Dallas game: analysts, twitter, some plays, + the big articles

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Rodrigue: Multiple disasters sink Rams at Dallas and foreshadow ominous future

Jourdan Rodrigue

https://theathletic.com/5010487/2023/10/29/rams-cowboys-matthew-stafford-injury/?source=emp_shared_article

ARLINGTON, Texas — Sunday’s Los Angeles Rams were a portrait of pure disaster, the kind of disaster that lingers in the air long after the moment passes like a too-heavy breaking of wind.

They were embarrassed by the Dallas Cowboys 43-20. Their quarterback, Matthew Stafford, hurt his thumb in the third quarter — the exact time stamp depends on whom you ask, although coach Sean McVay said the injury occurred on a diving two-point conversion catch off a trick play (the first drive of the third quarter) — and Stafford’s status for the weeks ahead is unknown. The Rams head to Green Bay next week and then have a bye.

“I don’t have any more information on Matthew,” said McVay, who in his postgame comments indicated Stafford had received an initial evaluation from team medical personnel but declined to share what they said and indicated Stafford will undergo further testing. “I don’t want to speculate until I have full clarification from the doctors.”

McVay acknowledged Stafford had banged his thumb on a throw earlier in the game, but reiterated, “It looked like he did (hit it) when he was finishing a throw, that wasn’t the injury that limited him. … Unfortunately, it looked like that injury occurred, that kept him out for the rest of the game, it did occur when he ended up catching the two-point attempt.”

Backup quarterback Brett Rypien said he was alerted he was going into the game after the first drive of the second half, and that Stafford had “reaggravated the thumb.”

Things weren’t going well even when Stafford was in the game, though. In a truly mad three-minute sequence, between 45 seconds remaining in the first quarter and 12:50 remaining in the second quarter, events unfolded as such:

• Stafford threw a pick six. Receiver Cooper Kupp — who has “options” on his routes depending on how the defender plays him — broke outward on the play, and Stafford threw inside and right to cornerback DaRon Bland.

“On the interception, we ended up recognizing that they were in a pressure situation,” McVay said, “we had a miscommunication between Matthew and Cooper there, in regards to a route concept that has been one we’ve activated and had a lot of success with (in the past).”

Score, 17-3.

• Rookie Ethan Evans’ punt protection broke down and his leg swing was slow. His punt got blocked, and the ball dribbled through the back of the end zone for a safety.

“I take full responsibility for that as well,” Evans said. “Just wasn’t my best day playing. I gotta do better for my teammates. That’s about all I have to say about it.”

Score, 19-3.

• The Rams allowed a 63-yard kickoff return, to their 13-yard line. Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott threw a touchdown pass to receiver CeeDee Lamb two plays later.

Score, 26-3.

Lamb, by the way, chopped up the Rams. In the first half alone, he had nine catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns. On the second of the two scored, Lamb was so wide open in the end zone that I was looking around for penalties, someone tripping, a flag or something on the play. Astoundingly, inexcusably open. The Rams tried switching cornerbacks, for Cobie Durant to replace Derion Kendrick on the outside. Durant hurt his shoulder and left the game, and he did not return.

“Personally, I didn’t play good,” Kendrick said candidly after the game. “For myself, I gave up a touchdown. I gave up another big play at the end. I lost the ball in the lights. I didn’t play well on my end, but I’m going to come back next week, for sure.”

And yes, the Rams were again on the wrong end of a weird call. An illegal contact penalty against defensive back Quentin Lake gave Dallas a fresh set of downs on what otherwise would have been a third-down sack, and the second sack in three plays. Instead of a three-and-out, Dallas marched down the field for a game-opening touchdown.

That call is far from the reason the Rams lost — and frankly, is futile to argue. There is no fairness — players and coaches are not allowed to publicly complain about officiating, or else they are fined by the league even if the officiating is as poor as it was near the end of last Sunday’s loss to the Steelers. The organization is allowed to communicate with the league privately on this matter, though. That can be true. It’s also true the Rams are not playing good football, and that is why they are losing games.

For example, the Rams had not allowed that many points in a single half (33) since Nov. 4, 2018, against the New Orleans Saints. Sunday’s loss was the second worst of the McVay era, according to ESPN Stats and Info.

“It was a good, humbling day for us,” McVay said. “These adverse moments provide opportunities for us to be the men that we want to be and the people that we want to be.”

The person Rypien might be next is starting quarterback. Rypien finished Sunday’s game for the Rams and said if he is called upon to start in Green Bay, he will be ready.

The Rams, it should be noted, selected quarterback Stetson Bennett in the fourth round of this year’s draft intending to make him their long-term backup, but Bennett has been on the non-football illness list and away from the facility since the start of the regular season. McVay has declined to expand on Bennett’s status, because of the sensitive nature of the situation. If Stafford is out, and Bennett is not back in the team facilities this week, the Rams will have to make a move because they’ll only have one active quarterback.

Rypien had a little momentum building behind him early in the transition when he converted on a fourth-and-2 to rookie receiver Puka Nacua. Rypien had another fourth down a couple of plays later, but his pass to Kupp was incomplete.

But he and Kupp don’t get many reps together. The concept, in which Kupp has a lot of autonomy to run his route based on how the defender is playing him, failed when Rypien thought Kupp was doing one thing, and Kupp did another based on what he saw from the defender.

That prompts some thought about another problem that shouldn’t get lost in Sunday’s more pressing news: Kupp and Stafford haven’t seemed to have their typical connection even before Stafford’s injury. For the last two weeks, there have been drops and timing issues between the two, including Sunday’s interception. Kupp has been targeted 17 times over the last two games, for just six catches and 50 yards.

“What’s going through my mind after the last two games? I don’t know. Losing sucks,” Kupp said morosely after the game. “You put a lot of time working and don’t get the result you want, it’s not fun. There’s no easy answer. If there was an easy answer, obviously we would be doing it. So, just keep working … have solutions to things, make plays when you’re supposed to make them and do what you’re asked to do.”

I asked Kupp about the timing/option plays. Anybody who has been around this team for the last couple of years understands how odd it is when he and Stafford aren’t connecting, no matter what a defense is doing.

“I think there’s a lot of layers to it and everyone’s got a hand in it,” he said. “I certainly do. I can only control what I can control. I just need to look at the film and see how I can be better and in the right spots for those guys. There’s lots of layers to it. Obviously, it’s something we’ve been doing for a long time. It’s a lot of trust involved in it. We just weren’t on it today.”

Yes, the Rams have an injury problem with Stafford. They also have an offense that ranks No. 16 in scoring in weeks 2-8 (omitting their stellar season opener against the Seattle Seahawks) and is tied at No. 19 in second-half scoring with the 1-6 Carolina Panthers.

This, from a front office and coaching staff that openly — publicly! — committed to gutting its defense and special teams units in part to keep intact and even add to an offense that was supposed to lift the other phases, not get mired down along with them.

Worse, the Rams have been competitive in chances against the NFL’s elite teams this season — despite most on the outside believing they’d look, um, pretty much like this for all 17 games in 2023.

Sunday, as disaster after disaster struck, they only reeled.