tweets … 11/19 thru 11/21

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Bruce Arians notes this week as he evaluates the Rams’ tape: “Those three backs, they’re fresh all the time.”

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We see ya, rook!

A two-sack performance for @_Real24_ 😤 pic.twitter.com/FIrezI46FD

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 19, 2020

Tavon Austin’s 2 touchdowns helped lead the Rams offense to victory in the infamous Ketchup & Mustard game between the Rams and Bucs in 2015. pic.twitter.com/Z8lvyK9aPA

— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) November 19, 2020

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Looks like OLB Obo Okoronkwo is getting a very extensive on-field workout in with head strength coach

Fans were understandably concerned when Darious Williams landed hard on his shoulder after (another) amazing play – but the Rams CB is out here working today in at least some capacity and went through stretch period/has helmet. Team is in shells today. Injury report out later.

Stu Jackson@StuJRams
Rams DC Brandon Staley on DL A’Shawn Robinson’s debut: “I thought he gave us everything he had. I thought he played well from an assignment standpoint, and that his effort and energy was exactly where we expected it to be and it will only grow as he continues to practice more.”

Lindsey Thiry@LindseyThiry
Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley was 18 years old when Tom Brady entered the NFL. Asked by a reporter today if he ever thought of one day scheming against Brady, Staley said, “Every day, every day of my life I’ve been thinking about an opportunity like that.”

PFF LA Rams@PFF_Rams
EDGE Leonard Floyd tallied 11 total pressures against the Seahawks in Week 10

No defender this season has had more than 10 pressures in a single game

Stu Jackson@StuJRams
Aaron Donald on Darious Williams: “He’s electric. He’s a playmaker. His ball skills are amazing. In prior years he was doing these same things in camp, he just wasn’t starting yet, didn’t get his opportunities. He got a starting job and he gets to share with the world now.”

Donald hinted that this is the best defense he has been on – but, smiling, cautions that we should wait until the end of the season to crown them. “Right now we’re doing some great things, some things that, from a consistency basis, I don’t think I’ve been involved in.”

Intercepted by the Defensive Tackle in coverage!? Rams defensive lineman Brian Young comes up with the turnover on Tampa Bay QB Brad Johnson pic.twitter.com/NHTn2ccTm2

— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) November 20, 2020

4th & 8 from the opponents 35, @RamsNFL down by 2…with 5 seconds on the clock. GOTTA have a 52 yard field goal for the win….McVay (and all of us) be like👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/HjJyD6R6QZ

— 𝒥𝒾𝓂 𝐸𝓋𝑒𝓇𝑒𝓉𝓉 (@Jim_Everett) November 21, 2020

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
This is going to be a very, very tough Tampa Bay pass rush on Monday night, from the inside out. So I imagine the Rams will stick to the things that have worked against the more ferocious fronts they have faced, like the short game, catch-and-run plays and maybe some screens — and I would love to see the running backs worked into space, too. That helps both Jared Goff and the offensive line, which will be missing left tackle Andrew Whitworth as he rehabs his knee for the next six to eight weeks.

Something else that will help both phases would be bringing in tight ends and maybe even receivers to block and help with some of those protections. Unless he is a blitz outlet, similar to a big third-down play last week, I think that means tight end Tyler Higbee will stay more in-line and we might even see more of Gerald Everett in that fullback role. I don’t know that McVay really wants to “test” anybody on his side more than he wants to beat the Bucs’ pressures, and it’s pretty much guaranteed that they’re coming. Better to play it on the safer side, if that side is the left side.

On the latest episode of 11 Personnel, I urged fans to have patience with Noteboom — who played guard in 2019 and this season — because he just started taking reps at left tackle last week for the first time in about a year and a half. He also has the body and the ability to be a good left tackle, and he got good experience there in college, but I don’t believe just yet that he’s some “magic fix,” and especially not against this level of pass rush. Bobby Evans and Tremayne Anchrum had been taking left tackle reps in practice when Whitworth had rest days — I’ve actually seen more from Anchrum — but you don’t want to immediately jump ship on a guy who is shaking off rust, even if it’s a bad day.

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Williams is playing like one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, and probably will have interest from other teams. But the Rams will get a chance to tender, then counter-offer, if they’d like, and I imagine, considering the situation at cornerback right now and how important the rotating scheme is to Staley’s defensive system, they will try to keep Williams around if they can.

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I like to watch the linebackers and safeties for stashed talent who could grow into a role on the active roster. Right now, I think the frontrunner is a guy who also was making some heads turn (in slow-motion, Fabio style) at training camp: Christian Rozeboom. I’d be surprised if he didn’t earn an active roster spot by this time next year.

Safety JuJu Hughes already has been pulled up to the main roster a couple times for depth. In fact he’s currently on the roster because of injuries to Taylor Rapp and Terrell Burgess, and is working hard to seal a more permanent role in the future, even when those guys get healthy.

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I can see A’Shawn Robinson’s snaps increasing through the end of the season. He played really well in his 10 debut snaps against Seattle, eating up a double-team at least once and then recording his first tackle as a Ram. The other defensive linemen, and Staley, also noted the boost Robinson brought to the unit. “His game-day energy was something that we were really excited to see,” Staley said.

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…the offense can’t seem to put together a complete outing, and it’s weird to see that in a McVay-led team. My sense on McVay’s mindset toward this whole thing is that it bothers him, more because his offense is not playing up to its potential and less because of ego. They’re turning the ball over, and execution has been inconsistent. I think in the big picture, the offense getting challenged to pull itself up to the level of the defense is one of the many reasons McVay brought in Staley, so that McVay and the offense could be pushed and so McVay would have collaborators who pushed him. As a young coach settles into his own identity, there is always a risk of complacency. McVay doesn’t want that for himself, and I think he sees the big-picture value in this situation.

J.B. Long@JB_Long
Whitworth and Rapp landing on I/R this week, so wouldn’t be correct to say @RamsNFL are “healthy” going into Monday Night Football. But the entire active roster is available for Week 11 at TB.

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Rams DL Michael Brockers says he and his teammates have really enjoyed getting to know A’Shawn Robinson once he could finally be a part of things and that they knew for sure he was “in” when they heard and felt his energy level against Seattle last week.

Lindsey Thiry@LindseyThiry
Sean McVay declined to say if Austin MacGinnis or Matt Gay, who the Rams signed earlier in the week and activated Saturday, will kick against the Bucs on Monday night. MacGinnis, a member of the practice squad, kicked at practice earlier in the week

Andrew Siciliano@AndrewSiciliano
“Ah, sh*t….”

– Rams DL Michael Brockers, asked about his 3 career games (0-3) against Tom Brady.