reporters & twitter etc. on the Ravens game

The defense came through in the clutch for the Rams today, led by Aaron Donald, Von Miller and Leonard Floyd. https://t.co/WCbWVy3vza

— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) January 2, 2022

Sean McVay explained what happened between Jalen Ramsey and Taylor Rapp during their scuffle in the Rams’ huddle. https://t.co/Zw5drB5PZ1

— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) January 2, 2022

6 takeaways from Rams’ 20-19 win over Ravens

Cameron DaSilva

* https://theramswire.usatoday.com/lists/rams-ravens-week-17-takeaways-win/

The Rams have shown a ton of resilience in their last two games, winning both of them on the road against the Vikings and Ravens. However, they’ve also run into some turnover problems and beat a depleted Ravens team on Sunday with a touchdown in the final minute.

It wasn’t pretty and this should’ve been a much easier win than the 20-19 final score indicates, but it was still positive and encouraging to see them come from behind to beat a tough Baltimore team.

Here’s what we learned from the victory in Week 17.

1
Rams can’t expect to overcome frequent turnovers in playoffs

This was the second straight week where Matthew Stafford turned the ball over three times. And for the second week in a row, he was bailed out by his defense and running game. It’s great that the Rams won this game in ugly fashion, but it’s hard not to be worried about the play of their quarterback with the playoffs right around the corner.

His turnovers led to 13 points for Baltimore, including a pick-six that he threw deep in the Rams’ own territory – something he has a knack for doing. The Rams have the defense and running game to win it all this season, but Stafford is currently holding them back.

He must take better care of the football because against good teams, the Rams will really struggle to win games in which he turns it over constantly. They’re fortunate these two wins came against the Vikings and the Lamar Jackson-less Ravens.

2
Miller and Beckham leave their mark

Both Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr., who the Rams added mid-season, came up with big plays against the Ravens and helped Los Angeles secure the win. Miller had two sacks and five tackles, hitting Tyler Huntley three times and making three stops behind the line of scrimmage. his sack late in the fourth quarter all but ended the game, too, taking Huntley down for an 8-yard loss.

Beckham made a 5-yard catch on fourth-and-5 to keep the Rams’ game-winning drive going, and on the next play, he hauled in a 7-yarder for a touchdown to give LA the 20-19 lead. His catch on fourth down was in the biggest moment of the game because had he not come down with it, the Rams would’ve given the ball back to Baltimore while trailing 19-14.

3
Defensive front is among best in the NFL

The Rams’ defensive line and edge rushers played a great game against Baltimore. Huntley was sacked five times on the afternoon and as a team, the Rams made seven tackles for a loss. That put the Ravens in tough third-down situations a bunch, which is why they were just 4-for-14 on that critical down. Leonard Floyd and Aaron Donald split a sack, Miller had two of his own and A’Shawn Robinson finally got on the board with his first sack of the season, so it was a complete effort from the big guys up front.

It’s truly one of the best defensive fronts in the league, and not just because Donald is absolutely dominant on a weekly basis. Robinson is playing well. Greg Gaines has become more than just a run-stuffer and the two edge rushers, Floyd and Miller, are applying constant pressure on quarterbacks. If the Rams can get Sebastian Joseph-Day back soon, too, watch out.

4
Rams could use a third-down back

Sony Michel is a really good running back for the Rams and has changed the look of the offense. But he’s not a perfect back and is best on first and second down, not necessarily third down when he’s asked to catch passes and block for Stafford.

Michel dropped an easy checkdown pass from Stafford in this one and with no one near him, it likely would’ve gone for at least a 10-yard gain. It was his second straight week with a drop, showing some inconsistency as a receiver. He did catch three passes for 25 yards but that doesn’t mean the Rams couldn’t use a receiving back on third down.

That player could be Cam Akers when he returns as early as this coming week. Akers is a reliable receiver with breakaway speed, making him a better third-down option than Michel.

5
Reeder stepped up for Jones at ILB

Although he did miss a tackle early in the game, Troy Reeder settled in nicely and played a good game against a tough offense to defend. He finished the day with 10 tackles, one sack and a tackle for a loss, playing well in place of the injured Ernest Jones.

His sack was at a key point in the game, too, helping hold the Ravens to only three points on a last-second field goal before halftime. He found a way to bring Huntley down with one hand for his first sack of the season.

6
49ers game will set the tone for the playoffs

Next week’s game against the 49ers will be a strong indicator of how the Rams are going to play in the postseason. If they come up short and lose their sixth straight game to San Francisco, it’ll be hard to feel confident entering the playoffs. If they finally break through and take out their division foes, they’ll ride a six-game winning streak into the postseason and be in great shape for a deep run.

The 49ers are nowhere near the best team in the league but they’ve had the Rams’ number – and it’s very possible that these two teams will square off in the first round of the postseason.

New additions shine as Rams’ latest high-wire act includes overcoming Matthew Stafford’s turnovers: The Pile

https://theathletic.com/3046865/2022/01/02/new-additions-shine-as-rams-latest-high-wire-act-includes-overcoming-matthew-staffords-turnovers-the-pile/

Rams veteran outside linebacker Leonard Floyd approached quarterback Matthew Stafford on the sideline, after a goal-line stand by the defense on a long drive held the Ravens to a field goal (their fourth such drive-ending of the day). Floyd and star defensive lineman Aaron Donald had just combined on a third-down sack; 4:30 remained in a game Los Angeles trailed most of the way.

Floyd held his fist out to Stafford for a bump, as the quarterback readied himself to take the field.

“Be clutch,” he said, simply. Stafford had turned the ball over in the first, second and third quarters — his fourth and fifth interceptions in the past two games, one a pick-six, and a lost fumble — and the blueprint ball-control teams had used on the Rams through a winless November after forcing early mistakes and a deficit was starting to express itself once more.

But for a second consecutive week, the Rams overcame a multiple-turnover game by Stafford to beat the Ravens, 20-19, in Baltimore. This week, Stafford had a larger hand in making up for his own mistakes when he took over in the fourth quarter of a 19-14 deficit, then hit tight end Tyler Higbee and receivers Cooper Kupp and Ben Skowronek in turn on drive-sustaining catches of 15, 24 and 15 yards (Kupp’s catch-and-rumble earned him his 1,801st yard of the season, good for the Rams’ all-time single-season record).

On fourth-and-5, with 1:08 left to play, November addition Odell Beckham Jr. made one of the more impressive catches of the Rams’ entire season, a strong-handed grab he pulled in through contact, and gave the offense a fresh set of downs at the goal line.

“I don’t know how many people in the world make that catch on fourth-and-5,” said head coach Sean McVay postgame of Beckham. “You talk about aggressive hands, being able to catch it away from his body, making a play when we absolutely had to have it.”

On the next play, Stafford hit him for the go-ahead touchdown, Beckham’s fifth in six games — and Stafford’s 42nd game-winning drive in his career.

But the game was iced by another headline-grabbing November addition, veteran outside linebacker Von Miller, who recorded his second sack of the day (and third as a Ram) on Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley on first-and-10 with 19 seconds left. The Rams held a single-point lead after a failed two-point attempt, and Ravens kicker Justin Tucker’s booming leg loomed on the other side. Miller’s sack was more than a big play: It also killed 16 seconds because Huntley’s receivers were all well downfield and had to run back to the new line of scrimmage, eight yards behind where the ball had been snapped, and so prevented the Ravens from running multiple plays afterward that could have gotten their offense into Tucker’s range.

Last week, it took everything the defense and special teams units had to overcome the adversity Stafford’s turnovers put them in, to keep steady as the offense settled itself. The theme was all-too-similar this week, including on Stafford’s pick-six, which happened in a now-infamously familiar area — backed up deep in his own territory, in this case the Los Angeles 16-yard line. Stafford has thrown four interceptions that have been returned for a touchdown this season, and four of his 15 interceptions this year have been within his own 18-yard line.

“We actually had a miscommunication, we didn’t run the right route at the No. 2 spot (the No. 2 receiver) and that enabled (safety Chuck Clark) to be able to kind of trigger on Higbee running the out-cut from the (No. 3) spot,” said McVay, in explanation of Stafford’s first turnover. “They were in a split-safety (and) there was a hook player who was playing visually, I thought he made a nice play, but overall it takes all 11. Matthew can be better with the location, I can be better with the play call. We did have a mix-up, and we were supposed to have a different route from the No. 2 spot that ended up flushing out that hook player.”

That tone, or one similar to it, has been the road McVay has taken in all of Stafford’s multi-turnover games this year. McVay has lauded the quarterback’s mental toughness and play recovery down the stretch of games, and Sunday reiterated the crucial nature of the throws Stafford made on the offense’s final drive — while at the same time noting that they have to play cleaner overall, and Stafford would be the first to admit that. It’s OK, even fair, to consider both of those sentiments as truths.

But especially with two of the Rams’ major additions showing up big for them Sunday afternoon in Miller and Beckham, Stafford’s own arrival in Los Angeles and the substantial trade capital that got him here was again juxtaposed and questioned by many on social media and in traditional media through the game’s shakier moments of the past two weeks (echoes of a five-interception November). It’s different for quarterbacks; the stakes are higher. The Rams know that, because they wrote the proverbial check that raised those stakes in January.

There’s no question that Stafford has to play cleaner football. As impressive as this group’s resilience has been over the past two weeks, they shouldn’t have to beat the other team and their own errors, too. The expectations the Rams themselves set with the trade, and the major capital involved, is that Stafford lead them to a Super Bowl and this is not the sustainable way to do it, especially for a team whose build-model already balances on so thin a wire.

I can also appreciate that there’s a little more nuance to the conversation than allowed on social media: McVay believed so thoroughly that the previous situation was untenable that he welcomed the risk, welcomed the chaos Stafford demonstrates through some of these games if it meant that package also came with the arm’s other personality, the clear multiplicity they could build into their offense with it, and Stafford’s calmness in crisis, even if self-inflicted. There was not another realistic upper-echelon quarterback for whom to trade, and McVay both genuinely wanted to work with Stafford, and he was not sticking with his former one. Further, unlike with Jared Goff (whose own turnovers irked his head coach to no end), McVay is clearly fine with Stafford’s “floor” because he believes he knows how high the ceiling can go. Would we expect any other type of public comment from the guy who pushed so hard for that trade?

The issue at hand for the Rams is that — clear resilience of the previous two weeks aside, hell, calmness in all of the chaos of the last month — the blueprint is out on how to beat them, if they first beat themselves. The Ravens didn’t succeed on Sunday night, but it was clear they tried to implement similar methodology as the teams of November’s losses, each which featured at least one early turnover.

“I hate going over these, I’m tired of doing it,” said Stafford postgame, in clear frustration of his own play as he rattled through the turnovers — the pick-6, then missing wide-open receiver Van Jefferson on the under concept as he instead hurled one deep to Beckham and the three defensive backs in his area, then getting stripped in the final milliseconds of a third-quarter sack as he tried to step through it.

“I want to start the game better than I started it, there’s no question about that,” he added. “It’s a team effort (and) I’m proud of the way these guys fight, the way we stick together …

“If we take away the two, three, four mistakes, big mistakes we had in this game (on) the offensive side of the ball, it’s a nice day,” he later added. “So, we have got to do — me specifically — a little bit better in those situations.”

Welcome to The Pile. The Rams are 12-4, and on a five-game win streak as they brace for the 49ers, with a chance at the NFC West title and the No. 2-seed in the playoffs. Let’s start poking around:

Jalen Ramsey, Taylor Rapp heated in huddle

On the game’s very first defensive series, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and safety Taylor Rapp were clearly trying to convey something to one another but appeared unable to do so before the snap. Afterward in the huddle, the Fox broadcast showed Ramsey and Rapp exchanging what appeared to be heated words, before Ramsey made contact with Rapp’s helmet with an open hand. Teammates quickly separated the two, and they stayed separated on the bench for at least part of the time that remained in the quarter. It’s not clear what exactly transpired, but McVay downplayed the incident postgame.

“It’s two great competitors, they both want to do right,” said McVay, adding that the altercation stemmed from a miscommunication on defense on the previous play and calling it a fight between “brothers”.

“They moved on, they kept it going,” he said. “I don’t think it affected our ability to be able to move forward. These are two guys who love football and they love one another. … These guys are grown men. If you guys heard the stuff that I said on the headset during games, it’s way worse than smacking another player. This is an emotional game. I always tell people, ‘I can’t promise it won’t happen again, but I can always promise to apologize. These are things that happen. These guys love one another and I think this is just a part of what families go through. I don’t think it affected our ability to move forward as a team at all.”

The Fox broadcast showed Rapp talking animatedly with defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, while on the other side of the bench Ramsey did the same with second-year safety Jordan Fuller, a team captain in the defensive backfield (along with Ramsey) and the defensive signal-caller.

“We kind of just try to talk it out, (we) just hash it out in that moment, but we have bigger things to handle,” said second-year safety Jordan Fuller, a team captain in the defensive backfield alongside Ramsey this season. “We have game-plan stuff, adjustments and all that. … Everybody was able to focus and squash everything, but sometimes tempers flare. We’re grown men that really, really want to win.”

Neither Ramsey nor Rapp addressed the incident postgame.

“I think some of the most uncomfortable interactions I’ve had are with people that I’m truly comfortable to be real with, and then our ability to move on is what makes it special,” McVay said. “Anybody that I’m close with knows that’s how we are. We want to be able to keep that to a minimum, but I don’t think that affected our ability to operate in the least bit. … Sometimes I think it’s healthy to be real with each other.”

Fuller’s interception turns the tide

Fuller’s first interception of the season could not have come at a better time for the Rams, who were down 10-0 with all of the Ravens’ points off drives that started via turnover (seven off the pick-6 and ensuing extra point).

With 1:42 left in the second quarter, Fuller picked off Huntley on a deep downfield pass and returned it 34 yards. Three plays later, the Rams finally punched in a touchdown of their own off the takeaway, as Stafford hit Kupp for 18 yards.

As usual, the ‘Cooper Kupp extraordinary feats’ section

Kupp put together a six-catch, 95-yard game (plus the touchdown) that first broke one milestone:

… and then another, after a “vintage Kupp” catch-and-run in the second half that featured yards after the catch, Kupp breaking through a ton of contact, spinning, twirling and shimmying his way to any extra inch of grass he could find:

“Cooper Kupp, he is so special in so many ways,” McVay said. “I think the best thing about Cooper is that he just goes about his business in a workman-like approach week in and week out. … He just makes the plays when he has to. … This doesn’t surprise me.”

Kupp also attracted praise from former NFL tight end Greg Olsen, who was calling the game for Fox, on a couple of run plays in which Kupp could be seen, as usual, blocking downfield. McVay even shared postgame that a 35-yard toss-and-catch from Stafford to second-year receiver Jefferson, which opened the second half, was Kupp’s idea which he presented to McVay at halftime.

“He recognized how they were playing a certain coverage (and) he put that thought in my head,” McVay said. “That was, in essence, his play call. That just goes to show you, the guy is making plays every time he gets an opportunity but he’s also making suggestions because of the way he sees coverage contours and the way the back end (of the defense) is distributing to get us to some of the voids and the vacancies. And who else is making suggestions on a 35-yard gain that played out exactly like he had articulated to me? Maybe I should give him some of my salary, too.”

Bottom of The Pile

• Miller shared an interesting tidbit about his two-sack day postgame:

“(Ravens’ Patrick) Mekari, the right tackle, he’s one of the best right tackles in the league,” said Miller. “I played him earlier in the season in Denver and I felt like he got my number. I was telling the guys all week that I had a bone to pick. To come out here and perform well, and get a game-ending sack against a great opponent, it feels good. I had (Aaron Donald) jump on my back, Leonard Floyd, all the guys go crazy. That’s what you play the game for, man, it’s definitely refreshing to go out there and do your job.”

• Leonard Floyd ranked No. 2 in tackles on Sunday for the Rams defense (seven, plus a split-sack), but it was his effort stops against multiple run plays and his chase down of Huntley on a second down, right into Miller’s arms for the sack, that drew praise from McVay postgame. On the following snap, Floyd got the pressure that forced Huntley to throw the ball away. Floyd played through an ankle injury he suffered during Friday’s practice.

“This guy’s such a stud,” McVay said. “You talk about just a relentless effort, urgency, I love Leonard Floyd.”

• Sony Michel’s 3.9 yards-per-carry on the stat sheet doesn’t do real justice to what was really another solid outing. He punched in a touchdown in the second half that brought the Rams within two points, and his catch-and-run for a first down in the second quarter set up Kupp’s touchdown and helped prevent the Rams from getting shut out in the first half for the first time since … the Ravens did it in 2019.