Three takeaways from Rams’ win over Saints

Ron Clements

http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/news/saints-rams-coliseum-nfc-novsla-drew-brees-jared-goff-alvin-kamara-three-takeaways/ayf9khydz6b1dhqqdt34ixj5

The Rams want to prove to the rest of the NFL they are for real.

After failing their first test against one of the NFC elite last week in Minnesota, the Rams responded Sunday with a 26-20 win over the Saints at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

The Rams’ defense kept the Saints’ high-powered offense in check with 346 yards. Saints quarterback Drew Brees had a hard time getting in rhythm against an aggressive Rams front. Brees was sacked three times and threw for 246 yards on 22-of-32 passing. He was also held without a touchdown pass for the third time this season, but unlike the previous two times that happened, the Saints were unable to rely on their ground game.

Outside of a 74-yard touchdown run by rookie running back Alvin Kamara, the Saints (8-3) could not establish much else. The Rams (8-3) held the Saints to 49 yards on the 16 other New Orleans rush attempts.

In snapping New Orleans’ eight-game win streak, the Rams proved they are a force with which to be reckoned in the NFC.

Here are three takeaways from the Rams’ win over the Saints
1. Rams are the best team in the NFC West — After knocking off the Saints, the Rams have arrived as NFC contenders and emerged as the favorites to win the NFC West. The Rams will face the Cardinals (5-6), who knocked off the Jaguars (7-4), next week before two more huge tests against the Eagles (10-1) and Seahawks (7-4). The Eagles have won nine straight after dominating the Bears Sunday, but will have to visit the L.A. Coliseum.

The Seahawks, who have won the NFC West three of the last four seasons, beat the 49ers (1-10) on Sunday. The Dec. 17 game against the Rams could decide the division. The Seahawks beat the Rams in L.A. earlier this season and a season sweep would give Seattle an all-important tiebreaker in the division. But the Seahawks have lost two straight at home and the air of invincibility is gone from CenturyLink Field. While the Seahawks are beaten up on defense and have been relying on Russell Wilson to carry the offense, the Rams are a complete and healthy team and the best in the NFC West.

2. Saints are still the team to beat in the NFC South — As Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt continues to struggle, Kamara might now be the favorite to be the NFL’s Rookie of the Year. The running back from Tennessee carried the load for the Saints offense on Sunday. Kamara ran for 87 yards and had six catches for 101 yards while making incredible play after incredible play.

The Saints and Panthers are even with an 8-3 record, but the Saints won earlier in Charlotte and can complete a season sweep next week in New Orleans. The Saints dominated the earlier game and will be favored to win next week.

3. Sean McVay is a lock for Coach of the Year — Even if the Rams don’t win another game this season, McVay will be the NFL’s Coach of the Year and deservingly so. The Rams will not have a losing season for the first time since 2004 and, with just one more victory, they will clinch their first winning season since 2003.

The Rams have had a remarkable turnaround since last year’s disastrous 4-12 campaign. The 31-year-old McVay has energized the team and changed the culture of negativity that existed under previous coaches. McVay was touted as a quarterback guru and he’s done wonders with second-year quarterback Jared Goff, who looked lost as a rookie.

Goff has been superb this season and turned in his fourth 300-yard passing game of the season. He threw two touchdown passes to give him 18 for the year to just four interceptions. The Rams have been hitting big plays all year and a 53-yard strike to rookie Cooper Kupp set up a 7-yard touchdown pass to rookie Josh Reynolds.

MMQB: Why the Saints Need to Run Over L.A.

By Gary Gramling

https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/11/25/week-12-new-orleans-saints-los-angeles-rams-paxton-lynch-start-dolphins-offensive-line-patriots

1. A week ago, we all watched Drew Brees lead a Drew Brees comeback for a Drew Brees win, and remembered Drew Brees making other Drew Brees comebacks en route to other Drew Brees wins. But for the bulk of this season, the story of the Saints has been “things that aren’t Drew Brees.” Around these parts, we’ve written plenty about how the Saints suddenly got good on defense (yes, and on the offensive line, we’ll get to that, so stand down, Jonathan Jones fan boys), fueling their turnaround after three straight 7-9 seasons.

And the defense’s dominance has been the result of massively improved play in the secondary, thanks in large part to the addition of Marshon Lattimore. Rookie safety Marcus Williams has been an upgrade in the back, and CB Ken Crawley (who is on a personal 10-game winning streak, by the way) has been a gift from the heavens opposite Lattimore. But the rookie corner has given them a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber shutdown corner, taking pressure off the rest of the secondary, which in turn has bought an extra beat for a B-plus pass rush, allowing them to produce at an A-level. With Lattimore (ankle) (and Crawley) out for the Rams game, the pH level of this defense gets thrown off, and not in a good way.

But like all great teams, there’s chemistry between what the Saints do on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Almost a romance. Like The Notebook. Or all those movies that used to come on Cinemax late at night. The defense is much improved, but the run game (there’s that offensive line, told ya we’d get to it!) has given that defense a big boost. Over the first two weeks of the season, the Saints defense was on the field for 33 minutes, 11 seconds per game. During the eight-game winning streak, the Saints have won the time-of-possession battle in every game but one (last week’s overtime win over Washington), and the defense has been on the field for an average of just 26:24.

So as much as there is a concern that Jared Goff and Co. will carve up a shorthanded secondary, the Saints running game can easily remedy that, especially against a Rams defense that is talented, fast, aggressive, and susceptible to the run.

L.A. gave up big rushing days at Dallas (189 rushing yards, 7.0 average) and Jacksonville (169, 6.5), as well as in losses to Washington (229 rushing yards, 5.9) and Minnesota (171, 4.9). The Saints are good up front, but they are also so diverse, and both Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara thrive on the kind of misdirection designs that can pick this Rams defense apart. Linebackers Alec Ogletree and Mark Barron are fast and light. Aaron Donald, as spectacular as he is, can get overaggressive and take himself out of position at times. The Saints should be able to use the Rams’ defensive strengths against them. That, more than Brees, Goff and the Saints’ injuries, could be the story of this game.

These teams "dink and dunk" the most with SHORT THROWS!#GoPackGo #GoSaints #ChiefsKingdom #SKOL #Chargers #RavensFlock #HereWeGo #OnePride #FinsUp #KeepPounding #HTTR pic.twitter.com/K6adLAF1T8

— NFL Matchup on ESPN (@NFLMatchup) November 24, 2017

from NFL Week 12 game picks: Rams edge Saints

By Elliot Harrison

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000881557/article/nfl-week-12-game-picks-rams-edge-saints-falcons-roll-on

Rams 28 Saints 25

Sunday, Nov. 26 @ 4:25 PM ET

Scoring might be higher in this contest, although New Orleans’ defense has been stout for the balance of the season, and the Rams’ unit has really come on over the last six games. Neither played particularly well last week. Wade Phillips’ group struggled with those talented Vikings wideouts, playing without a full deck in the secondary. The Saints can empathize, as the absence of cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore (who left early last week with an ankle injury) and Delvin Breaux ( on injured reserve) really hurt against Kirk Cousins. New Orleans won’t have the home crowd to lean on this week, but either way, this should be a fantastic matchup.

Fun fact: The Saints and Rams are two of the three teams in the league that can boast both a top-10 rushing offense and top-10 passing offense this season (the Chiefs are the other). Only two squads could claim that last year: the Patriots and Falcons. You might have heard that they played in the Super Bowl.

"We’ve got to take care of the ball. When we do… we’re 7-0. When we don’t… we’re 0-3. There’s definitely no secrets there."#NOvsLA pic.twitter.com/08zeMjFPpX

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 24, 2017

PFT’s Week 12 picks

Mike Florio

PFT’s Week 12 picks

Saints at Rams

MDS’s take: The Saints are playing as well as any team in football right now, but in Los Angeles I think they’re going to struggle against a very good defense and lose a low-scoring game.

MDS’s pick: Rams 14, Saints 13.

Florio’s take: It’s the game of the day, regardless of whether Angelinos will show up accordingly. The Saints are too balanced, and the Rams were exposed a bit in Minnesota.

Florio’s pick: Saints 30, Rams 27.

Opponent Breakdown: With Improved Run Game, Saints Offense is Excelling

Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-opponent/Opponent-Breakdown-With-Improved-Run-Game-Saints-Offense-is-Excelling-/c2424df4-6b08-4505-96c0-7a616a358c55

Drew Brees is a Hall of Fame-caliber quarterback. Of that, there is no doubt.

Originally a Chargers second-round pick in 2001, Brees has turned into one of the best quarterbacks of all time since arriving with the Saints in 2006. Now in his 12th season with New Orleans, and 17th season overall, the 38-year-old quarterback is No. 3 all time in yards passing (68,894) and No. 3 in passing touchdowns (480).

Brees was a solid quarterback in his five seasons with the Chargers. But he’s become the quarterback everyone has come to know and respect under head coach Sean Payton in New Orleans.

Payton and Brees have one of the longest coach-quarterback relationships in the league, and that manifests itself on a weekly basis.

“I think the very first and obvious one is just the amount of time — 11 years for me, 12 years for him in the system,” Payton said this week. “There’s nuances of course, over the years there is personnel that change, receivers or tight ends, running backs and you’re always kind of paying attention to your own team and putting wrinkles in that fit maybe what you want to do and there is that database, let’s just say, of reps or remembering certain games or plays.

“So, I think No. 1 would just be the time on task. In today’s NFL, that is not always the norm and then the continuity within the staff — [Saints offensive coordinator] Pete Carmichael has been here for all 12 of those seasons — so really there hadn’t been an offensive change in regards to terminology. There’s been some constants and obviously there have been additions and subtractions and things you do differently, but that would be a starting point I think.”

That continuity has Brees still playing at an elite level in 2017, as he’s completed a league-leading 71.6 percent of his passes for 2,783 yards with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was the Chargers’ defensive coordinator in the mid-2000s when Brees was San Diego’s quarterback, and said he’s admired Brees throughout his career. And with 242 games of experience, Brees is particularly difficult to surprise. There’s pretty much nothing he hasn’t seen.

“Not only does he see things, he studies,” Phillips said. “If a guy has a different stance, if a guy puts his hands on his hips and does this” — Phillips motioned to his hips — “then he’s going to blitz. He knows those things, too.

“Like a lot of players in the league, a lot of players have talent, but he has great talent and he learned to utilize it,” Phillips continued. “So, I admire him for the way he prepares. The Peyton Manning-type preparation — that’s Drew Brees.”

But if there’s one factor in this year’s Saints team that has bought it to an 8-2 record after finishing 7-9 for the three straight years, it’s the emergence of New Orleans’ run game.

The Saints are currently No. 3 in rushing, led by Mark Ingram and rookie Alvin Kamara. The two have combined for 1,265 yards rushing and 1,925 yards from scrimmage this season.

“I think anytime you’re having a decent amount of success running the football you’ve got to be able to block the perimeter well with the receivers,” Payton said, also complimenting the offensive line for setting the tone up front. “Mark and Alvin have done a real good job.”

Payton also credited Adrian Peterson — who the Saints traded to the Cardinals midseason — for his influence on the group. “[C]ertainly they looked up to just his work and attention to detail and I think that, like anything, you begin to do a few things and you just keep working on getting better at it. But, the continuity on the offensive line, the depth at tackle and obviously Mark and Alvin have complemented each other pretty well.”

Phillips said the run game with Ingram and Kamara has been the biggest difference with this year’s Saints offense.

“They’ve got the best running game they’ve had since they won the Super Bowl and I think that’s the real key,” Phillips said. “They’re really powerful offensively now. They can run the ball and win or they can throw the ball and win. Before, it was all on [Brees] and this year’s team is different.”

Mark Ingram has been a quality running back since he came out of Alabama in 2011, but eclipsed 1,000 yards for the first time in 2016. One of his marquee games last year came against Los Angeles, as he rushed for 146 yards and a touchdown in New Orleans’ 48-21 victory.

But Kamara has aded a significant amount of value to the Saints’ backfield. Many times, New Orleans will rotate in the rookie out of Tennessee with Ingram on the same drive, providing a two-pronged attack. Kamara has also been a solid pass catcher, making 49 receptions for 447 yards with three touchdowns. He’s received the second-most targets on the team behind wide receiver Michael Thomas.

“They remind me of Atlanta last year,” Phillips said. “Two different backs, but they’re both especially good. One of them is more into the running game, the other is more into the passing game, so both of them give you problems at both. Kamara is really the big threat out of the backfield and of course Ingram is running the ball. But, they can do either one, so planning for both of them is not easy because, like I said, they can interchange or both do run and pass. But you’ve got stop Ingram from running the football and I think you’ve got to stop the other guy from catching the ball as much as you can and then try to hold them down in the other area.”

But even if those running backs get slowed down, the Saints have a dynamic playmaker in second-year receiver Michael Thomas. The wideout out of Ohio State leads the team with 65 receptions for 753 yards and has caught a pair of touchdowns.

“Mike was kind of one of those players where we were hoping we had an opportunity to get him on our team,” Payton said. “Fortunately, we were able to. He’s very competitive, he’s got strong hands in traffic and it’s very important to him. I would say his work ethic, the attention to detail — those intangible things have served him well.”

Money throw by Keenum with a huge hit coming! pic.twitter.com/WPysKu0qWR

— Gordon McGuinness (@PFF_Gordon) November 23, 2017

The highest graded safeties after Week 11 pic.twitter.com/aTZVOxmkIC

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) November 23, 2017

Rams hope Saints’ backs won’t have them on the run

RICH HAMMOND

link: http://www.ocregister.com/2017/11/23/rams-hope-saints-backs-wont-have-them-on-the-run/

THOUSAND OAKS – The Rams had the drill down perfect for nine games. Come in for halftime, hydrate and figure out how to shut down the opponent’s run game. Then came last week, and Minnesota.

Typically excellent against the run in the second half, the Rams turned porous last week against the Vikings, a big reason Minnesota pulled away for a 24-7 victory. Was it a blip or a cause for concern? The answer should be evident Sunday, when New Orleans and its stellar running game visits the Coliseum.

The Saints feature Mark Ingram (806 yards, eight touchdowns) and Alvin Kamara (459 yards, four touchdowns), who combined have rushed for 4.8 yards per carry, tied for the NFL’s best average.

“We can play good run defense and I think we will,” defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said Thursday. “It’s a work in progress. Points are the key thing. I think we get overzealous on how many yards (opponents) made or didn’t make, or what they made rushing or passing. You’ve got to keep them out of the end zone, you’ve got to keep them from scoring.

“We had a game that was 7-7 last week going into the fourth quarter against a pretty good team on the road. Now, we’re playing at home against a really good offensive team, too, so that’s going to be challenge. But it’s week-to-week on trying to improve.”

The Rams’ run defense has been somewhat maligned this season, because it allows an average of 4.5 yards per carry, tied for the sixth-worst in the NFL. That’s not great, but it ignores something that had been a trend, at least until last week: the Rams figure out things at halftime.

Before the Minnesota game, the Rams had allowed a total of 733 rushing yards in the first half, compared to 339 in the second half. They’d shut down backs such as Leonard Fournette and Ezekiel Elliott.

Then, last Sunday, the Vikings had only 72 rushing yards at halftime of a game that was tied 7-7. In the second half, the Vikings rushed for 99 yards, the most given up by the Rams in a second half this season, and they pulled away in the fourth quarter against a Rams defense that looked increasingly gassed.

“One game doesn’t dictate and determine what we feel like we are,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “To say you’re concerned, I think there’s just always a level of urgency, knowing you’re going against a very good rushing team this week. We’ve got to make sure we’re on the screws with our preparation and our approach, and the players have to be aware of it.”

Sunday marked the first time since the season opener – a blowout of Indianapolis in which the Rams went to backups early – in which the Rams allowed more rushing yards in the second half than in the first.

Some of the yardage disparity could be explained by the score. The Rams started the season with a 7-2 record, so naturally they were ahead for much of those games, and in the second halves, opponents focused more on throwing the ball and attempting to catch up. That doesn’t always explain it, though.

Against Dallas on Oct. 1, the Rams trailed 24-16 and the Cowboys had 133 rushing yards at halftime. The Rams stormed back to win 35-30 and the Cowboys had only 66 second-half rushing yards.

Washington led the Rams 20-10 at halftime on Sept. 17, with 167 rushing yards, and held on to win but rushed for only 62 second-half yards. Two weeks ago, Houston trailed only 9-7 at halftime, with 78 rushing yards, but totaled only 11 in the second half and got blown out.

So clearly it’s not all dictated by game score. In fact, it could be argued that the Rams’ problem on run defense last week was more about their weakness on pass defense.

The Vikings struggled to run the ball in the first half, but after the Rams lost cornerbacks Kayvon Webster and Nickell Robey-Coleman to injuries, the Vikings started to pass on the Rams with success. That seemed to open up things for the Vikings’ run game, particularly Latavius Murray.

New Orleans arguably has the most-balanced offense the Rams have faced this season, as it includes future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees. Ingram has rushed for 100 yards in four of his last six games — and topped 130 yards in his last two games – and Kamara averages 6.4 yards per rush.

The good news for the Rams is that even though their run defense has been porous at times, they’ve allowed only one opposing back to reach 100 yards. Jacksonville’s Fournette gained 130, but that included a 75-yard touchdown on the game’s first offensive play. After that, Fournette gained only 55 yards on 20 carries.

INJURY REPORT

The Rams got mixed news on the health of their cornerbacks during Thursday’s practice at Cal Lutheran. Webster (concussion) returned in a limited role but Robey-Coleman (thigh) remains out.

Robey-Coleman’s status for Sunday appears to be in doubt, and he would be replaced, as the Rams’ nickel back, by safety Lamarcus Joyner or cornerback Blake Countess.

Mark Barron (hand) and Lance Dunbar (knee) remained out, and Aaron Donald missed practice with an illness.

What They’re Saying: The New Orleans Saints

Kristen Lago

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/What-Theyre-Saying-The-New-Orleans-Saints/d41581c6-78d7-431b-9249-6d3d89632163

Each week TheRams.com will be taking a look at what Los Angeles’ opponents have to say about facing the Rams. Heading into Week 12 of the regular season, check out what the New Orleans Saints’ coaches and players had to say about their upcoming matchup against the Los Angeles Rams at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum:

On the hallmarks of a Wade Phillips defense:

“I would say the coverage scheme would start with man principles. In other words, he does a good job of mixing up his single safety man defense (and) two-man. They play some quarters looks (that) they match. There aren’t many spots where you are just sitting down. They do a real good job of matching their coverage to your personnel and contesting throws. I think over the years he’s built it from a 3-4 front, played some variations from it. You’re seeing even some tweaks this year. I think the technique (is sound). You don’t see many mental errors. You see guys knowing what to do and doing it awfully well.”

– Saints’ HC Sean Payton

“Wade Phillips is a guy who coached with the San Diego Chargers when I was there. Obviously we played against him a number of times. I have so much respect for him. He’s one of the most respected guys from my perspective in the league. You know the type of defense that’s going to be. You know the type of energy they’re going to play with and we’re going to have to match that and execute to perfection.”

– Saints’ QB Drew Brees

On how difficult facing the Rams will be in Week 12:

“They’re a division leader. They’re just coming off of a tough loss on the road and I’m sure they’re going to be wanting to turn that team around at home. So, I’m sure we’re going to get their best shot. All we can do is prepare and focus on ourselves and correct the mistakes from the day, improve tomorrow and get ready to go out there and play our best game.”

– Saints’ RB Mark Ingram

“We understand the challenges that are coming up ahead of us. Don’t look any further than the Rams. They’re fighting for the exact same things that we are fighting for and they have had a phenomenal season thus far. We know it’s going to be an extremely tough matchup for us. Playing these guys last year, they’ve got really, really good personnel. Sean McVay has done a tremendous job there.”

– Saints’ QB Drew Brees

On what he has seen from WR Sammy Watkins this season:

“He’s a guy that has tremendous speed and can get down the field and get behind you. There are a handful of things they are doing extremely well with him. I think Sean (McVay) and those guys on offense have had outstanding play design creativity. They’re changing plays at the line, they are changing plays in the red zone trying to get to some advantageous looks and they are clearly on the same page and they do a good job with their tempo to allow themselves time to do that. I think he’s found a niche there and a home there and I’m talking about Sammy.”

– Saints’ HC Sean Payton

On quarterback Jared Goff and his deep ball:

“He throws some deep balls, but there’s probably about 20-30 balls he’s overthrown. He should have more than that, which is pretty unbelievable. But yeah, they do take shots. It’s all predicated off their run game with Todd Gurley. Everything runs through him. They’re going to run you, run you, run you and then take their play action shots. You just have to make sure you stay on top of Sammy Watkins.

– Saints’ S Kenny Vaccaro

On what makes Todd Gurley so difficult to defend:

“He is strong. I think he has tremendous balance and I think he has this burst through a hole that you saw on (his) college tape. Where he can hit it and crease you quickly. He’s very comfortable catching the football and he can block the pressures. He checks these boxes and there’s not one area where you say he can only catch check downs. He is a viable target in the passing game and an extremely explosive runner.”

– Saints’ HC Sean Payton

On head coach Sean McVay and quarterback Jared Goff:

“It’s very important. I don’t know Sean McVay very well. I had a few text conversations with him this offseason actually. From everything I’ve heard he’s an extremely talented guy and obviously very well-liked and has done a really, really good job there. He’s put together a great staff. I feel like I’ve been with many coaches on his staff in different places, from college (at) Purdue, to San Diego to here. He’s really done a tremendous job all the way around. Jared Goff is playing really, really good football and obviously he has some weapons around him too. Their team that has the same belief and confidence that we do, they’re rolling and we have to play our best game when we go there.”

– Saints QB’ Drew Brees

On if Todd Gurley is the best running back they have seen this year:

“He’s one of them. I mean Devonta Freeman is good. I’m trying to think of who else we have on our schedule, but we play a lot of good backs. It seems like every team has a star back these days. But yeah he’s playing at an elite level right now and now their offense kind of runs through him.”

– Saints’ S Kenny Vaccaro

canadaram wrote:

I’m not Snow, but it was easily the loudest game that I’ve attended… jet fighter loud. So that was pretty cool. Everything else was pretty much not cool. I didn’t realize that Webster was out of the game again until I was watching Hatfield and Countess chase Thielen all the way to the endzone. However, I was pretty sure that the Rams weren’t coming back after the Vikings got their second TD. The Rams were getting killed in the trenches. Even when Webster was still in the game the lack of a pass rush seemed to make things easy for Keenum and Thielen.

Anyway I saw the band Kansas play on Saturday night and then I went to the Timberwolves/Pistons game on Sunday night. So the trip had some good moments too.

US Bank Stadium is quite a spectacular venue I must say.

Thank you CR, sorry the Rams couldn’t have given you a better game. I’ll talk to them about that.

…