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December 7, 2016 at 6:30 am #60489
znModeratorPractice Report 12/6: Atlanta’s Offense Presents Many Challenges
Myles Simmons
The Rams have had to face their share of strong offenses this season, and they have another one coming up on Sunday with the Falcons.
Atlanta sports the top passing offense and top scoring offense in the league, averaging 302.0 yards per game through the air and 32.2 points per game. The latter mark is 3.3 points higher than No. 2 New Orleans.
“They’re an explosive offense,” defensive back Lamarcus Joyner said. “I feel like their offensive guys think, ‘Home run, home run, home run, big play, big play.’ That’s the way they think.”
Indeed, the Falcons are tied with the Saints at No. 1 in the league with 53 passing plays of at least 20 yards. While that can be a tough test for any defense, it’s also the kind of challenge the Rams are embracing.
“That’s any DB’s dream — if you’re a competitor,” Joyner said. “So when you see an offense like that on film, you know you have a good challenge. And in your heart, you just get ready to compete and that’s the way this defense has been preparing over here.”
Quarterback Matt Ryan is averaging a career high 9.2 yards per attempt, and is on pace to set a new career high in touchdowns. He’s already thrown for 3,813 yards with 27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions in 12 games.
“He’s very efficient,” defensive end William Hayes said. “They can throw it and he’s got weapons around him. They’re just playing really good, solid football right now.”
And his top target it wide receiver Julio Jones — who has the most yards receiving in the league at 1,253. Jones is averaging 6.0 receptions and 104.4 yards per game, with 12 receptions for 300 yards and a touchdown against Carolina in the first half of the season. He’s had at least 110 yards receiving in five of his last seven games.
“He can do it all — literally,” cornerback Trumaine Johnson. “His speed, he can catch great, physical at the point. He doesn’t go down easy. So, like I said, we’ve got our work cut out for us.”
But it’s not just Jones. The Falcons signed former Bengals receiver Mohamed Sanu in the offseason. And wideout Taylor Gabriel has emerged as another significant target for Atlanta over the course of the regular season. Combined, Sanu and Gabriel have 943 yards receiving and seven receiving touchdowns.
“They compliment each other,” Joyner said. “And that’s why they’re so explosive — because you can’t say, ‘We’re going to take Julio away’ or ‘We’re going to take Devonta Freeman away’ and exclude those guys, because they make their big plays, too. So we just, as a group, we have to get together and have some sort of continuity and get after those guys.”
“That’s what happens in the league. That’s what happens. You take somebody away, you know the ball is going someplace else,” head coach Jeff Fisher said. “It just speaks for their personnel and the weapons that they have. They understand it. When you have a dominating player like they do, you need to have complimentary players and the quarterback trusts them.”
As the Rams continue through their practice week, limiting the Falcons’ big-play and scoring opportunities will certainly be top priorities.
INJURY REPORT
The Rams’ first official injury report of the week does not come out until after Wednesday’s practice. But Fisher did provide an update on defensive end Robert Quinn and wide receiver Tavon Austin, saying they were back on the field for Tuesday’s session. Running back Benny Cunningham, however, was not.
“Benny probably won’t do much this week, but I’ll go into more detail with that later in the week,” Fisher said.
EXTRA POINTS
— There was a moment in Sunday’s game that’s made the rounds, and it’s when Fisher could not find his challenge flag in his pocket. Asked about it today, the head coach said, “I thought it was hilarious.”
“Forever, [I’ve kept] my flag in my back right pocket of my coaching pants,” Fisher continued. “I was a little underdressed in the first half, I started to get cold, so I put some wind pants on and then I put a jacket on. I had this really long jacket, and then I was wired for NFL Films, and then I have a belt pack with two things on the side.
“I had taken the challenge flag and I had stuck in one of the pockets of this big jacket, so when I walked up to the official, I said, ‘I want to review that catch. I think it’s a catch,’ and he goes, ‘Well, where’s your flag?’ I said, ‘It’s right here.’ I can feel it, but I can’t find it. And he goes, ‘Well, you need the flag,’ I said, ‘Just tell [referee] Jerome [Boger] that I’m challenging this and I’ll eventually find it for you.’ It was hilarious, it was just one of those funny moments on the sideline. It’s what happened. I could feel it, but I couldn’t find it.”
December 7, 2016 at 6:32 am #60490znModeratorRams Opponent Profile: Falcons Come To Los Angeles Needing Win
Rams Opponent Profile: Falcons Come To Los Angeles Needing Win
The Los Angeles Rams are playing for pride at this point of the 2016 NFL regular season, as their 4-8 record means the team will once again miss the postseason and not achieve a winning year. However, the Rams still can play spoiler to an old division rival from the past this weekend, as the Atlanta Falcons arrive in town desperately needing a victory for their own playoff aspirations.
The two teams were once division rivals from 1967 to 2001, and although the Falcons and the Rams have only played a handful of times in the last 15 years, the past for these two teams runs deep through the annals of the Los Angeles franchise’s memory. After all, the last time the Rams made the playoffs (2004), the Falcons beat them by 30 points in the divisional round, and the Rams have not been back to the postseason since then.
Season Record
Atlanta is tied for first place in the NFC South with a 7-5 record, but the Falcons have lost some very close games this year. Atlanta has lost four games by a touchdown or less this year, while three of the losses have been by a combined six points. Needless to say, the Falcons could easily be 10-2 right now with a little better late-game execution, especially on defense.
Then again, Atlanta has won three games by a TD or less as well, so the team has been effective at times during crunch time in the fourth quarter. The Falcons have wins over the Oakland Raiders and the Denver Broncos this season, so they’ve been able to beat the better teams in the NFL, although the overtime loss to the San Diego Chargers stings a bit right now.
Falcons On Offense
There have been whispers about Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan for the MVP award this season, and the numbers don’t lie. With a 112.3 QB rating, Ryan has tossed 27 TDs this year and only seven interceptions. These are the best numbers of his career, and Ryan leads the NFL with a 9.2 yards-per-attempt mark right now, meaning the Rams defense will be on its toes the entire game.
Ryan has one of the best receivers in the NFL to throw to in Julio Jones, who already has 1,253 yards receiving this season. Meanwhile, the running back duo of Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman has combined for over 1,000 yards rushing and over 650 yards receiving while scoring 16 times between them. It’s a dangerous and diverse offense that leads the NFL in scoring right now (32.2 points per game).
Falcons On Defense
While the offense has thrived all season, the Atlanta defense has not. Giving up 27.9 points per game has the Falcons ranked 29th in the NFL currently. The unit is led by a trio of young players: Safety Ricardo Allen (69 tackles), linebacker Deion Jones (74 tackles) and safety Keanu Neal (79 tackles). The top nine tackles on this defense play linebacker or in the defensive backfield, so Atlanta lacks the punch up front to truly disrupt an opposing offense. This could be an opportunity for Rams RB Todd Gurley to bust loose and finally have a huge game in 2016.
Falcons Players To Watch
LB Vic Beasley leads the team with 10.5 sacks, and no one else on the Falcons defense has even half as many QB burials. The Los Angeles offensive schemes will want to account for Beasley on every passing play. If the Rams can do that, they may have a chance to score some points on the Atlanta defense.
On the other side, WR Taylor Gabriel has been sneaking up on too many opposing defenses lately as the secondaries focus on Jones and the RBs out of the backfield. He has the ability to hurt teams with his speed and shiftiness in the open field.
Outlook
After losing to the New Orleans Saints and the New England Patriots by a combined 44 points in the last two games, Los Angeles gets to face yet another crazy-good offense. It’s tough to imagine the Rams slowing down the Falcons offense right now, and with Atlanta needing a victory more than L.A., look for the Rams to drop another game by a large margin. The Falcons will win, 42-21.
December 10, 2016 at 5:38 am #60645znModerator5 things to know about the Falcons on Friday
5 things to know about the Falcons on Friday
FLOWERY BRANCH — The Falcons (7-5) are set to face the Los Angeles Rams (4-8) at 4:25 p.m. Sunday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Here are five things to know about the Falcons on Friday:
1. Injury watch. We fully expect the Falcons to declare wide receivers Julio Jones (turf toe) and Mohamed Sanu (groin) out for Sunday when the team releases their final injury report today. Even if they don’t do it today, we don’t expect them to play of Sunday. If Jones plays, he’ll be a decoy. Left tackle Jake Matthews (sprained knee) was moving well on the sidelines on Thursday and appears to have a chance to play.
2. 2017 Free agent class. With the signings of right tackle Ryan Schraeder and cornerback Robert Alford to contract extensions, here are the team’s prospective unrestricted free agents for 2017: defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux, quarterback Matt Schaub, linebacker Paul Worrilow, offensive guard Chris Chester, tight end Jacob Tamme, linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, defensive tackle Courtney Upshaw, special teamer Eric Weems, defensive end Dwight Freeney, linebacker Philip Wheeler, offensive tackle Tom Compton, fullback Patrick DiMarco, linebacker LaRoy Reynolds, wide receiver Aldrick Robinson, cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson, tight end Levine Toilolo and safety Kemal Ishmael. Toilolo and DiMarco would appear to be the next in line for extensions. Worrilow, after being demoting, may want to test the open market. Perhaps they might want to reward Upshaw for his play and the rest you can take care of in the offseason. Of course, the interesting one is long-timer Babineaux, who may want to carry on after collecting all of $25 million of his last contract. Also, the team has the fifth-year option on cornerback Desmond Trufant and can do his extension next season. “For sure, Tru totally embodies all the things that we’re looking for in terms of the effort and strain of how we can play,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. “It even showed for him like he was trying like crazy to come back even with his injury just to see if he could make it. We’re hopeful that he’ll be with it for the long term as well.”
3. Series record. This will be the 77th regular-season meeting between the Falcons and the Rams, former division foes in the old NFC West. The Rams lead 47-27-2. The Falcons won the last meeting with the St. Louis Rams 31-24 on Sept. 15, 2013. The Falcons won their last game against the Rams in Los Angeles, an 8-5 win on Oct. 2, 1994.
4. Tale of the tape. Here’s how the Falcons and Rams matchup statisically:
2016 Regular Season Statistics Rankings
Falcons Rams
32.2 (1) Points/Game 23.4 (32)
412.0 (3) Total Offense 333.3 (32)
110.0 (9) Net Rushing Yards/Game 98.8 (30)
302.0 (3) Net Passing Yards/Game 234.6 (29)
29:47 (20) Possession Average 29:26 (25)
27.6 (29) Opponent Points/Game 21.8 (15)
381.7 (27) Opponent Total Offense 345.0 (10)
100.8 (15) Opp. Rushing Yards/Game 114.0 (21)
280.8 (32) Opp. Passing Yards/Game 231.0 (9t)
+3 (11t) Turnover Differential -6 (26t)5. Depth chart. Here’s a look at the official depth chart for the Rams’ game.
OFFENSE
WR 11 Julio Jones, 16 Justin Hardy, 14 Eric Weems
LT 70 Jake Matthews, 76 Tom Compton
LG 67 Andy Levitre, 63 Ben Garland
C 51 Alex Mack, 63 Ben GarlandRG 65 Chris Chester, 71 Wes Schweitzer
RT 73 Ryan Schraeder, 76 Tom Compton, 66 Kevin Graf
TE 81 Austin Hooper, 80 Levine Toilolo, 82 Joshua Perkins
WR 12 Mohamed Sanu, 18 Taylor Gabriel, 19 Aldrick Robinson
QB 2 Matt Ryan, 8 Matt Schaub
RB 24 Devonta Freeman, 26 Tevin Coleman, 28 Terron Ward
FB 42 Patrick DiMarco
DEFENSE
DE 50 Brooks Reed, 99 Adrian Clayborn, 93 Dwight Freeney
DT 95 Jonathan Babineaux
DT 97 Grady Jarrett, 91 Courtney Upshaw
DE 94 Tyson Jackson, 77 Ra’Shede Hageman, 54 Malliciah Goodman
LB 44 Vic Beasley Jr., 41 Philip Wheeler
LB 45 Deion Jones, 55 Paul Worrilow, 53 LaRoy Reynolds
LB 59 De’Vondre Campbell
CB 23 Robert Alford, 29 C.J. Goodwin, 38 B. W. Wilson
CB 32 Jalen Collins, 34 Brian Poole, 30 Deji Olatoye
S 37 Ricardo Allen, 27 Robenson Therezie, 20 Sharrod Neasman
S 22 Keanu Neal, 36 Kemal Ishmael
SPECIALISTS
K 3 Matt Bryant
KO 5 Matt Bosher
P 5 Matt Bosher
KR 14 Eric Weems, 16 Justin Hardy
PR 14 Eric Weems, 16 Justin Hardy
LS 47 Josh Harris
H 5 Matt BosherDecember 11, 2016 at 7:14 am #60683znModeratorRams hope to quiet Falcons’ high-flying offense, and all the noise from recent controversies
Gary Klein
http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-falcons-20161210-story.html
The last time the Rams played at home, quarterback Jared Goff was debuting and rain was falling at the Coliseum.
Goff, the No. 1 pick in the draft, has matured in the three weeks since, but as the Rams prepared for Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons there was a sense the sky was falling for an organization that suddenly cannot escape week-to-week controversy and melodrama.
Two things seem certain: Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson will not be on the sideline Sunday, and any pregame handshakes or exchanges between Rams Coach Jeff Fisher and General Manager Les Snead will not escape scrutiny.
Dickerson, openly critical of the team and miffed by a phone call from Fisher that was spurred by Dickerson’s request for extra sideline passes, has said he will not attend games as long as Fisher is the coach.
Fisher and Snead, recipients of two-year contract extensions yet to be publicly acknowledged by the Rams, spent Friday separately disputing a report that described a rift between them and a “toxic” relationship.
“Our focus is on Atlanta right now,” Fisher said after answering several questions about the situation, but it is difficult to fathom how the Rams could not be distracted.
The string of controversies had its genesis in the Rams’ Nov. 20 home game against Miami, a 14-10 defeat that served as the flashpoint for the Dickerson saga.
The Rams got blown out the next week at New Orleans, the Dickerson tempest coming to light the next day and raging until the eve of the Rams’ departure for New England.
Then, on the bus ride to Gillette Stadium last Sunday, Rams players and employees learned via Twitter that Fisher and Snead had received contract extensions. The Rams lost, 26-10, to the Patriots and fell to 4-8 with the NFL’s worst and lowest-scoring offense.
Now, here come the Falcons, the NFL’s highest-scoring team.
Rams executive Kevin Demoff said before the loss to the Patriots that the Rams must show “hope for next year.”
Sunday’s game is the start of a four-game stretch that includes a Thursday night game at Seattle and then home games against the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals.
The Rams must win every game to finish .500 for the first time since 2006 and avoid a 13th consecutive non-winning season.
So the final quarter of the season could serve as a final job-saving push for the embattled Fisher, who in his 22nd season is one defeat from tying Dan Reeves for the most career losses in NFL history.
The Falcons arrive with an offense overseen by Kyle Shanahan, a coordinator regarded as part of the possible next wave of NFL head coaches.
Quarterback Matt Ryan leads a team that is 7-5 and tied for first place with Tampa Bay in the NFC South.
A Rams defense that could not control New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees but did a fairly good job against the Patriots’ Tom Brady must try to contain Ryan, a ninth-year pro who has delivered touchdown passes to 11 receivers.
The Rams’ pass rush could be buoyed by end Robert Quinn’s return from a concussion.
But Ryan, like Brees and Brady, has “seen every disguise known to man,” Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said.
Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson is expected to shadow Falcons star receiver Julio Jones, who has been playing through a toe injury and is listed as questionable. Jones has 72 receptions for an NFL-best 1,253 yards.
“He kind of knows what I’m thinking, and he knows how I see things,” Ryan said of Jones. “I know his body language really well, and I trust him to make plays.”
The Falcons offense might be slowed by the absence of receiver Mohamed Sanu, sidelined because of a groin injury.
But even if the Rams keep the Falcons under their 32.2-points-per-game average, they must find a way to score enough to win. That will be a challenge for a team averaging only 15 points a game.
Goff has passed for four touchdowns, with three interceptions, and appears to be gaining confidence with each start.
In his debut against Miami, he got only one opportunity to throw downfield. There were more attempts against the Saints, and he completed a 66-yard pass against the Patriots.
Goff missed Wednesday’s workout because of a stomach ailment but he practiced Friday and said he would be ready for the Falcons.
As he goes into his fourth start, he said he was fully adjusted to NFL speed.
“After the Miami game, I was done with that,” he said. “It felt good against New Orleans, and really felt good against the Patriots.”
He will surely feel even better if he gets his first NFL win. And quiets, at least for a few hours, the controversies surrounding the franchise.
December 11, 2016 at 7:48 am #60686znModeratorWho has the edge? Rams (4-8) vs. Falcons (7-5)
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20161210/who-has-the-edge-rams-4-8-vs-falcons-7-5
FALCONS (7-5) AT RAMS (4-8)
When: Today, 1:25 p.m.
Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Line: Falcons by 6.5
TV/radio: Ch. 11; 710-AM, 100.3 FM and 1330 AM (Spanish)
RAMS OFFENSE vs. FALCONS DEFENSE
If not now, when? The Rams’ are ailing on offense. Running back Todd Gurley has yet to break 85 yards this season and quarterback Jared Goff has been good in small doses but remains in search of a breakout performance. It’s possible that it’s just not ever going to happen for the Rams’ offense, but this is a great opportunity. The Falcons allow 27.6 points per game, fourth-worst in the NFL, and 381.7 yards per game, the league’s sixth-worst average. Teams throw on the Falcons a lot (40.7 attempts per game), in part because Atlanta’s offense lends toward high-scoring games, and the Falcons have recorded only seven interceptions in 12 games. Goff missed a practice this week because of an apparent illness, but if he’s healthy and the Rams’ receivers can bounce back from their drop-fest last Sunday in New England, this could be Goff’s best chance to shine this season. Goff will have to keep one eye on linebacker Vic Beasley, who has recorded 10.5 sacks this season, second-most in the NFL. EDGE: RAMS
FALCONS OFFENSE vs. RAMS DEFENSE
After consecutive weeks of slicing and dicing by New Orleans’ Drew Brees and New England’s Tom Brady, the Rams now face Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan. Ryan attempts 34.5 passes per game, on the low end for an elite quarterback, but leads the NFL with an average of 9.2 yards per attempt. He’s second in the league in passing yards (3,813) and third in touchdowns (27). The hope for the Rams is that Ryan has wobbled a bit of late, with four touchdowns and three interceptions in his last three games. If the Rams are to win this game, wisdom dictates that they’ll need to win the turnover battle. The Falcons have extraordinary offensive balance. They’ve passed the ball 284 times and run it 309. Running back Devonta Freeman, who had a 1,000-yard season in 2015, increasingly is sharing carries with Tevin Coleman. In last week’s loss to Kansas City, Freeman had 15 carries while Coleman had 12. Both backs are threats to catch the ball, and oh by the way, Atlanta also has NFL leading receiver Julio Jones. EDGE: FALCONS
SPECIAL TEAMS
Falcons kicker Matt Bryant is 41 years old but remains practically automatic. Bryant is 27 for 29 on field-goal attempts this season, with his only two misses coming from beyond 50 yards, and Bryant has missed only one of 38 extra-point attempts. Things continue to hum along nicely for Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein, but does he have some issues at the Coliseum? Zuerlein has made all six of his field-goal attempts on the road but has missed three of his 13 attempts at home. Rams punter Johnny Hekker added to his legend last week with a 76-yard punt, to go with his 78-yarder three weeks prior in New York. The Falcons have yet to return a kickoff or punt for a touchdown this season, while the Rams could get a boost with the return of returner Tavon Austin, who missed last week with a chest injury. Look for rookies Michael Thomas and Pharoh Cooper to get increased work on the Rams’ kickoff team. EDGE: FALCONS
COACHING
Things are getting increasingly weird for the Rams’ Jeff Fisher. He went from a public spat with Eric Dickerson to leaked news of a two-year contract extension to odd comments about his own general manager, Les Snead, that he had to re-explain. If the Rams lose this game, Fisher will finish with a losing record for a sixth consecutive season. Atlanta’s Dan Quinn, former defensive coordinator under Pete Carroll in Seattle, is nearing the end of his second season. It’s been an odd, brief tenure. The Falcons started 5-0 under Quinn last season, then suffered a 1-7 midseason stretch and missed the playoffs. Is history repeating? The Falcons started 4-1 this season but are 3-4 since and have dropped two of their last three. Quinn has a defensive background but the Falcons have thrived under 36-year-old offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan (son of Mike Shanahan), who is in his second season. EDGE: FALCONS
INTANGIBLES
Good teams force turnovers and the Rams, well, they do not. They did at one point this season. Through the first four games of the season, the Rams had four interceptions and five fumble recoveries. They also had a 3-1 record. In their last eight games, they’ve recorded only two interceptions and two fumble recoveries, and they went 1-7 in those games. The Rams have a minus-6 turnover margin, tied for sixth-worst in the NFL. The Falcons are in the league’s upper half, with a plus-3 margin. Will there be any road rust for Atlanta? The Falcons played consecutive home games and also had a bye week, so they haven’t been on the road since Nov. 13 and haven’t left their time zone since Oct. 16. EDGE: FALCONS
MATCHUP TO WATCH
Rams LB Alec Ogletree vs. Falcons RB Devonta Freeman: Falcons receivers Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu have been banged up, and third third-leading receiver is Freeman, who has caught 37 balls out of the backfield and scored two touchdowns. Ogletree has good ball awareness and excellent speed from sideline to sideline, but the Rams are only two weeks removed from getting beat by New Orleans on a couple notable screen passes. Of course, Ogletree also must keep an eye on Freeman carrying the ball. Freeman is a 5-foot-8, 206-pound bowling ball who averages 4.5 yards per carry, and even though he’s been held in check, yardage-wise, in his last two games, he has four touchdowns in his last 31 carries.
PREDICTION: FALCONS 28, RAMS 24
A loss officially would eliminate the Rams from playoff contention and doom them to their 10th consecutive losing season. That’s remarkable, but there is a path to victory for the Rams. They would have to emulate Philadelphia, which succeeded with an aggressive defense and beat Atlanta 24-15 last month. It’s tough to see the Rams winning a shootout, because where’s the evidence that it’s possible? More likely, the Rams will show some spark offensively, and Goff will have a strong game in his fourth NFL start, but once again the Rams will be in a close game in the fourth quarter and come up short. The Rams might have a chance if they can force multiple turnovers, but they haven’t done that since Oct. 2.
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