InvaderRam wrote:

goff has to hit hendo on that throw to the endzone. that was a big chance right there.

Timing and chemistry. There’s no such thing as just hitting a deep ball. That’s on both sides of the equation. The more familiar they are they better they can be in those situations. It’s not like Goff missed the spot–they just did not connect. But–have you ever seen DH time up a long pass well and catch it? Has he ever done it?

Rams face 49ers, who have had their number lately
First-place Rams, who have lost 3 in a row to the Niners, know teams are trying to figure out their No. 1 defense

Rams face 49ers, who have had their number lately

When a bright young coach seems to have the NFL all figured out, sooner or later the league will get him figured out.

It happened to Rams coach Sean McVay after his innovative offense was the rage in 2018.

It can happen to Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley any week, month or year now.

“I think that’s something definitely Brandon will have to be ready for in the offseason, when the whole league gets to study the special things those guys are doing over there (on the defensive side),” Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell said, no doubt wishing he had that problem.

Or maybe Staley should be ready before that, knowing an opponent could find the antidote to the Rams’ league-leading defense at an inopportune moment in the regular season’s next six remaining games.

Sunday afternoon, the Rams (7-3) play the San Francisco 49ers (4-6) at SoFi Stadium, the current NFC West leaders facing a defending NFC champion overwhelmed by injuries and COVID-19.

A rematch of the Rams’ 24-16 loss to the 49ers in Santa Clara in October, this is the first of three upcoming games for L.A. that will be second meetings with division opponents, occasions that can be the laboratory for tactical invention.

The 49ers, with coach and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, have given the Rams more trouble than any other foe the past two seasons. The 49ers have beaten them three times in a row, twice when the Rams were favored.

In 2019, the Niners won a defensive battle at the Coliseum and a shootout up north that turned on two third-and-16 conversions against the Rams defense then coordinated by Wade Phillips. In Week 6 of 2020, they piled up the most total yards any team has recorded in a game against the Rams defense in Staley’s first year in charge.

Rams quarterback Jared Goff doubts the 49ers have found a formula for beating their rivals, since San Francisco’s three wins were so different. But Goff didn’t sugarcoat what happened.

“They’ve gotten our number though for the last three times,” Goff said. “Hopefully we can buck that trend this week.”

Teams began to figure out how to stop McVay’s offense late in his second season, after the Rams began to play in prime time frequently in 2018 on their way to the Super Bowl.

The rest of the NFL has gotten just as good a look at Staley’s defense this season, with the Rams on four Sunday and Monday night national-TV slots already.

The latest was their 27-24 win against Tampa Bay and Tom Brady on Monday. It was the second straight win over a playoff-bound team with a Hall of Fame-bound quarterback, following the previous Sunday’s 23-16 win over Seattle and Russell Wilson. Two games before that, there was the Rams’ 24-10 victory over the Chicago Bears in a Monday night battle of ballyhooed defenses.

Staley speaks of the imperative to “self-scout,” to spot weaknesses in the Rams defense before opponents do.

“What’s very critical as a coach is how others see you,” Staley said. “As much as you’re studying them, you need to know how they’re seeing you.”

It might be even harder for offensive coaches to figure out a leading defense than it is for defensive coaches to defuse a hot offense, since a good defense is by definition somewhat different from week to week, adjusting to the offense it’s about to face.

“I think that you evolve as the season goes on. You never stay the same,” Staley said. “Each week has a life of its own.”

The Rams defense presents two particular challenges for the great minds around the league.

One is Staley, 37, whose ability to adjust to surprises from opposing offenses is evident in the fact the Rams have allowed only three second-half touchdowns in 10 games.

Another is his players. The defense is built around defensive tackle Aaron Donald and cornerback Jalen Ramsey, stars at their positions. And it thrives on versatility among a deep roster of players like cornerback Darious Williams, rookie safety Jordan Fuller and linebacker Micah Kiser, whom people are just discovering – or edge rusher Leonard Floyd, whom people are re-discovering.

No amount of brainpower prepares an offense for Donald.

“It’s about our players, number one, and then being able to kind of have (Staley’s) philosophy come to life,” McVay said.

Playing with the responsibility of being in first place in the division for the first time this season, the Rams have such an advantage in good health right now that the 49ers offense might not be able to execute even the best Shanahan game plan.

With Jimmy Garoppolo among the 49ers stars on injured reserve, Nick Mullens is the starting quarterback for the fifth time this season, coming off double-digit losses to Green Bay and New Orleans.

The Niners have been hit hard by COVID-19 cases too, and learned Saturday that a Santa Clara health directive barring sports could force them to move their next three home games.

Meanwhile, the Rams canceled a practice Friday in part as what McVay called a “precautionary” move after a player and staff member tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, only to later test negative twice.

The Rams go into the game as 6 1/2-point favorites but wary.

“They’re the reigning NFC champions, a couple plays away from being Super Bowl champions,” McVay said. “I know too much about these guys, their coaches and their players, to ever take anything for granted.”

What exactly is the tape showing for Tom Brady and the Bucs?

Had to ask @GregCosell what he has been seeing on this week's @RossTuckerPod: https://t.co/qZarH1S50w pic.twitter.com/XOLZUePvqy

— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) November 29, 2020

The Saints are being fined $500K and losing a 7th-round pick for their mask-less celebrations after beating the Bucs in Week 9, per @AdamSchefterpic.twitter.com/KdygzOVzE3

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 29, 2020

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Rams OLB Terrell Lewis (knee) downgraded to OUT for Sunday’s game

Adam Schefter@AdamSchefter
All the QBs on the Broncos’ roster are ineligible to play Sunday against the Saints after being deemed high-risk, close contacts, sources tell ESPN.

Here’s how Denver got wiped out at the QB position in a 72-hour span:

QB Jeff Driskel tested positive for COVID on Thursday.

Drew Lock, Brett Rypien and Blake Bortles did not wear masks, per a source, and were deemed high-risk close contacts today. They now are out Sunday.

Jason La Canfora@JasonLaCanfora
NFL will not call off Broncos game due to personnel issues. Their lack of QBs will require them to play RBs and WRs and adapt as necessary. Teams run out of positions in games at times and have to adapt. Forfeiting games opens up fight w/NFLPA and takes away checks in real time

Bucky Brooks@BuckyBrooks
Before you count out the #Broncos due to their QB situation, I was with the #Panthers when DeAngelo Willams played Wildcat QB for most of the game (12/24/06) in a 10-3 win vs. ATL. We ran 52x with Williams (20/82) and DeShaun Foster (28/102) help team rush for 183. It can work..

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Micah Kiser will be on injured reserve for at least the next three weeks with a knee injury. The good news for Kiser is that he won’t need surgery and the Rams are expecting a minimum stay. With the roster spot, the Rams will stay in-house and likely promote a guy off the practice squad, and will count on Justin Hollins as emergency depth.

Troy Reeder will step into Kiser’s spot, and Kenny Young will continue to work in complement. If the Rams scheme up a similar plan to the last time Reeder started a game (against Washington in Week 5), they’ll get Reeder closer to the line of scrimmage and their defensive line locking their blockers. That would open opportunities for Reeder in a “green dog” blitzer role, in which he potentially can get through the gap and sack the quarterback (he had three sacks against Washington). But I become extremely concerned when the 49ers try to stretch the defensive line and linebackers horizontally, before penetrating downfield. That was a huge issue last time, and while Reeder is great in the aforementioned situations and can help against the run, expecting him to run sideline to sideline is not aligned with his skill set. I asked defensive coordinator Brandon Staley about it this week.

“I felt like our edges in that game weren’t to our standard and it forced our linebackers to kind of have to get to places that they don’t normally have to get to,” Staley said. “I thought our tackling was just a little off in that first half and they have a lot to do with that. They have runners with real speed and their skill players, (receiver) Deebo Samuel in that game in particular, he’s like a running back, has a lot of running back traits. They ran hard and we needed to play better at the beginning of that game. I thought once we got settled, we were fine. But certainly, this team and the way they play, you have to have your stuff ready at the beginning, or else they’ll expose you.”

==

The Rams are tracking the lack of holding calls on Aaron Donald this season, and get this: He has drawn a holding call on one play out of 577 this season, and it was a run play. Is that not wild?

The Rams absolutely sent the non-calls in — and it seems they are collecting a larger body of evidence to bring into league meetings this spring — and also sent in the defensive pass interference calls against Jalen Ramsey from last Monday.

==

The Rams are No. 6 in the NFL with 32 explosive passes (15-plus yards) and 36 explosive rushes (10-plus yards) as tracked by Sharp Football. That’s a pretty good balance, and the Rams clearly believe that stretching the field vertically is about a lot more than doing so solely by air yards. n the coming years, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them take a chance on a true “burner” type, but a lot of times those players don’t have the blocking skills necessary to operate in the Rams’ offense. And you can’t invest in a guy just to execute the lowest-probability play in football, even if it’s exciting when it connects. He’s got to be able to do more in a McVay offense.

==

If an offer comes, will Staley believe he has unfinished business with the Rams? Another item in consideration is the fact that complete intentionality is part of Staley’s ethos. He’s not going to leave a great space where he has a ton of autonomy to go somewhere that might have a toxic culture, or where he doesn’t feel he’ll get autonomy on the football side from a general manager. There have been so many one-and-done coaches who have been set up to fail by terrible front offices and owners that it’s got to be the right fit, because it might be the only time such a job comes around.

Rams-49ers Preview: SoFi the scene for important divisional tilt

J.B. Long

https://www.therams.com/news/rams-49ers-preview-sofi-stadium-week-12

Hope you had a safe and memorable Thanksgiving, everyone.

For those of you experiencing hardship this holiday season at the end of a trying 2020, we hope that Rams football is bringing you some solace and joy.

And it’s not just the performance of the players and staff between the lines. The way Rams like Cooper Kupp and Jalen Ramsey continue to invest in the community is worth calling out this week and every week.

Now, I know the team would like to gift everyone a win over the rival 49ers, who are 4-3 against the Rams since 2017. No other opponent has beaten the Rams more than twice since Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay were hired at the start of that year.

Kupp Half Full

Because one of the lasting memories of the Week 6 loss was the odd disconnect between Jared Goff and Kupp, I wanted to circle back on what they’ve done since that Sunday night in Santa Clara.

The Rams’ slot receiver has been targeted 46 times for 33 receptions and 348 yards. That’s a catch rate of 72 percent and an average of 87 yards per game – both comfortably above Kupp’s career levels.

While they haven’t linked up on a scoring play in the last six outings, that Niners defeat really was a blip on an otherwise sterling radar.

Raw Bar

It was a confidence-building win in Week 11 for Goff, who was markedly improved from empty sets and against the Buccaneers blitz.

The interceptions were a nuisance, I understand. And no question he, Kevin O’Connell and Sean McVay are working hard to minimize those miscues even further. After only four picks through seven games, Goff has thrown four in the Rams last three outings.

I just want to point out that interception percentage – and really, turnover-worthy plays – are of much greater importance than raw interception numbers.

Against a tremendous run defense in Tampa Bay, the Rams asked Goff to put it up 51 times (61 in Miami). His season-long rate is still well below last year’s concerning 2.6 percent and in line with his 2018 Pro Bowl campaign.

How about the fact he was not sacked despite the pass-happy approach? Nice design by McVay and execution by the Rams, including new left tackle Joe Noteboom.

Run D.M.C.

Los Angeles gets another solid run defense this week – perhaps not as stout as the Bucs, who held the Rams to a grand total of 37 yards on the ground Monday night, but still top 10 in the league.

Nonetheless, the Rams managed a robust 5.95 yards per attempt in their first collisions with the Niners, and I’d envision a return to a more balanced offensive approach this Sunday.

Point Predictions

The Rams last 30-point game was October 11 at Washington.

My prediction of the week is that they’ll go for 30-plus on Sunday and average 30-plus in their remaining six games. This group feels poised to break out, and despite missing from 44 yards in his L.A. debut, I’m bullish on Matt Gay as the long-term answer in the kicking game.

Defensive Deep Dive

Here’s a bit of context for what the Rams defense has accomplished so far.

The 2020 NFL season in on track to set record levels for cumulative points (49.2), yards (718.3), and fewest giveaways (2.6) on a per game basis. It’s an increasingly offensive league, littered with prolific offensive talent, especially at the quarterback position. And that only amplifies the accomplishment of Brandon Staley’s unit.

At 17.1 offensive points per game allowed, they’re the best in the league.

Their 3.9 offensive points allowed in second halves is the lowest since at least the 2000 Ravens (4.5), and by a wide margin. (We’re actively working to extend that comparison even farther back in time and will update accordingly.)

And in the last two games, against future Hall of Famers Russell Wilson and Tom Brady, the Rams have vaulted up to a tie for seventh in the NFL in takeaways. They’re now averaging 1.5 per outing.

Always Be Closing

Which leads us to the offenses they’ll face in the closing stretch:

SF – 18

ARI – 11 (twice)

NE – 19

NYJ – 31

SEA – 4

That’s an average of 16th in offensive efficiency, with only one top 10 offense left on the schedule. And here’s my weekly reminder that the Rams are long overdue to score a defensive touchdown.

Man in the Middle

Without starting inside linebacker Micah Kiser, who was placed on injured reserve following a knee injury suffered at the end of Monday’s win, it will be interesting to monitor snap counts.

Troy Reeder had three sacks in Washington the last time he got his opportunity. So perhaps he’s the only substitute the Rams will need.

But if some creativity is required, edge Justin Hollins played some off-ball linebacker for Staley in Denver. And Leonard Floyd has that flexibility as well. A practice squad call-up is always an option, as Derrick Moncrief popped up for the Dolphins game.

Garoppolo-and-3

The Rams have yet to beat 49ers starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who unfortunately has missed a good bit of time due to injury since being traded to San Francisco and is once again on the injured list.

While Jimmy G is a perfect 4-0 against the Rams, the other Niners signal-callers are 0-3 since 2017. That includes this week’s starter Nick Mullens, who was at the helm for the 2018 finale at the Coliseum and passed for three touchdowns and three interceptions in a 48-32 Rams triumph.

If You Don’t Know Deebo, Now You Know

Like many of you, I enjoyed the back-and-forth between Aaron Donald and Deebo Samuel back in October.

I don’t envy the 49ers, facing the all-everything defensive tackle as he looks to break out of a two-game stretch without a tackle, much less a sack.

Of course, we all understand he’s being doubled and tripled and held at an alarming rate.

Against the Niners, maybe his presence will be as colossal as it was on the SoFi Stadium canopy during MNF.

Home for the Holidays

According to NFL Research, teams are finally finding some traction in their home venues.

Home teams are 20-8 (.714 win percentage) over the last two weeks, compared to .492 over the first nine weeks of 2020 – a figure that was bolstered by the Rams 3-0 mark to that point in the season.

The remaining undefeateds at home are Pittsburgh (5-0, also unbeaten overall), the Seahawks (5-0) and the Rams (4-0).

Inglewood will host four of the Rams’ final six.

Gary Klein@LATimesklein
McVay said he was informed late Thursday that a player and staff member had tested positive. Both were tested again twice and results were negative. He said windy conditions also contributed to decision to cancel practice.

Matt Patricia is a pretty smart guy, which is why the way he handled the start of his postgame news conference yesterday tells you all you need to know about his future in Detroit https://t.co/O0palIs6gZ via @freep

— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) November 27, 2020

Rams vs. Niners

Eric D. Williams

https://www.si.com/nfl/rams/news/la-rams-vs-san-francisco-2020-tale-of-the-tape

The Los Angeles Rams will look to avenge an earlier loss this season to the San Francisco 49ers when they host them at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.

The two NFC West teams have gone in different directions since that Week 6, 24-16 loss for the Rams.

San Francisco has lost three of its last four games, dropping to 4-6 on the year while the Rams have won three of their last for games and sit atop the division, tied with the Seattle Seahawks at 7-3.

However, the Niners are coming off a bye week and get L.A. on a short week after an impressive win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football.

The Niners own a 71-67-3 record (including postseason) all-time against the Rams.

Per usual, weather should not be an issue underneath the translucent roof of SoFi, with temperatures expected around 69 degrees at game time.

The Rams are 7-point favorites.

Scott Novak’s crew will officiate the game.

2020 RECORD
Rams: 7-3
Niners: 4-6
Comment: Rams remain undefeated at SoFI Stadium with a 4-0 record and finish out the season playing four of their final six games at home.

Points Per Game
Rams: 24.3 (17)
Niners: 23.8 (18)
Comment: Only the Cardinals (16) have more rushing TDs than the Niners (15) this season.

Total offense
Rams: 397.3 yards per game (5)
Niners: 364.7 yards per game (15)
Comment: The Niners are converting just 30 percent of their fourth downs, third-worst in the league.

ADVERTISING

Rush offense
Rams: 124.5 yards per game (9)
Niners: 112.0 yards per game (17)
Comment: Raheem Mostert leads San Francisco with 303 rushing yards, averaging 5.9 yards per carry.

Pass offense
Rams: 272.8 yards per game (9)
Niners: 252.7 passing yards a game (13)
Comment: With Jimmy Garoppolo still nursing an ankle injury, Nick Mullens is expected to get the start at QB. Niners are 1-3 on the year when Mullens is the starter.

Time of possession
Rams: 31:56 (5)
Niners: 31:35 (8)
Comment: Rams held the ball for 33:13 in win over Bucs on MNF.

Opponents points per game
Rams: 19.2 (2)
Bucs: 23.4 (11)
Comment: Rams have given up a combined 46 points on the season in the second half.

Total defense
Rams: 291.9 yards per game (1)
Niners: 315.9 yards per game (3)
Comment: Rams still holding teams to league-leading 4.67 yards per play.

Rush Defense
Rams: 91.3 yards per game (5)
Niners: 107.0 yards per game (10)
Comment: LB Fred Warner leads the Niners with 79 combined tackles.

Pass Defense
Rams: 200.6 yards per game (2)
Niners: 208.9 yards per game (T4)
Comment: Niners are blitzing 37 percent of the time, seventh-most in the NFL.

Sacks
Rams: 32/200 yards (T3)
Niners: 18/107 yards (22)
Comment:

Penalties
Rams: 42/392 yards (2)
Niners: 59/540 yards (T19)
Comment: CB Emmanuel Moseley leads the Niners with six penalties called on him, including four for pass interference.

Interceptions
Rams: 10 (T6)
Niners: 8 (T14)
Comment: Rams have six interceptions over the last four games.

Turnover differential
Rams: even (T15)
Niners: minus-5 (27)
Comment: Niners have turned it over 10 times in the last four games.

The #Rams are working on Thanksgiving, a very windy day at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. pic.twitter.com/eL4djQsbre

— Kevin Modesti (@KevinModesti) November 26, 2020