tweets (Rams) … 10/22 thru 10/24

Rams will wear the royal/sol uniform combo for Monday Night Football against the Bears. https://t.co/AF8oTHa5mS

— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) October 22, 2020

Interesting look at what made the Rams so vulnerable against the 49ers on Sunday. Soft zone + QB throwing only behind the LOS + catch-and-run players who make the first level miss/attain as much YAC as they did = Discombobulation and frustration (and Ted goes into great detail) https://t.co/lvfaAQ92GT

— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) October 22, 2020

from https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2020/10/22/21529061/rams-advanced-stats-football-outsiders-dvoa

Offensive DVOA: 18%. The Rams rank fifth in offensive efficiency at FootballOutsiders, including 10th in passing and first in rushing. LA’s DVOA in 2017 was 11.3% and in 2018 it was 25%, so this is a medium between the two.

The Rams strongest suit on defense is a pass rush led by Aaron Donald and a secondary led by Jalen Ramsey. They rank 21st against the run by DVOA (-4.4%) but are 11th against the pass.

The top 5 teams all are connected through the same coaching tree (Gruden/McVay/Shanahan/LaFleur/Smith).

As this tree has spread throughout the league, the #NFL has seen more condensed formations over the last five seasons:

2016: 28.0
2017: 27.3
2018: 26.4
2019: 25.8
2020: 25.7

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 22, 2020

𝕋𝕠𝕞 – 𝕃𝔸 ℝ𝕒𝕞𝕤@TL_LARams
The most interesting stat coming out of this is that after 6 games, Jared Goff has just three turnover worthy plays

Stu Jackson@StuJRams
Rams Thursday Injury Report:

• OL Andrew Whitworth (not injury related) – DNP
• DL Aaron Donald (not injury related) – DNP
• TE Tyler Higbee (hand) – DNP
• RB Darrell Henderson Jr. (thigh) – DNP

Lindsey Thiry@LindseyThiry
“They’re pretty frickin’ good,” Rams RT Rob Havenstein says about the Bears’ pass rush.

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Rams RT Rob Havenstein notes that after an uncharacteristic Sunday outing for the offense, QB Jared Goff came out for the first full practice of the week and ran around with a ton of energy, got guys’ energy up, communicated well etc.

In the January 1994 victory over Chicago, Jerome Bettis had a 44 touch game! That’s 39 carries and 5
receptions for 217 total yards. Talk about a bell cow! The bus! pic.twitter.com/f57L1OUIpa

— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) October 23, 2020

What is the reason for the slow starts on defense? Seem to give up a lot in the first half and then lock down the second half.

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
It’s a great question, and I think there are two parts to it — also addressed this week by Staley. First, he spoke about adjusting from the first half to the second half:

“I think sometimes when you get to see an offense for a half,” Staley said, “you get a real strong sense of how they’re trying to attack you and then now you’re able to apply the game plan, maybe flip the script a little bit, get to some things that maybe you weren’t able to get to in the first half. But it comes down to execution of your assignment and your technique.”

So it seems to me that Staley has a plan for his defense, from week to week, that is opponent-specific, and after gaining an understanding of what that opponent is doing (and hopefully not making too many execution errors, such as missed tackles), the Rams focus hard on adjustments. They try to go from reactive to assertive, and that usually happens in the second half, when, by the way, the Rams are allowing less than five points per game, on average (No. 1 in the NFL). Obviously, they would like to see those adjustments happen earlier in the game.

But, of course, that doesn’t work quite as well if the defense is making unforced errors, like missing tackles. That was a particular problem last week against San Francisco, and Staley attributed it to the team missing some of its normal energy and failing to be as nasty as possible at the contact point.

“We’ve got to be more aggressive,” Staley said. “We certainly emphasize it, we drill it. … We certainly have had guys in position, so I don’t think it’s a schematic deal. I just think we have to be a little bit more aggressive at the finish. I think that mindset, of really being physical on the finish and getting as many guys as we can to the football so if a guy misses we are there for another physical finish. … At the beginning of that game, we were a little off and didn’t have the same energy that our entire team is capable of having, that we’ve displayed, and it showed in that first half.

“It’s just coming out with the right energy, the right mindset. Not trying to feel your way at the beginning of the game. You make sure that you’re going to happen to the beginning of the game — not let it happen to you.”

Why are the Rams still playing Kenny Young?

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Who else would they play instead at inside linebacker? Kenny Young, by the way, is only averaging approximately half of the snaps on defense, and is getting sent on blitzes at a higher rate than his counterpart, Micah Kiser, so it’s possible they are keeping him in on more passing downs to try to manufacture pressure, and also to help contain in coverage. The other option would be Troy Reeder, and bless his heart, but you don’t want Reeder in coverage.

One thing I want to continue to point out about the Rams’ inside linebackers is how obvious it has become that the position is the least “valuable” on the field for the Rams, and one they felt comfortable scheming around while knowing they had to address other needs in free agency and the draft. They waived seventh-rounder Clay Johnston, their only drafted inside linebacker, during roster cutdowns. Even after losing Travin Howard to a knee injury in training camp, the Rams opted to only keep three active inside linebackers on their roster. They also didn’t promote anybody from the practice squad, even when Kiser was out in Week 5.

Much of this methodology lies in the fact that Staley believes strong safeties should be more like linebackers in his ideal scheme (John Johnson has played 100 percent of the defensive snaps so far this season and calls plays). It will be interesting to see how that plays out in the future (assumedly via the draft), because I have to think the Rams would at least like to have a solid coverage linebacker in there against teams like San Francisco, which loves to try to stretch the Rams wider than they are comfortable being.

Me thinking the rams will trade for an ILB or EDGE linebacker everyday that goes by #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/RVwCYxgHgI

— Peedi_Peedi (@ESPN_Rams_Takes) October 24, 2020

Deadpool

Rapp is a more big nickel, box safety. Fuller is a traditional safety with range. He may lack top end, but is smart and has instincts.

Why is that important? Because if the rams front can’t generate a pass rush like against S.F. , it forces your dbs to cover longer. That is not Rapps forte. It is Fullers. So if the Rams struggle creating a pass rush, Fuller is more valuable. If the Rams can create a pass rush,Rapp is just fine.

I don’t care how innovative Staley is, if this front 4 can’t create pressure, its gonna put pressure on the backend. Either by qbs having longer to throw or by sending more bodies at the qb via the blitz.

Lindsey Thiry@LindseyThiry
The Rams signed K Kai Forbath, who is set to arrive at the facility Sunday because of covid protocol, but Sean McVay says Samuel Sloman will be their kicker Monday night.

J.B. Long@JB_Long
Tyler Higbee (limited Saturday – hand) is the only @RamsNFL player carrying an injury designation into Monday Night Football. He’s listed as questionable.

Darrell Henderson (thigh) who missed Thurs and Fri, was a full participant today.

Woods was limited (groin); Hill and Brockers did not practice. But none of these players have status concerns for Week 7.

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Sean McVay says he is hopeful that TE Tyler Higbee (hand) will be able to play on Monday and they are taking it day by day. He got hit in the hand last game.

Stu Jackson@StuJRams
Rams HC Sean McVay says no decision yet on whether they will activate DL A’Shawn Robinson ahead of Monday night’s game against the Bears.

“If not this week, then hopefully next week.”

McVay says Robinson has looked good in practice this week.

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Sean McVay: No decision yet on DT A’Shawn Robinson. Says he’s close and looks like he is ready to go but they have to consider how physical level of play changes from practice to game. Says if not this week, probably next week.

J.B. Long@JB_Long
Two critical defensive pieces should be good-to-go for Chicago on Monday.

Dan Wiederer@danwiederer
Akiem Hicks was a full participant in practice today, returning from the illness that kept him home on Thurs. and Fri.
Khalil Mack was limited with a back issue and is designated as questionable for Monday night. (He’ll play.)

Sarina@sarina
Leonard Floyd on how he thinks he’s played the first 6 games of the season. “I think I’ve been playing pretty solid. Can always keep improving every week, every game and this Monday I’m looking into going out there and proving that I’ve got better than last week.”