2nd posting for this one. Great play.

…

Evade pass rusher, step up in the pocket and throw into a 3-inch window. Elite-level throw by Goff. pic.twitter.com/6EdBZ9mHSt

— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) January 7, 2018

JackPMiller wrote:

Not just cap space, but looking at the possibility of drafting a LT at pick 23. The rookie could start at LG for a season or two, before he is ready to take over at LT. I am high on Martinas Rankin of Mississippi State.

Well as long as we’re voting, I vote for keeping and starting Saffold. I personally don’t care if a rookie OT is on the bench, 1st pick or not…it would be good depth. And you want your LOT to be with your team for a decade so to me, there’s no rush.

Agamemnon wrote:

I have been in intensive care. I am now in recovery.
I had a kidney attack that just about got me.

Wow good to see you. We were worried about you…my feeling is, if you missed 3 games without giving us notice, that it was possible something was up. You were missed.

I hope your recovery is going well. Keep us posted on that. You’re a big part of our community ag and I think I speak for a lot of people when I say we send you our best and toast your health and well-being.

Alden Gonzalez@Alden_Gonzalez
The Rams are promoting from within. Zac Taylor, the Rams’ assistant receivers coach, will be the new QB coach, replacing Greg Olson, who left to become the Raiders’ offensive coordinator. Taylor was previously the Dolphins’ QB coach

which means Jared Goff will be on his third QB coach in three years …

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fancy-stats/wp/2018/01/09/beware-the-rams-in-2018-the-chiefs-not-so-much/?utm_term=.dae808d1875a

1. Los Angeles Rams

The Rams simultaneously have the most question marks in terms of roster turnover into 2018 as well as the most reasons to be excited. Impact players like Trumaine Johnson, Sammy Watkins and Lamarcus Joyner are all set to hit free agency, but L.A. has room to resign them with the 11th-most cap space heading into 2018 (a projected $50 million). They also now have a franchise QB in Jared Groff, the likely offensive player of the year in Todd Gurley, and the league’s most impactful defensive player in Aaron Donald. That core is set up for long-term success, and they’re in a flexible enough cap situation to only add to it.

Andy Benoit@Andy_Benoit
Doubt the #Rams will break the bank to retain Sammy Watkins. Worth re-signing, but only if the money is right. That system doesn’t make huge use of perimeter WRs.

The key receiving pieces, by design, are still slot WR, RB and possession target. And if athletic TE shows up (maybe Gerald Everett improves?) that goes to top of pecking order.

Watkins’s market value will depend on how teams feel about 2018 WR draft class plus other FA’s available. Watkins likely won’t be paid like a true No. 1.

Love seeing that Rodgers Saffold made Second Team All-Pro. I agonized over him, ultimately put Andrus Peat on my ballot. Saffold has been huge key on #Rams screen game.

Against the Rams, the Falcons, as expected, featured a good mix of Cover 3 and man-lurk, as well as blitzes out of both looks.

Falcons notable use of 3-4 defensive structures. Rams had a lot of trouble running against it.

This was not an awful performance by Rams, but too many snaps where the pass game’s timing was a tad off. Factor in Falcons speed and fundamental soundness and you get the outcome they got.

Falcons Film: there was a liveliness to the #Rams pass rush. Donald, Quinn, Brockers and Fox all flashed.

Falcons have NFL’s best RB tandem by a huge margin. Coleman is viewed within NFL as a more potent threat than Freeman. Both great….thinking about this even further, might have to say I’m totally wrong, and Kamara and Ingram go ahead of Freeman and Coleman. I am in love with Coleman’s skill set and explosiveness, but I can’t underrate Kamara because of that.

#Rams played zone much of the game. Their zones can have a matchup feel to them.

Troy Hill showed good plant-and-close ability vs in-breakers from off-coverage. He did a solid job filling in down the stretch this year as the No. 2 CB.

Mixed emotions as Rams clean out their lockers in Thousand Oaks

Joe Curley

http://www.vcstar.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2018/01/07/mixed-emotions-rams-clean-out-their-lockers-thousand-oaks/1011592001/

Connor Barwin has now been to the postseason four times with three difference teams.

The veteran linebacker felt this year’s trip with the Los Angeles Rams was perhaps his best chance yet to reach the Super Bowl.

“I would say that’s why (Saturday) was so disappointing,” Barwin said. “This team has the strongest foundation of any of the teams that I’ve gone to the playoffs with.”

The morning after the Rams’ season-ending, 26-13 wild-card loss to Atlanta, the team stewed in a mixture of frustration and optimism as it cleaned out its lockers at its football headquarters at Cal Lutheran University on Sunday.

“When you have three phases of the game and they’re all pretty good, you feel good about going into the playoffs and sustaining and winning games,” Barwin said. “(Saturday) was frustrating, but at the same time, that’s why the future is so exciting.”

Rams cornerback Troy Hill, who graduated from St. Bonaventure High, finished his season strong after taking over as the team’s starting cornerback in December. Video by Joe Curley Joe Curley/The Star

Atlanta cashed in two turnovers by All-Pro returner Pharoh Cooper to build a 13-0 lead and protected the lead by keeping the Rams’ high-scoring offense off the field for more than 37 minutes.

“We had a good thing going,” offensive guard Jamon Brown said. “For it to come to a halt and stop like it did is tough.”

The disappointment was palpable. But it was also secondary to the belief that the 11-5 season, which featured the first NFC West championship since 2003 and the first postseason berth since 2004, is just the beginning.

“From the success we experienced this season, we learned that we had the guys to do it,” Brown said. “It was a matter of having the right scheme, having the right coaches, having the right culture and I think we accomplished that as a team, setting the foundation moving forward of how we expect things to go.”

A year ago, the Rams were without a head coach, having fired Jeff Fisher in the midst of a season-ending seven-game losing streak. It had finished 4-12 in its return season to Los Angeles, tanking a massive season-ticket base and flopping a series of reality shows.

Featuring the worst offense in football, it was the least entertaining display in the showbiz capital of the world.

But the hire of head coach Sean McVay, combined with strong draft and free agent classes, allowed the Rams to become just the second team in NFL history to go from worst to first in scoring.

“Certainly, we’re not content with the way that this season ended, but it doesn’t take away the fact that … we feel like we’re building a foundation where that trajectory is pointing upward for the Rams,” McVay said after Saturday night’s loss. “It starts with a bunch of great people and that’s what we do have.

“We’ll take some time off right now, but then we’ll come back motivated, ready to try to respond.”

Second-year quarterback Jared Goff turned naysayers into believers with, statistically, one of the top seasons in franchise history. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2016 draft threw for 3,804 yards and 28 touchdowns, while the Rams threw the fewest interceptions (7) in the NFL.

“It was a really fun year,” Goff said. “We were able to do a lot of good things in every facet of the game. And I thought we grew a lot … being as young as we are.

“Obviously, not happy about (Saturday). And really thought we had a chance to make a run and it ended prematurely. … But we’re going to work hard this offseason. We’ve got a good core nucleus of guys, and a really driven group, and I don’t expect this to be the end for us by any means.”

With the offseason approaching, the one-year turnaround in a major market has the potential to make the Rams a destination organization.

Rams head coach Sean McVay discusses the Oakland Raiders rehiring his mentor, Jon Gruden, as head coach. Video by Joe Curley. Joe Curley/The Star

Linebacker Cameron Lynch, who played with the Rams in St. Louis, was able to see how much the franchise had changed when he rejoined the team in December.

“There’s a winning culture over here,” Lynch said. “It’s rocking. We’re going to get it rolling. When free agency comes up next year, hopefully I’ll get a chance to come back and be a part of this because this is great.

“You never know what’s going to happen in the NFL, but I’m glad I got to finish off with this team.”

General manager Les Snead has a lot of business to attend to this offseason, from potentially locking up star Aaron Donald long term to addressing the free agency of downfield threat Sammy Watkins and key components in the secondary, like Trumaine Johnson, Lamarcus Joyner and Nickell Robey-Coleman.

But there’s no question McVay has made the Rams a much more attractive franchise for potential free-agent acquisitions.

“I knew what I was getting into, as far as who was on the defense, the defensive coaches,” said Barwin, who played for defensive coordinator Wade Phillips in Houston. “But I had no idea how special it would be playing for Sean McVay and the rest of his staff.”

Hill Named PFF Top-Five Cornerback for Wild Card Weekend

Kristen Lago

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Hill-Named-PFF-Top-Five-Cornerback-for-Wild-Card-Weekend/944f282a-d742-4288-b514-f4090cfa149b

Saturday’s Wild Card contest against the Falcons did not end in a Rams victory, but cornerback Troy Hill has still been recognized for his performance in the contest.

The Oregon product has showcased steady improvement since Week 14 — when he began starting in place of the injured Kayvon Webster — and continued to perform at a high level on Saturday. Hill did not allow a single reception on five targets against the Falcons and recorded a team-leading three pass deflections.

Troy Hill didn't allow a single reception 👀 pic.twitter.com/aq3uwajBxD

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) January 7, 2018

“For Troy to be able to step up, even going back to the Seattle game, I thought really represented where you see him getting his hands on the ball, making a lot of plays,” head coach Sean McVay said of Hill’s development. “You could see his confidence grow.”

Hill’s performance was enough to give him a 91.7 overall grade by Pro Football Focus and earn him a spot as one of the top five cornerbacks of the week in passing coverage.

Including his Wild Card performance, Hill has been a solid contributor for the Rams defense down the stretch. And McVay said that he has continued to see the cornerback’s confidence grow with the added experience.

“Troy’s a great competitor,” McVay said. “He’s got great short-space quickness, lateral agility, good body control and I thought it was good for him to be able to end the year the way that he did. That should give him a lot of confidence going into the off season.”

Rams’ Sean McVay sees ‘a good foundation we can build on’

Alden Gonzalez

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/37387/rams-sean-mcvay-sees-a-good-foundation-we-can-build-on

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Sean McVay was “still in the process of processing” the abrupt end to the Los Angeles Rams’ season when he met with the media at noon on Sunday. McVay engrossed himself in film shortly after the 26-13 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday night, as he is prone to do. But his foremost takeaway was the same one he had in the immediate aftermath — the Rams started with back-to-back three-and-outs, then muffed a punt, fumbled a kickoff and fell behind significantly with the time of possession, never able to attain much balance or rhythm offensively.

Said McVay: “The turnovers really ended up being the difference in the game.”

McVay will address his players collectively one final time on Monday, then send them into their offseason. The Rams’ coaches and executives will then get to work on figuring out the 2018 roster, a conversation McVay began with general manager Les Snead on Sunday morning.

The Rams have a lot of important players that could become free agents, including wide receiver Sammy Watkins, cornerback Trumaine Johnson, safety Lamarcus Joyner, center John Sullivan and outside linebacker Connor Barwin. Interesting contract decisions loom, seemingly with outside linebacker Robert Quinn, inside linebacker Mark Barron and wide receiver Tavon Austin. And then, of course, there’s Aaron Donald, who’s heading into the final year of his rookie contract and has proven worthy of becoming the game’s highest-paid defensive player.

McVay’s initial, forward-thinking thoughts centered on the importance of building depth, because the Rams can’t count on another season of optimal health. He also noted that his offense was almost exclusively in “11” personnel down the stretch, highlighting the importance of developing his young tight ends.

Still, McVay said, “I think that this organization is going in the right direction. I think we’ve got a good foundation we can build on.”

That sentiment dominated the locker room from players who came through after their end-of-season physicals.

“McVay changed the culture around here,” wide receiver Robert Woods said. “Players bought in and believe, and it’s just the start of something great.”

“We’ve got a solid foundation built right now,” inside linebacker Alec Ogletree added, “and we’ve just got to continue to build on it and learn from what we did good this year, and also bad.”

The Rams went from 4-12 in 2016 to 11-5 in 2017, from last in the NFL in scoring to first. They were coming off 10 consecutive losing seasons, then claimed their first division title since 2003. Under McVay, the youngest head coach in modern NFL history, Jared Goff emerged as a franchise quarterback and Todd Gurley vaulted himself among the game’s best running backs.

“We put pieces together,” Gurley said when asked if he believes the Rams have built a foundation for long-term success. “I wouldn’t say actually built, but we’re starting to.”

“I think it’s just the beginning,” Goff said. “We’ve got such a good, young group here and so many guys.”

The Rams began the 2017 season as the NFL’s second-youngest team. Goff and Gurley are only 23, and none of the receivers or tight ends who are expected back are older than 25. But the defense — playoff ready under Snead and former head coach Jeff Fisher long before the offensive finally got it together — is getting older and pricier, underscoring the importance of drafting and developing on that side.

Barwin believes the Rams had “the strongest foundation of any of the teams I’ve gone to the playoffs with,” which only augmented the sting of a first-round exit.

“It’s definitely something we can build off, and definitely things that we could learn from,” Rams right guard Jamon Brown said. “Moving forward, you feel good about that, because we’ve set a foundation like this. And now we just build from here.”

Not much was expected of the Rams heading into 2017. The Seahawks were supposed to dominate the division, and the Rams were thought to be at least one year away from contention. But that was only on the outside. Inside, players quickly realized that McVay and new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips would put them in schemes that could bring out the best in them.

The talent showed itself through organized team activities and during training camp, then players slowly, steadily convinced themselves that they could compete with anyone in their conference.

McVay first noticed his team’s resolve after a Week 2 loss to the Redskins, when they quickly put it behind them, got ready for a Thursday night game on the road and won a back-and-forth contest against the 49ers. Woods realized this team was legit when it won on the road against the Jaguars in Week 6, then traveled to London and blew out the Cardinals in Week 7.

The Rams faced a daunting schedule over the final seven weeks, but they edged the Saints, handed the Seahawks their worst home loss in 20 years and won on the road against a desperate Titans team to claim the NFC West. The Rams went 8-1 away from Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, but only 3-4 at their own stadium, their last loss — in front of an electrifying, season-best crowd of 74,300 — ending their season.

McVay, the runaway favorite for Coach of the Year, called them “a special group of men that we got to work with this year.”

“It’s not something you expected, that the season’s over now,” he said. “I kind of don’t know what to do with myself.”

alyoshamucci wrote:

Good season … better than I had hoped for.

Long story short … we weren’t ready and we got beat by a team with experience that played mistake free football. But we have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming years, no matter who we lose to contract craziness.

The Great

1) Robert Woods. I don’t care if we keep Sammy.

2) Three of Goff’s throws made me gasp. we have a lot to look forward to.

3) Hekker. Really … he has made a new part pf the game visible for me.

The Good

4) Kupp’s TD … stable, reliable, TD in the postseason as a rookie. He has that going forward.

5) Wade Phillips D … I hope he stays for a bit.

6) Troy Hill. We’re going to have a lot of turnover in the secondary … he may actually get a decent offer elsewhere …

7) Donald of course …

8) Westbrooks played a really stout game on the nose. I think we need a powerful space eater in the draft … but he’s a nice change of pace. He’s up for a new deal?

9) Saffold is playing lights out football this year … this was his best year.

10) Morgan Fox played pretty stout.

The Bad

11) Offensive playcalling. I knew what we were doing almost every play.

12) The fact that I will never again feel comfortable resting starters in week 17.

13) The overall demeanor of the team.

The Ugly

14) Barron’s missed tackles.

15) Ogletree’s missed tackles.

16) 7 targets to 1 reception for Gurley … what on Earth?

17) Seriously … I feel kinda stupid … How many times did I say “Don’t worry, he’ll get Sammy involved next week.” Why did they have to make me eat my words? How can you have a player on your team with that skill set and consistently not get him involved?

18) Both turnovers on special teams were unacceptable and avoidable. How does the best special teams I’ve ever seen not prepare for this game better?

19) The field conditions.

Overall

Now, let’s see how the staff and players recover. Who stays and who leaves … we have a lot of free agents and a lot of players we could cut to save money. We also have a defensive MVP to sign.

This is the play.

…

Evade pass rusher, step up in the pocket and throw into a 3-inch window. Elite-level throw by Goff. pic.twitter.com/6EdBZ9mHSt

— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) January 7, 2018

—

More.

This is a v good catch by Mr. Robert Woods pic.twitter.com/gGOcx8D276

— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) January 7, 2018