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December 11, 2017 at 12:09 am in reply to: McVay, Goff, Gurley, Kupp, Tree, Donald…12/10…2 vids & all the transcripts #78697
znModeratorHead Coach Sean McVay – – December 10, 2017
(Opening Remarks)
“Okay guys, tough football game, tough football game today. We played against an excellent opponent. They made more plays than we did in the end. Congratulations to (Eagles Head) Coach (Doug) Pederson and the Eagles, but it’s a great learning opportunity for us. There was a handful of things that took place in that game that we will learn from – we’ll learn from our mistakes, including me, starting with me. This week provides a great chance for us to respond quickly, go play a great divisional opponent in the Seattle Seahawks and try to see if we can find a way to gather ourselves together to learn from the mistakes and move forward accordingly. What this team has done week-in and week-out is we’ve responded the right way – I trust our guys will do that. There is going to be some things that we certainly can’t do if we’re going to win some football games going into the last quarter of the season, finishing up with these three games and it’s a great challenge with the Seahawks. From an injury standpoint, (T) Rob Havenstein got an ankle, don’t have any updates on him. (CB) Kayvon Webster, I think it’s already out there he did rupture his Achilles (tendon) – very unfortunate, Kayvon is a great competitor, we love Kayvon and what he’s meant to this football team and guys are going to need to step up in his absence. (T) Andrew Whitworth had his ankle, but he came back and then (CB) Trumaine Johnson will be in the concussion protocol and that’s where we’re at from an injury standpoint.”
(On learning some hard lessons today)
“Yeah, against a great team like that there is things that you can’t do. We cannot afford to beat ourselves, we’ve got to make sure that we always do a great job taking care of the football. I think when you look at that play right there, it was a great rush by (Eagles DE) Chris Long – certainly not a great play selection by me – I’ve got to do a better job of putting our offense in better situations, be smart, have a little bit of situational awareness there and that was a mistake on my part. But, when you look at it, we can’t afford to allow them to extend drives by things that we can control. I trust the football character of this team that those lessons that we’ll learn from this game will provide a great opportunity for us to move forward. Unfortunately, you do have to learn some lessons the hard way, myself included, most importantly starting with me and I can’t wait to watch the resolve of this team as we move forward into a great week for Seattle.”
(On what he feels like QB Jared Goff can learn from this game)
“I think every single week provides a great learning opportunity for him every single play. It was a great defense. (Eagles Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Jim) Schwartz did a good job of changing some things up. We didn’t get enough opportunities. We really only had – I want to say 45 snaps today, so it’s hard. We had really three possessions in the second half when you look at it, the two touchdown drives and then we end up turning it over on the second-down play and then really last deal where it’s kind of the last play, so four technically. But, we’ve got to do a better job early on of sustaining drives by converting on third downs. We had a couple third-and-manageables where they did a great job creating some pressure, the ball had to come out and these are all things that we can look at and clean up collectively as a unit.”
(On if he got any clarity on the CB Trumaine Johnson penalty and the leverage penalty on the field goal)
“Yeah, what they were saying is that we leapt on the leverage penalty and then they said that these guys had been talking, going back and forth and there had been some warnings going on and that was the decision that the side judge made and those are things that we have to respect and we have to handle the right way and I trust that we will as we move forward.”
(On what he thought about Eagles QB Carson Wentz)
“I think he’s a great competitor. I think when you just look at his ability to extend plays, the toughness, eyes down the field when things are there in rhythm, so you see why he’s had the season that he’s had. They were able to stay on the field – I want to say they almost had twice as many snaps, I think they had 85 snaps today and (Eagles QB Nick) Foles came in and did a nice job, it was a big third down that they hit to (Eagles WR Nelson) Agholor. They made the plays, hats off to them and Coach Pederson – they’re a very well coached team, complete in all three phases and it’s a great challenge for us as we move forward to try to see if we can go get our tenth win in Seattle.”
(On what the decision was like to play LB Alec Ogletree and how did he think Ogletree competed)
“It seemed like he did a nice job. He’s going to continue to compete. We made the decision that we felt like certainly he’s not at 100 percent, but Alec, with the way that he communicates, with the way that he leads, with the way that he’s able to pursue the football we felt like with where his elbow was at we’re going to further risk anymore injuries and he was going to be able to play at level that we felt like was going to be successful for our defense and he continued to compete until the end. Until you go back and look at the tape, it’s hard to truly say exactly, but he’s a great competitor and we’re fortunate to have Alec on our team.”
(On why Ogletree exited briefly)
“I’m not sure. There were a couple things. He might have had a little issue, there was a lot of different things that took place, but I’m not sure why he exited briefly.”
(On what happens with the secondary with Webster and Johnson going down)
“Guys will need to step up. We’ve got some depth at the corner spot – you look at (CBs) Troy Hill and Kevin Peterson had to step in, (DB) Blake Countess can do a little bit of both, but those are things that after we kind of have some finality in terms of what we’re going to do we’ll get a chance to gather ourselves as a staff tomorrow and have a little bit better direction moving forward.”
(On if the nature of the game was to stay aggressive on the play when Goff fumbled)
“Yeah, I think the one thing that we’re always going to be is we’re going to be aggressive and we want to be smart when we are aggressive and understanding the defense, some of the things that they’re presenting, provided being mindful of whatever the situation is – up one in that spot, Rob (Havenstein) had just gone out the previous play, so there were a lot of things. I don’t regret ever being aggressive, but being more situationally aware and how I can put our team in a better spot I would say is probably the more appropriate term and that’s something that I’ll learn from.”
(On if Goff has to do a better job of protecting the ball in that situation)
“I think they made the play. Until I go back and truly see the play and am able to really truly evaluate it where you’re not just seeing it in live action it’s always tough to say. But, anytime that plays like that are made, it’s also a credit to the defense being able to create that and there’s a situation where Chris Long, you guys are familiar with him ended up making a big rush and provided them with a huge play that ended up being the game winning type play.”
(On if there is any concern with the discipline of his team after so many penalties)
“Certainly. I will say this, it provides an opportunity for us to learn from. We can’t beat ourselves. We’ve got the right guys in that locker room from a football-character standpoint to take accountability for the things that we can control and this is coaches and players alike. But, what we’re not going to do is we’re not going to beat ourselves. Unfortunately, there were some instances today where we gave them some free first downs because of things that we can control and I trust our guys will respond the right way as we move forward.”
(On Eagles QB Nick Foles performance)
“I think you have a lot of respect for Nick Foles, he’s had a lot of success in this league. Certainly Carson is special for a reason, but I think it’s just he made a handful of plays at the end and they were able to pull it out and hats off to Nick right there.”
(On how he thinks Goff handled the pressure of the Eagles pass rush)
“They’re a great defense. I thought really, when you start out with the first drive, we’re able to get a scoring possession and then the first down play that comes out for a big run when they call the hold, now you’re playing behind the sticks and we just didn’t have a whole lot of opportunities. They’re a great defense for a reason – they’re great against the run, they’re great against the pass – it’s why they’re a top-tier unit. But, we competed, guys competed well – love to have had a couple more opportunities and certainly for me as a play caller I would have loved to have that first down call back where it ends up leading to the turnover there.”
(On the blocked punt for a touchdown)
“Huge momentum. You look at ‘Bones’ (Special Teams Coordinator John Fassel) and ‘Ty’ (Assistant Special Teams Coordinator Tyrone McKenzie) do a great job of scheming some things up, (WR) Mike Thomas ends up coming free and Blake Countess is able to deliver, finishing that play and that’s kind of the theme for the year when you look at the way the special teams has played and they gave us a chance to win the football game by being able to come away with a touchdown in that instance and that’s the third touchdown on special teams this year, which is a huge credit to for ‘Bones’ and that unit and that was a big play for us and unfortunately we weren’t able to capitalize and turn it into a winning-type play.”
***
QB Jared Goff –– December 10, 2017
(On is this game was a hard lesson learned with the amount of penalties and turnovers)
“It was definitely a really tight one and one that was a lot of fun to be a part of. We would have liked to finish it a different way, but I think if we eliminate some of the stuff that we did that hurt us in the end there – it could be a different story. That Philadelphia team is really good. It’s a really good team and so are we and we knew it was going to be a dog fight and so did they. Four quarter game all the way to the end and hopefully bounce back next week and have a good one in Seattle.”
(On if he found out anything new about himself in today’s game)
“No, I don’t think so. I felt good the whole game. Thought we did a pretty good job scheming and game planning. Moved the ball around a little bit. We’d like to make a few more plays at the end there to win it, but ultimately we couldn’t.”
(On the play where Eagles DE Chris Long forced him to fumble)
“I probably just held on to it a little bit too long. Stepped in the pocket there and Chris Long came around and made a great play. Probably get rid of it a little earlier there and one thing that you can learn from for sure.”
(On Head Coach Sean McVay blaming himself for the forced fumble play by Eagles Long)
“He told me the same thing. He shouldn’t do that. He’s been doing a great job all year calling plays. Once the play comes in, it’s my job to execute it and fortunately we didn’t.”
(On if he has disappointed in the decision to punt the ball with two minutes left in the fourth quarter)
“No, that was the right move. That was for sure the right move. I think fourth-and-long there and you still have three timeouts, still got the two-minute warning – I completely agree with that move.”
(On what separates the two teams in the end)
“I think if we played them 10 times, it would be close every game. It comes down to, at the end of the game who makes the play and who doesn’t and who takes care of the ball and doesn’t have dumb penalties and stuff like that. That ends up being the difference in the game, and we did that and they didn’t. So, hats off to them. They’re a great team, really good team; complete team. That was a really good atmosphere out there today. It felt like a playoff game and one that we would’ve liked to win.”
(On if he got a chance to talk to Eagles QB Carson Wentz after the game)
“Not at afterwards, no.”
(On if this last stretch of games against competitive opponents has made him believe that the Rams can compete)
“Of course. I think anytime you get a chance to play the top teams, you get a chance to see where you’re at. We’ve had the Vikings and this one that were both close that we’d like to pull out. But, we did beat the Saints at home a couple of weeks ago and we’ve had a number of other good wins on that road and all over the place. So, no I think we’re in a great spot. Next week, we have another big on in Seattle. It’ll be a fun one and a good atmosphere I’m sure. We’re going to have to get ready for that one soon.”
(On the team not losing two in a row all year and the key to success to bouncing back)
“Got a short memory. Our whole team’s got a short memory. I think we understand as good as any team I the league that we can’t let a team beat us twice. As big as this game was and as many implications as there were, they played a great game. We played pretty well up until the end. Ultimately, next week, we got to come back and try to do that same thing and play a really good game and finish it off. So we know we can’t dwell on this at all.”
(On how he thinks he played)
“Okay. Anytime you don’t win, you’re never really satisfied, but there were some things I was happy with and plenty of things I would like to have back. I’d have to look at the film to give you a better answer, but there was a little bit of both.”
(On McVay talking about missed opportunities and if that’s his biggest takeaway as well)
“I think so, especially at the end there. I thought when we hit the punt play, get the touchdown, we had two good drives to start the half – two touchdown drives. Only had so many plays in the second half, they did a good job taking care of the ball on their side and running some clock. But, we started off the second half with two touchdowns and had two more possessions after that and didn’t score on those and that’s the difference. If we get a chance to score on those it’s probably be a different ball game.”
(On what he thinks the issue was with the offense)
“I don’t know. I don’t think there was an issue offensively. When you play a good team like that, they’re going to make plays too and you try to respond. It was a battle of a top offense and a top defense. Ultimately, they came out on top.”
(On the reports that Wentz may have a torn ACL and if that ends up being the case what is that like for him and for the league if he has to miss time)
“It’s terrible. I just heard that. I shot him a quick text, hoping for the best for him. It’s tough, especially a guy I’m close with, young guy. I hope that’s not the case. Praying for the best, but if there’s anyone that’ll bounce back it’ll be him. I think he can handle it.”
(On how challenging it was with the rotation of offensive linemen due to injuries)
“That’s part of the game. That happens every week across the league and guys have to step up and step in. I thought (T) Darrell (Williams) did a good job coming in on the left side at first and (T Andrew) Whitworth came back, and had to come in of the right side. It’s a tough position, being cold on the side lines and having to jump in like that, but thought he did a good job.”
(On if he felt good about the game when Wentz went out with an injury, due to the way Wentz was playing)
“No. There was a still a whole fourth quarter left and (Eagles QB) Nick’s (Foles) no slouch himself. He’s played in the league for a long time and can do some things and clearly showed that tonight.”
***
Rams RB Todd Gurley II –– December 10, 2017
(On how he feels after the game)
“We lost that game. At the end of the day, we’ve got to do better – penalties, turnovers, fixing that so we can bounce back.”
(On if he feels confident that his team can play with or beat anybody in the NFC)
“It’s the NFL, man. Anybody can beat anybody no matter what team it is. We’ve just got to come in and be able to prepare, go out there and execute. The main thing is take care of the ball.”
(On his success running the ball)
“(Offensive Line) Coach (Aaron) Kromer, he does a great job every week of just coming in there. He’s putting in good schemes and he was able to do that. We know they like to rush the passer a lot and get up field. We were able to use that as an advantage. The big boys up front, they did good, (TE Tyler) Higbee. Everybody did good. We’ve just got to finish a little bit more.
***
Rams WR Cooper Kupp –– December 10, 2017
(On his thoughts after a game where the team came up a bit short)
“Just a few plays on either side that, going one way or another, things we’ve got to clean up – things that we can execute better. Philly is a great team. Across the board they’ve got some really good football players. It was a lot of fun being able to go out and compete against them. We will get back and watch the film and learn from it. We expect to get a W.”
(On his connections with QB Jared Goff and his speed on the 66-yard reception)
“We’ll see it on the film. We’ll see it on the film what that looks like. I got a glimpse of it up on the jumbotron. I looked a little slow, I don’t know so we’ll see.”
(On his thoughts going into next week’s game at Seattle)
“It’s your divisional opponent, so it’s going to be a lot of fun heading up to their place. You have a lot of respect for them and the way they play the game. We’re excited about that. We’re excited to go prepare this week. Seven days from now we’ve got to be ready to go again.”
***
Rams CB Nickell Robey-Coleman – – December 10, 2017
(On his thoughts CB Kayvon Webster’s injury)
“Kayvon is my guy. Kayvon and I go all the way back to high school. It means a lot to me that he’s hurt right now. I pray (for) nothing but the best for him, his recovery and his family.”
(On what he saw with Trumaine Johnson’s penalty)
“They weren’t even talking trash, they were just talking football and they threw the flag. I really don’t know exactly what went on in that conversation because I was far away.”
(On how good Wentz is and how the game changed when he went out)
“(Eagles QB) Nick (Foles) went in and basically just put the icing on the cake for Wentz. But Wentz is a good player. I respect him a lot. He’s smart, can use his feet really well and that’s what makes him really good.”
(On if he thinks about one play here and there when he loses a close game)
“You can look at it two different ways. You can go home and beat yourself up or you can say, ‘I have another opportunity next week to do the right thing and to actually close in on a division opponent in a game that we really need and learn from this loss.’ This loss doesn’t define us as a team, it doesn’t define one player or who he is. This loss is definitely a learning experience late in the game, learning how to be a situational master, being smart and avoiding penalties. Things like that are going to make us better in the future.”
(On if it helps knowing the Seahawks lost today)
“Yeah, it felt pretty good, but I just wish we could have taken care of business on our side, that’s it.”
***
Rams LB Alec Ogletree – – December 10, 2017
(On what he thought of Eagles QB Carson Wentz)
“He’s an elite quarterback in this league. He’s definitely pretty athletic. If you’re not careful, he can get out of stuff and get down field and make throws. I think we just have to nail it down a little bit more and be able to rattle him a little bit.”
(On if he thinks the team will be able to rally against Seattle)
“This game’s over with. Yeah we lost, but it is what it is, they played better than us and they were able to get the win. Like I said, a division game next week in Seattle, that game is always tough. Like I said, we just got to get ready for that one now.”
(On the status of his elbow coming out of this game)
“I felt fine, I came out well. It didn’t get any worse so I’m definitely excited about that. Thanks to the training staff and everybody for helping me get back.”
(On if this was the best offense he’s seen this year)
“They’re a great team. It’s not just offense, they made plays on defense and special teams. It’s a team game and they played really well as a team to get the job done. Definitely a top offense in this league. For us, it’s just a matter of us doing what we need to do and winning our one-on-one matchups and getting pressure on the quarterback. Like I said, I don’t think we did enough of that today but definitely proud of the guys for continuing to fight until the end.”
(On if he thought the penalties hurt them and how they get rid of them)
“They definitely did. You mentally have to be disciplined. (Head) Coach Sean (McVay) preaches it all the time. Since day one he came in, you have to be mentally and physically tough. That’s what we say a Ram is, being mentally and physically tough. You can’t have all those penalties because they come back to hurt you. Like I said, we’ll come back, we’ll fix it and hopefully get it right for next week.”
***
Rams DT Aaron Donald – – December 10, 2017
(On some of the positives from this game)
“Yeah we’re fine. Like I said, we just have to watch the film and see what went on. There’s nothing to worry about, we’re still in a good position. We’re going to keep working and keep grinding. We’re still winning.”
(On the halftime adjustments)
“Just coaching, putting us in position to stop things that we were getting hurt with in the first half. We fixed it.”
(On if the showed anything different than what they saw on film)
“No, they just did a good job of executing plays and making stuff happen.”
(On if he thought they beat themselves with penalties)
“Yeah, anytime in a hard fought game, a tough game, you get penalties like that it’s going to hurt you. Like I said, they made plays, we made plays, but they made one more than what we did today.”
(On what this result makes next week’s game in Seattle)
“No matter what, we know what we have to do. It’s a divisional game with a team we’re always going back and forth with. We know it’s going to be a dog fight so we know we have to get prepared for it.”
December 10, 2017 at 10:54 pm in reply to: the press on the EAGLES game…tweets, vids, articles #78694znModeratorfrom Rams vs. Eagles Postgame Notes
– Gurley totaled 16 touches for 135 yards from scrimmage.
– Gurley notched two rushing touchdowns. He has 10 rushing touchdowns and three receiving touchdowns for a total of 13 touchdowns this season.
– With his performance today, Gurley eclipsed the 1,000 yard rushing mark. Marks the second time in his career that he has accomplished that feat. Gurley has 236 rushes 1,035 rushing yards so far this season.
– Rookie WR Cooper Kupp notched a 64-yard reception, his longest of the season and the second-longest reception for the Rams of the season. Kupp finished that same drive with a 6-yard touchdown. Kupp now has four touchdowns.
– Kupp has 10 20-plus yard receptions so far this season.
– Kupp (56) has set a new Rams record for most receptions by a rookie in a season. Previously, WR Eddie Kennison held with record with 54 which he set in 1996.
– Kupp finished with a team-leading five receptions with a team-high 118 yards, which marked his second game this season with 100-plus yards.
– WR Sammy Watkins hauled in his seventh touchdown pass of the season on a 1-yard pass.
– The Rams have now scored 104 points off of their 22 turnovers this season.
– Today’s game marked the sixth time this season that the Rams have forced a turnover on the opponents’ first drive of the game.
– OLB Robert Quinn sacked Wentz. Marked his 6.5 sack this season and 60.5 career.
– According to press box statistics, CB Jordan Johnson led the team in tackles with 10 (seven solo).
– WR Michael Thomas blocked Eagles P Donnie Jones punt and CB Blake Countess scooped it up and ran it 16 yards for a touchdown.
– The Rams special teams unit has blocked two punts [note: 3 actually], one field goal and one PAT this season.
– P Johnny Hekker punted five times for 282 yards. He placed three punts inside the 20 yard line and had a long of 64 yards.
znModeratorHaving said all that about SF they are winning halfway through the 4th quarter.
znModeratorVikings are doing against Carolina what they didn’t do against the Rams…turn the ball over…they trail 24-13 in the third.
and they’re not playing at home.
play the rams at home, and i think it’s a totally different game.
or at least i would hope so. looks like there’s a lot of eagles fans in la right now…
Keenum, so far, 2 INTs and 4 sacks … bound to happen sooner or later. As much as I like him he doesn’t have the pre-reqs to be a longterm starter. IMO he’s a great #2 level qb.
…..
December 10, 2017 at 3:36 pm in reply to: inactives & other last minute game set-ups…Tree plays today #78652znModeratorRyan Kartje@Ryan_Kartje
Taking the metro into the Coliseum, and it is entirely overrun by Eagles fans.December 10, 2017 at 3:26 pm in reply to: inactives & other last minute game set-ups…Tree plays today #78648znModeratorAlden Gonzalez
ESPN Staff WriterHealthy mix of boos and cheers as opposing players jogged onto the field. Looks like it’ll be 50-50 today with Rams and Eagles fans. Eagles fans travel very well.
znModeratorSF has no defense. Multiple holding and PI penalties on the same DB. They have no answer for Hopkins. Not much to watch here. Chores beckon.
znModeratorMontanaramfan wrote:
Mort said this morning that in the last two meetings between these coaches, McVay’s team ran up over 800 yards. I was curious so I did some checking. In the first game between Philly and Washington last year, the Skins rang up 493 yards, rushing for 230 yards and passing for 263. In the second game, Washington had 95 yards rushing and 288 passing. Washington won both games scoring 27 points in each. My point is that McVay knows how to attack Schwartz’s defense. As long as our own defense can hold the Eagles to under 20 points, I think we’ll win this game.
znModeratorIt is everywhere except around Seattle and Jacksonville. Even most of Florida gets the Rams/Eagles.
Good info thanks.
Looks like EugeneOregonRam is screwed though.
That’s okay he usually screws up the chat room experience with his endless cheesecake recipes.
znModeratorGurley vs. Eagles No. 1 Rush Defense a Marquee Matchup
Myles Simmons
The Eagles are No. 1 in rush defense, having allowed only 817 yards. They’ve allowed the fewest rushing touchdowns at four. And they have faced the fewest rushing attempts, at only 232.
So, what gives? Why is Philadelphia’s run defense so good in 2017?
“I think they’ve got great players. It’s a great scheme,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said this week of defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz’s unit. “You look at the way that those guys up front get off the football, they can run on all three levels, they pursue and they’re sound. They’re playing a lot of single-high structures, especially on some of those early down and distances. When you’ve got great players and you’re playing a lot of eight-man fronts and things like that, you’re going to get hats to the football.
“I think a lot of times what measures a great defense is the way they come off the football, the way they pursue, the way that they stay sound in terms of their gap integrity,” McVay continued. “You can see why they’re the best run defense in the league and it shows up on the tape.”
VIEW GALLERY | 46 Photos
PHOTOS: Week 14 Practice
But, the Eagles will be facing one of the best running backs in the league this weekend in Todd Gurley. He’s currently No. 3 in yards rushing at 939 and No. 2 in yards from scrimmage with 1,502. And he’s embracing the challenge of going against one of the league’s top defenses, particularly when it comes to the run.“I love being in a game like this,” Gurley said Thursday. “Like I said, you have to beat the best in order to be the best. That’s why I play the game — to be one of the best. Be one of the best at my position and to show why I deserve to be in this league and I want to be in this league a long time. I get excited about these games, going out there competing with the best of the best. I’m just looking forward to it.”
Gurley mentioned Fletcher Cox as one of the biggest reasons why the Eagles have been so stout against the run in 2017, calling him one of the best defensive linemen in the league.
“He’s a great player, great pass rusher, run stopper and their linebackers are great,” Gurley said. “They’ve just been playing good ball this year and been able to go out there and play at a high level.”
“He’s an elite D-lineman in this league and somebody that you better take notice of on every play and have a plan for — and I think we do have a plan for that,” offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur said Friday. “But, again, it’s about us going out and executing our plan and it will be a great challenge. You look at that – it’s not just Fletcher Cox. They roll about six, seven guys that can really come off the ball.”
When it comes to this good-on-good matchup between the two teams, McVay said the approach will likely be a combination of playing to Gurley’s strengths and trying to exploit any slight flaw in the Eagles’ approach. But there is a caveat to that.
“There’s really not much to exploit against this defense, they’re pretty good,” McVay said. “I think when you look at any game, you always want to first be mindful of, ‘Are we putting our players in the right situations that are conducive for their skillsets and their strengths?’ But then you also want to make sure that you’re running concepts and plays that you feel like are going to be productive against some of the fronts or some of the coverages that you’re seeing from the defense, so it’s a combination of both.”
And there’s also a level of responsibility that lies with the playcaller.
“I’ve got to do a good job of making sure to get Todd going early in the game and make sure that you try to maintain that certain level of balance if we’re able to stay efficient on those early downs,” McVay said. “I know that on the flipside, that’s one of the keys to them is, ‘Let’s eliminate them on first down, get them into the known passing situations and then we can really start to tee off.’”
Though much of the narrative this week has been about the quarterbacks Jared Goffand Carson Wentz, the Rams run game vs. Eagles run defense will also be a determining matchup in Sunday’s game.
“You get excited for games like this, [to] go out there and compete,” Gurley said. “You’ve got to beat the best in order to be the best and that’s what both teams are going out there to try to do.”
znModeratorIt can be painful being ‘relevant’ this time of year.
w
vI didn’t expect being relevant this year, so I kind of see it as the Rams being upstarts getting ahead of themselves.
They could win OR lose and either way it just seems like a dress rehearsal for all the upcoming years.
I arrived at that position through razor sharp reasoning.
znModeratorWe honestly don’t know how good these 2 teams are. The Eagles DO have the more solid defense in terms of personnel (Rams got holes). And the Eagles have been in the same systems for 2 years. And the Eagles have homefield advantage.
So it’s a tough game.
And the Rams up for a tough game of this type or is it a year too soon yet?
znModeratorRams face biggest test against Eagles, but only because it’s their latest
VINCENT BONSIGNORE
It’s a bit of a misconception to suggest the Rams are stepping into unfamiliar territory against the Eagles on Sunday at the Coliseum.
Certainly the stakes are as high as they’ve ever been, the Eagles sitting just one game ahead of them in the conference postseason picture and the opportunity to wrestle away the second seed in the NFC playoffs with a win.
That’s big stuff.
There is also the division race to think about and the need to stay a step ahead of the fast-charging Seahawks.
And from a drama standpoint, it doesn’t get much thicker than two young, up-and-coming teams representing the West and East coasts while being quarterbacked by the top two picks in the 2016 draft.
You’ve got Hollywood vs. blue-collar Philadelphia and Jared Goff against Carson Wentz with all sorts of playoff implications on the line, so yeah, the stage is as big as it gets for the 13th week of the regular season.
“This is a game everybody’s been anticipating,” said Todd Gurley. “You got number one and number two with Goff and Wentz. That’s all they’ve been talking about. It’ll be a good game though. You get excited for games like this. Go out there and compete. You’ve got to beat the best in order to be the best and that’s what both teams are going out there to try to do.”
The stakes aren’t so high they intimidate the Rams who, for all their lack of success the past 14 years are actually perfectly built and prepared to step onto the kind of brightly lit stage Sunday’s game against the Eagles provides.
Instead of bracing for it, you got the sense this week the Rams are eagerly awaiting it.
“You play this game for these big moments,” declared veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth. “It’s about that approach. To be excited for them and not be concerned or worried about them.”
It’s certainly not terrain so unfamiliar to the Rams they’re ill-equipped to navigate their way.
“We’ve been in big games like this before,” defensive tackle Michael Brockers said. “I think the Vikings game, when we played them, that was a big game. So we’re used to it. This is a young team but I think we’ve been through some fire throughout the season. So you just have to approach it like any other game. Prepare great. Trust what the coaches are preaching and trust the process.”
The reality is, almost from the moment the Rams marched into Dallas and beat the Cowboys in Jerry’s World to essentially announce themselves a real deal NFL contender, they’ve been defending and reaffirming their legitimacy ever since.
The Rams world effectively changed in Texas two months ago, and what resulted was the eyes of the football world monitoring their every step. Some looked on with admiration, others skepticism and even a few that predicted or worried the imminence of the other shoe falling.
Bill Parcells famously uttered the line: “You are what your record says you are.” But when you’re in the midst of the kind of last-to-first turnaround the Rams find themselves in after years and years of misery, how can anyone be be sure of anything?
And while our eyes revealed a powerful, emerging contender upon watching the Rams beat the Cowboys – if you’ve been around awhile you know what “it” looks like – the reality is the Rams have faced a series of litmus tests from that point.
That wasn’t exclusive to fans or onlookers, either. The Rams needed to prove to themselves their emergence wasn’t just a fleeting mirage.
Every game since has been high drama as a result.
Will the Rams continue to prove they belong? Or will they wilt under the pressure or succumb to a trap?
They spent a month away from home, playing two games on the East Coast and one in London.
They went to Minnesota to play the first-place Vikings.
The red-hot Saints rolled into the Coliseum with an eight-game win streak.
There was a trip to Arizona in a matchup that had all the makings of a trap game against the Cardinals.
It’s important to note the Rams have gone 6-2 since the breakthrough against the Cowboys.
Goff hasn’t plateaued, he has improved. The Rams offense hasn’t fallen off, it has sustained. And while there are some soft spots in the Rams defense, they generally get them fixed up at some point in the game.
They didn’t just survive the past nine weeks, they flourished.
The record plants them firmly in the thick of the NFC playoff race.
The experience has toughened them up for whatever looms ahead.
The former is vital for obvious reasons. The latter is essential for a team that hasn’t sniffed an important game in December in years.
And while Sunday represents their biggest test to date it’s only because it’s the most recent.
The Rams have been at this all year.
“There are, obviously, a little bit more implications later in the year, but it counts just the same as the first game of the year as any other game of the season,” Goff said. “So, really approach it the same way as those.”
Point being, the Rams have been dealing with these high-stakes for weeks now.
“Going to Minnesota and then playing at home against New Orleans, those were two great opportunities for us to have that experience,’ Whitworth said. “I think you learn and build from those. You find, hey what did we do good what are the things you wish you did better?”
Excited?
Yes.
Intimidated?
Don’t count on it.
znModeratorEagles-Rams: Biggest NFL game in L.A. in more than 20 years
Alden Gonzalez
LOS ANGELES — Upwards of 2,000 credentials were distributed, which is about 500 more than usual. The Fox pregame show will be staged onsite, live from Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. And the only tickets available at the start of the week were on the secondary market, a first this season.
Sunday’s 4:25 p.m. ET matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles isn’t just one of the biggest games this week, it’s the biggest NFL game that L.A. has experienced in decades.
You have to go all the way back to 1993, when the now-Oakland Raiders made a playoff run, to find equally relevant professional football in this city. And you have to go all the way back to 1983 to find the only other game between two teams averaging at least 30 points this late in the season, according to research from the Elias Sports Bureau.
The Eagles (10-2) and Rams (9-3) each come into their Week 14 matchup averaging 30.08 points per game, tops in the NFL.
The Eagles lead with a plus-146 point differential; the Rams are second at plus-139.
“It’s a great opportunity to play in a game like this,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “It’s a credit to both teams.”
Jared Goff and the Rams have had plenty to celebrate in their second season back in Los Angeles. Jeff Gross/Getty Images
Their ascensions have roots in the 2016 draft, when the Rams selected Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall pick and the Eagles countered with Carson Wentz at No. 2. Goff and Wentz are represented by the same agency, Rep 1 Sports, and spent the weeks leading up to the combine training together in Southern California. They pushed each other, built a respect for each other. And they have spent a lot of this season watching each other.Goff and Wentz make up only the seventh quarterback duo to be selected with the first two picks in the common draft era, which dates back to 1967, and are off to better starts than any of the previous six.
Carson Wentz, who was taken one pick after Jared Goff in the 2016 draft, has the Eagles in position to clinch the NFC East with a win. Daniel Kucin Jr./Icon Sportswire
“Obviously we’ll be forever linked because of the draft and everything, and I think we’re both excited for this game and just for those matchups in the future,” Wentz said. “But at the end of the day, they’re a great football team and so are we right now. So there’s a lot riding on this one just because we’ve got two good NFC opponents. There’s a lot more at stake than just me versus Jared.”NFL Playoff Machine
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With a win, the Eagles can clinch the NFC East and bump their chances of locking up a first-round bye to 97 percent. If the Rams win, they would maintain at least a one-game lead over the division-rival Seattle Seahawks — their opponent next week — and position themselves among the top two seeds in the NFC.The Rams will probably be without wide receiver Robert Woods and outside linebacker Connor Barwin, but they’re hoping inside linebacker Alec Ogletree can return from a hyperextended left elbow. The Eagles may be without star tight end Zach Ertz, who remains in concussion protocol.
Wentz leads the NFL with 29 touchdown passes, with Ertz, Nelson Agholor and Alshon Jeffery catching seven each. But the Eagles also rank second in rushing yards per game and are averaging an NFL-leading 68.0 yards after initial contact, thanks to a stout offensive line and the two-pronged attack of Jay Ajayi and LeGarrette Blount.
Defensively, the Eagles have allowed the NFL’s fewest rushing yards and have forced a three-and-out on 42.8 percent of possessions, on pace to be the best rate since the 2011 New York Jets, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
“They’re great in every aspect of the game — special teams, offense, defense, you name it,” Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “They’ve got great players on all sides.”
The Rams are tied for the NFL lead in points per game just one season after finishing dead last, their 16.1-point increase on pace to top the 1999 Rams for the largest year-to-year increase since the 1970 merger. Under McVay, Goff’s passer rating has improved from 63.6 to 98.4 and Todd Gurley has vaulted himself back into prominence, while tied for the NFL lead with 11 touchdowns and second with 1,502 scrimmage yards.
The Rams’ defense, led by Aaron Donald, ranks third in sacks per attempt (9.5 percent) and tied for fourth in forced turnovers (21). Eagles coach Doug Pederson was a backup quarterback in the NFL while Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was well into his coaching career.
“I’ve known him for a lot of years, and I think he’s done an outstanding job wherever he’s gone,” said Pederson, who is seemingly battling McVay for Coach of the Year honors. “You’re seeing it in the style of play and the aggressive nature that the defense presents.”
The Rams and Eagles have each experienced unconventional weeks. The Eagles stayed on the West Coast after last Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks and trained out of Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. The Rams were affected by wildfires that have devastated Ventura and L.A. counties, cancelling practice Wednesday and practicing through heavy winds Thursday. But both coaches shrugged off the logistical impacts on their respective preparations.
Given the talent and success on both sides, ESPN’s Football Power Index gave Eagles-Rams the third-highest pregame matchup quality of any game this season.
“This is a game everybody’s been anticipating,” Gurley said. “You get excited for games like this. Go out there and compete. You’ve got to beat the best in order to be the best, and that’s what both teams are going out there to try to do.”
znModeratorCraigMatson wrote:
Cameron Lynch trivia .
The only guy to be on Hard Knocks in two consecutive years .
He was a very good special teamer for us in 2015.
I remember him also being somewhat banged up in his Ram career .
Anyway he’s good vet pickup at this time of year.
Hatfield will probably get placed on PS squad .
Troy Hill and Robey-Coleman must both be in very good health I would assume.znModeratorDecember 9, 2017 at 1:31 pm in reply to: this article has new info in it on the trade-up for Goff #78599znModerator“The Rams had tried to trade up in the draft the
prior year, after scouting Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. But the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Titans held the top two spots and wouldn’t budge.”So would we rather have either of those two – or goff?
I would take Goff out of all 4, personally. (#4 being Wentz.)
…
============
I might take wentz over goff, but I’m not sure. tough call.
w
vIt’s a tough call all the way around. Them 4 is good quarterbacks.
I don’t know if I am objective about it though. Or, I don;t know HOW objective about it I am. But, I really do like Goff skills more I think. I like the wide array of types of passes he throws. How some are lasers and some are touch-feathered long passes with eyes.
The big Wentz selling points (basically he’s McNair) never resonated with me as much.
So whether or not I am being a homer, I am certainly invested in my own preferences.
So I would never argue with anyone who said they like Wentz better. I would argue with someone who said that Goff didn’t have as much talent. It’s obviously just a different kind of talent.
.
znModeratorNFL against the spread picks: The Eagles suddenly need this win
Frank Schwab
Shutdown Cornerhttps://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-spread-picks-eagles-suddenly-need-win-133517267.html
A week ago, the Philadelphia Eagles looked like a lock to get a first-round bye in the NFC and a good bet to get home-field advantage through the playoffs.
One loss changed a lot.
The Eagles lost last week to a good Seattle Seahawks team, and that put them in a tough spot. Another loss on Sunday to the Los Angeles Rams would put them in danger of not getting a first-round bye. It‘s possible for the Eagles to go from 10-1 to the third seed in the NFC in the span of eight days (an Eagles loss and a Vikings win would leave the Rams and Eagles in a two-way tie for the second seed at 10-3, and the Rams would have the tiebreaker). That says something about the competitive nature of the NFC this season.
It’s a big game for the Rams too, and not just because of the obvious playoff seeding implications. This is the biggest game for the team since they came back to Los Angeles. It wasn’t always a warm welcome in their homecoming last year. But L.A. loves winners, the Rams are winning, and could put themselves in a great position to get a bye with another win Sunday.
It won’t be easy. If there’s a criticism of the Eagles, it’s their schedule. Football Outsiders ranks it as the second-easiest in the NFL so far this season. But the Eagles have played very well against that schedule. It’s not a team with a clear weakness.
It’s a big game for both teams, and both teams have proven by now that they’re very good. But I lean toward the Eagles. I’m picking them as a 1-point underdog in the Yahoo Pro Football Pick’em, and a 2-point underdog in the Westgate SuperContest. I think they’re slightly better and they understand exactly what this game means. Lose it, and their path in the playoffs might be a lot harder than anyone anticipated a week ago. Either way, it should be one of the best games of the season (and a fun matchup between the top two picks of last year’s draft, Jared Goff and Carson Wentz).
December 9, 2017 at 11:56 am in reply to: this article has new info in it on the trade-up for Goff #78592znModerator“The Rams had tried to trade up in the draft the
prior year, after scouting Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. But the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Titans held the top two spots and wouldn’t budge.”So would we rather have either of those two – or goff?
I would take Goff out of all 4, personally. (#4 being Wentz.)
…
znModeratorElmgrovegnome wrote:
One interesting point made on some Fox Sports show was that the Eagles play a lot of man coverage. They also play to intercept. The result is that they are one of the worst defenses for Yards after the Catch. Who is the best offense for YAC? LA Rams.
On the show with Cowgerd, Eric Davis, Rey Lewis and Whitlock, three chose the Rams to win. Cowherd chose the Eagles because he thinks the fires in CA are a big distraction for the players. I am confident that McVay can keep them focused.
znModeratorCards players compare Goff and Wentz
http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-rams-cardinals-farmer-20171203-story.html
In terms of which quarterback is further along at this point in his young career, a sampling of Cardinals defenders said Wentz — but not by much.
“If I was to say who is the most commanding at the line, I’d probably have to go with Wentz,” Mathieu said. “But those guys are neck and neck when you talk about potential, how much they’ve grown, how well they protect the football. Are they able to spot blitzes? Are they able to spot coverages and try to put the offense in a different position?
“Goff’s not overwhelmed. Neither of them are. We tried to play a lot of man today and blitz a lot, and he doesn’t get rattled, he doesn’t get overwhelmed. A lot of that has to do with confidence, but you can tell that his team believes in him as well.”
Cardinals defensive lineman Frostee Rucker gives a lot of credit to McVay, pointing out how Goff gets to the line of scrimmage quickly, enabling McVay to speed-read the defense and deliver instructions to his young quarterback before the in-helmet radio cuts off with 15 seconds left on the play clock.
“Defenses stress to get on the ball because they think you’re going to snap it, and then they get to see what you’re in,” said Rucker, a former USC standout.
Meanwhile, the football world is talking about them.
They are Generation Next. It’s not Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning, but who knows what their rivalry will evolve into a few years down the road?
“They’re in good systems, they’re coached well, and the sky’s the limit for both those guys,” Arians said.
December 8, 2017 at 8:39 pm in reply to: Rams offense draws all sorts of attention–analysis of plays, week 14 #78578znModeratorThe @RamsNFL have incredible play calling, just as creative design and their 1st winning season since ‘03. These (2) clips are an example of why. @LATimesfarmer #Rams #LARams @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/n4ANaK5HAn
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) December 5, 2017
December 8, 2017 at 8:39 pm in reply to: Rams offense draws all sorts of attention–analysis of plays, week 14 #78577znModeratorChunk plays in the #NFL come from the play-action world. The @RamsNFL are doing it better than anyone. #Rams #LARams @LATimesfarmer @nflnetwork #RamsNation you have a special coach!! #gotem pic.twitter.com/L2Fc3QAMEB
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) December 5, 2017
December 8, 2017 at 8:38 pm in reply to: Rams offense draws all sorts of attention–analysis of plays, week 14 #78576znModeratorThe WR's up top here offer great illustration of #Rams offense. Tight 2×2 split on that side, stack release to create space off the line. pic.twitter.com/fY9z6WicdO
— Andy Benoit (@Andy_Benoit) December 1, 2017
December 8, 2017 at 2:56 pm in reply to: Rams offense draws all sorts of attention–analysis of plays, week 14 #78567znModeratorthe vids discussed here are above this post.
Eagle Eye: The Definitive Analysis Of The Rams’ Offense Under Sean McVay
Fran Duffy
I’ve spent a lot of time watching and studying this Los Angeles Rams offense over the last few weeks, and the scheme itself is really fun to watch for a number of reasons. The Rams are dangerous on the ground and through the air. They prey on defensive weaknesses. They roll out a number of difficult personnel packages for defenses to match up to. They put their players in great position to succeed based off of their skill sets. Head coach Sean McVay and his coaching staff have done a marvelous job in Year 1 out west.
The Rams rank 14th in the NFL with 115.3 rushing yards per game. Todd Gurley, a former top-10 pick, has been a threat in all areas of the field both on the ground as well as in the passing game. He’s a big, physical back with the short-area burst to fly through a hole and come out the other side at top speed. A one-cut runner with both speed and power, Gurley’s ability to pick up large chunks of yardage in the zone run game really gets this offense started.
Gurley’s best traits are on display in those three examples of their zone run plays. He’s got the vision to pick his way through traffic, the power to run through initial contact, and the speed to get to the corner or run away from defenders in the open field. The Rams run Outside Zone and Inside Zone primarily, but look out for Power and Trap concepts as well to keep his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage and get him going downhill as quickly as possible.
The Rams rank 11th in the league in carries per game, and their 45-55 run-pass ratio is the eighth highest in the league favoring the run game. As successful as they’ve been through the air, McVay knows how important it is to establish the run game. Much like the offenses he was a part of in Washington (with Kyle Shanahan and Jay Gruden as mentors), the offense starts with an effective rushing attack, and the passing game plays off of that.
With that in mind, the Rams have one of the best play-action schemes in the NFL. They utilize a ton of in-breaking routes at the intermediate area of the field, a void behind the linebackers who get sucked upfield by a run fake at the snap of the ball. Quarterback Jared Goff thrives off play-action.
These three throws demonstrate just how comfortable Goff is in these concepts. There’s a large amount of trust and faith in the system when you see throws like this. Goff turns his back to the defense on the run fake, hits the top of his drop, snaps his head around, and fires a pass between the numbers for a first down. In a lot of cases, this almost looks like a predetermined throw. Just drop back and pull the trigger, the window WILL be open, and a receiver WILL be there … all the quarterback has to do is trust the play call.
What’s also interesting about this is that Goff played in an offense at Cal that never had him under center. He never executed a play-action fake or turn his back to the defense like Carson Wentz did at North Dakota State. How would he react when forced to read things on the fly with faster defenders patrolling the middle of the field? McVay accepted that challenge, and with the schemes they’ve put into place they’ve created situations for Goff where things are so well-defined for him off of play-action that he has the confidence to pull the trigger and let his receivers go make a play. That’s a result of great coaching, and it will continue to do wonders for Goff’s development as an NFL quarterback.
Now, we haven’t charted Goff’s numbers off of play-action. I haven’t found a reliable service to get that number from. What I can say is that a large majority of the time when Goff throws the ball after taking the snap under center, it’s off of a play-action fake. A lot of the Rams’ quick-game throws come with Goff in the shotgun (again, great job of McVay putting him in a familiar situation). Here are the numbers when Goff lines up under center compared to when he’s in the shotgun.
QB JARED GOFF
Shotgun Stat Category Under Center
61.5 (163/265) Completion Percentage 63.8 (81/127)
1,836 Passing Yards 1,348
12/6 TD/INT 8/0
87.9 QB Rating 120.5
11.26 Yards Per Catch 16.6
6.93 Yards Per Attempt 10.6To be clear, I’m not extremely surprised to see these numbers. A lot of quarterbacks go deep off of play-action. That’s one of the benefits of the run fake, to buy the quarterback time as his receivers attack downfield. The Eagles’ defense needs to be aware that when Goff lines up under center; it’s going to be one of two things. You’ll either get a running play, or some kind of play-action pass attacking the intermediate or deep part of the field. The intermediate area is where the Rams want to go with the football more often than not. Here’s the first example of a concept they use to attack that level.
This is a passing concept that showed up for the Rams in the passing game week after week on tape. There are two vertical routes on one side – a comeback route from the No. 1 receiver and a straight vertical route from the No. 2 receiver. The No. 2 receiver’s job is to clear out the middle of the field and hold the safety in the post. On the opposite side, there is typically going to be some kind of route underneath going to the sideline. This is meant to hold the attention of any linebacker in the middle of the field. If his eyes are on that receiver, he won’t feel the dig route coming from behind, and that’s the intended target on this play. With the middle of the field open, the dig route typically has plenty of room to make this catch, and there’s a very well-defined window for Goff to throw into underneath. Watch how often the linebackers are affected both by the run fakes in the backfield and then by those complementary routes on either side of the field. There’s a lot of eye candy to take the attention away from the middle, and that’s where Goff wants to go with the football.
That last concept is great for picking up anywhere from 12-to-22 yards on any given play. If the receiver is able to run through the catch and pick up a bunch of yards after the play it’ll be an even bigger gain. However, one of the Rams’ big “deep ball” plays comes off of a concept that should be familiar to Eagles fans at this point: the three-level stretch. The Rams run a lot of three-level concepts off of play-action, with receivers flooded to one side of the field at all three levels (deep, intermediate, and short). These concepts work against pretty much any coverage. The ball still typically goes to the intermediate receiver, but Goff has shown that he will throw the deep ball depending on the safeties. Sammy Watkins, an explosive game-breaker who puts his ball-tracking abilities on display in that big play against San Francisco, is their primary deep threat. Expect to see some three-level concepts from the Rams on Sunday.
This is another shot play we’ve seen from the Rams off of play-action. It’s a two-man concept that really is viewed as one of the top Quarters beaters in all levels of football, but it can win against a number of other coverages as well. Here are two examples of the Rams running it this year against Houston. If the middle of the field is open, expect this ball to go to the post route every time, like it does on the first play to Robert Woods (who likely won’t play in this game due to injury). If the middle of the field is closed (meaning that there’s a safety in the deep middle), then expect that No. 2 receiver to get the ball on the deep out-breaking route for a first down.
Another vertical passing play we’ve seen a lot from this Rams offense is a concept that’s kind of taken the league by storm this fall. It started in the very first game of the season with the Chiefs against the Patriots where running back Kareem Hunt flew down the seam for a long touchdown pass. The Patriots used it the very next week, and McVay stole it from them to use against the Dallas Cowboys shortly thereafter. Gurley is explosive enough to get down the seam and be a factor in the passing game downfield. McVay has incorporated a few wrinkles into the concept throughout the course of the season. With the speed of Tavon Austin to stretch the defense horizontally, gaps are created at the second level to open up a void for Goff to deliver the football.
There are some of your biggest play-action schemes from this Rams playbook, but the Eagles need to be ready for more than just those intermediate routes. Like any good coach, McVay incorporates complementary play concepts that counter off of those downfield throws. If the Eagles, an aggressive defense, flow hard to where they THINK the ball is going to go, the Rams will dial up something to attack the opposite side of the field or hit them underneath with a play they weren’t expecting.
These are plays that I’ve seen often from the Kyle Shanahan (who McVay coached under in Washington) playbook. The screens, the throwbacks to the tight end, the underneath routes in the middle of the field off of boot action, these are all complements to Los Angeles’ play-action shot game. Keep an eye out for these on Sunday.
From a personnel standpoint, McVay consistently finds ways to leverage the strengths of his players and hide their weaknesses. For the former, I present exhibit A: Tavon Austin.
Austin was drafted in the Top 15 a few years ago out of West Virginia as an “offensive weapon.” Part receiver, part running back, all dynamic playmaker in college, the Rams had struggled to really get the most out of him throughout his career. Now, with McVay, you’re seeing him used in space on gadget plays, as a decoy (which you’ve seen in so many of the shots already in this piece), and on carries both in motion and out of the backfield as a pure tailback. When the Rams deploy him, how will the Eagles match up? Will they treat him as a running back or as a receiver? It’s a very similar discussion as to how they defended Tarik Cohen a couple of weeks ago against Chicago. I’ll be intrigued to see what the Eagles do in those situations.
I also have to pay compliments to the Rams’ coaches for the way they use wide receiver Cooper Kupp. The rookie mid-round pick from Eastern Washington set all kinds of records in college and was a fan-favorite throughout the draft process. Kupp has been extremely effective in the slot for this team. Like what Sean Payton does in New Orleans and Bill Belichick does in New England, the Rams use bunch sets and stacked receiver looks to help create space for Kupp. More importantly, these looks help keep Kupp clean off the ball. One of the primary issues analysts had with Kupp coming out of school was his inability to get off press coverage. If you notice in those plays above, he NEVER has to get off press and I’m sure that’s by design. Kupp can use his route-running skills and excellent hands to win in space. He’s turned into a really effective player in that offense.
So how do the Eagles defend this scheme?
First off, they have to stop Gurley and the run game. That’s a must. Secondly, get to Goff and throw him off schedule. Make him uncomfortable in every way possible and keep him from executing these pass plays within the structure of the offense. The linebackers and safeties have to play with strong eye discipline, particularly against play-action, and prevent the explosive play. This will be a big test on Sunday, and I’m really excited to see how it bears out.
Fran Duffy is the producer of “Eagles Game Plan” which can be seen on Saturdays during the season. Be sure to also check out the “Eagle Eye In The Sky” podcast on the Philadelphia Eagles podcast channel on iTunes. Prior to joining the Eagles in 2011, Duffy was the head video coordinator for the Temple University Football team under former head coach Al Golden. In that role, he spent thousands of hours shooting, logging and assisting with the breakdown of the All-22 film from the team’s games, practices and opponents.
znModeratorWith all that is going on with the fires–the practice problems, the distractions of what is happening in the community and possibly their own homes and some of the injuries–I get it.
PA, my catastrophe oriented friend, we have heard absolutely nothing about any of this having any effect on any Rams player or coach.
They had to do a walk through on Weds instead of practicing, but then were back to outdoor, pads on practicing by Thursday.
Not one of the stories on this gives any indication that any Rams players live in the areas that were in jeopardy.
My view on anxiety is this. It’s such a precious thing, better to save it for times when it’s actually pertinent.
znModeratorDoes Carson Wentz has the edge vs. Rams QB Jared Goff?
Does Wentz has the edge?
Concludes Warner, yes he are. He does has the edge. It am close though.
znModeratorTop 1-2 QB draft duo? It’s Goff-Wentz — so far
Kevin Seifert
This Sunday’s matchup between Jared Goff and Carson Wentz — oh, and the rest of their teams — represents a rarity in NFL history. The pair is one of only seven quarterback duos to be drafted No. 1 and 2 during the common draft era (since 1967), and in no other instance have both experienced this degree of success so soon — if at all.
As the playoff push accelerates, Goff has the Los Angeles Rams (9-3) atop the NFC West. Wentz’s Philadelphia Eagles (10-2) can clinch the NFC East as early as this week. Both rank among the NFL’s top 11 in passing yards and touchdowns, and if Wentz wins the NFL’s Most Valuable Player Award — he finished second in the latest edition of our MVP Poll — he would join Peyton Manning as the only quarterback drafted No. 1 or 2 in the common era to receive that honor. Manning, though, didn’t win his first of five MVPs until his sixth season.
Goff’s and Wentz’s success stands out in particular to the mostly desultory history of quarterbacks taken at the top of drafts. None have made the Hall of Fame, although Manning is a lock when he is eligible in 2021, and at least four can safely be called busts. You’ll find that the early success of Goff and Wentz already stands apart from their predecessors, though that history shouldn’t be stunning given the general ineptitude of teams typically at the top of the draft.
What follows is an attempt to rank the six previous duos, using balanced success as the primary category. (Pro Football Reference provides an amazing database for this type of information.)
1. Jim Plunkett and Archie Manning: 1971
By Year 2: The New England Patriots went 9-20 in 1971-72 with Plunkett as their starter. He threw 41 interceptions over that span. Manning’s New Orleans Saints were 5-16-3 in his starts as he was sacked a league-high 83 times in 26 total games.
Overall: Manning became a two-time Pro Bowl player for a Saints franchise that never managed a winning record during his 11-year tenure. When he retired in 1984, after stops in Houston and Minnesota, his career total of 23,911 passing yards ranked No. 7 in NFL history. Plunkett, meanwhile, found career success with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, leading them to victories in Super Bowls XV and XVII. Plunkett and Manning represent the only duo on this list that both developed into long-term starters for any franchise.
Rick Mirer landed in Chicago after four years in Seattle while Drew Bledsoe started eight full seasons in New England before being unseated by Tom Brady after suffering an injury early in his ninth year. Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
2. Drew Bledsoe and Rick Mirer: 1993By Year 2: Bledsoe led the NFL with 4,555 passing yards in 1994 for the Patriots and was named to the Pro Bowl. Mirer was less established, but still managed to start 29 of the Seattle Seahawks’ 32 games, during which the team compiled an 11-18 record.
Overall: Bledsoe was a four-time Pro Bowl player over his 14-year career that included stints with three teams. He was famously unseated as the Patriots’ starter by Tom Brady in 2001, but when he retired after the 2006 season, Bledsoe’s 44,611 passing yards ranked No. 6 in NFL history. The Seahawks gave up on Mirer after four seasons as their primary quarterback. They were 20-31 in games he started. Mirer made stops in Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Oakland before retiring in 2004. If anything, however, a 12-year career span stands out relative to this list.
3. Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III: 2012
By Year 2: Both players were instant sensations. Luck earned Pro Bowl honors in each of his first two seasons, leading the Indianapolis Colts to a pair of playoff appearances. Griffin was arguably better than Luck in their rookie year — he was named Offensive Rookie of the Year — throwing 20 touchdown passes and rushing for 815 yards to lead the Washington Redskins to a rare playoff appearance.
Overall: Neither has played in 2017. Griffin’s football world crashed after his magical rookie season and Luck’s career has been derailed by three years of injuries. Griffin rushed his return from knee surgery in 2013 and hasn’t played since an aborted run as the Cleveland Browns’ 2016 starter, in which he started only five games in total. Luck missed nine games in 2015, was less effective last season and will miss the 2017 season. While there is optimism that Luck can return to previous form in 2018, Griffin’s career is presumed to be over after 40 career starts.
4. Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota: 2015
By Year 2: Both players had winning records in their starts by the end of their second year. Mariota (8-7) threw 26 touchdown passes to have the Tennessee Titans in playoff contention. Winston (9-7) threw for more than 4,000 yards in each of his first two seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Overall: The trajectory has straightened in Year 3. Although the Titans are 8-3 and atop the AFC South, Mariota has struggled with interceptions, throwing 12 against 10 touchdowns in 11 starts. Winston has navigated a shoulder injury and the Buccaneers are just 2-7 in his starts. Their teams remain firmly committed to them as starters, but it’s undeniable that Winston and Mariota have stepped backward during a season in which there was hope they would break through as elite-level passers.
5. Tim Couch and Donovan McNabb: 1999
By Year 2: Couch lost 17 of his first 21 starts with the Browns and missed nine games in his second year because of a broken thumb. McNabb fared much better, making the 2000 Pro Bowl in his first full season as a starter for the Eagles.
Overall: Couch’s career was derailed by injuries and ended after the 2004 season. He did help lead the Browns to the playoffs in 2002, their only appearance in the past 19 years, but backup Kelly Holcomb started that game. Couch’s injuries and ultimate failure kicked off what has been a disastrous return to the NFL for the franchise. McNabb, on the other hand, was the Eagles’ starter for a decade. He earned six trips to the Pro Bowl, took them to five NFC championship games and an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIX. He was by far the best of a 1999 quarterback class that included five first-round draft picks.
6. Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf: 1998
By Year 2: The diametric contrast between the two players had already emerged. Manning rebounded from a 28-interception rookie season to throw for 4,135 yards and make the Pro Bowl for the Colts in 1999. Leaf followed a disastrous rookie season — two touchdown passes and 15 interceptions with the San Diego Chargers — by missing all of 1999 with a shoulder injury.
Overall: This story has been well told. Manning was one of the best players in NFL history, a five-time MVP and two-time Super Bowl champion. Leaf was one of the NFL’s all-time flameouts. He returned to the Chargers in 2000, but struggled once again, throwing 18 interceptions in 11 games and endearing himself to no one with a surly personality. He parted ways with the Chargers after the season and threw his last NFL pass a year later for the Dallas Cowboys. The Colts’ decision to choose Manning over Leaf, which was hotly debated at the time, proved one of the most fortuitous choices in league history. While Manning is the best player on the list, Leaf was the worst. When judging by class balance, this one deserves bottom billing.
znModeratorCarson Wentz has the edge vs. Rams QB Jared Goff? Kurt Warner breaks it down.
znModeratorThe story behind Jared Goff’s sophomore success
Tim Keown
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/21706760/los-angeles-rams-qb-jared-goff-leading-comeback-ages
This is going to be his moment, and his alone. He doesn’t know it right now, because right now he is doing what he always does, standing a few yards behind the center and making sure everyone lines up around him in the formation he commanded seconds before. You’ll figure this out soon enough, so there’s no narrative reason to hide the outcome: This play will end in a touchdown. The suspense isn’t in the result but in the path Jared Goff takes to create it.
The play, a second-and-goal from the 7, starts with 4:29 left in the second quarter of Week 12, with the Rams leading the Saints 10-7 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Goff has relayed the words that coach Sean McVay has spoken into his helmet, but as the play clock ticks down, McVay’s double-reed automatic-fire voice cuts out like a dropped call, a casualty of the NFL’s mandate that shuts down in-helmet communication for the final 15 seconds of the clock. That’s when Goff senses a problem: The Saints look as if they’re going to sink eight into coverage and rush three. The assigned play — a quick-hit slant — simply won’t work, not with so many bodies clogging passing lanes.
Goff takes a couple of steps toward the line and leans forward to shout a few words that mean something only to the men who share his uniform. Sometimes he shouts “Ric Flair!” and other times “Obama!” or “Tupac!” This time, whatever he says seems to make sense, because the linemen turn their helmets toward him and immediately back to their opponents in a choreographed wave.
He backpedals into position and stands up tall as he scans the Saints’ secondary like he’s trying to decide between cereals on a shelf. The clock is ticking down, and yet he’s in no particular hurry, which provides the opportunity to note that everything he does emanates from a demeanor that can occasionally be mistaken for disinterest. “Totally, totally unflappable,” center Jeff Sullivan says. “Never seen him flustered.”
As the play clock hits one, Sullivan sends the ball flying toward Goff’s outstretched hands. Three Saints begin a cautious pass rush and eight fall into coverage as Goff’s feet chop right, then center, then left, his body staying square, as if neck, shoulders, hips and knees work on the same axis. He’s not particularly fast, or even elusive, but he conducts the pocket like a cutting horse, making it appear that he’s herding thousands of pounds of human rather than avoiding them.
As the bodies recede around him, leaving him to cavort in the world’s largest pocket, he looks like an assertive, confident young man. This vision, and the sudden expectation that something good is about to happen, takes a moment to compute. Is this self-assured quarterback really Jared Goff, and is this routinely prolific 2017 team really the Rams? Bend your brain to the new reality: The malignant perception of a year ago — Goff as the slouchy, skinny and overwhelmed No. 1 pick of a doomed franchise-requires serious reconsideration.
Jared Goff’s sophomore season has been sensational — his 36.4-point increase in Total QBR is second-best in the NFL. Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The arc of a quarterback’s career is supposed to travel a predictable path. A great one, with a few exceptions, is always great. A good one improves gradually, fighting through the mythology of the position to become his best Andy Dalton or Kirk Cousins. A bust, sadly, is always a bust.So what do we make of a guy who doesn’t seep from one category to another but jumps it before anybody can see him coming? After being picked first in the 2016 draft, Goff started the final seven games of his rookie season — which included the final four games of Jeff Fisher’s 31-45-1 run as Rams coach — and lost all seven. It was seen as only mildly exonerating that his seven bad games happened when he was 22, starting his first real job, doing it in front of a skeptical and mostly uncaring city while working for an inflexible coach in a dysfunctional workplace. No, a bust is a bust-such is the durability of the label.
Thirteen weeks and nine wins into year two, Goff responds to the slight with his default response: a shrug.
“I’m not the first guy to play seven games and not win,” he says. “It’s not the first time in the history of football. Last year didn’t go according to plan, so it’s made out to be that this year is some sort of revival. I don’t see it that way. It’s more me just being myself again, getting back to what I know and what I’m used to doing.”
In the offseason, Rams general manager Les Snead reupholstered the NFL’s 32nd-ranked offense by hiring McVay, landing receivers Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods, drafting the NFL’s most productive rookie receiver in Cooper Kupp and strengthening the offensive line by signing Sullivan and tackle Andrew Whitworth. Surrounded by more talent and more assured in his role, Goff has become the first Rams 3,000-yard passer since Sam Bradford while leading the team to a 9-3 record and a one-game lead over Seattle in the NFC West heading into Week 14.
Those seven games, though, hang over him like a cartoon anvil. He must explain this year and defend last year at the same time, over and over. To adequately praise this year, last year must first be exhumed.
“A lot of people had written him off after seven games with that offense last year,” says Adam Dedeaux, a quarterbacks coach who’s worked with Tom Brady and Matt Ryan and who conducted more than 30 sessions with Goff this offseason. “The biggest thing I hope will come out of last season is that people will be a little less eager to call someone a bust. Hopefully people will say, ‘We were quick to judge, and he came back the second year and killed it.'”
But the temptation to fashion an alternative reality — to hear hoofbeats and conclude zebras rather than horses — is apparently too strong to resist. And the NFL, as much as any other American institution, exalts patriarchy, whether it’s an elderly owner or a 31-year-old boy wonder head coach.
So after it became known through the cameras and microphones of NFL Films that McVay sometimes pushes tempo by getting his offense to the line early enough to help Goff read defenses through the magic of the helmet speaker, a much tidier explanation for Goff’s success emerged: The virtuosity of McVay’s brain must be the reason his quarterback no longer looks like a bust. And so it was decreed that McVay deserves the credit, because sometimes it’s easier to push credit in another direction than to reassess facts.
McVay speaks without commas, the words and sentences and paragraphs racing for the safety of open air. He’s the youngest head coach in the NFL, a fact that will be mentioned immediately before or after his name until the day someone younger is hired. He is small and fit, perhaps the only head coach who can jump into individual drills and backpedal fast enough to give Watkins — running at about three-quarter speed, but still — a semi-legitimate approximation of a defensive back. As McVay speaks, you can catch a hint of early-onset coach voice. The gravel is building on the backbeat, and you can already hear what he’s going to sound like as an old man.
But McVay’s most observable trait is his recall of plays — no, not plays, exactly, but the grainy elements that comprise the broader concept of a play, and maybe even some of the grainier elements encased within those grainy elements. “He could eliminate a lot of people’s worries about his age if they just sat with him,” says Whitworth, who is four years older than his coach. “Age is irrelevant when you listen to him.”
His ability to rattle off details about max drop 8s and man beaters and three-man rushes with loaded zones is not just impressive but, frankly, borderline disturbing, though McVay laughs off the suggestion that he possesses a photographic memory. “I probably don’t have any room in my mind for anything but football. My dad tells me I’m a total vegetable outside of just knowing football.”
On the day he interviewed to be the Rams’ coach, McVay mentioned how much he would love to sit down and speak with Goff. Snead, who had already determined that McVay was probably getting the job, arranged for Goff to drive up the coast from Orange County to Marina del Rey for a meeting the following day.
To prepare, McVay went to his room and cut a tape of Goff’s 2016 season. He made sure to mix in enough good to lessen the sting of the bad. The next day they met for more than two hours, with McVay outlining the broad strokes of his philosophy while Goff marveled at the energy. “He was speaking the way Coach does,” Goff says, “and I was trying to keep up.”
“I was really impressed with his ability to take full accountability for what had happened,” McVay says. “He could have had a tendency to blame everyone else for things that happened, but he didn’t do any of that. I thought, ‘This guy’s wired the right way.'”
McVay promised to fashion the offense to his players’ talents, starting with Goff. Perhaps because of his youth and relative inexperience (he was Washington’s offensive coordinator for three seasons before coming to LA), he is not bound by a signature style or some 23andMe banyan tree of coaching legacies. In his mind, it’s not a brand, it’s a team. He solicited input from his offensive linemen on details as small as line-of-scrimmage verbiage and as big as their favorite run plays.
“He’s young, and he’s not stuck in his ways like some coaches are,” Goff says. He pauses and rushes to add, “I’m not referring to any of the staff I’ve been with. I’m just saying in general you hear about guys who say, ‘This is the way we do it.’ If there’s some sort of footwork or concept I don’t feel comfortable doing, he’s more than willing to adjust.”
After a recent practice, guard Rodger Saffold sat at his locker singing as he tossed his practice gear over his shoulder. When asked if he sang as often during his previous seven seasons with the Rams, none of which produced a winning record, he said, “I might have been singing, but it would have been to raise my spirits.” He laughed, and when asked another question — what is the biggest difference with Goff this season? — he said, “Different coaching. That’s the key. Always is, man. Always is.”
The Rams were such a persistent nonfactor (an NFC-worst 12 straight nonplayoff seasons makes them the Browns without the annoying laugh track) that it’s hard to overstate the enormity and immediacy of the turnaround. The team went from dead last in scoring offense (a Dickensian 14 points per game in 2016) to tied for first (30.1) through Week 13, a transformation few saw coming. Other than McVay, that is. During the offseason, Snead told his coach, “You know, if we can go from 32nd to 20th or so on offense …”
McVay cut him off.
“You really think that’s all we’re going to do?”
“But that’s good, Sean,” Snead said. “That’s showing progress.”
McVay, unconvinced, gave his boss a look. It suggested that progress was an insult.
Goff stands there chopping his feet and looking for seams in the Saints’ defense. The three defensive linemen continue their halfhearted rush, and the Rams’ receivers continue their recess-level route improv. For a moment, it seems possible that this one play might consume the rest of the afternoon.
Goff looks off his first two reads before motioning with a flick of his left hand — something resembling a no-more-cards motion to a blackjack dealer — for rookie receiver Josh Reynolds to keep running along the back of the end zone. And just as Reynolds creates the slightest sliver of daylight, Goff fires it low and hard, past three defenders and to a spot accessible only to Reynolds, who catches it at knee level and protects it with a roll.
You want vision, leadership, confidence? This isn’t McVay whispering the sweet secrets of genius into Goff’s ears before the helmet mic shut off at 15. You want intelligence, fearlessness, adaptability? This is a young quarterback in a big game, with his 5 o’clock stubble that probably took three days to grow, improvising and succeeding in a way that causes the game’s poets to expound with florid and hyperbolic prose about leaders of men and seers of defenses.
After the Rams beat the Saints, and the Cardinals the next week to ensure their first winning season in 14 years, that play became a symbol of New Goff. “This is a miracle turnaround, right?” Snead asks. “It’s deemed a miracle when in essence you took a kid who was 20 years old, he went through some growing pains and got better in year two. When you break it down like that, it doesn’t necessarily seem like a miracle, does it?”
The following Wednesday, during his weekly news conference, Goff is asked to break down what he saw, from beginning to end, on the touchdown pass to Reynolds. He gives it his best, in a slow and decidedly non-McVay fashion. He answers the question while anticipating the one that will follow. It’s been there in some form or another, week after week, win after win, hanging in the air above each questioner like a thought bubble. You can almost read Goff’s mind: Wait for it … wait for it … and, predictably, as soon as he stops talking, there it is:
Do you think you could have made that play last year?
What’s the statute of limitations on last year? “He’s tired of that,” Snead says. “He’s so tired of that.” At what point does the calculus — nine wins and a division lead this year compared with seven losses last year — tip in his favor? Goff looks out at the room like he is disappointed it is still there. What can he do? Refuse to answer? Object on the grounds of relevance?
“I can’t speak on whether I could have done it last year,” he says. “I don’t know. I didn’t get the opportunity to, I guess.”
The predictability makes it kind of funny. The predictability makes it kind of infuriating. The happiest fatalist you’ll ever meet has resigned himself to his one intractable truth: He can’t shake last year, even while he’s shaking it.
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