Good news: The Rams aren’t expected to be forced out of LA/SoFi Stadium amid COVID concerns like the 49ers were in Santa Clara https://t.co/t0ex4zLv17

— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) December 6, 2020

Very interested to see how the @RamsNFL respond after the loss last week, for reasons I shared on TOPS @CBSSportsNet. https://t.co/tVgz6T7EAI

— Amy Trask (@AmyTrask) December 6, 2020

Round 8 of Ramsey-Hopkins is gonna be a blast 🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/S03nwEs3U5

— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) December 6, 2020

Lindsey Thiry
ESPN
The Rams plan to activate outside linebacker Ogbo Okoronkwo ahead of Sunday’s game against the Cardinals. Okoronkwo has been sidelined since Week 6 because an elbow injury. He will rejoin a rotation opposite of Leonard Floyd that includes Samson Ebukam and Justin Hollins.

Rams defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph Day (Hip) is questionable to play Sunday against the Cardinals. Reserve offensive lineman Brian Allen (Knee) also is questionable and rookie outside linebacker Terrell Lewis (Knee) has been ruled out.

Cameron DaSilva@camdasilva
It’s not often the NFL’s highest-paid CB and WR square off but that’s what we’ll get with Ramsey-Hopkins tomorrow

In 5 of the last 6 instances, the WR had at least 100 yards. And twice the CB had a pick.

Biden officially secures enough electors to become president

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/biden-officially-secures-enough-electors-become-president-n1250085

Cardinals and Rams game Sunday certainly brings back the past in what is The Circle Game where the seasons go round and round. Read my story: https://t.co/qPu7iQVefF

— Howard Balzer (@HBalzer721) December 5, 2020

merlin

Some want to put everything on Goff. But he’s not the only issue on that field not by a long shot. He’s got JAGs around him who we know well and have built up high expectations for, as fans tend to do, who get free passes for the most part while the coach/scheme and the QB get all the flak.

Football’s a team game. We have a LOT of issues on offense and they extend far beyond McVay and Goff. IMO.

The truth is the matchup in the trenches favors the 9ers. And for the Rams what exacerbates that is their shallow threats at WR (they only have two guys to worry about) and a QB who has been struggling.

The Rams lack matchup problems in the pass game. Have any of you watched the coverages on 22? Guys were snuffed out all over the field. There were some plays where Goff missed open options, also the missed throws and poor decisions and those are on him. But all told that was only a small part of the overall problem the Rams have against that 9er defense. The greater problem is guys don’t get open when you only have two threats vs a good secondary.

Teams focus on Kupp and Woody. Reynolds should be feasting but all he’s doing is accruing snaps. Reynolds is a big dropoff from Cooks and it’s part of that equation re: why we’re seeing a low performing offense vs previous seasons. Jefferson would undoubtedly start over him if he knew what he was doing and blocked better but IMO those two things are keeping his snaps low.

Their moves to replace Gurley have not matured yet with any real consistency. Their move to replace Cooks hasn’t helped yet either. It’s players.

And going forward that’s not going to change. We’ll look better vs lesser defenses and fans will get all hyped up. This is the opportunity for Everett, Higbee, Henderson, Reynolds, Brown, etc to show they can step up and carry things but they’ve all shown they’re just guys. But the personnel problems are not gonna go away. We lack talent at wideout in the passing game and our run game needs better execution across the board.

But the defense has allowed this team to make a nice run of things so far in spite of all those skill position disappointments. And there is a chance Akers gets rolling and helps get this offense at least back to a nicely balanced unit. Re: the run game the pieces are there for the most part. It’s gonna be the storyline that saves us this season or dooms us.

By next year (well hopefully down this season’s stretch but certainly by next year) both Akers and Jefferson should be fully vested and on top of things and ready to impact the offense and that will help. But I wouldn’t rule out them going after another wideout in the draft if one who has the things they lack is there at round 2.

Not acting like I’m all knowing btw. I was wrong with plenty to include the OL. I thought Whit was on the downturn. I thought our OL didn’t have a Center but Blythe has played respectably. Kromer kicked my rear end good on my expectations and I love it btw. I was also feeling like Ramsey was a mistake, but that seems to have been a good move so far.

We get Whit back at some point so IMO what we’re looking at is a rebuild season where we might make the playoffs and actually have a chance to do something meaningful. So I’m not too disappointed tbh. This is a rebuild season no doubt about it IMO. And we’re in it. How cool is that.

alyoshamucci

Game 11 Niners …

I didn’t even do our last game against them … this one was better.

Sorry about the wait … had some chaos this week.

I generally take a while to get out of frustration from a loss, and get my emotion out of the way.

So let me start by saying something as a student of psychology. When a team has your number, it affects everything you do … The Niners have our number. We have the Seahawks number. They beat us without Kittle and with a backup QB. Decimated by injury, didn’t matter.
What McVay and Goff have to do now, is understand this psychological factor and stop pretending it doesn’t exist. We get their A plus game every time. Every game against them we’re getting playoff level competition and we need to prepare like it’s the playoffs. We have to overcome this sooner rather than later … or this will be a rock in our shoe every year.

The Great

1) Aaron Donald. I really just took a few meditative moments this week and enjoyed the gratitude I have for having the best football player I’ve ever seen on our team.

The Good

2) Akers getting his second breakaway of the year. Easing in rookies is a good thing in a complex system, I think it’s time to get him into the lead dog role.

3) I also took a moment to be happy with the fact that the core of our offense is locked up for the forseeable future. They show up every week. Really can’t think of either one having an off game.

4) Noteboom still handling OLT pretty well. I was confident that he’d be serviceable in pass pro and I’m watching college kids for someone in case he can’t take the next step in the run game.

5) SJD is solid … just make a play here and there and it matters.

6) I thought Nick Scott was playing pretty well … quick fills.

7) Kenny Young got the type of TFL I was used to him getting at UCLA.

8) Solid overall run D.

9) Troy Hill having himself a nice day …

10) Troy Reeder with a capable 12 tackles.

11) Satisfied with Matt gay for now … glad Hekker put a word in …

The Bad

12) Why is Tyler Higbee trying to block Arik Armstead? Why didn’t anyone see that and think “maybe we should get into another play?”

13) Overall TE presence in the passing game. It’s something that’s missing from last year and it seems like we need it back. I don’t know where Higbee’s mojo went but getting it back should be a top priority for the offensive staff.

15) Why is Kerry Hyder sacking my QB?

16) Maybe someone else can answer this … Woods and Kupp got 17 targets and 9 receptions … a little over 50% telling me that those guys were being more well covered. Why aren’t we designing plays to Reynolds more? The TEs?

16) Goff’s accuracy … he looked like a different QB than the guy in Tampa. This harkens back to the being psyched out by the Niners thing I suggest is at play.

17) Malcolm Brown fumbling? Dude … as a veteran back that’s the one things he should never do.

18) Van Jefferson missing downs=ing the ball at the 1.

The Ugly

19) Losing to Nick Mullens.

20) Getting swept by the 9ers.

21) Jared. Dude. YOU ARE NOT A MOBILE QB. YOU DO NOT HAVE STRONG HANDS. I don’t know what he thinks when he’s running toward the sideline not looking downfield for a 0 yard gain? Is he hoping for a late hit penalty? Why is he exhausting himself and risking injury for 0 yards? that’s not a part of his game, can someone let him know?
I know people are tearing him apart this week … and Im glad he’ll see the criticism. I think he’s our QB going forward for many years, but he HAS to stop thinking he’s a different QB than he is. His hands are not super strong and he’s prone to fumbling when hit. He’s also slow. Ball security has to get better.

22) Pick 6 against us by a D linemen.

23) Allowing that slant to Deebo. Why is Ramsey not on the only player hurting us? Guy had 12 targets and 10 catches before that play. He is their only offense and we allow him a layup for the win? Ugly.

Cameron DaSilva@camdasilva
fwiw, Sean McVay said last night that the Rams hope to re-sign Jachai Polite to the practice squad. He’d need to clear waivers first.

The Rams kept Kyler Murray in check last year, taking the ball away 5 times and holding him to 28 yards rushing.

==

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
I would like to see the Rams target a quarterback with a mid-round draft pick in the next two years. There is basically no downside to this. At worst, it brings in a new long-term backup as Goff gets older. At best, they strike gold and have a guy who they can develop into a starter should they decide to part ways with Goff before his contract is up. In the middle, it creates healthy competition. Goff has shown that he can handle both public and private criticism, so he’d certainly be able to handle some competition. Plus, McVay hasn’t gotten the chance to draft his own quarterback. That’s a big deal for a head coach.

• Regarding Goff’s contract, there is no feasible out until after the 2022 season. That would mean the Rams absorbing $8.6 million in dead cap, but avoiding absorbing the $65 million to $90 million they’d be hit with in dead money if they parted with him before that. Without a viable backup, or a player they’ve brought in to develop via the draft, they also can’t trade him. Moving away from Goff and running their offense without a viable replacement would pretty much tank the window for success for star players who are locked in under long-term deals, and the Rams are not going to do that.

• Regarding Goff’s ball security: The bigger items include making better decisions with the ball when under pressure (though Goff is handling blitz pressure well), taking a sack when needed, sliding instead of diving and keeping two hands on the football. Offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell has worked with Goff all season on “operating while in chaos,” so they will go back to the fundamentals as they prep for this late-season stretch.

•.Regarding Goff’s playing time: He’s not getting benched. No way, no how. Not even for a couple series. McVay went as far as he’ll go by publicly criticizing Goff after last week’s loss, and sitting him for a couple of drives — as the coach of a 7-4 team with a great shot at the playoffs — would be inefficient football. (You know, the same thing they’re trying to avoid.) Backup quarterback John Wolford runs a great scout team, but hasn’t taken any snaps with the first team in practice, and that would instantly force a setback. Some people want Wolford in because he is quick. Goff already throws very well when he’s on the move in rollouts or boots, and yes, I join you in wanting to see those more consistently. And I have nothing against Wolford, who I watched a lot of when he was setting Belk Bowl records in Charlotte while playing for Wake Forest. It’s just that there’s a big difference between the backup quarterback you think gives you a chance in an emergency, and the one you’re grooming to take over. Wolford is the former and not the latter, and the Rams are not in an emergency. The success of this offense, no matter whether people want to hear it or not, falls on Goff taking better care of the football and operating in a cohesive tandem with McVay.

Rams film room: Breaking down Jared Goff’s performance vs. 49ers

Cameron DaSilva

* https://theramswire.usatoday.com/lists/rams-49ers-jared-goff-film-analysis-week-12/

Jared Goff has struggled with turnovers in his last four games. Since Week 8, he’s thrown six interceptions and lost four fumbles, which gives him 14 total turnovers on the year – second-most of any player.

Sunday’s game to the 49ers was especially bad as he threw two interceptions and lost a fumble, in the Rams’ 23-20 loss to their divisional foes. As troubling as those giveaways are, they weren’t the only issues in Goff’s performance.

He wasn’t seeing the field well, he was missing throws he usually makes and didn’t navigate the pocket very well. The result was a 19-for-31 showing, totaling only 198 yards with no touchdowns.

We dove into the film and uncovered where things went wrong for Goff.

Not seeing open receivers

Every quarterback misses open receivers. They only have one set of eyes and have to go through their progressions before letting a pass go. It’s always easier to see open targets from above, but Goff is too often throwing to covered receivers instead of hitting open ones that come across the middle of the field.

For example, on this third-and-short play, Goff doesn’t see Josh Reynolds come open on the drag route underneath, which would’ve picked up a first down. Instead, he left the pocket and threw the ball away, forcing the Rams to punt.

Later in the game, on the Rams’ final possession of the afternoon, he didn’t see Robert Woods come wide open over the middle. It was a third-and-5 situation, so a completed pass to Woods certainly would’ve picked up the first. It could’ve gotten the Rams into field goal range, too, with about two minutes to play.

Goff wasn’t under pressure, so it’s not as if he had to hurry the throw. If he takes another second to survey the field and come off a covered Cooper Kupp downfield, he hits Woods easily for a first.

Bad interceptions

Throwing interceptions is one thing. Making terrible decisions that lead to interceptions is another. Goff made two of those on Sunday and the 49ers took advantage by picking both of those poor throws off.

The first a great play by Richard Sherman, who read Goff like a book. He used outside leverage, knowing he had safety help in the middle of the field. Keeping his eye on Goff, Sherman throttles down when he sees Goff winding up, turns completely around to find the ball and picks it off with Woods still streaking downfield.

It’s hard to tell if this was a horrible underthrow or a miscommunication with Woods, but either way, it was a bad throw.

Goff’s second interception was even worse and directly led to seven points for the 49ers. He was under pressure and tried to get rid of the ball while being hit by a defender, not seeing Javon Kinlaw dropping into coverage after initially rushing.

The ball might’ve been picked off by one of the two defenders covering Kupp had Kinlaw not been there, which makes the decision even worse. As Sean McVay put it, “you can’t just throw it away when you don’t see where you’re going.”

That’s exactly what Goff did and it was a pick-six.

Missing easy throws

Goff is typically an accurate quarterback. He usually puts the ball in the right spot, giving his receivers the chance to create after the catch. He struggled in that area against the 49ers, though, missing throws he’s expected to make.

On the Rams’ second drive of the game, he missed Kupp on a quick speed out on third-and-2. He’s lucky this one wasn’t a pick-six, too, as the defender was watching Kupp and not the ball. It was way behind Kupp and easily could’ve been picked off, resulting in an incompletion and a fourth down. The Rams settled for a 48-yard field goal, which was a disappointing result after a promising drive.

On his second-to-last throw of the game, Goff threw a pass too high for Woods along the sideline. It was a good route by Woods and should’ve been a layup for Goff, but the pass sailed and prevented Woods from making the catch.

A completion would’ve gone for a first down, but instead, the Rams punted two plays later and never got the ball back.

One of Goff’s worst misses of the day should’ve gone for a touchdown. Darrell Henderson ran a perfect wheel route and had at least a yard of separation, but Goff overthrew him and missed out on six points.

It was the right read even with a receiver open underneath, and it’s a throw $135 million quarterbacks should absolutely make. But Goff didn’t, and instead of the score being 17-10, the Rams trailed 17-6 after settling for a field goal.

Locking in on first read

Sherman must love playing against Goff because at least a few times a game, he reads the quarterback’s eyes and breaks on the ball to make a great play. Here, Goff never takes his eyes off Woods, his primary target, and takes the short throw underneath for a completion.

It wasn’t a bad decision, but he also wasn’t hurried and if he gets Sherman to bite on a fake, Gerald Everett is open down the sideline for a bigger gain. Sherman gambled and chose right, but Goff could’ve made him pay with a pump fake.

Deep miss

The deep ball has been a real trouble spot for Goff, both for a lack of attempts and completions. He simply hasn’t been able to connect with his receivers down the field, going 1-for-7 on passes at least 10 yards downfield Sunday.

This was one of his few deep shots in the game, targeting Reynolds on a go route. It’s a worthwhile shot, but Goff leads Reynolds too far inside and never really gives him a chance to make a play.

In fairness, Reynolds could’ve fought harder through the defender to draw a flag, but Goff threw this one to the wrong side of his receiver.

They start out talking about the Rams/SF game

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Greg Jennings on Aaron Rodgers & Matt LaFleur, Rams & Bucs inconsistency, Seahawks | NFL | THE HERD

No wind here in Inglewood, where it’s 73 and sunny as the Rams warm up for today’s practice at SoFi Stadium. pic.twitter.com/XwB71LSAdm

— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) December 3, 2020