tweets … 10/13 & 10/14

from NFL Week 5: PFF team of the week, key takeaways, weekly awards and more https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-week-5-pff-team-of-the-week-key-takeaways-weekly-awards-and-more

PFF TEAM OF THE WEEK

TE: Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Rams
DI: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
S: Jordan Fuller, Los Angeles Rams

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DON’T SLEEP ON THE LOS ANGELES RAMS TEAM TO RECLAIM THE NFC

Alright, I know they played a Washington Football Team that is one of the bottom five teams in the NFL, but the Rams have been on a roll to start 2020. They generated the fourth-most EPA per pass play of Week 5 while limiting Washington to the second-lowest EPA per play generated. This has helped bring their season rank in EPA per play to sixth and their rank in EPA per play allowed to fourth. They are the only team to rank sixth or better in both of those metrics so far. The schedule has been relatively easy as a whole, but they’ve performed like a contender, and Sean McVay has made this offense as strong as it was back in 2018.

Jared Goff in 2020

— 9.0 yards per att (1st)

— 6.4 avg depth of tar (2nd lowest)

Sean McVay in his bag turning short throws into big gains.

— George Chahrouri (@PFF_George) October 12, 2020

The above tweet perfectly sums up what McVay has done with Goff in 2020. He’s making the quarterback’s job as pain-free as a coach and playcaller can; he’s creating room for his receivers to run after the catch, dialing up a high rate of play action and creating a high rate of open throws when they do attack downfield. This has played a big part in Goff recording the second-lowest negatively graded throw rate through Week 5.

The defense is doing their part, as well. Interior defensive lineman Aaron Donald just put up the 38th elite-graded game of his career, 29 more than second at the position. In the secondary, cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and Darious Williams have led the Rams to just -0.15 EPA per pass allowed. That’s the best in the NFL and far above second at -0.09.

I wouldn’t overlook the Rams right solely because of the schedule they have faced — this team is looking like one of the few true candidates to win the conference.

from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2020/10/13/rams-jared-goff-sean-mcvay-offense-script/

After Sunday’s win over Washington, Jared Goff revealed an interesting fact about the Rams offense. Unlike most teams, they don’t script any plays to open the game or the second half. McVay just calls the plays he feels best about at the moment, giving Goff some easier completions and utilizing the Rams’ best running plays.

“I think usually on those drives, we’re just running some of our best stuff. I don’t think – well, I know we don’t script anything, so it’s not like we’re running set plays,” Goff told reporters. “It’s really just kind of what we’ve liked throughout the week and what has a good feel with and what we have a good feel with on offense – our best runs, our best passes, usually balls that we’d like to get out and throw completions with. Like you guys are seeing, when we get the ball in these guys’ hands, they make things happen and it’s exciting. Our O-line is playing their balls off. I’m sorry. Excuse me. Playing their butts off, I guess. But they’re playing great. Yeah, it’s been good on those opening drives, just getting out fast.”

J.B. Long@JB_Long
Last 10 quarters for @RamsNFL defense:

3 TD allowed, 33 points given up
3 takeaways, 17 sacks, 3.9 yds/play against

Pretty imposing group since halftime in Buffalo.

BTHRams@BTH_Rams
#Rams’ updated DVOA rankings per @fboutsiders after Week 5 (aside from tonight’s game):

Offense: 4th
Defense: 8th
Special teams: 29th

nittany ram wrote:

DB Jordan Fuller on IR

from https://www.fantasyalarm.com/nfl/player/jordan-fuller/307908/nfl/tools

Rams placed S Jordan Fuller on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.

The No. 199 overall pick of the draft, Fuller played every snap in the Rams’ Week 5 win over Washington, though he managed to aggravate a right shoulder issue that limited/sidelined him in Weeks 3 and 4. It’s also being described as a neck issue, one the team is hopeful will require the minimum I.R. stint. The rookie has been providing quality snaps at free safety. With Fuller now sidelined for at least three weeks, the Rams will need Taylor Rapp to step up alongside John Johnson.

—

J.B. Long@JB_Long
Interesting (strategic?) timing in that a 3-week IR stint really yields 4 weeks off: at SF CHI at MIA *BYE*

Here’s hoping for a fully-healed Fuller vs SEA.

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Jordan Fuller’s shoulder/neck injury will NOT require any sort of procedure and barring a setback will use that 3-game short term IR designation. The Rams then have a bye. Injuries are never a part of any sort of plan or strategy, but if it has to happen, timing is fortuitous.

LMU93

Goff ratings after week 5

Analytics sites:

PFF: 4th
FootballOutsiders: 7th
ESPN QBR: 11th

Statistics:

Passer Rating: 7th
Completion %- 4th
Yards/Attempt- 1st
Yards/Completion- 3rd

==

Cameron DaSilva@camdasilva
Aaron Donald is your NFC Defensive Player of the Week after recording four sacks against Washington on Sunday

Aaron Donald is now a 7-time NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

GOAT things. pic.twitter.com/hWpogQzJwX

— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) October 14, 2020

from PFF Rankings: The NFL’s top 25 wide receivers through Week 5 of the 2020 season— https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-pff-rankings-top-25-wide-receivers-through-week-5-2020-season

15. ROBERT WOODS, LOS ANGELES RAMS
Woods is the perfect receiver for this Los Angeles Rams offense. His intelligence and ability to exploit the hesitation induced by the play action, motion and route combinations are second to none, and it has led to him being extremely productive during his time with the Rams.

Since the start of the 2018 season, only Julio Jones, Mike Evans and DeAndre Hopkins have more explosive plays than the 76 Woods has to his name, and he has dropped only five passes over that period from nearly 300 targets.

Lindsey Thiry@LindseyThiry
“He’s not just a corner, they play him all over,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan says about the way the Rams are using Jalen Ramsey this season.

“Robert, he’s a stud, I’ve watched him since he came out of college,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan says about Robert Woods, adding he’s among the most talented receivers in the league.

Matt Maiocco@MaioccoNBCS
Kyle Shanahan did not include Jimmy Garoppolo on the list of the team’s injured players. He said he expects Garoppolo to have a full practice today, which puts him solidly on pace to start Sunday night vs. the #LARams.

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Barring a setback, ILB Micah Kiser is on track to play on Sunday. Team will gradually increase his workload the next two days.

This quote pretty much describes DC Brandon Staley to a tee: When asked about Aaron Donald’s ability and success even as teams do whatever they can to try to stop him in their game plan, he grins and says, “Well, we’re game-planning too.”

WR Robert Woods, on Jared Goff’s spike attempt – cracking up: “Yeah he cant be putting that on tape anymore.”

Rest days for Andrew Whitworth and Aaron Donald today. Sean McVay mentioned that he liked getting Donald those midweek rest days because he has seen him able to be really charged up late in games while playing the bulk of the DL snaps, so that will likely continue.

PFF LA Rams@PFF_Rams
Fuller went the entire game without a negatively graded play and ended up with the best PFF grade of his rookie season

Not bad for a 6th round rookie