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September 15, 2016 at 1:12 am #52952
znModeratorPractice Report 9/14: Keenum, Offense Moving On to Seattle
Myles Simmons
Before Monday night’s loss to the 49ers, quarterback Case Keenum had gone through a solid offseason program, preseason, and first week of practice. While that did not translate to a strong performance to open the year, Keenum is undeterred as he learns from the outing in preparation for the Seahawks on Sunday.
“I’ve just got to let the game come to me,” Keenum said Wednesday. “Take what the defense gives me. Trust my teammates — they do a great job. And get the ball out of my hands to the right place.”
According to the quarterback, one of his most significant issues was probably overthinking what he saw on the field instead of trusting his instincts and offensive rules.
“I over-thought a lot of things,” Keenum said. “I think that I was seeing ghosts — I was seeing things that weren’t there. I wasn’t trusting myself and my abilities.
“They gave us some different looks,” Keenum added. “For us, we’ve always said, ‘We trust our rules.’ So that’s why our coaches do a great job of preparing us to have rules that can fix anything in a game.”
Head coach Jeff Fisher said Wednesday that this week, he’s looking for Keenum to capitalize when the offense has chances.
“Case made some plays and then missed some opportunities,” Fisher said. “But every game you watch, quarterbacks are missing opportunities. So we have to just make sure we take advantage of those opportunities when they’re there.”
Wide receiver Kenny Britt, who has shown strong chemistry with Keenum since the quarterback was inserted into the starting lineup last season, said he’s expecting the Houston product will be fine going forward.
“It’s only the first game,” Britt said. “You over-think stuff because you don’t want to miss stuff. You don’t want to see one thing and then it be the next thing. So I know things will calm down for him.”
One of the games where Keenum and Britt best displayed their strong chemistry came last year against the Seahawks in Week 16. In the Rams’ 23-17 victory, the duo connected on a 28-yard play-action pass for a diving touchdown — with Britt getting the best of cornerback Richard Sherman on the play.
“Go back to film from the last few years that helped us out, especially the plays that worked for us,” Britt said of what he’s looking at on film this week. “Capitalize on everything we see out there.”
One of the reasons the Rams can go back and intently study what the Seahawks have done in years past is because their defensive scheme has stayed consistent. Seattle runs a Cover 3-based system, and while they will do some tweaks off of that, the foundation is the same.
“They do what they do and they do it well,” Keenum said. “Their secondary is one of the best — obviously. And their front seven — or eight, if you’ll call it with [safety Kam] Chancellor coming down in the box, too — it’s a great run-stopping box, too. So we’ve got our work cut out for us.”
“They’re sound fundamentally and you know they’re going to play one defense, and it’s basically going to be the same thing,” Britt said. “They’re not going to change up their defense for anybody. It’s either you’re coming ready to play, or don’t come at all. So we know that we’re going to be strapped in and ready to go.”
But that doesn’t mean it makes it any easier to figure Seattle out. Success in the past does not guarantee success in the present.
“Teams change, players change, and for right now they’ve got some different players on their defense,” offensive lineman Rodger Saffold said. “Scheme is going to be the same, but at the same time, each week, they’re going to have a blitz that’s going to cause some problems that we’re going to have to figure out on the fly.”
“That was that game, it was that team, too,” Keenum said. “Obviously we can learn some stuff from those games, but we’ve got a new challenge ahead of us and a new opportunity, really.”
And so as the team moves on from Monday night’s loss, the offense is looking forward to potentially righting the ship against a division rival.
“All [this] adversity, challenges, it’s really opportunities,” Keenum said. “And that’s the way I’m looking at it.”
“Just trust what you see, and let it fly,” Keenum added.
EXTRA POINTS
— For Wednesday’s injury report, defensive tackle Michael Brockers (thigh), cornerback E.J. Gaines (thigh), wide receiver Pharoh Cooper (shoulder), and wide receiver Nelson Spruce (knee) all did not participate in practice. Cornerback Lamarcus Joyner (foot) participated on a limited basis.
Running back Todd Gurley also did not participate in the session, but only for a day of rest.
“That’s a coach’s decision, he’s inside,” Fisher said. “He’ll be fine. He’ll be out there tomorrow.”
— Tight end Tyler Higbee received his first game action on Monday night, calling it an exciting experience. He made one reception in his NFL debut.
“It was exciting,” Higbee said Wednesday. “Monday night, especially — you get the crowd out there, it’s cool. It’s a little bit [of a] step up from preseason, which is cool. And I enjoyed it.”
What did Higbee learn from his first taste of the regular season?
“Mainly, it’s the first game. Everybody’s good — you have to bring your A-game every week,” Higbee said. “You can’t slack off, you can’t take any plays off. And in order to win, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”
— Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll had his conference call with L.A. media on Wednesday afternoon and said he’s looking forward to being a part of bringing the NFL back to the venue he called home while head coach of the USC Trojans from 2001-2009.
“I’m proud that we get to be the first ones that start this thing,” Carroll said. “For no other reason but I just love Southern California and love the fans and love who they are and what they’re all about. I feel fortunate that we have a chance to add to, kind of the kickoff event to this. That doesn’t amount to a whole lot, it’s just kind of a personal feeling about it. We’re hoping we’re going to play a good football game and the rest of that stuff will take care of itself later on.”
September 15, 2016 at 11:43 pm #53052znModeratorMyles Simmons
EXTRA POINTS
— Speaking of Brockers, he was upgraded on today’s injury report. The defensive tackle sat out Wednesday’s practice with a thigh injury, but was a limited participant on Thursday.
Elsewhere on the injury report, cornerback Lamarcus Joyner (foot) was once again limited. Wide receiver Pharoh Cooper (shoulder), wide receiver Nelson Spruce (knee), and cornerback E.J. Gaines (thigh) all did not participate.
Running back Todd Gurley was back as a full participant in Thursday’s practice, after Fisher gave him the day off for rest on Wednesday.
— Fisher is playing whether or not quarterback Jared Goff will be the backup quarterback on Sunday close to the vest.
“I haven’t decided yet, no. We’ll probably let you know tomorrow or Saturday or Sunday,” he said with a smile.
— Finally, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson suffered an ankle injury during his team’s victory over the Dolphins last week, but was able to finish the game. He’s been on the injury report for Seattle this week, but listed as a full participant both Wednesday and Thursday.
“We’re preparing for a 100-percent healthy Russell. You have to do that or you sell yourself short,” Fisher said. “I thought their offensive staff, when he was injured, did a tremendous job adjusting the play-calling to allow him to find a way to win that game without using his legs. I thought they did a great job. We have to approach this, from a player standpoint and assume that he’s going to be 100 percent.”
September 15, 2016 at 11:50 pm #53053znModeratorLA Rams offense will try to get well against Seahawks
Rich Hammond
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20160914/la-rams-offense-will-try-to-get-well-against-seahawks
THOUSAND OAKS >> Perhaps the most appropriate moment Monday came when quarterback Case Keenum slowly took a knee on the final play to put a merciful end to the Rams’ dreadful season opener.
The pain finally could stop. Now the Rams’ offense needs some healing, and fast, and it won’t be easy.
After a loss in which they were shut out and totaled only 185 yards, the Rams must now play Seattle, which is akin to asking someone with a toothache to chew taffy. In their home opener, Sunday at the Coliseum, the Rams face a Seahawks defense that consistently has been fierce under coach Pete Carroll.
“We’ve played them a bunch of times and we’ve got a lot of film on them,” Keenum said after Wednesday’s practice at Cal Lutheran. “They just do it well. They’ve got great guys. Their secondary is one of the best, and their front seven or eight, with (safety Kam) Chancellor coming down in the box, it’s a great run-stopping unit, too.”
The Rams practiced Wednesday without star running back Todd Gurley, although the team declared it a rest day and said Gurley would return Thursday. They’ll need him against Seattle, and need much more from their offensive starters than they got Monday at San Francisco in their first shutout loss since 2011.
Nothing the Rams tried on offense worked. Gurley had no inside running room, as the 49ers loaded up on the line of scrimmage and dared the Rams to throw the ball. Gurley had 17 carries for 47 yards, and most of those yards came when he bounced outside and attempted to outrun linebackers.
By every measure, things were ugly for Keenum on Monday. Among the 32 quarterbacks who played in week 1, Keenum finished last in quarterback rating (34.2) and yards per attempt (3.7) and 31st in passing yards (130) and completion percentage (48.6). Keenum also threw two interceptions.
Keenum said he over-thought things, tried too hard and was “seeing ghosts” among the 49ers’ defense, rather than slowing things down and trusting his skill players.
“That will change this week,” receiver Kenny Britt said. “It was only the first game and everyone is always over-excited when you come into the first game. You over-think stuff because you don’t want to miss stuff. I know things will calm down for him.”
Keenum’s only real success when he connected with Britt over the middle for two medium-range catches. Otherwise, the Rams couldn’t get any of their major offensive weapons going.
Big-play receiver threat Tavon Austin was targeted on 12 of Keenum’s 35 pass attempts, but Austin caught only four passes for 13 yards, and none for longer than five yards. Fisher pointed to the Rams’ futility on third down and said the Rams simply didn’t run enough plays.
“Sixty snaps is not ample to get the ball spread around to your playmakers,” Coach Jeff Fisher said. “We just have to continue to work on that.”
It will be a challenge against Seattle, which allowed only 214 yards last Sunday in a season-opening 12-10 victory over Miami. Last season, the Seahawks allowed only 3.6 yards per rush (tied for third-best in the NFL) and allowed the NFL’s second-fewest passing yards.
There is some hope for the Rams, who went 2-0 against the Seahawks last season, and it probably would involve following the model of their December victory.
Keenum passed for only 103 yards in that game, but Gurley rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown and, more importantly, the Rams scored a touchdown on a fumble return. The Rams won 23-17.
INJURY REPORT
The Rams’ official injury report designated Gurley’s lack of participation Wednesday as “rest.” Gurley was photographed, during Monday’s game, with what appeared to be a heating pad taped to his back.
Starting defensive tackle Michael Brockers missed practice with a thigh injury and cornerback Lamarcus Joyner (foot) was limited. Cornerback E.J. Gaines (thigh) and receivers Pharoh Cooper (shoulder) and Nelson Spruce (knee) remain out of practice.
SEIZING THE MOMENT
Fisher said he didn’t plan to address Britt and defensive end Robert Quinn about their protest Monday night, when each player raised a fist during the national anthem.
Asked why he waited until the first game, and didn’t take action during the preseason, Britt said, “It’s a big stage. Monday night. Everybody’s watching us. Why not take that stand and speak for people that don’t have a voice?”
MAKING MONEY
The Rams, according to one evaluation, doubled in value during the time they moved from St. Louis. Forbes released its annual study of NFL team finances and reported that the Rams are worth $2.9 billion, up from $1.45 billion last season.
Stan Kroenke, per various published reports, bought 40 percent of the Rams for $80 billion in 1995, then bought the remaining 60 percent for $450 million in 2010.
September 15, 2016 at 11:57 pm #53055znModeratorSeahawks fans … better not let those Rams fool you
http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/seahawks-fans-better-not-let-those-rams-fool-you/
There’s something about the NFL, bounce-back games, and the Rams that should make Sunday’s showdown particularly perilous for the Seahawks.
To watch the Rams on Monday night was to watch a stoppable force become an immobile object. Offensive ineptitude is one thing, but that was offensive inertia.
For four quarters, the revived Los Angeles franchise failed to move the football with an iota of efficiency, averaging 3.36 yards per play in a 28-0 loss to the 49ers. But beware, 12th men, that might have been the worst result possible for the Seahawks.
At first glance, such a pitiful performance would give the impression Seattle is going to blow by the Rams like they’re a 46-man yield sign Sunday. That wasn’t a typical shutout loss — it was the equivalent of an NBA team scoring 41 points.
But there’s something about the NFL, bounce-back games, and the Rams that should make Sunday’s showdown particularly perilous for the Seahawks. More succinctly put: Both teams could wind up 1-1 by day’s end.
One need only go back to the 49ers’ 2015 opener to see how deceiving one epic fail can be. In their 20-3 loss to San Francisco last season, the Vikings looked almost as hopeless as the Rams did Monday.
The thing is, that Minnesota team went on to win 11 of its 15 games before Blair Walsh’s hooked field-goal attempt gifted the Seahawks a playoff win. As for the Niners? They lost 11 of their next 15 and ended up with the worst point differential in the NFC.
“They’re pros. They can go out there and change people’s minds. That’s the thing about professional sports,” said Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman when asked about the Rams. “Anything can happen on any given Sunday.”
And, as Sherman knows — any given Saturday.
It has been several years since Seattle coach Pete Carroll wore a headset on the Los Angeles Coliseum sideline, as he will do Sunday. But in 2007, he watched Sherman’s Stanford team beat his top-ranked Trojans despite the Cardinal entering the game with a record of 0-3.
The Rams snatching a win from the Seahawks wouldn’t send shock waves across the country in quite the same fashion, but the point is — there are countless precedents for this sort of thing.
Then again, you don’t have to tell the Seahawks that.
Over the past four seasons, Seattle has a combined regular-season record of 46-18. The Rams, meanwhile, have gone 27-36-1. And yet the series between these teams over that span is 4-4, with the Rams winning the past two as well as the past three out of four.
Think of the Seahawks like a cobra and the Rams like a mongoose. The cobra is deadlier to most everyone else it comes across, yes, but for whatever reason, always struggles against that one furry foe.
There are plenty of reasons to think that trend will continue Sunday.
For one, nobody is quite sure how Russell Wilson is going to look. The Seahawks quarterback suffered an ankle injury after Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh stepped on his foot last Sunday, which will likely hamper the mobility that distinguishes Wilson from every quarterback in the league.
For two, the Rams have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL — which doesn’t bode well for Seattle’s inexperienced offensive line. There were times Sunday in which nitrogen and oxygen protected Wilson just as well as his teammates did, and if the O-line doesn’t improve drastically in Week 2, a victory will be hard to come by.
For three, the Rams seem to enjoy these situations. Last year, they scored a combined 16 points in Weeks 2 and 3 before knocking off the eventual NFC-champion Cardinals in Week 4. And their Week 16 win in Seattle came after Wilson had what might be the best five-game stretch in NFL quarterbacking history.
Doesn’t matter if they have been struggling or if their opponent has been sizzling, the Rams seem to find a way. Don’t be surprised if it happens again Sunday.
It’s been 22 years since the Rams played a regular-season game in Los Angeles. Rarely have they been so inclined to put on a good show.
September 16, 2016 at 9:33 am #53071znModeratorThis week’s Rams opponent: Seahawks
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20160915/this-weeks-rams-opponent-seahawks
Jack Wang
The Rams’ triumphant return to Los Angeles is starting to look anything but.
Sunday marks the last major milestone in what has been a months-long reunion tour for the NFL in this city: the first regular-season game in more than two decades. It’s just that, well, the Rams don’t look much like a pro team at the moment.
Jeff Fisher and company laid an egg on Monday night, failing to even reach the red zone in a 28-0 loss against the 49ers. For their home opener at the Coliseum, the Rams (0-1) will welcome the Seahawks (1-0), who are only a year removed from back-to-back Super Bowl appearances.
But recent history does provide hope. The Rams have won three of their last four meetings against Seattle, including a 23-17 road upset last December. And as bad as Los Angeles looked in Santa Clara, its defensive front could still haunt a porous offensive line.
“They’ve just been a problem for us,” said Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. “We’re hoping to put that behind us. What happened in the past doesn’t mean anything to me. It’s what we’re going to do now. And that’s how we’re dealing with it. They have had good success and we respect them for that.”
WHO’S COACHING THE SEAHAWKS?
Carroll needs no re-introduction to Los Angeles. This was the city in which the 65-year-old revived his coaching career, turning himself from a former NFL vagabond into the man who restored the USC football brand.
He parlayed his successful run with the Trojans into another shot in the pros in 2010, and has since proven himself to be one of the league’s best coaches. Carroll has guided the Seahawks to five playoff berths in six years, a stretch that has included a pair of Super Bowl appearances and one Lombardi Trophy. Only one of his six predecessors, Mike Holmgren, had ever led Seattle to the game’s biggest stage.
BY THE NUMBERS
530 — Number of tackles Marshawn Lynch broke in his nine-year career
222 — Days since Lynch announced retirement with mid-Super Bowl tweet
110.1 — Russell Wilson’s passer rating in 2015, the highest among starters
5 — Quarterbacks drafted ahead of Wilson (third round, No. 75) in 2012
81.5 — Average rushing yards allowed by Seahawks in 2015, lowest in the NFL
83 — Rushing yards Seahawks allowed Todd Gurley in 23-17 loss to Rams
PLAYER TO WATCH
Last Sunday, Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh stepped on Russell Wilson’s ankle, putting the quarterback’s streak of 75 consecutive starts into apparent jeopardy. By Wednesday, however, Seattle fans could breathe easy — Wilson participated fully in practice, showing off nary a limp.
Good thing too, as the Seahawks need him now more than ever.
The 27-year-old is already a three-time Pro Bowler, but his team is now entering the post-Lynch era. Without the bruising tailback, this offense will go as Wilson goes. That makes it even more crucial for him to build on what was a brilliant second half to the 2015 regular season, one in which he threw for 25 touchdowns against just two interceptions.
“You can’t do that unless you’re just lights out,” Carroll said. “Hopefully he can pick up where he left off. He did a great job finishing the game last week to get us a win, when he was kind of hobbling around and still got it done kind of in dramatic fashion.”
WHAT DID HE SAY?
“I haven’t done it yet. I don’t know. I’ll let you know afterwards.”
— Carroll, on what it will feel like to walk down the Coliseum tunnel again
September 17, 2016 at 7:24 pm #53192znModeratorKeys to Victory: Week 2 vs. Seahawks
Myles Simmons
The Rams will kick off professional football in Los Angeles for the first time in over two decades on Sunday against the Seahawks. Here are three keys for a Rams victory to even their record at 1-1.
1) More offensive production
‘The numbers from the Week 1 loss speak volumes: 185 total yards, 10 first downs, 3-of-15 on third down, and zero points. Clearly, the Rams need to increase their offensive production against the Seahawks in order to have a successful outing on Sunday.
While that certainly involves getting running back Todd Gurley going, Los Angeles must do a better job of making plays in the passing game in order to keep the Seahawks’ defense honest. Many times, the unit will plug in safety Kam Chancellor in the box to start out with eight players there. It’s one reason why Seattle led the league in rush defense last year, allowing just over 81 yards per game.
When the Rams beat the Seahawks in Seattle last December, a key play was wide receiver Kenny Britt’s 28-yard touchdown. L.A. could use a few of those explosive plays in order to open up some running lanes for Gurley.
2) Collapse the pocket, get after Wilson
One of the factors that makes quarterback Russell Wilson so effective is his ability to make something happen with his feet when a defender breaks into the pocket. He’ll run around, make a few men miss, and then fire a ball down the field to a receiver who has — somehow — gotten open.
Even with an ankle injury, Wilson remains a threat. The best way to combat that is to plug all open running lanes. Last week, quarterback Blaine Gabbert burned the Rams by scrambling up the middle, earning a few first downs that way. This week, Los Angeles has to ensure not only the middle is closed, but also the outside. And once that happens, if the Rams’ defense can surround him, they’ll be able to bring him down.
The Rams have had success with this in the past, as they sacked him a total of 10 times across two games last year.
3) Get turnovers, capitalize on them
The Rams are at their best when they get takeaways and then turn them into points. In last year’s home opener against Seattle, the Rams scored got a field goal off of cornerback Trumaine Johnson’s interception. Then in Week 16, the defense returned a fumble for a touchdown at CenturyLink Field.
Generally in 2015, the Rams had plenty of success scoring off of turnovers 15 times. If Los Angeles can replicate that — particularly if the home team can score on defense on Sunday — that should certainly help the club’s chances to win.
September 17, 2016 at 10:10 pm #53205znModeratorRussell Wilson completes full practice week, will play at LA; RG J’Marcus Webb questionable
GREGG BELL
RENTON Russell Wilson was full go all week on his rapidly healing sprained ankle and will play Sunday at Los Angeles.
Fill-in right guard J’Marcus Webb has a new ankle injury that kept him out of Friday’s practice, but the team is counting on his playing against the Rams, too. If he can’t, the Seahawks will have yet another new offensive line for a game in which they need a strong one.
That’s the news from coach Pete Carroll following Friday’s practice the day before the team flies to Southern California.
“He made it through everything we asked him to do. He did fine. He’s going to play,” Carroll said of Wilson, who will start for the 76th consecutive time in the regular season and playoffs for Seattle to begin his NFL career. “We expect him to play well.
“He did basically his normal workout,” Carroll said, adding there will be no limitations on his usually elusive, improvisational QB.
I asked Carroll if it is a surprise Wilson completed a full practice week on what apparently is a high-ankle sprain; Carroll told Seattle’s 710-AM radio on Monday when asked if Wilson had the more complicated high-ankle sprain that the injury was “a little bit of everything.”
“Yeah, I think it was a surprise that he was able to practice on Wednesday and all that,” Carroll said. “It showed the severity of it was that he could manage it and manage it well. So that was very fortunate.”
Some of that managing has included Wilson flying up one of his physical trainers from Los Angeles, Drew Morcos, to treat the ankle in the evenings after team trainers did it during the days.
“Ready to roll,” Wilson said on Thursday.
The team listed Webb as questionable to play Sunday. A backup right tackle coming out of the preseason, Webb started last week’s season-opening win over Miami for rookie right guard Germain Ifedi. Carroll confirmed Friday Ifedi has a high-ankle sprain, which usually take longer to heal — and that the rookie first-round draft pick has had the injury before and is “making good progress” in hopes of being able “to show something next week” before the Seahawks host San Francisco.
“We rested (Webb Friday). His ankle was a little bit sore,” Carroll said. “But he looks like he’s already started to come around a little bit and he looked much more comfortable. So hopefully he will make some progress there.”
Asked if Webb will play Sunday, the coach said: “I believe so. Counting on it.”
Indeed.
Webb’s primary assignment Sunday is the Rams’ best defensive player, tackle Aaron Donald. Webb’s new injury raises the possibility the Seahawks will sign Will Pericak from their practice squad to the active roster before the Saturday 1 p.m. deadline to do so, in time for him to be possibly active as insurance for Sunday’s game should Webb not be able to start. Rookie third-round pick Rees Odhiambo is another option as a backup guard, but he’s been practicing as a backup tackle for much of the last month.
But this is the wrong Sunday to be contemplating a Plan C on an offensive line that already has new starters in four of the five positions. The Rams’ defensive front, which has sacked Wilson 35 times in eight career games. That’s more than any other Wilson foe.
Running back C.J. Prosise is also questionable with the cracked bone in his hand. Carroll said the rookie third-round pick who made his debut as the third-down back last week will try out a protective device before Sunday’s game to see if he can catch the ball with it.
September 18, 2016 at 9:01 am #53212znModeratorScouting report for the Los Angeles Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks game
RAMS (0-1) vs. SEAHAWKS (1-0)
When: Sunday, 1:05 p.m.
Where: the Coliseum
Line: Seahawks by 6.5
TV/radio: Ch. 11; 710-AM, 100.3 FM and 1330 AM (Spanish)
RAMS OFFENSE vs. SEAHAWKS DEFENSE
Running back Todd Gurley said of last week’s loss to San Francisco, “Obviously, it can’t get much worse than zero points.” That’s one way to look at it, but it might not get much better, either. Seattle has been notoriously tough on defense during Coach Pete Carroll’s seven seasons. Last week, Seattle beat Miami 12-10, and last season, the Seahawks allowed fewer than 14 points in nine of their 16 games. This certainly isn’t the optimal opponent for a Rams offense that couldn’t pass or run the ball last week against the 49ers. The Rams can’t win if they don’t get more from quarterback Case Keenum, who passed for 130 yards last week. San Francisco loaded the line of scrimmage to take away Gurley (47 yards) and dared the Rams to throw the ball. Seattle can, and probably will, do the same, with safety Kam Chancellor sneaking down to the line of scrimmage. The Seahawks aren’t complex on defense, but they execute well, and if the Rams can’t get Gurley going, it will be another long day. EDGE: SEAHAWKS.
SEAHAWKS OFFENSE vs. RAMS DEFENSE
The wild-card here is Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson, who sprained his right ankle in the third quarter last week against Miami. Wilson stayed in the game and even threw a fourth-quarter touchdown, and Wilson claimed to be at full strength this week in practice, but that remains to be seen. Here’s the hope for the Rams: last December, they went up to Seattle, forced three turnovers — and scored a touchdown on a fumble return — held the Seahawks to 59 rushing yards and won 23-17. That’s the same game plan the Rams will need this time. They’ll need to shut down running back Thomas Rawls, who didn’t start last week but now is fully recovered from the major ankle injury he suffered last season. Then they’ll need to keep Wilson in the pocket and prevent him from breaking long runs against the Rams’ nickel defense. If Wilson’s ankle remains a concern, that’s good news for the Rams, who had trouble keeping track of Blaine Gabbert last week. If Wilson is off and running like normal, then watch out. EDGE: EVEN
SPECIAL TEAMS
After one week, the highest-profile Ram is Johnny Hekker, who punted 10 times — not a misprint — against the 49ers. He looked quite good, but the Rams would like to see less of him. The Rams, for all their problems against the 49ers, looked fairly decent on special teams. Tavon Austin had a 28-yard punt return and Benny Cunningham averaged nearly 30 yards per kickoff return. A special-teams touchdown would go a long way toward helping the Rams upset the Seahawks. Seattle kicker Steven Hauschka made both of his field-goal attempts last week (from 39 and 38 yards) but had an extra point blocked in the final minute. Hauschka traditionally is one of the NFL’s most consistent kickers and he went 6 for 6 on field goal attempts from 50 yards or beyond last season. The Seahawks didn’t get to return a kickoff last week and didn’t get anything particularly special out of punt returner Tyler Lockett. EDGE: RAMS
COACHING
Seattle’s Pete Carroll turned 65 on Thursday and he’s the oldest coach in the NFL, but one wouldn’t know it from his energy level. Carroll, most likely, will be strutting up and down the sideline and chomping on his gum, just as he did at the Coliseum from 2001-09 when he led USC on an extraordinary run of success that included two national championships, six BCS bowl victories and a 34-game winning streak. Including two pre-USC runs in the NFL, Carroll-coached teams have made the playoffs in seven of his 10 seasons. By contrast, the Rams’ Jeff Fisher has made the playoffs six times in 21 seasons. Fisher already is feeling the heat in Southern California. The Rams, presumably, are going to give Fisher a contract extension at some point, but the optics are terrible at the moment. A victory over the Seahawks (and the beloved Carroll) in the Rams’ “welcome home” game would improve matters a lot. EDGE: SEAHAWKS
INTANGIBLES
If the Rams aren’t ready for this one, there’s little hope. They will be playing in front of an expected crowd of close to 90,000, including some fans who have been waiting 22 years to watch a regular-season NFL game in the L.A. area. Plus, the Rams should be eager to prove themselves after last week’s debacle against the 49ers. Still, there are plenty of on-field matters to clean up, not the least of which are the 10 penalties the Rams had against the 49ers, which included an ejection (Aaron Donald) and a taunting penalty (Gurley). The veteran Seahawks, meanwhile, shouldn’t be rattled by a big game, but it’s worth noting that they lost their first three road games last season (two in overtime). EDGE: RAMS
MATCHUP TO WATCH
Rams LB Alec Ogletree vs. Seahawks RB Thomas Rawls: This isn’t all on Ogletree, but as the middle linebacker (and on-field captain) of a defense that has gone exclusively to nickel coverage, Ogletree needs to take charge of the Rams’ run defense, which allowed the 49ers to run for 150 yards last week. The Seahawks started Christine Michael last week, and he gained 66 yards on 15 carries, but now the Seahawks will turn to Rawls, who had a stellar rookie season in 2015 (830 yards) before he suffered a major late-season ankle injury. If the Seahawks are able to get Rawls going, life won’t be easy for the Rams’ defense, but the Dolphins held the Seahawks — who don’t have a particularly strong offensive line — to 112 rushing yards last week.
PREDICTION: SEAHAWKS 17, RAMS 10
There’s no tangible reason to believe the Rams should win this game … except that they beat the Seahawks twice last year, and who saw that coming? Another Rams upset is predicated on two things: the defense’s ability to contain Wilson, and the offense’s ability to, well, do something. In the teams’ second meeting last year, Gurley rushed for 83 yards and the Rams won even though Keenum passed for only 103 yards. A similar formula would have to be followed here, with a low-scoring game and a dominant effort by the Rams’ defense. But if Wilson is his normal self, it’s difficult to see things going that way. Given how things have looked for the Rams, if the Seahawks can score two touchdowns, that probably will be enough.
September 18, 2016 at 2:23 pm #53233znModeratorPrediction: Hard to make argument this will be Rams’ week
Alden Gonzalez
http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/30755/prediction-seahawks-17-rams-7
LOS ANGELES — Maybe this is the game the Rams are meant to have.
It’s their celebrated debut at Los Angeles Coliseum, a lavish homecoming party to commemorate their return to the West Coast. It’s against the Seattle Seahawks, the class of the Rams’ division, but also a team they found a way to beat twice last year. And it would be the perfect way to wash away the sting of a demoralizing 28-0 loss in the Monday Night Football opener against the hapless San Francisco 49ers.
It’s so easy to let emotions sway you here.
But strip that away, analyze this game in a vacuum, and it’s hard to find tangible reasons to think the Rams will actually win.
Let’s start offensively, because, well, if you witnessed their opening performance at Levi’s Stadium, it’s hard to focus anywhere else. The Rams had the worst passing attack in the NFL last season, and the players they added in hopes of upgrading that unit are currently unavailable (No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff is merely the backup, and rookie receivers Pharoh Cooper and Nelson Spruce are hurt).
Incumbent starter Case Keenum struggled mightily against a 49ers defense that isn’t supposed to be anything special, completing 17-of-35 passes, averaging 3.7 yards per attempt and throwing two interceptions. The game plan went mostly went sideline to sideline, with very little threat of Keenum stretching the field vertically. That allowed the 49ers to stack the box and limit star running back Todd Gurley, who averaged an NFL-worst 0.24 yards before first contact.
The Rams won’t win if this area doesn’t greatly improve, but how can it possibly improve against a secondary that has allowed the fewest yards per dropback since 2012?
Now let’s go to the defense. The Rams tightened up in this department after giving up 123 first-half rushing yards in Week 1. But they inexplicably allowed opposing quarterback Blaine Gabbert to rush for 43 yards, most of them after he went through all of his progressions and found the middle of the field wide open. Russell Wilson — with the second-most rushing yards by a quarterback since his rookie season in 2012 — is far more a threat to run despite a sprained ankle that wasn’t serious enough to keep him out of practice this week.
Just as concerning, though, is that Wilson has steadily improved as a pocket passer throughout his career. And that the Rams’ biggest deficiencies on defense come in their secondary, with Rodney McLeod and Janoris Jenkins leaving over the offseason and E.J. Gaines out for Week 2 with a thigh injury.
Prediction: Seahawks 17, Rams 7
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