press sets up the Vikes game

Forget the QBs, Rams-Vikings is a battle of the defenses

Alden Gonzalez
Courtney Cronin

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/36371/forget-the-qbs-rams-vikings-a-battle-of-the-defenses

Jared Goff’s Los Angeles Rams versus Case Keenum’s Minnesota Vikings might be the game of the week in the middle of November. Who saw that coming at the onset of this season?

Sunday’s Week 11 matchup (1 p.m. ET, Fox) between the 7-2 Vikings and the 7-2 Rams at U.S. Bank Stadium is a fascinating one. Although offenses usually absorb most of the attention, one must not overlook these teams’ defenses. The Rams rank first in DVOA, or Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (explanation here). The Vikings, however, are allowing the third-fewest yards per play.

ESPN Rams reporter Alden Gonzalez and Vikings reporter Courtney Cronin take a closer look at each unit.

Aaron Donald’s Rams are riding a four-game win streak entering their Week 11 game at Minnesota. Jae C. Hong/AP Photo
Who is your team’s most feared defensive player?

Cronin: There’s a candidate for this recognition in just about every position group. To simplify matters, let’s take a look at the most impressive aspect of the Vikings’ defense, which is how dominant Minnesota is against the run.

Offensive linemen know they’re in for a long day of work against the Vikings, particularly nose tackle Linval Joseph, who is nearly unblockable on the interior. While he regularly manhandles the guards and centers aiming to slow him down, eating up double-teams doesn’t tell half the story of how he affects the game.

2017 Defensive Comparison
A look at the Rams’ and Vikings’ defensive numbers through nine games:
LAR MIN
PPG 18.0 18.3
YPG 322.1 294.6
Yds per play 5.1 4.7
Yds per rush 4.5 3.4
Yds per att 6.1 5.9
Source: ESPN Stats & Info

Joseph’s refined athleticism gives him the ability to switch to different assignments with ease. One moment he’ll be in the process of ripping through a block; in a flash, he’ll be in the backfield mauling a running back for a negative gain.

Minnesota has not allowed a 100-yard rusher this season and is holding teams to 3.4 yards per rush. Joseph, the NFL’s leader in run stops, is the anchor of a defense that holds teams to fewer than 2.4 yards after contact.

He’s an absolute nightmare to prepare for, and it’s the things that don’t show up on the stat sheet (such as his ball disruptions, or interrupting a quarterback’s throwing process) that make him elite.

“He can impact everything moving forward,” Matt Bowen, an NFL analyst for ESPN.com, said. “Teams realize they have to chip on him at the point of attack or double him. Otherwise he’s going to make a play, and it’ll result in a negative gain. As an offense, it changes your run game if you have to game plan for the nose guard.”

The dirty work Joseph does up front is the catalyst that ignites the rest of the defense. While he requires two players inside, it frees up Everson Griffen to do his work off the edge and Anthony Barr and the other linebackers to fire downhill and play freer.

Gonzalez: Aaron Donald, and it isn’t really close. Donald is — to borrow a phrase used by basically every opposing head coach who is getting ready to face him — “a game-wrecker.” He finds a way to get into the backfield on almost every snap, terrorizing quarterbacks and single-handedly shutting down running games.

Donald missed the first game of this season while holding out in hopes of a lucrative contract extension, and he is still tied for the NFL lead in quarterback hurries with 52, according to Pro Football Focus. The man he is tied with, Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Melvin Ingram, has had 55 more pass-rush snaps.

No other interior defender has had more than 43 quarterback pressures this season, for one simple reason: Interior defenders aren’t supposed to get to the quarterback this frequently. That’s an edge rusher’s job. But Donald finds a way, even while facing constant double-teams. His explosion off the snap, quick hands, raw strength and low center of gravity make him a nightmare.

Donald’s longtime teammate, Michael Brockers, once called him “a 6-[foot]-1, 280-, 290-pound bowling ball with the strength of two men.”

It took Donald a bit to get up to speed, but he’s playing his best football right now. The three-time Pro Bowler has registered a sack in each of his past four games, three of which led directly to fumbles.

In Sunday’s 33-7 win over the Houston Texans, Pro Football Focus had Donald generating at least eight quarterback pressures for the fourth time in eight games. Some context on that: Three of the teams that played Sunday generated less than eight quarterback pressures. The New York Giants and the Buffalo Bills combined for seven.

“If he can get in one-on-one, he’s going to make plays,” Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said. “He’s going to pressure the quarterback. He’s going to make plays in the backfield. He’s a great player, and that’s what we have to do as coaches is make sure that they can’t double him all the time.”

What makes your team’s defensive scheme so difficult for opposing offenses?

Cronin: The easy answer? Mike “The Innovator” Zimmer.

The Vikings coach grew into one of the game’s best defensive minds as a coordinator in Dallas and Cincinnati. With Zimmer’s defense, everything is run through a 4-3 base scheme with the 4-2-5 nickel package used often against the pass.

His defenses don’t blitz all that often. This season, the Vikings have their lowest blitz rate (23 percent) since Zimmer arrived in 2014, which ranks 22nd in the NFL according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Zimmer is a master of creating mismatches based on his personnel, particularly with how he moves his linebackers. He rarely shows his hand on pre-snap looks because of how well he gets his defenders to disguise their intentions.

This is the very premise of the double-A-gap blitz formation, a signature of Zimmer’s scheme.

Zimmer lines Barr and Eric Kendricks, his inside linebackers, on either side of the center in the A-gap. On a given play, the two will act like they’re about to blitz but drop back into coverage. The free safety and nickel corner also line up on the line of scrimmage, so it looks like a heavy blitz with eight stacked in the box before the two defensive backs run to cover the flat.

2017 Blitz Comparison
A look at the Rams’ and Vikings’ blitz numbers through nine games:
LAR MIN
Blitz pct 39% 23%
Comp pct 58% 53%
Yds per att 6.6 5.5
TD-Int 4-4 3-1
Total QBR 56 22
Source: ESPN Stats & Info

This formation makes it difficult for offenses to anticipate what’s coming next. With the use of all these stunts and bluffs, the scheme not only pressures quarterbacks but also it confuses the heck out of them and the offensive linemen trying to figure out whom to block when they get faked out on an inside blitz. The next time a QB sees this package, the linebackers might actually rush the gaps and not peel off into coverage.

It’s such a successful tool that a lot of teams have adopted it as part of their scheme. Zimmer has taken the concept to the next level.

“They’ve got about 25 different things that they can do,” ESPN Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden said. “I love watching these guys because they raise all kinds of hell.”

Gonzalez: Robert Quinn, who transitioned from defensive end to outside linebacker this season, put it this way: “Simple but complicated, or complicated but simple.”

Phillips’ scheme has proven to be simple for his players to grasp but complicated for opposing offenses to figure out. The concepts are basic, the players’ responsibilities succinct. Phillips does a masterful job of disguising coverages and pressures, but he makes it simple enough on his players so that all they have to do is react.

Phillips runs a 3-4 scheme that basically functions as a 4-3, a one-gap penetrating front that, when right, consistently pressures quarterbacks with the front seven and makes it easy for the secondary to make plays on the ball.

“There’s so many different looks we can give that can cause the offense trouble,” Quinn said. “But he makes it easy for us to play defense for him.”

There was concern surrounding the Rams’ defense after it allowed 39 points to the hapless San Francisco 49ers in Week 3. By halftime of Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys, the Rams had given up 90 points in a stretch of 10 quarters. But since the start of the second half in that game, the Rams have allowed only 63 points in a span of 22 quarters.

Over the past six weeks, the Rams’ defense has given up the NFL’s fewest points per game (11.4) while forcing the NFL’s most turnovers per game (2.4).

Rams coach Sean McVay said players have “continued to just get a little bit more comfortable with some of the nuances of what Coach Wade’s looking for.”

McVay added: “What makes him such a good coach, too, is that as you get more familiar with your personnel, then you’re able to adjust within the framework of your system. You guys have heard him say this before: You don’t ever make your players fit your system. You adjust to them. That’s what good coaches do. That’s what Wade’s done.”

Give us the most surprising attribute that sticks out about your team’s starting cornerbacks:

Cronin: For Xavier Rhodes, it’s how little he’s been targeted over the course of the first 10 weeks. That’s a well-deserved sign of respect.

For Trae Waynes, it’s the opposite. Waynes was among the most-targeted corners to start the season, which was expected considering whom the Vikings have covering the other side of the field.

Rhodes, who typically shadows his opponent’s No. 1 receiver, earned his nickname, Rhodes Closed, for shutting down some of the NFL’s top pass-catchers. He held Michael Thomas to two catches for 22 yards, Antonio Brown to three receptions for 28 yards and Mike Evans to five for 53.

2017 Pass-Rush Comparison
A look at the Rams’ and Vikings’ pass-rush numbers through nine games:
LAR MIN
Sacks 28 25
Sack pct 8.3% 7.0%
Pressure pct 32.3% 26.9%
Blitz pct 39.2% 26.9%
Source: ESPN Stats & Info

Opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of 108.9 throwing in Waynes’ direction during the first four games, per Pro Football Focus. After a slow start to the season, Waynes is showing significant improvement. Against the Redskins, the third-year corner allowed a 36-yard touchdown to Maurice Harris, but that was the product of a miraculous, one-handed catch by the Washington receiver — not poor coverage. After that play, Waynes was targeted only three more times and allowed one reception for 7 yards.

Could it be that teams are starting to respect Waynes more? It appears so.

The best part about this duo is the skill set that each brings to balance the other out. Minnesota has arguably the best cover corner in the league in Rhodes, while Waynes is among the best run-stopping cornerbacks.

Waynes is a strong open-field tackler, ranking fifth in total tackles (43) and leading the team with eight pass deflections. He also has two interceptions this season.

Gonzalez: The amount of turnovers they have produced. The Rams have already compiled 12 interceptions, one shy of the NFL lead and two more than they had in seven more games last season. Three have come courtesy of inside linebacker Mark Barron, but the nine others have come from their defensive backs.

Lamarcus Joyner, who doubles as a safety and a corner, has two. So does Nickell Robey-Coleman, who mainly plays in subpackages. And so does Trumaine Johnson, who’s playing under his second consecutive franchise tag. Johnson had what looked like an easy touchdown when he jumped in front of a Tom Savage screen pass on Sunday, but he dropped the interception.

“I’m still mad about it, man,” Johnson said after the game. “I can’t leave money on the field.”

Johnson, who had only one interception in 2016, should get plenty more chances. He and Kayvon Webster, who hardly played on star-studded Denver Broncos secondaries the past four years, have been ball hawks all season. That’s usually what happens when teams generate pressure the way the Rams do up front.

The Rams have scored an NFL-best 84 points off turnovers thanks to their attacking style.

“Some defenses have a philosophy of bend but don’t break, and that’s not us,” cornerbacks coach Aubrey Pleasant said. Pleasant, in his first year with the Rams, constantly tells his players that they are the “bus drivers” for this defense — the ones who make everything go.

“Out of every position, we [the secondary] have the shortest room for error,” Pleasant said. “If you have the shortest room for error, are you going to let someone else drive the bus, or are you going to drive it?”

The Rams corners are driving it.

Hobbled during the week, Rams return to almost full health before Vikings showdown

RICH HAMMOND

link: http://www.ocregister.com/2017/11/17/hobbled-during-the-week-rams-return-to-almost-full-health-before-vikings-showdown/

THOUSAND OAKS — Whatever magical injury elixir the Rams have cooked up at their Cal Lutheran headquarters, it seems to have worked for another week.

Shockingly healthy all season, the Rams had several important players sidelined during early-week practices, but almost all returned to full participation Friday morning and are expected to play Sunday at Minnesota in a matchup of two surprising division-leading teams with 7-2 records.

Four starters — linebackers Mark Barron and Connor Barwin, center John Sullivan and safety Lamarcus Joyner — missed practice Wednesday and Thursday but returned for the week’s final session and are expected to play, as are tackle Andrew Whitworth and linebacker Matt Longacre, who were limited Thursday.

Guard Rodger Saffold, who sprained his ankle last week, and linebacker Robert Quinn, who missed last week’s game due to illness, also are expected to play.

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The only Rams listed as “questionable” for Sunday are backup cornerback Troy Hill (hamstring), who participated in Friday’s practice, and backup tight end Derek Carrier (hamstring), who did not.

So while the Rams were lighter than normal in practice manpower this week, they expressed confidence that it won’t lead to a lack of preparation on Sunday.

“We still feel like we got some good work in,” Coach Sean McVay said after Friday’s practice, “and what we feel is most important is making sure it’s a volume-and-intensity balance with the practice week. Then, making sure that on Sunday, guys are as fresh as possible.”

The Vikings also have issues. Defensive end Everson Griffen, who ranks third in the NFL this season with 10 sacks, missed last week’s game and is considered questionable for Sunday because of a foot injury. The Vikings will be without two starters: safety Andrew Sendejo and right tackle Mike Remmers.

That’s practically more injury strife than the Rams have had all season. They lost starting defensive end Dominique Easley (knee) in training camp, and now are without backup safety Cody Davis (quad) and backup running back Malcolm Brown (knee), but otherwise are healthy.

McVay and players frequently credit trainer Reggie Scott and strength coach Ted Rath for their fortune. Scott was one of the few holdovers from the previous coaching staff, and he had input on the hiring of Rath, who worked for the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions for the previous eight seasons.

The training staff, McVay said, is in “lock step,” and is proactive about taking players out of practice if they don’t feel 100 percent. For instance, even starting in training camp, veterans such as Whitworth, Sullivan and Barwin have been given “rest days,” when they stay off the field for afternoon practices.

Running back Todd Gurley said trainers check in with players every day, and inquire with them about “how our body feels.”

“As long as we communicate with those guys,” Gurley said, “they do a great job taking care of us as far as limiting the (weight-room) reps or doing different exercises or lifts. So they’ve been doing a great job.”

BRING THE NOISE

In a game with higher stakes than anyone anticipated at the start of the season, the Rams figure to enter a hostile environment at Minnesota’s U.S. Bank Stadium, which seats more than 66,000.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer went public this week and encouraged Vikings fans to be loud, and the Rams did their best to prepare. McVay and offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur said the Rams pumped in extra-loud music during practices this week to help prepare the offense for the decibel level.

“I think we’ve gotten a couple noise complaints,” McVay joked. “I don’t think you can ever truly mimic exactly what that’s going to be like. It’s a great atmosphere, it’s going to be a very challenging environment, especially for us offensively, but one that hopefully we’ll be able to handle with poise and concentration.”

TOUGH TASK

Gurley has gained more than 100 rushing yards in four of nine games this season, but he failed to top 70 yards in either of his last two games. That challenge won’t get easier against Minnesota, which has one of the best run defenses in the NFL.

The Vikings have held opponents to fewer than 100 rushing yards in six of nine games this season and have yet to allow more than 115 rushing yards in a game. No single running back has gained more against the Vikings this season than Detroit’s Ameer Abdullah, who reached 94 yards.

“They disguise (coverages) very well; it’s very hard,” Gurley said. “That’s why you’ve got to prepare, know your protections, get lined up, do what you’re going to do, get on the same track as the linemen.”

Game Preview: Rams, Vikings to Meet in Matchup of First-Place NFC Teams

Kristen Lago

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Game-Preview-Rams-Vikings-to-Meet-in-Matchup-of-First-Place-NFC-Teams/042f5320-9096-43f9-addf-81309f47ab74

After a commanding win over the Texans in Week 10, the Rams will look for their fifth-straight victory on Sunday against the Vikings. With both clubs currently boasting 7-2 records, this contest could have significant implications moving forward this season.

And while the Rams have started 2017 with a strong year-to-year turnaround, a tough Minnesota team could present them with their toughest challenge yet — pitting the NFL’s top scoring offense against a Vikings’ defense that is allowing just 18.3 points per game.

“I think so, I think it’s definitely up there,” wide receiver Robert Woods said. “[They have] guys all around who play really well.”

“They present a variety of issues with their schemes and then they’ve got players to match,” head coach Sean McVay echoed. “But, certainly you get excited to go against a great team and a great defense like this.”

Sunday will mark the 37th contest between the two franchises in series history. The last time the Rams and Vikings faced each other was in 2015 at TCF Bank Stadium — the Golden Gophers stadium where the Vikings played for two years while U.S. Bank Stadium was under construction. Kicker Greg Zuerlein connected on a career long 61-yard field goal that day, but the Vikings still earned a 21-18 overtime win.

This time around, Minnesota will face a turned over Rams roster, as just 18 players remain from that 2015 team. In Week 11, Los Angeles will look to break the Vikings’ four-game win streak over the Rams. And the visitors will do their best to preserve their own undefeated record away from the Coliseum.

“This is one of the few stadiums I have not been to yet,” McVay said. “They do a great job utilizing that home field advantage defensively with some of the things that they do, so that’s going to be a great challenge for us.”

While the Rams will be in unfamiliar territory at U.S. Bank Stadium, they will be up against a very familiar face in Vikings starting quarterback, Case Keenum. Keenum spent the last two years with the Rams — and parts of the 2014 season as well — before signing with Minnesota in early April.

As such, Sunday’s contest will pit the Rams former quarterback against many of his old teammates.

“There’s no weirdness,” right guard Jamon Brown. “When a guy leaves the team and goes to another team, we wish him the best and one thing Case has done is he’s had some success over there. We’re ready to see what he’s got.”

Keenum has had a very successful season with the Vikings after taking over for an injured Sam Bradford in Week 2. Since then, he has led Minnesota to a five-game win streak, completing 64.9 percent of his passes for 1,914 yards and 11 touchdowns, including a career-best 304 yards and four touchdowns last weekend.

“It starts with Case,” cornerback Trumaine Johnson said. “Case is a mobile quarterback that can make plays on his feet. He gets out of the pocket and makes plays down the field.”

But Keenum won’t be the only member of the Vikings offense to keep an eye on. Minnesota’s offense also includes the dynamic wide receiver duo of Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen, who have combined for over 1,200 yards and 7 touchdowns this season.

“Thielen and Diggs are both outstanding receivers,” defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said. “I believe Diggs was leading the league [in receiving yards] before he got hurt and now Thielen’s right up there, so that tells you what they can do. They’re a handful, [so] we’re going to have to win some one-on-ones or play good zone coverage in certain downs.”

For the Rams’ defense, another important factor heading into Sunday’s game will be to remain aggressive and get after the football. Last week, the unit forced four takeaways and currently lead the league with 19 turnovers overall.

“It’s a direct correlation to wins and losses,” middle linebacker Alec Ogletree said of the takeaways. “For us, if we’re leading [in takeaways] we’ve really been undefeated. So it’s definitely something you look at and you try to do.”

Offensively, L.A. has continued to roll, averaging a league-high 32.9 points per game. Quarterback Jared Goff is coming into Sunday’s contest fresh off of the best performance of his career, where he threw for 355 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.

“It looks like he’s a lot more comfortable in the things that they’re doing offensively,” Vikings’ head coach Mike Zimmer said. “Pressure doesn’t seem to faze him. It just looks like to me that he’s seeing things so much better. It looks like the game has really slowed down for him.”

But as Goff has said, the Vikings’ defense is one of the most formidable in the league. He said he feels Sunday will be the biggest test the Rams have faced this season.

“They’re tremendous on defense. No weaknesses, really, at every spot,” Goff said. “Upfront, the D-line, their linebackers are really good and the secondary, they’re really special too.”
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PHOTOS: Week 11 Practice

“They’re great, everybody is great on their defense,” running back Todd Gurley added. “You have a great front seven and some great defensive backs with safety Harrison Smith and cornerback Xavier Rhodes [who] have been playing lights out this year. Linebackers Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks — [it’s] definitely going to be handful this week for sure.”

As Gurley referenced above, the Vikings defense is stacked with playmakers.

Defensive end Everson Griffen ranks No. 3 with 10.0 total sacks this season, while the defensive unit as a whole ranks among the top five in both passing (294.6) and rushing (81.3) yards allowed per game. In the secondary, Minnesota has one of the best cornerbacks in the league in Rhodes, while Smith has been a force to be reckoned with, as well.

“They’re a complete team and you can see why,” McVay said. “These guys are highly rated because they’re playing really good football [and are] efficient in all three phases. They’ve got great players to match good schemes, so it presents a great challenge for our guys.”

Overall, Sunday’s contest between the Rams and Vikings should be one of the best and most evenly-matched games of the week. Kickoff for the Week 11 contest is set for 10:00 a.m. and will be broadcast live on Fox.

Rams are in for a playoff-like test with Vikings as some of the NFC’s best face off

Gary Klein

http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-vikings-20171118-story.html

Minutes after last week’s victory over the Houston Texans — his team’s fourth consecutive win — Rams coach Sean McVay neared the end of his postgame speech in the Coliseum locker room.

McVay was already looking ahead, telling players who had forged a 7-2 record that they had a “great NFC matchup” coming up in Minnesota against a Vikings team with the same record.

“Great opportunity to see if we can be our best, when our best is required against a great team,” McVay said.

On Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, the Rams get another chance to prove that they are playoff worthy, and that they should remain in the conversation for a possible return trip here for the Super Bowl.

The challenge is expected to be their toughest test to date.

The Rams are 5-0 away from Coliseum, including victories over the Dallas Cowboys and the Jacksonville Jaguars, both regarded as possible playoff teams.

But the Rams have not been particularly extended lately.

Their last three wins came against the Arizona Cardinals, the New York Giants and the Texans, injury-depleted teams that have a combined 8-19 record.

Now they face a Vikings team that has won five consecutive games and is in first place in the NFC North.

Rams’ John Sullivan will return to his NFL roots in Minnesota on Sunday, but doesn’t have nostalgia on his mind
Rams receiver Robert Woods described it as an even matchup.

“This is about want-to and determination,” Woods said. “Who wants it more?”

The game features quarterbacks Jared Goff and Case Keenum, Rams teammates in 2016.

Goff, the first pick in the 2016 draft, started against the Vikings here in the final preseason game of his rookie season. Keenum and nearly all of the frontline players took the night off.

Goff completed six of 16 passes, including a touchdown, but he had a pass intercepted and lost a fumble. He then stood on the sidelines for nine regular-season games until former coach Jeff Fisher finally turned to the future and replaced Keenum with Goff.

Fourteen months later, Goff returns to Minneapolis as the leader of the NFL’s highest-scoring offense.

Goff faces a defense that ranks fifth in the NFL.

“No weaknesses, really, at every spot,” Goff said.

Former USC lineman Everson Griffen has a team-best 10 sacks for the Vikings.

In assessing the challenge at hand, Rams running back Todd Gurley named every member of the secondary and several linebackers.

“Definitely going to be a handful,” he said.

The Rams’ defense is equally as stout.

After struggling at times early in the season, it has played well since the second half of a Week 4 victory at Dallas.

Lineman Aaron Donald and others will try to rattle Keenum, who is thriving since taking over for injured Sam Bradford.

Keenum passed for four touchdowns, with two interceptions, in last week’s victory over the Washington Redskins.

“I’m the same guy I’ve always been,” Keenum said, “but I feel like I’ve gotten better.”

Keenum, however, faces a Rams defense that knows his strengths, weaknesses and tendencies.

“It’s going to be fun,” cornerback Trumaine Johnson said. “He’s a gunslinger, he really is.”

Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips also is familiar with Keenum. Phillips was on the Texans staff — and eventually served as interim coach — when Keenum made eight winless starts for the team in 2013.

But Keenum is on a hot streak now.

Despite Teddy Bridgewater’s recent return from a knee injury that sidelined him for the 2016 season, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer is sticking with Keenum.

A capacity crowd of more than 66,000 is expected to fill one of the NFL’s loudest stadiums for the showdown between division leaders.

The Rams prepped for the noise this week by turning up the music at practice.

“I don’t think you can ever truly mimic exactly what that’s going to be like,” McVay said, adding, “It’s going to be a very challenging environment, especially for us offensively.”

No problem, offensive lineman Jamon Brown said.

“We’ve played in loud places before,” he said. “The goal is to take the crowd out of it early.”