reporters can't help looking at the SAINTS GAME while driving by

Five Takeaways: Rams 49-21 loss to Saints

Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Five-Takeaways-Rams-49-21-loss-to-Saints/b229e5b9-2465-49ab-8060-3d4e6b2c304e

Though the Rams got off to a nice start with a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter, the Saints marched away with a 49-21 victory in the Bayou. With the loss, the Rams have fallen to 4-7 on the season. Here are five takeaways from Sunday’s matchup.

1) POOR DEFENSIVE DAY

Heading into Sunday’s matchup, the Rams had surrendered just 50 points to their opponents in their last four games. New Orleans came a point away from matching that, scoring 49 in their drubbing of Los Angeles in Week 12.

“Everything they did was clicking,” cornerback Trumaine Johnson said. “We didn’t have an answer for them. Collectively, it probably would be the worst game of my career.”

“We just had too many mistakes,” middle linebacker Alec Ogletree said. “And when you go against an offense like that, they’re able to expose you. And we can’t have that.”

The Saints finished with 555 total yards on 71 offensive plays — good for 7.8 yards per play. Quarterback Drew Brees accounted for five touchdowns — four passing and one rushing — while completing 78 percent of his passes for 310 yards. And running back Mark Ingram gained over 10 yards per carry with 146 yards rushing on 14 attempts with a touchdown.

“When you’re relying on your defense week after week after week and waiting for the offense to step up, sometimes these things happen,” head coach Jeff Fisher said. “It just wasn’t a good day for us defensively.”

The Rams have plenty to correct on the defensive end, and will need to do it quickly with a trip to face Tom Brady and the Patriots’ offense on deck.

“If y’all don’t know, we’re playing Tom Brady next week,” Johnson said. “So we can’t feel sorry for ourselves.”

“We’ve got Tom Brady and Matt Ryan ahead of us,” Fisher said. “So, our defense is going to have to put this one behind them and answer.”

2) OFFENSE STAGNATES IN SECOND HALF

The Rams started fast, scoring a touchdown on their first drive — the first passing TD of quarterback Jared Goff’s career. Then the Rams put the ball in the end zone following a defensive takeaway, taking advantage of strong field position with Goff’s six-yard touchdown pass to wideout Kenny Britt. Then Lance Kendricks caught a touchdown to cap a successful two-minute drill, giving the Rams 21 points — their first time reaching at least 20 since the Week 6 loss to Detroit.

But the Rams were blanked in the second half, netting only 60 total yards and three first downs in the final two quarters.

“Second half, we just couldn’t get it going again,” Goff said. “Couldn’t get that momentum we had in the first half going. Their offense was playing lights out, and their defense was playing well, too.”

With the Rams trailing for much of the contest, the run game was rendered ineffective as well. Running back Todd Gurley had only 50 yards rushing on 13 carries.

“Obviously, we got down a lot in that third quarter,” Gurley said. “So, you don’t want to waste too much time, you know, running the ball. We’ve just got to stop putting ourselves in those situations — be able to control our own destiny.”

3) GOFF IMPROVES IN SECOND START

There were some clear improvements week-to-week from Goff, who made his first road start on Sunday. The young quarterback made plenty of strong throws, particularly on the Rams’ first drive and in their two-minute drill just before halftime.

Goff’s first career touchdown pass went to wideout Tavon Austin, as the QB put nice touch on the 24-yard strike in the end zone.

“We got a good look — the look we kind of expected on that play,” Goff said. “And Tavon ran a great route, I put it out there for him, and I actually didn’t think it was going to be complete when I threw it — I thought I missed him a little bit inside. But he made a good play for me and helped me out.”

But according to Fisher, the successful two-minute drive particularly stood out.

“I didn’t want to put Drew back on the field. So we’re kind of slowing that drive down, and I said, ‘Three at this point’s good,’” Fisher said. “And he made some really good throws in the two-minute drive — off his back foot — and put the ball in the end zone.”

“I was just trying to score,” Goff said. “I wasn’t really concerned with giving them the ball back. I think the coaches were probably dictating that with the playcalling, and the tempo, and what they were doing. But I was just trying to score.”

The rookie finished 20-of-32 passing for 214 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. He was also sacked three times, fumbling on one.

And so while there was progress from Goff’s first to second start, he wasn’t basking in it postgame.

“I don’t think there’s any moral victories,” Goff said. “I obviously felt a lot more comfortable in my second game, just from experience. Felt better out there, was able to see it a lot better, and it began to slow down a little bit, for sure, about halfway through the first half.

“But at the same time, I want to win,” he continued. “I don’t want to be out here saying I’m happy with what we did, or what I did or anything in between, because I’m really not if we don’t win. And that’s the bottom line.”

4) DONALD MAKES A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT

That’s a subtitle that could probably be used each and every week. But defensive tackle Aaron Donald made the Rams’ best defensive play of the game when he recorded a strip-sack on Brees to give Los Angeles an extra possession.

With the Saints pinned deep in their own territory, Donald beat the offensive lineman assigned to block him and hit Brees from behind, forcing the ball to come out in the process. Linebacker Mark Barron was there to fall on the loose ball, handing it over to the offense at the New Orleans six-yard line.

From there, Goff hit wide receiver Kenny Britt on a slant for a one-play touchdown drive. At the time, it gave the Rams a 14-7 lead.

Plays like that show the importance of takeaways and why L.A. has been clamoring for more of them.

5) ROBINSON RECEIVES ‘A BREAK’ AT LEFT TACKLE

The struggles of third-year left tackle Greg Robinson have been well-documented, and piled up to the point where Fisher deactivated the offensive lineman for Sunday’s game. Veteran Rodger Saffold at left tackle on Sunday, with second-year OL Jamon Brown slotting in at left guard — where Saffold had been playing.

“Did make a decision during the week to give Greg Robinson a break — a week off — because he needed it,” Fisher said postgame. “There was just a lot going on and too many mental errors, and too many penalties, and so we made a decision to go with Rodger at left tackle and Jamon at guard.”

Saffold, however, suffered a hand injury late in the second quarter against the Saints and did not return. With Robinson inactive, second-year lineman Andrew Donnal filled in at left tackle — a fairly unfamiliar position for him.

Fisher did not specify exactly how the line will shake out next week.

“We’ll just adjust this week depending on how Rodger’s hand is. But I would expect Greg to return back to the lineup,” Fisher said. “Just kind of one of those things. I’ve dealt with them before with young players and he just needed a moment, needed a break. So we’ll get him back and get him going.”