Rams dominant in London victory over Cardinals

RICH HAMMOND

link: http://www.ocregister.com/2017/10/22/rams-dominant-in-london-victory-over-cardinals/

LONDON — It now can be said without qualification. The Rams are better than they were last year.

That’s a low bar, to be certain, since the Rams won only four games in 2016, but it became official Sunday with a dominant 33-0 victory over the Arizona Cardinals at Twickenham Stadium. The shutout is their first since 2014.

The Rams are 5-2 for the first time since 2003. They made the playoffs that year and now, amazingly, the postseason doesn’t seem like a far-fetched dream for these Rams. Their schedule gets tougher in the second half of the season, but then again, it’s been quite a while since the Rams have looked this good.

The Rams turned the second half into a glorified exhibition. By that point, they already held a 23-point lead and had knocked Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer out of the game and shut down Cardinals running back Adrian Peterson.

Todd Gurley led an efficient Rams offense, with 106 rushing yards and 48 receiving yards, and quarterback Jared Goff completed 22 of 37 attempts for 235 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also ran for one score.

The Rams punctuated the victory with 3:46 left when, on a 3rd-and-goal play from the Arizona 18, Goff connected with Kupp for an 18-yard touchdown and a 33-0 lead.

Things seemed destined to go the Rams’ way from the first series of the game, when the Cardinals promptly drove to their 14 but then stalled and somehow missed a 32-yard field goal.

The Rams’ offense was solid but inefficient in the first quarter, and perhaps too reliant on the pass. Twice, the Rams drove inside the Arizona 15 but had to settle for two field goals and a 6-0 lead at the end of the quarter.

The game massively turned in the Rams’ favor in the middle of the second half.

Arizona, still very much in the game, started a drive at its 18 but, on the first play, Rams linebacker Alec Ogletree hit Palmer hard and safety Lamarcus Joyner intercepted Palmer’s pass and returned it back to the Arizona 18.

On the next play, Gurley ran 18 yards for a touchdown and a 13-0 Rams lead.

Palmer had to leave the game after that series, and after the game it was reported that he had suffered a broken left arm that will require surgery, and could miss the rest of the season.

The Rams took a 20-0 lead with 41 seconds left in the half when Goff drove the Rams 88 yards in 1:19 without a timeout. The Rams scored when Goff kept the ball on read-option play and ran nine yards for a touchdown.

For some reason, the Cardinals called a pass play just before the end of the half, and quarterback Drew Stanton was intercepted by Mark Barron. The Rams took a 23-0 lead on Greg Zuerlein’s 53-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter.

Another Zuerlein field goal, from 34 yards early in the third quarter, gave the Rams a 26-0 lead.

Rams43 wrote:

Some amazing post game stats…

Rams had 28 first downs to 10 for Cards.

Rams 13/19 on 3rd down 68%, 3/12 for Cards 25%.

Rams 425 net yards to 193 for Cards.

Rams 197 net yards rushing to 25 for Cards.

Rams had 6 penalties to 10 for Cards.

Rams 4-4 on FG’s to 0-1 for Cards.

Rams Red Zone efficiency was 3-6 for 50%, Cards we’re 0-1 for 0%.

Rams TOP was 39:01 to 20:59 for Cards.

Those are the highlights, but there were other areas of interest, too.

Goff sacked once, Card QB’s 3 times.

Hekker crushed it in punt competition 6 ways from Sunday.

Goff had 1 int (and it occurred because of an uncalled PI against Gurley), Card QB’s intercepted twice.

Tons of evidence of Ram dominance.

Rams vs. Cardinals: Who has the edge?

RICH HAMMOND

link: http://www.ocregister.com/2017/10/21/rams-vs-cardinals-who-has-the-edge/

RAMS OFFENSE vs. CARDINALS DEFENSE
Both units have been headed in the wrong direction. The Rams are averaging the most points in the NFL this season, but last week against Jacksonville they were boosted by a kickoff return and a fumble return for touchdowns. The Rams’ offense totaled only 249 yards and went 4 for 13 on third-down attempts. Running back Todd Gurley provided the lone highlight effort. Arizona’s defense hasn’t looked too hot. The Cardinals have allowed 67 points in their last two games, during which they allowed Philadelphia and Tampa Bay to go 16 for 30 on third down. Somehow, Arizona’s defense nearly managed to blow a massive second-half lead against Buccaneers backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. EDGE: RAMS

CARDINALS OFFENSE vs. RAMS DEFENSE
The Rams seemed to get back on track last week when, after a first-play touchdown run by the Jaguars’ Leonard Fournette, they essentially stuffed Jacksonville for the rest of the game. Credit defensive coordinator Wade Phillips for making the necessary adjustments, but Jacksonville was a one-dimensional team. The Cardinals, at least now that they’ve added veteran running back Adrian Peterson, have balance. In Peterson’s debut last week, quarterback Carson Palmer threw the ball a season-low 22 times but was efficient, and the Cardinals totaled season highs with 38 points and 432 yards. Then again, Tampa Bay’s defense is nothing special, so perhaps the Rams will thrive. EDGE: CARDINALS

SPECIAL TEAMS
It’s been good week, bad week for the Rams’ special teams. The unit certainly thrived last week against Jacksonville, with a huge blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown, and kicker Greg Zuerlein and punter Johnny Hekker returned to being their usual steady selves. New punt returner Pharoh Cooper had a couple bobbles, so room for improvement remains. It’s been a tough season for Phil Dawson, Arizona’s 42-year-old kicker who is in his 19th NFL season. Dawson already has missed four of his 12 field-goal attempts (he missed only 3 of 17 last year) and has been inconsistent from beyond 30 yards. Kerwynn Williams’ longest kickoff return this season is 28 yards. EDGE: RAMS

COACHING
While the window for winning appears to be just opening for Sean McVay and the Rams, one wonders how much time Arizona’s Bruce Arians has with this group, particularly given his offensive core. Palmer, receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Peterson all are in their 30s, and star running back David Johnson now is forced to recover from a serious injury. Arians led the Cardinals to the NFC Championship Game in 2015 but missed the playoffs last year and now is 3-3. McVay continues to receive strong praise nationally, but it’s a bit perplexing that the Rams’ passing game isn’t quite what it should be. EDGE: CARDINALS

INTANGIBLES
After their loss in London last year, the Rams decided to shake up things, and spent most of this week in Jacksonville. They will have had less time to adjust to the time change than the Cardinals, who arrived a couple days earlier, but last year the Rams had that “advantage” over the New York Giants and it didn’t seem to help anything. The Rams do have an edge in the fact that they’ve been there. They know the stadium and the weather and all of those things that go along with an overseas game. Some of Arizona’s players have played in London, but this is a first for the Cardinals as a franchise. EDGE: RAMS

MATCHUP TO WATCH
Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson vs. Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald: This is an obvious one, but it really doesn’t get any more important than this for the Rams. Last week against Tampa Bay, Fitzgerald was targeted 11 times and caught 10 of those passes for 138 yards. Fitzgeranld had a similarly dominant effort last month against Dallas, when he caught 13 passes (on 15 targets) for 149 yards. The Cardinals are rather top-heavy at receiver. Fitzgerald has 465 yards, while Arizona’s next most prolific receiver, J.J. Nelson, has only 277 yards. Johnson did well against Dallas’ Dez Bryant and will be challenged again.

PREDICTION: RAMS 27, CARDINALS 24
It’s difficult to predict a game that could come down to the Rams’ ability to stop the run, because they’ve been so inconsistent in that area this season. Peterson had a masterful performance last week, but can he keep it up, particularly now that the Rams have some film on him within that Arizona offense? Arizona also could give the Rams’ offense some trouble, because chances are the Cardinals will load up in an attempt to stop Gurley, and make quarterback Jared Goff try to beat him. The Rams are headed into their bye week, and it’s extraordinary to think they have a legitimate chance at a 5-2 record.

Blue and Gold wrote:

Interior line has been pretty good this year. Rams, for the last long while, have had problems at center and guard in terms of pass protection and run blocking ,too. We have had quick pressure up the middle too many times to count and coupled with breakdowns at left tackle, it’s been a problem.

While not perfect, Sully, Brown and Saffold have allowed Goff to step up and make throws. Probably have to go back to Timmerman, McCollum days to find the front of the pocket protected this good.

And the WRs. Watkins is getting open. As he and Goff get the timing down, there will be some big plays there. Kupp gets open, Woods gets open. Gotta go back to Holt and Bruce and Curtis to find 3 WRs getting open consistently.

…

Herzog wrote:

Extremely gay. I assume he thought Fisher was the guy to maneuver all that.

No he would have to know that;s Kroenke and the league office. Fisher didn’t have the power to do that.

Rams are far from home in London, but they’re delighting some loyal fans

RICH HAMMOND

link: http://www.ocregister.com/2017/10/20/rams-are-far-from-home-in-london-but-theyre-delighting-some-loyal-fans/

LONDON — One bought a hat at Disney World, another at a department store. A couple of them randomly started playing as the Rams on a video game. Another liked their helmet on a wall chart.

Fandom often is related to geography, but for those who grew up thousands of miles away in Europe, the path to choosing and following the Rams is fascinating and, at times, frustrating.

“I’m a big Man United fan,” said Louis Patterson, a 23-year-old London resident, “and had always slightly looked down on foreign fans. But having followed an American sports team from abroad, I see how much time and effort it must take for them to follow their team, and my respect has grown hugely.”

The Rams arrived in London on Friday after their extended stay in Jacksonville, and given that most of the players made the overseas trip a year ago, this is nothing special, a three-day business trip. It might even be an annoyance for players.

For some fans, though, it’s everything. If last year’s game is an accurate model, Sunday’s game against Arizona at Twickenham stadium will be filled with fans wearing jerseys of almost every NFL team. American transplants and tourists will be in attendance, but it’s more meaningful for the overseas fans.

“I know they don’t like giving up a home game,” Drew Mikhael, a Northern Ireland native, said, “but I hope U.S.-based fans can appreciate that they are making me happy, because the opportunities to watch your team are rare indeed.”

So rare, in fact, that Mikhael, 34, who now splits his time between Belfast and Beirut, said he intends to fly in from Amman, Jordan, on Sunday morning, to catch the Rams for a third time in London.

Mikhael said he chose his allegiance at age 8, near the end of the Rams’ first stint in Los Angeles. Mikhael said he visited Southern California once as a child, but that’s not why he became a Rams fan.

“My brother had a wall chart with all the NFL teams’ football helmets on it,” Mikhael said. “He had a team, and it was my time to choose. The Rams’ helmet was an easy choice. It stood out from the crowd. The colors and the horns. It was the only team I could pick. I was hooked from the start.”

Among the Rams’ overseas fans who responded to a social-media request to share their stories, Mikhael is a bit unique. He fits the age demographic (under 40), but most of his fellow fans started following the Rams within the past two decades, when television and online advances made it far easier.

Tom Langford, 31, is a lifelong resident of Essex, England, approximately 30 miles from London. Langford said when he first started to follow the Rams, in 2001, he had to track games on the text-based play by play on NFL.com, and had to pay a customs fee to acquire a personalized jersey from the United States.

So taken was Langford by the sport as a teenager that he acquired a football, “so we could play pick-up games on the school field,” and he later joined an amateur team.

Now, the NFL Europe online store still isn’t perfect, Langford said, but at least he can purchase the “Game Pass” package and watch the Rams live. That doesn’t mean it’s easy. Langford said when the Rams played a Thursday-night game at San Francisco, he stayed awake for the 1:25 a.m. kickoff, watched the entire game, then went to work at 6:30 a.m.

“I’m so obsessed with Rams football though,” said Langford, who will attend Sunday’s game, “that I even stayed up to watch preseason games when they were on late.”

The Rams’ surprising 4-2 start to this season has kept their overseas fans awake and enthusiastic, and the team will hold an event Saturday at a London pub with Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson.

For some fans, it’s a rare opportunity to connect with people who their passion for football.

“We weren’t born into an American football culture where family and friends watch games routinely,” Paul Clarke, an Oxford resident, said. “Neither was the sport covered in newspapers or mainstream TV channels. I had to seek out games and other fans. I had to teach myself the positions and the rules. I had no one to ask what a ‘West Coast offense’ was when I heard an announcer use it on TV.”

Paul Clarke, seen with former Rams running back Marshall Faulk, said he had to become a student of American football to gain more appreciation for it. “I had to teach myself the positions and the rules,” the Oxford, England resident said. (Photo courtesy of Paul Clarke)
The game has grown tremendously in England, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see an expansion team, or a relocated team, land in London within the next decade.

It seems that most overseas Rams fans, including 24-year-old Jordan Gallacher, from a small town outside Glasgow, Scotland, have never been to a Rams game in the United States, but cherish the opportunity to attend the Twickenham game for a second consecutive year.

“Just because I live 5,000 miles away from L.A.,” Gallacher said, “doesn’t mean that I don’t feel the same excitement or nervousness during a game, or happy or down after a win or loss — as those fans that are at the game. Our emotional investment in this team is really strong and it will only grow.”

Because they are playing in a temporary facility until their new Inglewood stadium opens in 2020, the Rams are required by the NFL to play one game overseas each season.

The Rams’ 2018 destination has yet to be announced. China was rumored, and Mexico City might be the choice, rather than a third consecutive trip to London. That would please another area of fans, but would sadden the hardcore European supporters.

“I really appreciate any time I get the chance to experience a bit of the (NFL) culture I missed out on growing up over here, which I love,” London resident Jeff Burgin said. “We will do our very best to make Twickenham feel no different to the Coliseum.”

Rams quarterback Jared Goff joked after Friday’s practice that the British fans mostly cheer for the kickers and punters, but said he enjoys the experience.

Running back Todd Gurley isn’t as enthusiastic. He pointed out the strangeness of the Rams and Cardinals, NFC West rivals from neighboring states, playing in London rather than having a short road trip.

“Whatever floats their boat,” Gurley said of the NFL. “But it’s cool. I appreciate you [British reporters] all coming out here. The fans are good. I guess it’s to make the game global.”

INJURY REPORT

Starting safety Cody Davis’ status for Sunday is listed as doubtful because of a thigh injury. Davis did not practice this week, and if he can’t play, the Rams likely would use Lamarcus Joyner (who is returning from a hamstring injury) and rookie John Johnson at safety.

Inside linebacker Mark Barron is listed as questionable, the same as last week, when Barron played a full complement of snaps. No other Rams were on the final injury report.

These defenses lead the league in Sacks per Pass Attempt!#Jaguars #Bengals #Steelers #Bucs #Jets #Titans pic.twitter.com/0zYdN4zeRK

— NFL Matchup on ESPN (@NFLMatchup) October 19, 2017

PFT’s Week Seven picks

PFT’s Week Seven picks

Mike Florio
Cardinals at Rams

MDS’s take: The Rams really look like a playoff team to me, and another division win is coming on Sunday.

MDS’s pick: Rams 27, Cardinals 13.

Florio’s take: The folks in London are getting a pretty good game, for a change. The Rams are inconsistent, and the Cardinals have gotten a boost from the arrival of Adrian Peterson.

Florio’s pick: Cardinals 23, Rams 20.

These Defenses Blitz the most and least in the NFL!#Browns #KeepPounding #GoPackGo #Chiefs #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/reZUfaktlE

— NFL Matchup on ESPN (@NFLMatchup) October 16, 2017

These RB's lead the NFL in yards rushing BEFORE being touched by a defender#Chiefs #Jaguars #LARams #Steelers #Bears #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/PNk7kLFGCp

— NFL Matchup on ESPN (@NFLMatchup) October 17, 2017