Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › Rams season previews & power rankings
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September 3, 2019 at 3:21 pm #104628
AgamemnonParticipantA little old, but still an interesting listen.
AgamemnonSeptember 3, 2019 at 7:36 pm #104632
wvParticipantat about the 18 min mark: “they probably should have blown out the Patriots”
Um, on what planet was that supposed to happen?
w
vSeptember 3, 2019 at 8:21 pm #104634
znModeratorSean McVay’s Rams Are Just as Dangerous as Last Season
ANDY BENOIT
The 2019 NFL season is just weeks away, so Andy Benoit makes a few predictions for each NFL team. Today he analyzes the Los Angeles Rams, who finished 13–3 and first in the NFC West last year.
The ground game expands. Twenty-five-year-old Todd Gurley is still a quality runner, but the Rams will give chunks of his touches to third-round rookie Darrell Henderson to combat wear and tear on Gurley’s much-discussed left knee. The explosive Memphis product brings more dimension to the screen and misdirection games—and L.A.’s updated scheme, in turn, presents more dimension for the backs. Head coach Sean McVay remains committed to his outside zone foundation, which not only works in and of themselves, but propagates the team’s lethal play-action game, where QB Jared Goff is at his best. However, the Bears and Patriots last winter showed that outside zone can be hampered by heavy, condensed defensive fronts, and to combat these increased looks that the Rams are sure to get, McVay installs a few wrinkles, lending more unpredictability to his rushing attack. The only question is whether the well-coached but suddenly youthful interior O-line can keep up, as second-year pros Joseph Noteboom and Brian Allen are new starters, and ascending right guard Austin Blythe is still a work in progress.
Robert Woods swims in praise. Brandin Cooks is the Rams’ most dangerous receiver, but Woods is their best. His route running is pristine, and his blocking, along with Cooper Kupp’s, is vital to the ground game’s success, as receivers in L.A.’s uniquely condensed formations are relied upon to combat defenders in traffic.
L.A.’s defensive scheme expands. Freshly acquired 13th-year safety Eric Weddle provides new dimensions of disguised coverage, which innately build on the hybrid man-zone concepts that defensive coordinator Wade Phillips employs. The Rams’ updated defensive profile has more of a matchup feel, but this doesn’t become a pure man-to-man defense, in part because right corner Marcus Peters is markedly better in zone concepts.
Aaron Donald erupts again. It’s unfair to project any player to have over 20 sacks, but with the schematic expansion including more diverse fronts and designer pass rush tactics to better feature the two-time reigning Defensive Player of the Year, what else can we expect?
John Johnson breaks out. The unassuming third-year safety can effectively fill in run support and, more importantly, cover tight ends in man or zone. In fact, one of the many battles he won last season was against Rob Gronkowski in Super Bowl 53.
BOTTOM LINE: The Rams are every bit as potent as a year ago, but defenses are more familiar with their M.O. This team’s success hinges on its ability to evolve.
September 3, 2019 at 8:22 pm #104635znModeratorLos Angeles Rams 2019 season preview: How far can Todd Gurley go?
The Los Angeles Rams are ranked No. 4 in ESPN’s preseason Football Power Index. Here’s everything you need to know about the Rams heading into the 2019 NFL season:
The big question: Can Todd Gurley perform at high level and make it through the season?
Gurley rushed for more than 1,200 yards in back-to-back seasons and scored a league-high 21 touchdowns in 2018 — even as he nursed a sore knee that sidelined him in Weeks 16 and 17. The Rams took a conservative approach with Gurley throughout training camp, limiting him to an every-other-day practice schedule. It remains to be seen if the star back can return to form, or if he could be forever slowed because of his knee.– Lindsey Thiry
Offseason in a nutshell
Coming off consecutive division titles, an NFC championship and appearance in Super Bowl LIII, the Rams extended the contracts of coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead through the 2023 season. However, the team has yet to agree to a long-term extension with quarterback Jared Goff as he enters the fourth season of his rookie deal, though Snead says it’s “not of a matter of if, but when” a deal gets done. As they attempt a repeat Super Bowl run, the Rams bolstered their defense by adding veteran safety Eric Weddle and outside linebacker Clay Matthews. On offense, they selected Darrell Henderson in the third round to provide depth behind Gurley. — Thiry
ESPN Football Power Index Projections
PROJECTIONS RANKINGS
Total wins 9.8 Overall 4
NFC West
chances 56.5% Offense 4
Chances to
make playoffs 71.2% Defense 12
Super Bowl
chances 19.4% Special teams 3
2020 draft pick 29th SOS 16
Future Power
Ranking 8 Under-25
talent rank 24Inside the Rams schedule
Most important game: Week 5 at Seattle Seahawks. The Rams have won back-to-back division titles and swept the NFC West last season. But this season the division is likely to be improved, and the chance for a three-peat could come down to a tight race with the Seahawks. A win in Seattle would put the Rams in the driver’s seat for the division and give them momentum heading into a long road stretch.
Toughest stretch: The Rams will be away from home, a long way away from home, between Weeks 7 and 10. They will face the Falcons in Atlanta in Week 7, then will remain in the Peach State to practice for the week before traveling to London to play the Bengals. They’ll return for a bye week, only to pack up and travel East again to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Over or under 9.8 wins? Over, but not by much. The Rams have won 11 and 13 games in McVay’s two seasons as coach, so it seems unlikely they would experience a drop-off given they return all of their key starters on offense and defense, including two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald. However, their schedule includes an improved NFC West, longer road trips and uncertainty remains about the long-term health of Gurley. — Thiry
Schedule ranking: No. 10
The Rams’ toughest games are well spread throughout the season, partly because they have consecutive road games only twice: they’ll be the “home” team in London in Week 8, which is in between a road tilt in Atlanta, a bye week, then a game in Pittsburgh; and then at Dallas and at San Francisco in Weeks 15-16. The Rams play all four of their NFC South opponents in the first seven weeks, and four of the Rams’ six divisional games come in December. — Football Outsiders | See the full 1-32 ranking
Breakout fantasy star: RB Darrell Henderson
Henderson averaged 8.88 yards per carry at Memphis during the 2017 season. Pretty good, right? Not good enough apparently, as he improved that mark to 8.92 on 214 carries last season. Henderson, selected in the third round of April’s draft, is on the small side (5-foot-8, 208 pounds) but has good speed and elusiveness. Gurley’s health will determine how much work Henderson gets as a rookie, but, at the very least, he’s a good handcuff, as he’d play a large role next to Malcolm Brown if Gurley were to miss time. — Mike Clay | More fantasy coverage
The view from Vegas
Super Bowl odds: 15-1 (opened 8-1)
Over/under: 10.5 (O +140/U -160)
Playoff odds: Yes -270, No +230Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook as of Sept. 2.
Most interesting player prop
Over/under 12 total touchdowns for Todd Gurley:
Thiry: Over. Last season, Gurley scored a league-high 21 touchdowns. Even if the Rams manage Gurley’s workload, he’s still a key weapon in the offense and is a trusted player in the red zone. It’s unlikely he’ll reach 21 touchdowns again, but he should have no issue scoring more than 12 — whether it be as a runner or a pass-catcher.
Bearman: Over. Even hobbled last year, Gurley went for 21 total TDs, two more than his 2017 offensive MVP season. Fewer touches are likely, and so are more than 12 total TDs.
Bold prediction: Donald breaks sack record
Donald, a defensive tackle, will break former New York Giants linebacker Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record of 22.5, will become the first player to be named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in three consecutive seasons and will be named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player, joining Alan Page and Lawrence Taylor as the only defensive players to earn the honor. — ThiryWhere the Rams landed in NFLRank
No. 1: Aaron Donald
No. 46: Todd Gurley
No. 48: Jared Goff
No. 78: Brandin Cooks
No. 80: Andrew Whitworth
September 3, 2019 at 8:26 pm #104637znModeratorNFL Power Rankings
1
Packers The Matt LaFleur-Aaron Rodgers relationship will be fine. The new-look offense will be fun and that defense is going to be much improved.2
Patriots How can you go against Bill Belichick and Tom Brady? They might not start fast, but you can bet they will have things going the right way come December.3
Rams Don’t let the Super Bowl fool you. This is still a talented team and they will learn from that loss. The offense will be explosive again. -
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