RAMS REPORT CARD – WEEK 12
Jeff Gordon breaks down the Rams performance following their 27-24 loss to the Chargers.

http://www.stltoday.com/gallery/sports/football/professional/rams-report-card-vs-san-diego/collection_4fedfca2-528f-518e-b0cf-71800aadf37e.html#0

Quarterback: D
Shaun Hill was so close to delivering the signature victory of his career. He was so close to cashing in on his heroic late throw to Kenny Britt. But he didn’t see Marcus Gilchrist just sitting there on the goal line waiting to pick off his slant pass to Britt in the final minute. This was a sickening end to Hill’s roller coaster ride, which featured two TD passes nullified by penalties, another costly interception, a fumble lost for a TD and several passes that sailed high. He deserved better than a 54.2 passer rating, but such is the life of a Rams QB in the post-GSOT era.

Running Backs: C
Rookie Tre Mason’s big play went for 26 yards on his only reception, a dump-off from Hill under duress. Mason broke 13-yard and 21-yard runs and had a 16-yard run erased by penalty. But his other 14 carries netted just 28 yards as he ran into a brick wall again and again. Benny Cunningham was OK with his limited reps, getting 29 yards on six touches—four carries and two catches – and poor Zac Stacy made just a cameo appearance.

Wide Receivers: A
Britt made a diving 27-yard catch to give the Rams a chance to win. He also had a 51-yard TD catch erased by one of the many soul-killing Rams penalties. Stedman Bailey had his breakout game as a Ram, catching seven passes for 81 yards and a touchdown. His score came shortly after a penalty erased his earlier TD catch. Tavon Austin had a 6-yard TD run and 15-yard run on sweeps. He also caught three short passes and drew a long pass interference penalty.

Tight Ends: C
Jared Cook erased a touchdown with one of his team’s many blocking penalties, but the Rams overcame that blunder. Cook made a couple of late catches, one for a first down, and his block cleared the way for Austin’s touchdown run. But overall he had just three catches on nine targets. Lance Kendricks contributed a huge pass drop in scoring range to this crazy game, but he later caught a 16-yard pass.

Offensive Line: D
Rookie left tackle Greg Robinson did not enjoy this trip to sunny Southern California. He allowed a strip-sack that led directly to a Chargers touchdown. The officials called his number for a blocking penalty that negated the 51-yard TD pass to Britt. He also had false start and holding penalties on the same drive, helping slow a promising possession. Such big mistakes and the general inability to create running room made this a long day for the front wall.

Defensive Line: C
Rookie DT Aaron Donald’s late third-down sack of Chargers QB Philip Rivers gave the Rams their chance to win the game. DE Robert Quinn’s outside pressure helped DT Michael Brockers step up for the other Rams’ sack. The Rams applied decent pressure, but the Chargers countered with screen plays and quick-hit passes. As the defense wore down in the second half, RB Ryan Mathews got some big seams to hit. Given the depleted state of San Diego’s line, the Rams could have done better.

Linebackers: D
MLB James Laurinaitis was most visible while chasing Chargers TE Ladarius Green on his 28-yard reception up the left sideline. He had six solo tackles, but he didn’t make many big plays and was nowhere to be found on several of the large-chunk plays San Diego made in the second half. OLB Alec Ogletree had eight solo tackles, but he wasn’t nearly as disruptive as in his previous few weeks.

Secondary: C
Now THERE was the Janoris Jenkins we saw in his rookie season. He gave the Rams hope with 99-yard int return for a TD. Later he killed a Chargers drive by forcing Chargers WR Keenan Allen to fumble. But as the game wore on, Rivers worked over the secondary while completing 29 of 35 passes for 291 yards. After rallying to the ball nicely in the first half, the defensive backs missed some tackles in the second half.

Special Teams: C
This group had a crazy, crazy day. They allowed the Chargers to easily block a 48-yard FG that wouldn’t have counted anyway because the Rams lined up in the neutral zone. On the other hand, Alex Bayer recovered a muffed Chargers punt to set up a Rams TD. Johnny Hekker threw another fourth-down conversion pass off of a punt fake. Penalties flew left and right, with the highlight coming on the phantom blocking penalty on Marshall McFadden during what would have been a 77-yard punt return by Tavon Austin.

Coaching: B
The Rams went on the road and came within one play of upsetting a solid Chargers squad that desperately needed to win. They would have scored another quality victory but for some penalty calls – many of them ridiculous – and a few bad mistakes. There are no moral victories three years into a coaching regime, but Jeff Fisher and Co. had this team prepared to win this game. The Football Gods simply would not allow it.

Yeah, gave that one away I think.

7 to watch: Rams at Chargers

By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/to-watch-rams-at-chargers/article_a62ec144-0ab6-5100-aa28-be1239ac884e.html

RIVERS BATTLES RIB AILMENT

If you’re San Diego QB Philip Rivers, this probably isn’t the best time to be facing a Rams pass rush that has been breathing fire recently. After the Chargers’ 13-6 victory last weekend over Oakland, TE Antonio Gates said Rivers had been dealing with a “very severe” rib injury for the last three or four weeks. Rivers was in visible pain after taking hits during that game, and on more than one occasion was checked out by the Chargers’ medical staff on the sidelines. For the first time since the 2007 AFC title game, Rivers showed up on the San Diego injury report this week with a “chest” injury. He had full participation in practice all week, but as a formality was listed as probable on Friday. But this is one tough QB. He has made 138 consecutive starts, second only to Eli Manning of the New York Giants among active NFL passers. Manning’s streak is at 161.

IN A RUT

Maybe it’s related to those sore ribs, and the absence of injured RB Ryan Mathews didn’t help either. But the Chargers’ offense has been stuck in neutral for the past month. Mentioned as an MVP candidate during San Diego’s 5-1 start, Rivers’ passer rating has been only 76.0 over the past four contests — according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Three of those games were losses. The Chargers have averaged only 13.5 points and 259 yards per game in that span.

GATES STILL OPEN

Although his statistics (38 catches, 477 yards) are down a bit from last year, at age 34 Gates hasn’t forgotten how to reach the end zone. He has nine touchdown catches this season, already his high total since 2010. He’s four TDs away from becoming the ninth player in NFL history with 100 TDs. “Antonio’s really good at feeling zone defenses in the red zone,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He can get to seams and to holes. He’s got really strong hands if the ball’s there.”

THE OTHER GUYS

Rivers has lots of options in the passing game. Second-year pro Keenan Allen, who paid a pre-draft visit to the Rams in 2013, is averaging only 9.8 yards per catch this season — down 5 yards from his 14.7 average as a rookie. But he’s a good route runner who gets in and out of breaks quickly on a long frame (6 feet 2, 211 pounds). Nine-year pro Malcom Floyd never has had 1,000 yards or more than 56 catches in a season, but this big target (6-5, 225) is a big-play threat.

RYAN’S RETURN

After missing seven games because of a right knee injury, Mathews brought some much-needed spark to the Chargers’ running game with 70 yards in 16 carries last week against Oakland. After gaining no more than 69 yards rushing as a team in any of their three previous games, the Chargers piled up 120 vs. the Raiders. Mathews (6-0, 220) combines inside power with outside speed in a running attack that shows a lot of draw plays and zone runs on film.

INTERIOR OPPORTUNITIES?

Center Rich Ohrnberger hasn’t been able to finish the Chargers’ past two games because of injuries, and he began the week in a protective boot because of an ankle injury. After not practicing all week he’s listed as questionable. If Ohrnberger can’t go, the Chargers could be starting their fourth center of the season in rookie Chris Watt, a guard by trade. Aaron Donald, that’s your cue. Donald has 13 tackles for loss this season, along with four sacks.

PRESSURE DEFENSE

The San Diego defense doesn’t have a ton of sacks (17) and no one on the squad has more than 2½. Slowed by a knee issue earlier in the season, former Indy star Dwight Freeney has only two sacks and hasn’t been much of a factor lately. But under defensive coordinator John Pagano, the Chargers do bring a lot of blitzes and present them in a lot of different packages. “There’s some similarities with what Arizona does,” Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said.

The pic wasn’t copyable directly from their site but here it is from off the net:

Rams-Chargers: Matchup breakdown

By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/13928/rams-chargers-matchup-breakdown

EARTH CITY, Mo. — A look at three individual matchups to keep an eye on when the St. Louis Rams and San Diego Chargers meet at 4:04 p.m. ET Sunday.

Rams defensive end Robert Quinn vs. Chargers left tackle King Dunlap

Quinn got a week off from appearing here last week because there were more pressing matchups and because I promised to put him in this space every week. But Quinn’s presence here is certainly relevant this time around. Dunlap is probably the best of a questionable lot on San Diego’s offensive line but with so many other spots along the line struggling, it could force San Diego into leaving Quinn and Dunlap matched up one-on-one on the outside.

Quinn didn’t have any sacks last week, ending a small surge he had in the weeks before it. He still might have been as disruptive as he’s been all year against Denver. The Broncos decided to let Ryan Clady take on Quinn on an island and Quinn beat him repeatedly. Only a number of penalties that weren’t called allowed Clady to keep Peyton Manning upright. Dunlap isn’t a bad player but he’s not in Clady’s class and if the Chargers can’t provide help for him, it could be a long day for a hurting Philip Rivers.

Rams safety T.J. McDonald vs. Chargers tight end Antonio Gates

The Rams have used McDonald in coverage much more over the past three weeks and he’s been better than expected as he continues to grow in his second season. Yes, McDonald is still at his best attacking near the line of scrimmage but in the past three games, he’s been targeted 12 times and allowed eight completions for just 38 yards with two passes defended. McDonald might give up a completion here or there but he’s often right there to deliver a hit soon after the catch is made.

McDonald won’t cover Gates exclusively as the Rams can also turn to linebacker Alec Ogletree and various other looks to help keep Gates in check but he’ll get his chances. Having covered Vernon Davis and Julius Thomas in recent weeks, though, McDonald is more prepared now to handle another difficult challenge than he might have been before. Make no mistake, Gates is still productive and a dynamic red zone threat with nine touchdowns catches on the season. With Rivers struggling, it’s likely he’ll lean on his most reliable target to get the offense going.

Rams tight end Jared Cook vs. Chargers safety Eric Weddle

Weddle is one of the best safeties in football and probably one of its most underrated players regardless of position. The Chargers use him in a variety of ways but teams generally avoid throwing his way. According to Pro Football Focus, teams have targeted Weddle just 23 times in 10 games. The results include 15 completions for 124 yards with no touchdowns, an interception and three pass breakups. That calculates to a passer rating of 60.8.

Cook battled a back injury in practice during the week but he’s a valuable cog in what the Rams want to do. After Kenny Britt’s big week last week, don’t be surprised to see him get more attention from San Diego. That should theoretically open up opportunities for others, including Cook. But the Chargers will likely lean on Weddle to keep the middle of the field quiet.

Rams OT Joe Barksdale on the challenge the team faces on the road vs the San Diego Chargers, and how the upset over the Broncos helps the team’s mentality

With Hill, and the defense playing well, and Mason emerging, IMO they could win anywhere from 3-6 more games.

UNLESS there’s some secret meltdown recipe for Hill we don’t know about.

But I kinda doubt that.

All of this right now is opinion, and oddly ….that even includes my stuff on it.

I am just going to ramble on here a bit. Don’t mind me.

To me it seem pretty evident that they will try to re-structure Bradford and bring him back. But they won’t stand around counting the unhatched chickens in that basket. Re-structuring, btw, doesn’t necessarily mean a raw pay cut. They could extend him over a short duration (2 years?), reduce the 2015 cap hit, and then load the future contract with incentive laden clauses, and also do things like put a lot of it in a roster bonus (for those who don’t speak cap, you can cut a player before a roster bonus is due, in which case he doesn’t get the money).

So, that’s Bradford.

Will they draft someone? Sure, and with any luck, not a high first rounder.

Why not? Well…they ain’t doin so well recently, which to me means that the new CBA lifted a lot of risk off of taking a 1st round qb, and THAT, in turn, meant that they got even MORE over-valued.

Look at the qbs draft at pick 16 or higher from 2011-2013. How are they doing. Luck is doing well. Tannenhill is fine. How is Griffen doing? How is Newton doing? How is Locker doing? How is Manuel doing? Gabbert? Ponder? Of those, right now, Newton would probably be doing better if he had a line, some weapons, a running game, and a defense. So we count him. That’s 3 of 8.

The problem with a high #1 pick is that you are more or less obligated to start him and stick with him, and that obviously would not be the best scenario. Better to just add a guy and make him sit for a while. And since the high #1s are not doing as well these days anyway, why not. In fact look at the 2nd and 3rd round qbs across the same period: 8 were taken, and of those, 4 are anywhere from pretty good to good starters — Wilson, Kaepernick, Dalton, Foles. That’s 3 from the 1st rounders and 4 from the 2nd/3rd rounders.

Okay so they will draft a guy.

They could bring back Hill. 34 is not that “old” if they also draft a guy.

They could do all of that and ALSO bring back Davis. See if he can work on his game. Personally I doubt that he can improve, to me he is a back-up. The things that are wrong with his game, to me, are all innate and unfixable. He does not have innate composure under pressure. That’s just not him. He will always have games like Arizona. That’s just how I see it.

You know looking back on that, that’s not so bad. Hill, Bradford, a draft pick, maybe Davis or who knows who else. If this defense keeps getting better, that could be all they need.

I am not a “they need Luck/ Manning/ Rodgers” kinda guy. I would rather my team has the defense that can beat those guys.

Okay, everything I said is solid, true, and based on a deep and powerful insight into the future. But, for the sake of conversational harmony, I will also pretend add that of course it’s also just another opinion.

5 Keys to beating the Rams

http://boltblitz.com/?cat=10

After defeating the division rival Raiders in a game that was far too close for comfort, the Chargers now face the St. Louis Rams in what is pretty much another must-win game. Despite an early season five-game winning streak, the fact that the Bolts lost three in a row prior to beating Oakland makes this another game that must end with a victory.

Although the Rams come to San Diego with a 4-6 record, they have beaten some of the toughest teams in the NFL in San Francisco, Seattle and Denver. St. Louis held the Denver offense to its lowest score since the days of Tim Tebow.

That was not a typo.

There are so many factors that go into walking away from an NFL game with a much-needed win. I’ll highlight my five keys to achieving victory for your Chargers listed below.

1. Protect Philip Rivers

I find it hard to believe that Antonio Gates’ comments about Philip’s supposed rib injury were “taken out of context.” That being said, El Capitan is fine and he will not be missing any time. He may be the toughest player in the entire league. Yup, I said it. Keeping Rivers clean and upright is crucial to the success of the Chargers. Lose Rivers and you can certainly kiss the season goodbye. The Rams defensive front-seven is stout when rushing the passer. They have pass rushers that will prove to be a handful and they must be accounted for at all times. If Philip walks away from this game without grass stains all over his jersey, there’s a very good chance that San Diego will be celebrating a win.

2. Get pressure on Shaun Hill

Shaun Hill recently took over for Austin Davis as the starting quarterback in St. Louis. Now playing with his fourth team in 13 NFL seasons, he is a seasoned-vet that knows the ins and outs of the league. He will never be confused for being mobile, but he is a bit savvy when it comes to maneuvering in the pocket. But make no bones about it, he can be rattled. Pressure from multiple areas, and a concerted effort to keep him guessing on where the rush is coming from, is paramount in disrupting his rhythm and making him nervous after coming out from under center. The Chargers must force Hill to make mistakes. The best way to do that is to continuously breathe down his neck and make him throw while on the move.

3. Establish the running game on offense

The return of Ryan Mathews was big for the Charger offense and the running game last week. His ability to wear out the Oakland defense legitimized the importance of his return late in the game even when Ryan was not on the field. Having the threat of Mathews in the game changes what the Bolts can do on offense. The offensive line is not only responsible for keeping Philip Rivers safe, they must also open holes and provide the San Diego backs with room to run. Establishing the run game only helps the passing game and the offense as a whole. Frank Reich, along with Mike McCoy, must devise a plan that incorporates the running game and accentuates the strengths of the big dogs upfront. I am interested to see how that plays out.

4. John Pagano must be aggressive in defensive playcalling

At this point in the season, this is not the time to revert to the soft-shell cover 2 or soft-shell cover 3 pass coverage — where the secondary is playing 8-12 yards off of the line of scrimmage — that we have seen at times under Pagano. With the linebacking corps returning to health, let’s see them pin their ears back and frustrate the opposing team’s quarterbacks. I want stunts via the defensive line. I want to see a corner blitz from either the nickel or outside spots. Get exotic and confuse Hill on Sunday, and going forward. Just because he has been in the league for a long time does not mean that he can handle an immense amount of disguised pressure and blitz combinations. Pagano was masterful last week, and we’d all like to see that happen again in week 12.

5. Wrap up and take good angles on defense when tackling

This boils down to the basic fundamentals of defensive football. See the play, get to the corresponding spot in where there is help or someone coming up in support, wrap up and drive through the ball carrier. At times when watching the NFL, it gets frustrating when watching the game. These are the best athletes in all of the world, in my opinion. But when it comes to fundamentals of the game of football, it seems as though a lot of that was never taught to them in their younger years during Pop Warner ball. It is no secret that tackling, or the lack thereof, has been a major challenge for the San Diego defense. There are many athletic defenders on this team. It is up to them and the coaching staff to fix this problem heading down this ever so important stretch of games.

NFL.com’s “Playbook” likes the Rams

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-playbook

Chargers vs. Rams preview

By Eric D. Williams and Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/san-diego-chargers/post/_/id/8379/chargers-vs-rams-preview

SAN DIEGO — To remain in the AFC playoff conversation, the San Diego Chargers (6-4) have to keep stacking wins.

But the Chargers face a tough test with the St. Louis Rams traveling to San Diego for a Sunday afternoon game.

The Rams (4-6) have a losing record, but manhandled the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos in a 22-7 victory last week. St. Louis plays with relentless effort, led by one of the most aggressive defensive fronts in the NFL.

In addition to defeating Denver, the Rams have wins over the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, and the San Francisco 49ers this season.

A point of emphasis for San Diego will be doing a better job of protecting quarterback Philip Rivers, who is dealing with a chest injury. The Chargers know they have to play their best in order to get a win over the Rams.

“They have the characteristics of a typical Jeff Fisher team,” Rivers said, referring to the Rams coach. “They’re just tough, hard-nosed and relentless.”

ESPN NFL Nation Rams reporter Nick Wagoner and Chargers reporter Eric D. Williams preview the game:

Williams: Nick, Austin Davis completed 63 percent of his passes and had an 85.1 passer rating as a starter. Why did Fisher make the switch back to Shaun Hill? And what’s the difference between the two signal-callers?

Wagoner: The simple answer is turnovers. More specifically, the kind of costly turnovers that killed the Rams in close games. Davis threw four pick-sixes, with all of those coming in the fourth quarter. He also coughed up a couple of fumbles that were returned for touchdowns. That’s six touchdowns Davis was responsible for. When you’re a team built to win with defense, it’s hard to do that when you give up points without the defense on the field. Hill is more of a steady hand and has a stronger arm to go with his vast experience. The Rams’ defense is starting to come into its own. And with that group rolling, the Rams need a quarterback who can manage the game. As I like to put it, the Rams’ defense is playing well enough to win. They need a quarterback leading the offense, so it plays well enough not to lose.

Since we’re on the topic of quarterbacks, much is being made of Philip Rivers and this flap with Antonio Gates, and Rivers’ health. What’s your take on Rivers’ status? And if he’s not hurt, then what is the reason he went from an MVP candidate to someone who has struggled in recent weeks?

Williams: Rivers clarified his injury status this week, saying he suffered a chest injury falling onto the ball during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game on a sack by Khalil Mack. Rivers said he’s been dealing with general soreness, like all players, this time of year, and clarified that Gates’ comments were an attempt to protect his quarterback from criticism for his uneven play the past four weeks. Inconsistent pass protection and a lack of a running game have been more of a contributing factor to Rivers’ struggling performance of late. Since starting the season 5-1, Rivers has completed 63 percent of his passes for 788 yards, with 6 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He’s been sacked nine times, posting a 76.0 passer rating. The Chargers are 1-3 during that stretch.

Nick, what did St. Louis do defensively to limit Peyton Manning and the Broncos to just seven points last week?

Wagoner: It was a combination of things, including some schematics from defensive coordinator Gregg Williams that tricked Manning into a couple of mistakes. And let’s be honest, it didn’t hurt that tight end Julius Thomas and receiver Emmanuel Sanders missed big chunks of the game. But the biggest thing here is this defense is finally playing as well as expected. We all underestimated (myself included) that it would take this group a little while to adapt to the many wrinkles in a Williams defense. For the first part of the season, the Rams played much slower defensively than anticipated. Now, it seems everyone is settled in and playing fast and aggressive. Leading the way is a front four that has been as dominant as people would expect. End Robert Quinn and tackle Aaron Donald are legitimate difference-makers, and they have solid depth beyond them. But they also have a linebacker in Alec Ogletree and safety T.J. McDonald who are legitimately playing at a Pro Bowl level over the past three weeks. That’s not hyperbole, and I can’t believe I’m saying it, but it’s true. The Rams’ defense was expected to be a top-five group this year. It’s finally playing like one.

Eric, in perusing the stats and the film, it appears the Chargers’ defense has had its struggles both on third down and in the red zone. Is there anything you can put your finger on with their issues in those two key areas, and what should the Rams expect from the San Diego defense right now?

Williams: You’re correct. The Chargers are No. 29 in third down efficiency (45.4 percent) defensively, and tied for No. 28 in red zone efficiency (66.7 percent). San Diego’s issues in those areas have been a result of poor tackling and a lack of a consistent pass rush. But with the return of edge rushers Melvin Ingram and Jeremiah Attaochu, along with inside linebacker Manti Te’o, the Chargers were much better against Oakland, holding the Raiders to 3-of-15 on third down and keeping them out of the end zone. Along with the improved athleticism, the Chargers have to play assignment-correct football in those two critical areas for the team’s success on defense to continue.

Nick, I know you follow the stadium situation closely in St. Louis as well, something we’re also dealing with here in San Diego. What’s the latest in terms of St. Louis working to keep the team there, and do you believe there’s a realistic chance the Rams could be playing in Los Angeles next season?

Wagoner: It’s the billion dollar question right now, isn’t it? We’ve reached the point where there’s a new rumor every day. It can be difficult to parse through what’s real and what’s not. I try to talk to as many people as I can about this, and to be honest, I really think every option is on the table. I wouldn’t be surprised if they moved, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they stayed. But it’s going to be awfully difficult for them to move in 2015. I’m not convinced the league would allow it, especially with the local leaders in St. Louis working on a resolution. Former Anheuser-Busch president Dave Peacock is working diligently on trying to offer a solution, and he’s not to be taken lightly. He’s well respected in league circles, and the time for negotiations at the kiddie table have long since passed. The big boys will be having the discussions this time around. One other thing that’s not being discussed enough is where the Rams would play if they did go to Los Angeles next year, and I don’t mean a stadium on Sundays. I mean the day-to-day operations and practices. There’s no obvious solution out there, and the longer things play out, the less likely one could be in place before then anyway. I wouldn’t be surprised by either outcome long term, and I would be mildly surprised if the outcome turned into a move in 2015.

Sticking to that topic, the Chargers seem to be in a unique spot here because of their proximity to Los Angeles and the amount of business they get from that area. What’s the latest from your end, and how likely is it they make the move? Barring that, do you believe they have the support from other owners to try to block a move by another team to protect their interests?

Williams: The Chargers are in discussions with San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer to put a proposal together that voters countywide could weigh in on as early as February 2016. But talks remain preliminary, and several of the stakeholders still need to have a say in order to build consensus for the project. Chargers president Dean Spanos remains committed to keeping the team in San Diego, but the family also is keeping its options open, which include possibly relocating to Los Angeles if the team is unable to get a stadium deal done in San Diego. The Chargers are on a year-to-year lease and could opt out of the agreement in February. The Spanos family is keeping a watchful eye on what happens in Los Angeles, with 30 percent of its business originating from the Orange County area. It’s tough to say how much sway Dean Spanos could have in blocking a team from relocating to Los Angeles, particularly with the NFL pushing the move. The bottom line is the Chargers want to remain in San Diego but any stadium proposal has to make sense financially, and relocating to a more lucrative market in Los Angeles remains a possibility.
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Rams at Chargers: Stats of the Week

2.57: Yards per carry the Rams’ run defense has allowed over the past three weeks, a vast improvement from a group that gave up 4.68 (26th in the league) in the first seven games.

87

Number of passing yards Philip Rivers needs to reach 35,000. He enters Sunday’s contest with 34,913 career passing yards.

PFF Preview: Rams @ Chargers, Week 12

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2014/11/21/pff-preview-rams-chargers-week-12/

The St. Louis Rams (4-6) are coming off a victory that might have been the biggest upset of Week 11 against the Denver Broncos. They will travel to San Diego to take on the Chargers (6-4) who ended their three-game losing streak with a win over the Oakland Raiders last week.

The Rams’ defense held Peyton Manning and the Broncos’ offense a mere seven points last week and will hope to contain the Chargers’ offense just as well. St. Louis’ defensive line has been a strong point of their season, and it appears defensive end Robert Quinn has hit his stride accumulating a +11.7 grade over the last four games. Against the Broncos he was able to create pressure six times and register two batted passes on his way to his best game of the year in rushing the passer (+4.0).

Getting pressure on Philip Rivers without blitzing may be the key to beating the Chargers. Over the last three games, Rivers’ best rating when teams did not blitz was an even 0.0. His worst rating when the opposition did not blitz came against the Dolphins in Week 9 where he threw three interceptions and posted a -4.2. The Dolphins blitzed on nine of Rivers’ 27 drop-backs, and when they did Rivers had a +1.1 rating. Even though the Chargers came away with a victory against the Raiders, Rivers had a -1.6 when the Raiders did not blitz compared to his -0.4 when they did. Rivers completed all nine of his passes against the blitz, but was 13 of 25 on plays the Raiders did not blitz.

If the Rams are able to get pressure on Rivers with Quinn and the rest of their front-four it appears they will have the advantage, but if they are forced to blitz Rivers to get pressure on him, the tables may be turned. Here are some other players to watch in this game.

St. Louis Rams

Aaron Donald – A front-runner for Rookie of the Year, Donald has been the second-best defensive tackle in the league overall (+21.6), and third-best against the run (+13.4).

E.J. Gaines – Inconsistency has been an issue, but Gaines is currently one of just two rookie cornerbacks with green grades in both coverage and run defense (along with San Diego’s Jason Verrett).

Kenny Britt – Britt was the primary deep threat in Week 11 when three of his seven targets were more than 20 yards downfield. Britt accumulated 96 receiving yards on deep passes.

San Diego Chargers

Brandon Flowers – When only including the weeks that Flowers has played this year he ranks second in the league overall +13.1, which shows how effective he can be when healthy.

Melvin Ingram – Ingram returned to the Chargers’ starting line-up after overcoming a Week 2 injury and made an impact rushing the quarterback. He finished with three pressures on 25 pass rush attempts.

Malcolm Floyd – Although Floyd hasn’t been flashy, he has been consistent catching fewer than three passes in only one game and less than 50 yards in two.