from Ranking NFL playoff defenses from 1-14

https://theathletic.com/2304699/2021/01/07/nfl-playoff-defense-rankings/?source=dailyemail

1. Los Angeles Rams

Their defense is built around two Hall of Fame-caliber talents — Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey — who are at the peak of their powers. Donald was dominant on a weekly basis in the regular season, and Ramsey was a true shutdown corner. Every team wants to limit explosive pass plays, but no team actually did that better than the Rams. They ranked first league-wide in DVOA on deep passing attempts, according to Football Outsiders. They allowed a league-low 13 deep completions all season. Because of Donald, the Rams don’t have to blitz at a high rate. And no defense was more effective (Expected Points Added per snap) on plays where they rushed four or fewer. On the back end, as The Athletic’s Robert Mays outlined, the Rams play a lot with two deep safeties. They were the league’s best zone team (EPA per play), according to Sports Info Solutions’ charting. While the Steelers’ defense finished first in overall DVOA, the Rams were first in weighted DVOA, which factors in later-season play more than early-season play. In other words, no defense is playing better than the Rams going into the playoffs.

Head Coach Sean McVay, QB Jared Goff and QB John Wolford – January 7, 2021

***

Head Coach Sean McVay

(Opening statement)
“Today was a good day. A lot of guys are taking steps in the right direction. (QB) Jared (Goff) did a good job, made good progress, he’s handling that situation really well. Been pleased with that. (OL) Andrew Whitworth is feeling good. I just talked to him, don’t expect any setbacks and so, that’s a good thing for us. We’re excited about the opportunity to go compete against the Seahawks this weekend.”

(On if Goff is going to start on Saturday)
“We are going to work through that, and we’ll see on Saturday.”

(On if Goff was feeling good after practice yesterday)
“I think he’s done everything in his power to handle the situation. He’s rehabbing, he’s attacking the opportunities that he’s had at practice. I think it’s a real credit to him and I’ve been pleased with the progress that he’s made. I know you guys will get a chance to talk to him. I think he’d be better equipped to tell you exactly how his thumb’s feeling. I’ve been extremely impressed with just watching him handle the situation, coming back, working hard, doing all the little things the right way and that’s exactly what you want to see from your quarterback.”

(On if Goff is back to what he would consider a normal range in practice)
“I would say this, he’s doing everything that our practice allows. There’s nothing quite like simulating a game with all the things that entails, but in terms of the ball handling, throwing the ball, some of the things that you would maybe have concerns about, he’s done everything in his power to continue to get himself ready to go. That’s where I would just say I’ve been very impressed and it’s a credit to how he’s handled this.”

(On what Goff did in practice today compared to yesterday)
“It was pretty similar, because I think what you wanted to see too, is yesterday was a little bit heavier volume in terms of just the overall workload, when you’re talking about just balancing that volume and intensity. But he was able to get a lot of drill work each of the last couple of days with (Offensive Coordinator) Kevin (O’Connell) and (Assistant Quarterbacks Coach) Liam (Coen) in between some of the periods where the defense or special teams might be working. That’s where you can kind of accumulate a lot of good feelers on where exactly you’re at and there’s always a good field to see, okay, when you work today, when you work the previous day, are you sore, are there any sort of setbacks? I was encouraged to see that there weren’t any today and then tomorrow will represent another opportunity for us to evaluate it as we get closer and closer to kickoff.”

(On if Goff doesn’t need as many practice reps because of his experience)
“No, it’s a challenge in and of itself just because the reps, not exclusive to the quarterbacks, but just your players overall, when you lose a day of preparation, you want to make sure that you’re thorough with that, but when you do lose that day, that’s a big deal, especially when these guys are turning over pretty quickly, you want to make sure that they’re as fresh as possible now being the 17th game of the season for them. So, it’s a challenge really for the team, but Seattle has to work through it as well.”

(On if there are differences practicing preparing for Seattle’s weather conditions)
“Yeah, we do. We’ve practiced some wet ball drills. Those are things that have kind of been consistent with what we’ve always done going up to Seattle because of how that weather can be pretty volatile, but that’s definitely something that we do when we feel like those situations will present themselves. Seattle is definitely one of those places.”

(On if he won’t actually know who is starting until 1:39 pm on Saturday)
“I think you have to have somewhat of an idea, but I think it’s important to use every day as an opportunity to evaluate and ultimately make the best decision for our team for this week and that’s why I think it’s important to use the time and you feel good about potentially having both these guys available.”

(On Whitworth saying there was less pressure for a playoff game because there are less surprises playing a team for the third time and if he agrees from a coaching standpoint)
“That’s a good question. This is the first time I’ve gone through something like this. It’s an opponent that you always have a certain familiarity when there’s continuity with the division opponent. That’s what this represents. I think what’s really unique about it is playing them for the third time with such a short turnaround when we played them two weeks ago. And so, I think it’s going to be about execution. I think our job as coaches is to make sure that we’re making good, sound decisions, putting together good plans that give our players the best opportunity for success. I’ve heard (Patriots Head) Coach (Bill) Belichick say it before, and I think it’s exactly right – ‘Coaches lose games, players win them’ – I think we’ve got to do a great job. When I look back and I always try to look inward and you say, ‘Are you really doing a good enough job?’ and there were some things that I was not pleased with when we played them the last time that I thought I put us at a disadvantage, specific to the offense. I think just overall, I’m excited about the opportunity to go really shoot our shot and go compete to the best of our ability and let it all hang out.”

(On why Goff was listed as limited today in practice)
“Yeah, I would say it’s probably whatever (Senior Director, Communications) Artis (Twyman) or (Vice President, Sports Medicine and Performance) Reggie Scott, whoever turned in the limited. He was able to do everything that we asked today. So, what limited is? I don’t even know what the hell limited means.”
(Reporter: It means less than a hundred percent of what he normally would get)
“And then you could say, because we’ve gotten some reps for both, and then that would be where the limited tag is appropriate.”

(On if he has any superstitions about what he wears on gameday)
“No, I didn’t really like the white (hoodie). I didn’t think I looked very good in it though. So, that’s why I won’t wear it again. If we had won, I still wouldn’t wear it again. So, made me look kind of chunky on the sideline. Is that what you’re alluding to? No superstition, I just want to look swaggy and the white hoodie was not swaggy for me.”

(On what he learned from not having at fans at Seattle only a couple of weeks ago)
“It’s been so different. I mean, one of the things I think is so great about this league is the opportunity to go travel at these other venues, where you get these atmospheres that are reflective of, ‘Man, this is awesome’. You see how fired up the crowd is and they’re all booing you and stuff like that. But I love that. I mean, I think that creates part of the what’s special about being able to go on the road with your coaches, your players and it’s just about that group of men trying to go accomplish a goal. That atmosphere has been outstanding. But what this year has entailed, is it’s two teams going at it, dependent upon how involved the loudspeakers are or the play-by-play. You’re able to hear a lot more, you’re able to communicate a lot more. That’s where you see the energy from the team and really just being able to stay connected and kind of bring in your own juice, if you will. You feel that, but these playoff games, there’s no motivation needed. There’s a lot at stake. A special group of 14 teams that have earned the right to be in these games. We’re going to do everything in our power to try to see if we can extend our season for another weekend and next week.”

***

QB Jared Goff

(On how his thumb feels)
“It feels good. It’s progressing well. It’s in a good place.”

(On how he would determine if his thumb is ready to play on Saturday)
“It’s continuing to progress well. I think that’s what my message is going to be. It feels good. The progress is steady and increasing.”

(On if there was anything at practice that he couldn’t do because of his thumb)
“I’m going to stay vague. It feels good. It feels like it’s in a good place and it’s continuing to progress well.”

(On if he’s taken any snaps from under center)
“Yes.”

(On how the snaps from under center feel)
“Good.”

(On if he is planning to start Saturday)
“I’m just continuing to feel good, get better and continue to heal this thumb and making sure it’s ready to go.”

(On if his mindset is that he’s going to start Saturday)
“I’m in the mindset that if I have to play at any point, I’m ready to play. It’s continuing to progress well.”

(On how QB John Wolford played last week)
“I thought he did a good job.”

(On what he liked from Wolford’s play)
“He made a lot of good throws. He used his feet well. He was able to do some quarterback run stuff. He moved around well.”

(On what it was like to help Wolford from the sidelines)
“I’ve become close with (QB) John (Wolford). He’s a good friend of mine now. I’m always willing to help him at any point.”

(On how they stabilized his thumb)
“They put a couple of screws in there.”

(On if he can feel the screws)
“No.”

(On how well RB Cam Akers and RB Malcom Brown have been preparing this week)
“They’ve done a good job, all three of them have done a really good job. (RB) Cam (Akers), specifically stepped up this last half of the season, whatever you want to call it. He’s done a really good job. So, all of them will be ready.”

(On if it’s his call if he will play Saturday)
“It’s me and (Head Coach) Sean (McVay). Ultimately, it’s his call, but it has a lot to do with where I feel I’m at. Obviously, I’m not going to reveal anything. I feel good and I’m progressing well. Whether it’s starting, whether it’s not, I’ll be ready to go.”

(On if it was difficult seeing Wolford have a slow start in Sunday’s game and not being able to help the team)
“It’s always tough. I had surgery a handful of days before that. So, it was not in my mind that I was able to go last week. I think it is hard being out there during practice last week, having to watch and having to be back there. It’s hard knowing you’re the quarterback and you’re supposed to be out there helping your team. So, it’s difficult, but at the same time, I need to be able to help in any way I can. Last week the scenario was to help John on the sideline, and I did my best with that.”

(On if he gained anything from sitting out a week)
“Yeah, I think you’re getting a whole different perspective. You gain a lot of appreciation for being out there and being healthy. You gain an appreciation for, myself personally, always having been healthy. I kind of take it for granted. My whole life, I’ve just always kind of played and never had injuries to deal with and you take that for granted at times. I think that gave me an absolutely new perspective on it for sure.”

(On how he feels about the matchup against the Seahawks)
“I think we’re positioned well. Obviously, we’ve played these guys many times over the years and played them two weeks ago. We both know each other well and they’re a team that has had some success and we’ve had some success against them. So, they’ll be a good match up. We’ll be ready to go.”

(On how he feels going into the playoffs)
“Obviously I had surgery recently, so I’m still working on how that feels. I feel good for Saturday, if that’s the case. Yes.”

(On his confidence in the team going into playoffs)
“Very confident. I think last week, especially defensively, we did a great job. Offensively, we obviously still need to do things a little bit better, finish in the red zone, a handful of things we can do better. But yeah, I feel confident.”

(On his decision to have thumb surgery)
“It was a broken thumb, so it was either play with a broken thumb or get surgery and in the interest of time, you do that as soon as possible. The rehabilitation on that varies. I’m working as best I can to have it ready ASAP and that includes this week. Again, I’m not going to say anything about what’s happening this weekend, but it will be ready at some point, eventually, if it’s not this week.”

(On if he was dealing with more pain then he let on in the game against the Seahawks)
“I don’t know. It was broken and I played with it. It didn’t feel terrific, but it felt good enough to play with.”

***

QB John Wolford

(On his preparations in case he is the starting quarterback on Saturday)
“I’m trying to treat it like I would any other week. Whether you’re the two or the one, in my mind, your preparation should be the same. You’ve got to be ready to go. You don’t know when your number is going to be called. So, not much has changed in that regard. I’ll keep doing what I’ve been doing the past 17 weeks.”

(On his experience playing in wet weather conditions)
“I played in Florida growing up, so we had a few rain games. I think at Wake Forest, I had a few, a few cold weather games as well. I’ve done it before, and I think I’ll be fine if I’m asked to play.”

(On his evaluation after reviewing film from last week)
“I think I made some plays in my legs, obviously, that sustained some drives. I thought I threw the ball pretty well. There are a few balls that were a little bit short. A few misses here and there that I would love to have back. So, the challenge for me is how can you execute those plays when you have those opportunities, because that’s the difference between throwing for 230 (yards) and throwing for 350 (yards). So, it’s a little bit more on tune with the receivers and that comes with reps. I can’t make those decisions like I did the first play of the game that put our defense on the field at the 15-yard line. Which is just pretty much a punch-in touchdown for the other team.”

(On if he knows if he will start on Saturday)
“Yeah, that’s a question for coach. I’m preparing and I’ll be ready to play if asked to. But I would defer to (Head Coach) Sean (McVay) on that one.”

(On how many times he’s been asked if he’s going to be the starter)
“A lot.”

(On if he returned all 350 text messages he received following last week’s game)
“Those are still outstanding. Most of them are outstanding. It’s a short week, so.”

(On what he says to people asking about the starter scenario for Saturday)
“I would defer that to Sean.”

(On how QB Jared Goff has looked in practice)
“He’s looked good. He’s a tough dude. I think he’s progressing well. I think he’s looked good.”

(On if he feels calmer this week compared to last week)
“I think getting that first start out a way, it just gives you some confidence. You’re always confident in your abilities, but candidly, you never really known until you actually play in a game. I think I’ve definitely gained some confidence by going out there and playing in a pretty meaningful game, getting reps. So, less nervous. I probably put on a poker face the last time we Zoomed last week and said I was doing fine. But good, definitely less nervous feel more comfortable. The accumulation of reps are valuable, especially game reps.”

(On if he had to tell some of his teammates to be quiet in the huddle)
“No, no, no, they told me to be quiet because I too loud. Sometimes the microphone’s loud, so then I talk loud because I feel like I have to talk over the microphone.”

(On working together with QB Jared Goff)
“I think we have a great relationship. It’s one where we’re both helping each other, trying to get each other better and we both have a lot of respect for how the other one operates. I have nothing but respect for (QB) Jared (Goff). He has made me a better player, and hopefully he would say the same about me. We’re a part of a team and within that team, we are part of a group and the goal is to be the best that we can be in our position group. I think we have an understanding of that. (We) have pushed each other throughout the year and helped each other throughout the year.”

(On the possibility of using two quarterbacks in the game on Saturday)
“Anything game-plan wise, just because I know Seattle probably watches this. That could be in the cards, that could not be in the cards.”

(On how many more reps he’s put in this week as compared to a typical week)
“I feel like I’ve gotten enough reps to be ready to play, if I’m asked to play. I’m not going to give you a number.”

(On if he’s ever been in another situation similar to this week regarding the starting quarterback)
“In college, there was a period of time where I wasn’t playing well and week-to-week we didn’t know if it was going to be me or (Broncos WR) Kendall Hinton, who actually started for Denver this year. Who was going to play. That was my, I think my sophomore year, so yes I have.”