Rams are on message

Albert Breer
https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/09/16/drew-brees-ben-roethlisberger-saints-rams-dak-prescott-falcons-eagles-josh-allen-bills?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=themmqb

THE RAMS WILL TAKE THE TITLE-GAME REMATCH WIN, HOWEVER IT CAME

We’ve been talking for eight months about the missed pass-interference call on Nickell Robey-Coleman in the NFC title game, and that made me consider something as the Rams started to pull away from the Saints on Sunday night.

Was it possible that McVay’s crew had grown a little sick of hearing how their trip to the Super Bowl was stolen from someone else? You’d think that, at the very least, the simple implication attached to all that talk had to get a little annoying. Or maybe, it didn’t?

“I know that a lot was made about that, but our guys just did a good job of ignoring the noise,” McVay said on his ride home from the Coliseum after the 27-9 win. “And really, we don’t want to ignore the fact that that was a play that definitely helped us. Whether it decided the outcome, who really knows? For us, our guys were just focused on just winning the game today, and we know that this season has a totally different feel than last year.”

So the Rams are on message. And on this day, that feel McVay referenced had some edge.

The defending conference champs slogged through a 6-3 first half, and even the touchdowns that were to come weren’t going to be scored easily.

The first came on first-and-goal from the 4, with 5:43 left in the third quarter. Todd Gurley took a toss left and simply outran Trey Hendrickson and A.J. Klein to the corner, then dove for the pylon. The next one was on a slant, on second-and-goal from 2, where Jared Goff found Brandin Cooks, who outmuscled Marshon Lattimore to the ball. And the final one came courtesy of Cooper Kupp, who took an in-cut, stiff-armed Lattimore, fought past Marcus Williams then P.J. Williams, and dragged Klein into the end zone to make it 27-6.

Or it at least looked like that made it 27-6. On review, Kupp was called down at the 1. On the next play, Goff took it in on a sneak.

“There were a lot of instances of guys creating on their own or making plays that maybe weren’t necessarily there and they just kind of just added to it,” McVay said. “Whether it be Cooper or the Cooks touchdown pass. But Todd’s touchdown run, what a gutsy run it was when we run a little tool crack to the left sideline and he just found a way to have a nose for the end zone, like he’s done for so many years. So I thought the guys did a good job of responding and finding a way to win. That’s the biggest thing.”

Now, Brees being absent for three-and-a-half quarters certainly adds a different context to the Rams’ win, and it could make this one look a little different two months from now. But there were important takeaways, regardless of the circumstances or opponent.

Goff got knocked around a little bit and still finished 19-of-28 for 283 yards and that touchdown to Cooks. Eric Weddle (more on him later) helped bringing the sort of on-the-fly flexibility to the defense that he used to for Baltimore, with all his know-how. The Rams got to flash their depth, too, with Jamil Demby subbing in when starting guard Austin Blythe went down. And then there’s Gurley, who was a huge question mark coming into the season.

He didn’t explode on Sunday. But he did carry a heavy load, going for 63 yards on 16 carries and four yards on three catches, perhaps a sign that the coaches are becoming a little more comfortable hitching their wagon to him again, after how last year ended.

“It’s going to be something that’s by game,” McVay said of the plans for Gurley. “And really, it’s more in the flow and the feel and how he’s doing it as much as anything else. Because Todd’s a big part of our offense, he’s going to continue to be a big part of our offense. And the nice thing is that we feel good about Malcolm Brown being able to spell him. Because of the confidence we have with those two guys, it’s been a good deal the first couple weeks.

“And in all seriousness, tell you that’s going to be what it is, because then Todd gets the hot hand and you feel like he’s going to end up with 25 carries. I don’t think that’s out of the question either.”

At the very least, however the Rams adjust from here, they’re doing it from a position of strength, at 2-0. And they’ve already shown an ability to make it work, when things might not be like they drew them up.

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The Rams couldn’t be happier with what Eric Weddle has brought to the table. We mentioned in the summer that the team was putting the green dot on its new safety’s helmet, meaning he’d have the radio communication with the coaches for the defense. That’s happened, and Sean McVay told me he regards Weddle as “the quarterback” on that side of the ball now.