the press sets up the Dallas game

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  • September 5, 2020 at 6:16 pm #120457
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    Things slowing down for Jared Goff as Rams eye Cowboys

    https://www.si.com/nfl/rams/news/la-rams-jared-goff-eyes-matchup-with-cowboys

    THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — With the Los Angeles Rams making their first roster cuts this week, quarterback Jared Goff said he’s switched his focus to the team’s season opener against the Dallas Cowboys in a nationally televised Sunday night contest at SoFi Stadium.

    In the last meeting between the two, the Cowboys made quick work of the Rams last year 44-21 at AT&T Stadium, something Goff has not forgotten.

    Goff finished 33 of 51 for 284 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception in that game. He was sacked twice, posting an 84.1 passer rating.

    “We may have some revenge to do this year,” joked Goff. “But they’re a great team and we look forward to it. Don’t take that out of context, I see you guys writing that down (laughs).”

    But seriously, the Rams have a tough schedule to start the year, with four of their first six games on the road, so getting off to a good start will be important for this team as they try to get back to the postseason.

    Rams head coach Sean McVay said that he feels Goff is starting to get into a nice rhythm as he teams heads into game prep for the Cowboys.

    “The last week and a half, he’s really had his best days,” McVay said. “That’s what you want to see. You want to see that trajectory going in the upward direction, as you get closer to the games that count, and that’s what his practices have been reflective of.

    “I’ve been very pleased with his decision-making, his ownership, his command of the offense. He’s doing a nice job of reading with his feet, feeling rushes and negotiating the pocket — even though it’s hard to truly say because you can’t get tackled. I think he’s just playing faster and things are slowing down on the other side for him, which is always a thing you want to see, and now let’s see it translate on the 13th (of September), which we are very confident it will.”

    The game-day environment will be much different to start the season, with the Rams unable to host fans to start the year due to Los Angeles county guidelines governing the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Instead, the Rams will pipe in fake crowd noise, prop-up posters of fans in seats, have a DJ on hand to create a festive environment and tarp a good portion of the stadium.

    Goff said he is taking a positive outlook to fans not being on hand to start the year.

    “We have to be excited to go out there and play, regardless,” he said. “I mean, you look at the other two major sports, they had part of their season canceled. We’ve been lucky to just play games right now.

    “You have to see the positive in everything. If I’m a betting man, I would bet, eventually we will play there in front of fans. When that will be, who knows, but we’re excited to go out regardless and play in what I think is the best stadium in the world, at this point, and have some fun.”

    While the personnel on Dallas defensively will be familiar, the scheme will be different with the Cowboys switching to a base 3-4 alignment that will use multiple fronts under new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan.

    “It is challenging with no preseason and not knowing exactly what they’re going to do,” Goff said. “But, isn’t that the same for everyone this year? We’re in the same boat. Their defense is in a similar boat with our offense with some of the stuff we’ve put in. And as well as vice-versa their offense with our defense. There is that challenge, but we have somewhat of an idea of what to expect, and we’ll work on that next week and be ready.”

    September 7, 2020 at 10:05 am #120555
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    September 7, 2020 at 12:35 pm #120563
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    ==

    September 8, 2020 at 12:04 am #120602
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    September 8, 2020 at 9:36 am #120606
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    Sean McVay planning for ‘three-back rotation’ vs. Cowboys

    https://www.nfl.com/news/sean-mcvay-planning-for-three-back-rotation-vs-cowboys?campaign=Twitter_atn

    Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay is “optimistic” that running back Darrell Henderson will be ready for Week 1 after dealing with a hamstring injury. If so, McVay will get the three-headed backfield committee — Cam Akers, Malcolm Brown and Henderson — he desires to kick off the 2020 campaign against the Dallas Cowboys.

    “If he is (healthy), that’s a three-back rotation that you feel really good about,” McVay said Monday, via the L.A. Daily News. “Exactly how those carries will be distributed is something we’ll determine really as the week progresses and as the game unfolds.”

    McVay has insisted all offseason he hopes to ride a committee backfield after years of having a workhorse in Todd Gurley.

    From an outside perspective — and of more importance to the Fantasy Football Community — Akers seems like the most likely to slide ahead and take the majority of snaps. But McVay poured a bit of cold water on the rookie’s expectations, at least early in the season.

    “Cam is continuing to get better,” McVay said Monday. “You forget sometimes he’s a young player. We are going to ask a lot of him.”

    As the season wears on, Akers could earn a bigger role as McVay becomes more comfortable with the rookie, and the back proves he can pass block. Until then, expect all three backs to see snaps and touches to open the year.

    “I think as the season unfolds, that might give us some clarity if someone separates themselves,” McVay said. “But we’re going to go into it with three different backs, three different skill sets, that present a change of pace and different dynamic that they can present to defenses.

    September 9, 2020 at 8:11 pm #120698
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    September 10, 2020 at 12:49 pm #120736
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    September 11, 2020 at 5:21 pm #120773
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    Prediction: Rams over Cowboys, 24-21

    Eric D. Williams

    https://www.si.com/nfl/rams/news/la-rams-over-cowboys-in-season-opener

    THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — They won’t have any fans in the building, but the Los Angeles Rams would like to get things started off right with a win, playing at the pristine, SoFi Stadium for the first time in team history on Sunday (5:20 p.m. local time, NBC).

    Rams head coach Sean McVay is 3-0 in home openers. The Cowboys lead the all-time series 18-17 (including postseason), and won the last contest handily between the two teams 44-21 at AT&T Stadium in 2019.

    McVay said he’s pleased football is being played on Sunday, despite the restrictions due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

    “For the NFL to be able to get to this point and do all the things with the limited issues that really each of the clubs has had, is a real credit to them and the teams being able to follow the protocols,” McVay said. “That’s why you’re confident that we can pull this thing off. I’d be a lot more excited — I am excited anyways — but I’d be more excited if we had fans. So, it’s a very positive thing that we’re able to pull this off in spite of all the circumstances.”

    Matchup microscope

    After allowing the Cowboys to grind out and embarrassing 263 rushing yards last year, the focus is understandably on the Rams defensive line going against a Cowboys offensive line that’s a little banged up. Dallas has one of the best front fives in the NFL, consistently asserting their will at the line of scrimmage. So the Rams have to figure out a way to combat that on Sunday and force Dak Prescott to win the game with his arm and legs. Look for the Rams to test right tackle Cam Erving and left guard Connor Williams. “We got that mindset we’re going to go out there and dominate,” Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald said. “We know they got a good group just because they’ve been playing with each other for a long time. So they know how to play with each other, they know certain things, certain calls. But at the same time, we’ve been playing with each other for a while and we’re going to do what we’ve been doing.”

    One to watch
    We’ll fudge here and go with two – Malcolm Brown and Cam Akers. Both players (along with Darrell Henderson if he’s healthy), will be tasked with replacing the lost production with Todd Gurley now plying his trade with the Atlanta Falcons The Rams averaged just 3.7 yards per carry on first down runs last season, No. 24 in the NFL. To create balance on offense and take pressure off Jared Goff, the Rams need a consistent running game. Brown and Akers need to provide that potent, 1-2 punch on offense.

    Fun to watch
    Jalen Ramsey will have his hands full trying to slow down the Cowboys explosive receiver tandem of Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup, who both totaled over 1,000 receiving yards last season. New defensive coordinator Brandon Staley plans to move Ramsey around more to better use his unique skill set, but I would expect Ramsey to travel with Cooper most times on Sunday. Along with those two dynamic receivers, Dallas also added rookie CeeDee Lamb, so the Rams secondary will have its hands full.

    Key to the game
    It’s certainly the focus of every football game for an NFL coach, but particularly in this one to start the year, the Rams have to own the line of scrimmage. If the defensive line led by Aaron Donald can limit the Cowboys’ ability to run the football and the Rams can create balance on offense by generating an effective ground game, I believe L.A. can control the tempo of the game.

    Prediction
    The Cowboys are favored by three points, but I like the Rams as a home underdog. One thing I believe will work in the Rams’ favor is the continuity on offense. Sean McVay should have the ability to change speeds on offense, keeping the Cowboys off balance and tiring out Dallas defensively, perhaps resulting in some big plays. The Rams have a rookie kicker in Sam Sloman, which could factor in the game, but I’m going with the Rams here in an unlikely defensive battle.

    September 11, 2020 at 11:21 pm #120784
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    He does Rams/Dallas at 5:12 in.

    —

    September 12, 2020 at 12:19 pm #120810
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    September 12, 2020 at 3:22 pm #120826
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    September 12, 2020 at 5:30 pm #120833
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    L.A. Rams focused on bottling up Cowboys game wrecker Ezekiel Elliott

    Eric D. Williams

    https://www.si.com/nfl/rams/news/la-rams-focused-on-containing-cowboys-run-game

    Rams focused on bottling up Cowboys game wrecker Ezekiel Elliott

    THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Aaron Donald was not interested in revisiting last season’s 44-21 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, when they rolled up 263 rushing yards on his defense.

    Ezekiel Elliott (117) and backup Tony Pollard (131) rushed for over 100 yards.

    “Well, that’s last year,” Donald said. “We aren’t going to talk about last year.”

    But Donald also understands the Rams have to figure out what went wrong in that game in order to fix it, so it doesn’t happen again on Sunday.

    Of course, the Rams have a new defensive coordinator in Brandon Staley, so they will have a defensive scheme in place when they face the Rams’ vaunted run game n season opener at SoFi Stadium.

    But don’t tell the Cowboys.

    “Just say, ‘It’s going to be the same,’” joked Donald. “So, they think that. It’s the same exact defense, we’re doing the same exact things. Nothing has changed at all. Nothing. The same stuff you’ve seen, that’s what you’re going to get, write that (laughs).”

    Staley has watched last year’s performance by his new defense on tape. A protégé of longtime NFL defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, Staley was the outside linebackers coach for the Denver Broncos last season when they held teams to 111 rushing yards a contest.

    The Rams allowed five, 100-yard rushers last season. Elliott totaled 1,357 rushing yards last season (No. 4 in the NFL), averaging 4.5 rushing yards a contest.

    It’s safe to say that the Rams will be using some run defense concepts Staley gleaned from his time in Denver. He chalks up the Rams’ poor performance last season against Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys to a bad day at the office.

    “Day’s like that happen in the NFL to everybody,” Staley said. “But I think that with the Cowboys, they’re a line of scrimmage team and that’s where the game is going to be decided — at the line of scrimmage. It starts with playing really physical at the point of attack, setting edges, and then being able to tackle.

    “You’ve got to kill blocks and then, you ultimately got to tackle. They’ve got a lot of weapons, a lot of people that can hurt you with the ball in their hands. It’s not just the runner, it’s the quarterback. (RB Tony) Pollard’s an outstanding runner. They’ve got receivers that are really good after the catch, they’ve got tight ends with size, so they’ve got a very complete offensive football team and we’re going to have to be a really fundamentally sound defense on Sunday night.”

    Donald says the Rams have to have a game plan to tackle Elliott on a consistent basis so he doesn’t wreck the game.

    “He’s just a strong running back,” Donald said. “He can do it all. So, you just got to make sure you try to bottle him up the best way you can. Not let him get started, because if you let anybody get in the groove, it’ll be a long day for you.

    “It’s trying to do our job to slow him down, make his day hard. Because if we make his day hard, that’s going make our day easy. We just got to do our jobs.”

    September 13, 2020 at 11:17 am #120874
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    September 13, 2020 at 1:04 pm #120883
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    Cowboys at Rams
    from https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/page/viewersguide09112020/nfl-week-1-game-picks-schedule-guide-fantasy-football-tips-odds-injuries-more#dallar

    Matchup rating: 68.9 | Spread: DAL -2.5 (51.5)

    What to watch for: The Rams’ defense returns stars Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey, but under first-year coordinator Brandon Staley, the unit will face a tall challenge in stopping Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott and the top-rated 2019 Cowboys offense directed by second-year coordinator Kellen Moore. Staley, whose defense is expected to emulate the Bears’ and Broncos’, must find a way to keep the Cowboys from gaining the 263 rushing yards they piled on the Rams late last season. — Lindsey Thiry

    Bold prediction: Prescott will see a pass intercepted. Not bold? In four season openers, he has thrown 131 passes without having a pass picked off. To close last season, Prescott did not have an interception in the final four games. — Todd Archer

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    Stat to know: Last season, Prescott became the fifth player in NFL history to pass for 400 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions in an opener. And after compiling 4,902 pass yards in 2019 — the second most in franchise history — he could join Tony Romo as only Cowboys QBs with consecutive seasons of 4,000-plus passing yards.

    Injuries: Cowboys | Rams

    What to know for fantasy: The Rams held wide receiver Michael Gallup to a season-low six yards in Week 15 last season, but he caught 10 passes for 196 yards and three scores over the final two weeks of 2019 and saw his ADP rise throughout draft season this summer. See Week 1 rankings.

    Betting nugget: The Rams are 1-8-1 in their past 10 games as a home underdog. Read more.

    Archer’s pick: Rams 33, Cowboys 30
    Thiry’s pick: Cowboys 28, Rams 21
    FPI prediction: LAR, 49.9% (by an average of 0.1 points)

    Matchup must-reads: Cowboys’ Prescott: I will “seize the moment” after difficult offseason … Ramsey worth the price but gives Rams another huge contract to work around … Cowboys 2020 season preview: All eyes on Prescott, McCarthy chemistry … From St. Louis to SoFi Stadium, only six Rams complete the journey … Sources: Cowboys rework Martin deal for ’21 cap … Rebuilding? Reloading? Rams at a crossroads entering the 2020 season

    September 13, 2020 at 6:27 pm #120899
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