the press sets up the FALCONS game

Rams are rested, but will face a more-experienced Falcons team in the first round

RICH HAMMOND

link: https://www.ocregister.com/2018/01/01/rams-are-rested-but-will-face-a-more-experienced-falcons-team-in-the-first-round/

THOUSAND OAKS — The Rams don’t have the edge in experience, but they should have more energy.

While the Atlanta Falcons battled into the fourth quarter on Sunday to beat Carolina and clinch a wild-card spot, the Rams enjoyed a leisurely afternoon and sat most of their starters against San Francisco.

So now it’s rest vs. rings when the Rams host the Falcons on Saturday night at the Coliseum in the first round of the playoffs. Only four players on the Rams’ active roster have played in the postseason, while most of the Falcons are 11 months removed from an NFC championship and a trip to the Super Bowl.

“We are a youthful team, but I think we’ve demonstrated good maturity throughout the course of the year,” Rams coach Sean McVay said during his regular Monday news conference at Cal Lutheran.

McVay cited the Rams’ tough schedule, which included the most miles traveled in the NFL this season, and the fact that the Rams never lost consecutive games in 2017. They also were the youngest team in the league, in terms of average player age, and managed to go 11-5 and win the NFC West.

Few of the Rams have ever been through this, though. Offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth appeared in six playoff games with Cincinnati over the last decade, while linebacker Connor Barwin played five and offensive lineman John Sullivan played four.

No other Rams starter has played a snap in the postseason. Reserve running back Lance Dunbar played three games and offensive lineman Cornelius Lucas played two, but Lucas likely won’t play this week. Rams cornerback Kayvon Webster won the Super Bowl with Denver two years ago, but Webster is out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon.

The Falcons’ challenge is different, but no less light. Their bye week was in early October, and they had to play well down the stretch simply to make the playoffs as the NFC’s final wild-card team. Now, with the game on Saturday night, the Falcons will have to play on a short week and make a cross-country flight.

Still, they know the drill. Most of the Falcons’ core was a part of last season’s conference-championship team, and quarterback Matt Ryan is in the playoffs for a sixth time in his 10th NFL season. The Falcons’ defense also is strong and allowed an average of only 19.7 points per game this season.

“We’re playing a football game against an excellent team this week,” McVay said. “We know the stakes are a little higher, because if you win, you continue playing and if not, your season is over, but as far as how we get ready to go play a football game, we’ll remain the same.”

The Rams also appear to be as healthy as possible. Starting cornerback Troy Hill left Sunday’s game in the first half to be evaluated for a possible concussion, but McVay said Hill did not suffer a concussion and “should be in good shape” this week. Reserve defensive back Blake Countess remains in the league’s concussion protocol.

McVay indicated that linebacker Mark Barron, who has missed the last two games with an Achilles injury, will have a good chance to play against Atlanta.

“He feels good,” McVay said. “I think his mindset and mentality is, he’s getting ready to play in a playoff game on Saturday night. I think this week will serve him well, having given him that time off. Then he will get a couple extra days and see how he feels on Wednesday. He will ramp it up and that will give us a good gauge of whether he can expect him to play. But things are looking good for him.”

HELPING HANDS

McVay, a 31-year-old, first-year head coach, went to the playoffs as a member of Washington’s staff in 2012 (as tight ends coach) and 2015 (as offensive coordinator). Washington lost both games, and with McVay calling plays, lost to Green Bay 35-18 in a wild-card-round game at home.

McVay said he would lean on more-experienced assistants, such as defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who joined the NFL coaching ranks in 1976, for assistance this week if necessary.

“That’s where you feel good, when you go into a challenge like this,” McVay said. “We’ve got a bunch of great people in this building that I can rely on, and feel comfort in that.”

FAMILIAR FOE

The storylines run deep in this game. Matt LaFleur, the Rams’ offensive coordinator, spent the previous two seasons as the Falcons’ quarterbacks coach. Phillips was Atlanta’s defensive coordinator in 2002 and interim head coach in 2003. Rams general manager Les Snead worked for the Falcons from 1997-2011, as a scout and as a player-personnel director.

Then there’s McVay, who spent his formative years in Georgia and went to high school in Brookhaven, which is approximately 12 miles north of Atlanta. McVay said his childhood home was approximately 30 minutes from the Falcons’ then-stadium, the Georgia Dome, and McVay said that while he didn’t grow up as a Falcons fan, he attended many games with his father, Tim, who was a local television executive.

NFC Wild Card Preview 2018: Why the surprising Rams will advance
Sean McVay and company are the NFL’s most surprising playoff team, but that doesn’t mean they’re not legit

Jared Dubin

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfc-wild-card-preview-2018-why-the-surprising-rams-will-advance-to-the-next-round/

For the first time since 1994, we have playoff football in Los Angeles.
The Rams were a disaster in their first season back in L.A., but the regular-season portion of Year 2 could not have gone any better. Sean McVay and his coaching staff engineered one of the more unlikely playoff runs in recent memory as the Rams jumped from 4-12 to 11-5 and secured the No. 3 seed in the NFC.
Their opponent this weekend was the NFC’s Super Bowl representative a year ago. The Falcons seemed to struggle for large stretches of the 2017 season, mostly because everyone kept comparing them to their 2016 selves. The truth is Atlanta started the year 3-0, went on a three-game AFC East losing streak, then went 7-3 over the remainder of the season — with all three of those losses coming to playoff teams (Panthers, Vikings, Saints).
The road to the Super Bowl will be much tougher this time around. There won’t be any home games for the Falcons no matter how far they advance. Can they get things started off right in the wild-card game? We’ll find out Saturday.

Rams’ offense made major strides
The Rams’ offense underwent one of the most impressive turnarounds in NFL history. Los Angeles ranked dead last in the NFL in scoring in 2016, then scored more points than any other team in the league in Year 1 of the Sean McVay Era. The last team to pull a similar “worst-to-first” run was the 1965 49ers, who did it when the league only had 14 teams. L.A.’s 15.9 points per game increase is the third-largest year-over-year jump in the history of professional football.
Not only did the Rams finish first in scoring, they also fared well in offensive efficiency, checking in sixth in Football Outsiders’ offensive DVOA rankings. (DVOA stands for Defense-adjusted Value Over Average, a per-play efficiency metric that adjusts performance for down, distance and opponent.) The Rams were also one of five teams to rank in the top five in both rush and pass offense DVOA.
McVay’s offense reinvigorated running back Todd Gurley, who fell off the face of the earth during his final season under Jeff Fisher. A year after stumbling to 3.2 yards per carry and six touchdowns, Gurley led the NFL in yards from scrimmage (2,093) and total touchdowns (19) — and he did it while playing only 15 games. He’s going to be an inner-circle MVP candidate due to his dual-threat capabilities, and it’s his skill set that formed the backbone of the Rams’ newly powerful offense.
Of course, we would be remiss if we did not mention the massive step forward taken by Jared Goff and the Rams’ passing game.
goff1.png
Source: Pro-Football-Reference
Goff looked absolutely lost in his seven starts during his rookie season, but he was one of the NFC’s best passers this season. McVay schemed Goff into simple throws through wide windows, allowing him to flourish while minimizing the risk of turnovers. A year after leading the NFL in the percentage of his throws to receivers with less than a yard of separation from the closest defender, per NFL.com’s NextGen Stats, Goff ranked 37th out of 41 quarterbacks in the same stat. With an upgraded pass-catching corps featuring former Bills receivers Robert Woods and Sammy Watkins, plus rookie Cooper Kupp, Goff made major strides and helped the Rams find the balance they sorely lacked a year ago.
While not many people expected such a leap from the Los Angeles offense, the Falcons defense was a unit we had pegged for a big step forward. Alas, that only sort of came to pass. The Falcons ranked ninth in yards allowed and eighth in points allowed, but checked in 22nd in defensive DVOA. They were also one of eight teams to rank in the bottom half of the league in both rush and pass defense DVOA.
That’s not to say they don’t stand a chance of dealing with the explosive Rams — it’s just going to take a dominating performance up front. Gurley’s running lanes need to be choked off. Goff needs to be under pressure from the jump. And the receivers need to be jammed at the line so they never get a chance to create separation.
Falcons are coming in banged up
On the list of things you do not want to have happen during the lead-up to your first playoff game, the following things rank pretty high:
Your star guard who was to be partially responsible for blocking Aaron Donald — arguably the best defensive player in football — goes on injured reserve.
Your Pro Bowl center who will have to pick up the slack for the absence of that star guard is dealing with a calf injury that limits him in practice.
Your No. 1 running back appears on the injury report with a new knee ailment and misses Tuesday’s practice.
Your No. 1 wide receiver is still dealing with lingering injuries and also misses Tuesday’s practice.
Alex Mack, Devonta Freeman and Julio Jones will probably all play Saturday; Andy Levitre will not, and his absence will likely be noticeable against the Los Angeles defensive front. Ben Garland, who made three starts in Levitre’s stead this season, will slide back into the lineup, and it’s difficult to think of a more challenging matchup for him than Donald.
Donald is a game-plan wrecker with the ability to completely short-circuit a team’s offense because of his quickness and strength in the middle of the defense. If the Falcons’ offensive line can’t keep him under control, it could be a long day for Freeman, Tevin Coleman and Matt Ryan. Atlanta has at times been just as explosive this season as a year ago, but there have also been stretches where they struggled to recapture what made them so unstoppable in 2016.
Ryan still has a ton of weapons to spread the ball around to when given enough time, and the Freeman-Coleman combination is still electric at its best. If the Falcons are to come up with a dominating offensive performance Saturday, they’ll have to make use of their speed on the perimeter. Get Coleman out in open space with the ball in his hands. Get Jones moving across the formation and let him run away from press coverage. Get Taylor Gabriel involved. Turn the game into a track meet.
Who ya got?
It’s typically a safe move picking the home team in the opening round of the playoffs, and that’s what we’re doing here. The Rams don’t have much in the way of experience, but they have several other advantages working in their favor here: They’re more rested, they’re healthier, they’re playing at home and they have plus matchups on both sides of the ball.
It would have been unthinkable before the start of the season, but the bet here is the Rams advance to the divisional round of the playoffs, pushing past the Falcons with a 10-point victory.
Final score: Rams 30, Falcons 20

from NFL Playoffs Confidential: Blitzing Brady, grounding Gurley, negating Newton … players, coaches tell all

targeting ways to deal with each teams’ strengths

http://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/264404/nfl-playoffs-confidential-tackling-todd-gurley-blitzing-tom-brady-stopping-aaron-donald-more

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LOS ANGELES RAMS

On minimizing Aaron Donald’s impact: “Man, you want to be able to have a good running game. He’s just an exceptional talent, one of the best defensive linemen to play this game ever. Definitely the best right now. You want to be able to run the ball effectively, get a couple bodies on him. You don’t want to be in a one-on-one matchup with him throughout the game. But having an effective running game is the best way to do it because if you get behind and you’re in a passing game throughout the day, it’s going to be a long day for you. He’s going to find a way to get to the quarterback, one way or the other. He has a little bit of everything. He’s quick, strong, [has] great instincts and a variety of moves.”

On the best way to slow Sean McVay’s fast-break offense: “I feel like if you know your role and your assignment, then that’s not going to be a problem. I don’t think it was a problem for us. I think it is a problem for teams who have struggled with knowing their roles and their assignments or identifying personnel. If you’re able to identify personnel, know your role and know your assignment, then you’re going to be fine.”

On tackling Todd Gurley: “The key to defending him is maintaining gap discipline. I think if you maintain gap discipline, then you’ll do a good job against him. But I think the moment you take a peak or the moment you feel like you’re going to make that play and try to make the play for yourself and your teammates, you’re going to get out of your gap, and that’s when he takes advantage of it. One step and he’s gone.”

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ATLANTA FALCONS

What’s different about the Falcons’ offense compared to last season? “They’re really trying to establish the run game with the wide zone. They have two very good running backs, powerful backs that can get downhill quick. I would say they’re more predicated toward the run. Matt Ryan seemed to have a little more free range to get the passing going [last year]. Now with [Tevin] Coleman and [Devonta] Freeman, they’re definitely trying to establish the run game a tad more than we’ve seen in years past.”

How do you take Ryan out of his game? “He’s not the type of guy that likes to get hit. If you can get after him early, that’ll get him rattled. We know they like to run a lot of two-man routes, so there’s going to be more protection. Wherever their singles are, those are the guys that have to win.”

What’s the best way to attack the Falcons’ defense? “You have to get them off-balance. You’ve got to slow down those pass-rushers … with screens, with draws, with an established running game and then hit them with the play-action. If not, you’re working right into what they’re game planning for. It’s the same thing throughout the whole league. Pass-rushers are high paid for a reason: to sack the quarterback. If you don’t stop what they do best, you’re just playing right into their trap.”

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-practicereport/Practice-Report-Rams-Face-Tall-Task-in-Containing-Matt-Ryan–Julio-Jones-/a03ab44a-84a3-494f-b133-077f9f8a5180

Kristen Lago

CONTAINING MATT RYAN

From a future Hall of Famer in the Saints’ Drew Brees to one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in Seattle’s Russell Wilson — the Rams have faced their share of top-tier signal-callers throughout the regular season.

And this Saturday’s playoff contest should prove no different.

This weekend, the Rams will host quarterback Matt Ryan and the defending NFC Champion Falcons. Ryan’s accolades include four trips to the Pro Bowl, an NFL MVP, an Offensive Player of the Year Award, and nine seasons as Atlanta’s QB-1.

“The guy was a great player last year and he’s continued that,” defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said.

“When it comes to him, I feel like his resume really speaks for itself,” cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman added.

His stat sheet this season includes a 64.7 completion percentage, 4,095 yards and 20 touchdowns. And although the Falcons’ offense has not been quite as dominant as it was last year, Ryan has been just as consistent. For that reason, his name is met with high regard in the Rams’ locker room.

“I have nothing but respect for him, a great quarterback,” Robey-Coleman said. “He’s a quick decision maker, knows exactly where to throw the ball and he trusts his receivers. They have a really good connection over there and just looking at the film you can tell those guys really work a lot together. So, we have to be on top of everything.”

Middle linebacker Alec Ogletree echoed his teammate, saying that even though Ryan has “been doing it for a long time, he’s only gotten better.” Because the quarterback has so much experience in the league, it will be up to the defense to “get pressure on him and hold up in coverage.”

“He has control of their offense and they go through him,” Ogletree said. “He’s able to read all types of coverages and get the ball to his playmakers. You have to execute your game plan.”

JULIO JONES — THE RAMS’ BIGGEST CHALLENGE YET?

“A top-tier receiver.”

“Maybe the best receiver in the league.”

These are just two of the ways the Rams have described Falcons’ wide receiver Julio Jones.

The five-time Pro Bowler is one of the NFL’s most dynamic offensive threats and should provide the Rams’ secondary with one of its biggest challenges yet. This season, Jones became one of just six players in NFL history to record four seasons with at least 80 receptions and 1,400 yards — finishing the 2017 regular season with 88 receptions, 1,444 yards, three touchdowns, and countless eye-opening catches.

“He’s an elite receiver. He may be the best, if not one of the best in the league,” Phillips said. “He’s set all kinds of records already in his career. And this year he’s having a tremendous year, has the most yards of anybody in the league. So, he’s a hard guy to stop.”

In order to stop Jones, the Rams will need to bring pressure early and often. And Robey-Coleman said that third downs will be especially important come Saturday against a Falcons’ offense that has the highest third-down conversion percentage (44.7 percent) in the league.

“Julio is very explosive. They have some great, great receivers,” he said. “[But] they are really explosive on third downs, so that’s what we’re really honing in on. We have to be really good on first and second downs, but on third down we have to really be at our best. To get off the field and put our offense on the field, so they can make some plays.”

Falcons hope to plant a seed of doubt in the young Rams for their playoff matchup

Sam Farmer

http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-rams-falcons-farmer-20180104-story.html

The Atlanta Falcons don’t want to talk about the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers or 2010 Green Bay Packers, the only sixth-seeded teams to win the Super Bowl.

Yes, the sixth-seeded Falcons would love to follow that path, but they are determined not to look past Saturday night’s playoff opener against the Rams at the Coliseum.

“We’ve really adopted the mind-set that the only fight that matters is the one you’re in,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said Thursday. “We’re a team that has a lot to prove. We have a lot to prove this week, and we really try to stay in the moment and not look too far behind or too far down the road.”

His players echo those sentiments. Quinn has them speaking with one voice.

“I love the approach that coach has,” guard Ben Garland said. “You’re not worried about the next game, not worried about the Super Bowl. You’re focused on today.”

That said, if they were to look, the Falcons might find some inspiration from those two six-seeded teams that just sneaked into the postseason and got hot at the right time.

Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis was the offensive centerpiece of those ’05 Steelers, who had to win on the road three times to get to Detroit for that showdown against Seattle.

Bettis points to one big similarity between those Steelers and these Falcons. They both were extremely successful the season before, giving them a been-there-done-that swagger.

Rams running back Todd Gurley: Winning NFL MVP award would ‘mean a lot’ to teammates
Those Steelers were coming off a 15-1 season in which they lost the AFC championship game to the New England Patriots.

These Falcons were on their way to blowing out the Patriots in the Super Bowl, holding a 28-3 lead midway through the third quarter before their historic collapse and eventual 34-28 loss in overtime.

“The biggest part that helps you is knowing that you’re a good football team,” Bettis said. “We lost in the championship game the year before. Atlanta knows that they’re a good team; they lost in the Super Bowl last year. So they know that they’re good enough to beat anybody.

“Armed with that information, and knowing that they have the ability to go all the way, then they can play all-out. Because they’ve been in the playoffs the last two weeks. They had to win just to get in. They’ve been in playoff mode longer than all these other teams. If I’ve been in playoff mode for three weeks, and you’re just getting into playoff mode, you’re at a disadvantage.”

What’s more, the Rams are green. They’re the second-youngest team in the league, haven’t been to the playoffs since 2004, and have just six players on their roster with postseason experience.

Bettis, whose career began with the Rams, has no rooting interest in this game but has some insight on what the teams might be thinking (but aren’t saying publicly).

He said the only seeding the Falcons should be concerned with is planting that seed of doubt in their opponents.

Rams will play a ‘home’ game in Mexico City during 2018 season
“If you’re the Falcons, you want to get on top of them quick and put that doubt in their heads,” Bettis said. “The Rams are the little train that could. They’re saying, ‘We think we can. We think we can,’ because they don’t know. So if you put up 14 on them quick, then they’ll start questioning themselves and saying, ‘Uh, maybe we’re not ready yet.’

“But if you go out there and let them get up on you by 14, now they’re saying, ‘We know we can. We know we can.’ ”

The 2010 Packers, too, were confident in the knowledge they were a good team. Although they lost in the wild-card round in 2009, they had set a franchise record with 461 points (since surpassed), and Charles Woodson was NFL defensive player of the year.

Like their sixth-seeded brethren in Pittsburgh, those Packers knew they were capable of getting hot and going on a tear in the playoffs.

Maybe the Falcons feel the same way. Maybe they will be the third sixth-seed to make a historic run. Regardless, they are not interested in going down that hypothetical road. Put history on hold.

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