach Moore, 82.2

    DE Justin Trattou, 78.4

    LB Kentrell Brothers, 74.4

    CB Jabari Price, 72.5

    Pass rush steps up for the Vikings

    DEs Zach Moore and Justin Trattou led the way in creating pressure for Minnesota’s defense. Moore tallied a sack and four QB hurries while Trattou had a QB hit, a QB hurry and a batted pass. S Jayron Kearse was the stud of the defense, earning a high grade in all phases with an 86.3 run-defense grade and 85.7 coverage grade. He finished the night with 6 tackles, 1 assist and 3 run stops while only allowing 7 yards on 2 targets. LB Kentrell Brothers also had a good night with a 6 tackles, 1 assist, 3 stops and a 74.2 run-defense grade.

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