press sets up the Titans game

Alden Gonzalez‏@Alden_Gonzalez
The Rams’ next opponent, the Titans, have lost back-to-back games to the Cardinals and 49ers, crippling their playoff hopes. Mike Mularkey, on what his team needs to shore up heading into Sunday: “I would say play 60 minutes of really complementary football. Between the three phases, we’ve done it. And when we’ve done it, we’ve been as good as anybody in the league. We just haven’t done it consistently.”

Behind Enemy Lines: An Inside Look at the Rams

Jim Wyatt

http://www.titansonline.com/news/article-4/Behind-Enemy-Lines-An-Inside-Look-at-the-Rams/478f337a-5632-4925-bde6-02158a789665?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral

TitansOnline.com Senior Writer and Editor Jim Wyatt gives an inside look at the Los Angeles Rams with Gary Klein, who covers the Rams for the Los Angeles Times.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Titans face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at Nissan Stadium.

The Titans are coming off a 25-23 loss to the 49ers, a loss that dropped the team’s record to 8-6.

The Rams are coming off a 42-7 at Seattle, and are now 10-4.

This week, I caught up with Gary Klein, who covers the Rams for the Los Angeles Times.

Here’s how our conversation went…

Wyatt: Hey Gary. Well, the Rams are one of the NFL’s most improved teams this season. After finishing 4-12 last season, when the team parted ways with Jeff Fisher, the Rams are now 10-4 and a win away from clinching the NFC West. How surprised are you with the turnaround?

Klein: Well, I knew there was a possibility for great improvement, simply because the Rams hired an offense-minded coach to help nurture Jared Goff, and every move the Rams made during the offseason, including the hiring of head coach Sean McVay, was made to help his development. But I think most people are surprised they are contending for a division title with a chance to finish the season with 12 wins.

Wyatt: This is McVay’s first head coaching job. He’s just 31 years old. But he’s already being billed as a genius by some. What has impressed you most about him?

Klein: I think for being so young, and for not ever having been a head coach, I have been impressed with his offensive scheme, and with his ability to instill a new culture, if you will, with one of the youngest teams in the league. And I think he and the front office, they’ve done a good job bringing in some veteran players who have influenced the younger guys, not only with their performance on the field, but with their presence in the locker room.

Wyatt: I think Goff’s improvement has surprised many as well. He’s thrown for 3,503 yards, with 24 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. A year ago he threw for just over 1,000 yards with five touchdowns and seven INTs. Did you see such a dramatic turnaround coming for him, and how has it happened?

Klein: Jared Goff, looking at him from afar, people thought the Rams made a mistake by picking him. They thought he was struggling and he wasn’t going to be able to improve. But if you watched enough NFL football, part of it was that he was a rookie, and he just needed a chance to kind of get his feet wet and develop.

Wyatt: As good as Goff has been throwing the ball, running back Todd Gurley has been real workhorse for the Rams. He’s already racked up 1,817 scrimmage yards, including 1,187 and 13 rushing touchdowns. He’s being talked about as MVP of the NFL. Has he clearly been MVP of the Rams, and how good has he been all season?

Klein: Well, he really has been the thread their offensive success is kind of built upon. His ability to run, and the offensive line’s improved play, has opened things up for Goff and the receiving corps, which has also been upgraded. Gurley’s ability to run, and really this season his ability to catch passes out of the backfield has made him a multi-purpose threat. It really has been the key to the Rams offense.

Wyatt: OK Gary, last question here, and I appreciate you doing this: How has the Rams fan base been? With the Chargers and Rams both in town now, it’s sort of created a competition for fans in the city. How has Los Angeles embraced the Rams being back?

Klein: I think the Rams knew they had a process when they moved back here after being gone for more than two decades. It wasn’t like fans were just going to instantly be attracted to the Rams. This is Los Angeles, and if you don’t win, fans are not going to come. And the Rams struggled last year. They had some initial excitement, then they really struggled, and fans stayed away.

And I think even initially this season, fans were hesitant to embrace them. But now that they are winning, I think there is an upsurge in interest and in enthusiasm, and if the Rams can kind of keep it going, I think we’ll see them embraced, just like any winning team in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Rams vs. Tennessee Titans Preview and Prediction

Jake Rose

https://athlonsports.com/nfl/los-angeles-rams-vs-tennessee-titans-preview-and-prediction-2017#.Wjvq2-4bCkE.facebook

Division titles, playoff hopes on the line as the Rams travel to the Music City

The Christmas Eve matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans features a pair of teams with playoff aspirations headed in opposite directions enterting the penultimate weekend of the NFL’s regular season.

The Rams (10-4) are hitting their stride at the perfect time. Fresh off a 42-7 beatdown of the rival Seahawks in Seattle, Los Angeles now has a two-game advantage in the NFC West and are just one win away from securing a home playoff game for the first time since 2003.

It’s amazing really, to think of where this team was a season ago. Jeff Fisher was getting fired. Todd Gurley looked broken. Jared Goff looked like anything but an NFL quarterback. Insert 31-year-old head coach and apparent offensive savant Sean McVay and the Rams look like serious contenders in the NFC. Gurley is running wild again. Goff looks like a completely different quarterback. Football, you’re weird, man.

On the other hand, the Titans (8-6) look like the team they’ve been for the last decade — underwhelming. Maybe we collectively over-hyped this team coming into the season. Clearly, Marcus Mariota (above, right) isn’t developing as quickly as many hoped or expected and offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie’s scheme simply doesn’t seem to match up with the third-year quarterback’s strengths. Mike Mularkey’s “exotic smashmouth” brand of football has been anything but exotic, and simply mundane.

Yet, somehow, the Titans still control their own playoff destiny with two games left to play. So, which team shows up? The squad that dismantled the Jaguars and Seahawks early in the season, or the one that has dropped back-to-back games to the Cardinals and 49ers?

Los Angeles at Tennessee

Kickoff: Sunday, Dec. 24 at 1 p.m. ET
TV Channel: FOX
Spread: Los Angeles -6.5

Three Things to Watch

1. Todd Gurley
There’s been some talk of Gurley being an MVP candidate — and I’m totally here for it. Maybe it’s because I grew up in an era of unforgettable running backs like Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis and Jerome Bettis (Heck, I wore a Rodney Hampton jersey every day for a week in first grade.) So, maybe I’m just longing for a simpler time when teams force-fed one guy 35 times a game. Or maybe, Gurley is just that good.

In the last decade, there has been only one running back to win the Associated Press NFL MVP – Adrian Peterson in 2012. Before AD (not “AP,” guys), it was LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006. In ’12, Peterson became just the seventh player with more than 2,000 rushing yards in a season. In ’06, Tomlinson set the NFL single-season scoring record with 31 total touchdowns. So basically, Gurley would have to come close to setting some sort of record before even being considered.

Look, I know Gurley is a long shot to even come close to surpassing the great Tom Brady (although Carson Wentz would have been a serious contender had he not torn his ACL) and winning the award for himself — but hear me out. Gurley leads the league in touchdowns (17) and is third in the NFL in rushing yards (1,187), only 35 yards behind current leader Le’Veon Bell. Gurley also is second on his team in receptions (54, just four behind Cooper Kupp), and is the driving force behind the highest-scoring offense in the league (31.3 ppg, tied with Philadelphia).

While Gurley probably won’t dethrone Brady when the votes are counted, his 180 total yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns last week against Seattle has at least put him in the conversation. If Gurley can repeat against a Titans defense that has been stout against the run all season, it may be time to view him as a legitimate contender.

2. Tennessee’s playoff picture
Two weeks ago, despite their uninspiring play, the Titans were 8-4 and in prime position to win their first AFC South crown since 2008. Two straight losses to two bad teams later, and they are looking up in the standings at the Jaguars, who now hold a two-game lead with two to play. Despite their recent shortcomings, the Titans are still in control of their own playoff destiny, but they need help.

Luckily for Tennessee, it holds the tiebreaker against fellow 8-6 teams, Baltimore and Buffalo. But in order for the Titans to get back in the hunt for an AFC South title, they need help from the team and quarterback that beat them last week – Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers. If San Francisco can somehow beat Jacksonville at home this week, and the Titans can take care of the Rams, the Week 17 matchup in Nashville against the Jaguars will be for the division title. More importantly, Tennessee can clinch no worse than a wild-card berth with a victory over Los Angeles and losses by both the Ravens (vs. Colts on Saturday) and Bills (at Patriots).

The moral of the Titans’ story? Don’t lose two straight games to two bad teams in the most important stretch of the season

3. Rams’ front seven vs. Marcus Mariota
Finally, Mariota looked like the quarterback many hoped he would be last week against San Francisco — except his team still lost. Again.

Mariota found his rhythm against the 49ers, finishing 23-of-33 passing for 241 yards and two touchdowns, his best performance in weeks. But it wasn’t until the fourth quarter, with the his team losing, that Mariota truly looked comfortable as the Titans switched to a no-huddle offense, scoring 17 straight points to take the lead before eventually losing on a last-second field goal.

So what gives? According to wide receiver Rishard Matthews, it’s because in the no-huddle sets, Mariota is the one calling the plays, not offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie. Mariota thrived in the up-tempo, no-huddle schemes used at Oregon under Chip Kelly, where Mariota won a Heisman Trophy and led the Ducks to the national championship game. But many scouts worried that Mariota’s game didn’t transfer to the NFL level. While Mariota has undoubtedly looked shaky in his third season, that isn’t entirely all his fault. The Titans’ offense is not built around his strengths.

It seems quotes from other teammates, such as tight Delanie Walker and left tackle Taylor Lewan echo that of Matthews, that the Titans, especially Mariota, are better in a no-huddle package. But why are they just now figuring that after Week 15?

While it’s all well and good that the Titans’ offense finally seems to be in lock-step, at least in the postgame locker room media scrum, trying to implement a new offensive scheme against the Rams’ front seven, the best in football, is pretty ridiculous. Aaron Donald (11 sacks) is probably the best defensive lineman of his generation and he is surrounded by guys on the edge like Robert Quinn (8.5 sacks) that are extremely quick off the ball and versatile in pass coverage as well as pressuring the quarterback.

Last week, the Rams absolutely manhandled Seattle. Russell Wilson, the game’s most elusive quarterback, was sacked seven times and pressured 20 times on 42 drop backs.

Good luck with that whole no-huddle thing though, Titans.

Final Analysis

It’s not just Todd Gurley or the Los Angeles defense that’s getting it done for the Rams — it’s Jared Goff, too. With the emergence of Goff (24 TDs, 7 INTs, 98.9 passer rating) as a reliable threat at quarterback, the Rams are now a complete team, arguably the most complete in the NFC. Teams can no longer simply load the box to stop Gurley and force Goff to beat them — because he probably will, especially if Sammy Watkins can ever get more than three catches a game. The Rams are simply too explosive in too many places for the Titans to handle.

Prediction: Rams 24, Titans 17

Rams Prep for Cold Weather, A Division Title at Stake

Kristen Lago

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-practicereport/Practice-Report-Rams-Prep-for-Cold-Weather-A-Division-Title-at-Stake/d33090cb-6b98-423e-91b6-1ba9063667a5

L.A. held a light practice on Friday morning, before it hits the road for Tennessee this afternoon. The Rams will take on the Titans on Sunday in a Christmas Eve showdown that could clinch the club’s first division title since 2003.

INJURY UPDATE

After losing their Pro Bowl kicker Greg Zuerlein — who will be out for the remainder of the season with a back injury — the Rams received some positive news on the injury front on Friday.

Left tackle Andrew Whitworth (rest), center John Sullivan (rest), linebacker Mark Barron (rest), and cornerback Troy Hill (illness) returned to Friday’s practice as full participants.

The only player who did not take part in the session was outside linebacker Matt Longacre (back). Head coach Sean McVay announced that he had been ruled out for Sunday’s contest.

“That means that Carlos Thompson will have to step up and fill the void [and] Samson Ebukam will get some more opportunities to rush off the edge,” McVay said. “Getting Connor Barwin back last week, we feel like we’ve got some good depth up front, but certainly it is tough to replace a player like Matt.”

In Tennessee, the Titans also turned in a relatively clean bill of health.

But the club could be without its No. 1 cornerback Logan Ryan (ankle) who did not practice all week and is listed as questionable. Aside from Ryan, Tennessee placed its No. 3 cornerback LeShaun Sims (ankle) on the injured reserve list on Friday. He will be out for the remainder of the season.

RAMS NOT DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS

For Rams fans here in Los Angeles, the forecast for Christmas Eve is a high of 70 degrees and sunny. But for those travelling to Nashville for the team’s matchup with the Titans, the weather should be a very different story.

When the Rams take on Tennessee at Nissan Stadium this Sunday, the team will be looking at a high of 40 degrees and a low of just 23. And while there is no snow predicted in the forecast as of yet, McVay did acknowledge that the cold weather could push some players a bit out of their element.

“You always have to have some specific adjustments as far as some of your play calls and different things, especially from an offensive standpoint and how that affects your ability to handle the ball,” McVay said. “And a lot of times, especially in that weather, it feels like a rock.”

“But, it’s something that guys will do a good job adjusting to just like they did [in Seattle],” he added.

Wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who spent the last three seasons playing in Buffalo, said there is no way to fully prepare for cold weather conditions or playing in snow. And though he much prefers playing in the sun where “your muscles are loose” and you “can take hits” more easily, he believes the Rams should be just fine this Sunday.

“To play in the cold it’s kind of hard to get warm, more injuries,” Watkins said. “So you just have to be warmed up and be ready to compete. We can’t go out there playing slow.”

PLAYING FOR THE NFC WEST

The Rams control their own destiny in the NFC West heading into Sunday’s contest. A win would guarantee the club a division title for the first time in over a decade.

As such, this weekend’s game takes on a little bit more meaning for a team that has traditionally viewed no week as any bigger than the other.

“We know what’s at stake for us. We don’t shy away from the opportunity to go in a tough atmosphere — try to come away with our 11th win,” McVay said. “And we know that if we’re able to accomplish that, that means a division championship as well. So it’s a great opportunity.”

Very few of the Rams’ starters have ever been associated with winning a division title. And while the magnitude of the game is something they talk about in the locker room, right guard Jamon Brown said the players have been careful not to “get too caught up in it.”

“We talk about it, but we also approach every week as the same,” Brown said. “The game at hand is our goal. That’s what we try to focus on and then we know the importance of the game obviously. But we never try to get caught up in, ‘this game clinches this or the hype behind the game.’ It’s more about winning.”

For cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman, who came to Los Angeles this season, the game represents “something I have dreamed about.” It also allows the team to prove just how far they have come.

“It makes it all make sense by winning this game and going to the playoffs,” he said. “Everything that we hoped for, dreamed for, and set our goals for is happening right now. So we have to go out, just embrace it and take advantage.”