from Week 2 of The Athletic’s NFL power rankings: https://theathletic.com/2081885/2020/09/23/nfl-week-2-power-rankings-saints-offense-ravens-chiefs/?source=dailyemail

9. Los Angeles Rams

What we learned: Sean McVay might have his fastball back. The Rams’ offensive efficiency — they ranked 16th last season — played a big role in the team’s disappointing 9-7 record last season. But Sunday brought back memories of the 2018 Rams offense. When McVay’s scheme is working, it’s run game, play-action, pre-snap motion and bootlegs that have defenders often looking in the wrong spots. That’s exactly what we saw against the Eagles. Jared Goff completed his first 13 passes, finishing 20-for-27 for 267 yards and three touchdowns. The Rams strung together five touchdown drives and punted just twice. In the third quarter, with the game close, the usually conservative McVay went for it on fourth-and-1 from the Rams’ 29, and the offense converted. It was a clear sign from McVay that he felt like their offense couldn’t be stopped. Through two weeks, just 6.9 percent of Goff’s attempts have been tight-window throws (defined as having a defender within 1 yard of the receiver). That’s the lowest percentage for any starter. The play-caller’s job is to set up the quarterback for success. McVay is doing that at a high level right now.

from PFF: https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-week-2-pff-team-of-the-week-key-takeaways-weekly-awards-and-more

THE LOS ANGELES RAMS LOOK LIKE THEY ARE BACK IN CONTENTION STATUS

After Sean McVay took the NFL by storm and led the Rams to a Super Bowl appearance in 2018, everything and everyone took a big step backward in 2019. But after yesterday’s win against Philadelphia, it looks as though Los Angeles Rams are back in contention status. The Rams had the most efficient offense of Week 2 from an EPA per play standpoint, and Jared Goff was out there delivering from a clean pocket. Goff generated a 95.8 passing grade from a clean pocket, the best grade of the week, and he completed 16 of 17 passes for 230 yards and two scores. Through two weeks of play, Goff is now third in the NFL in passing grade (86.1) and second in the rate of uncatchable passes thrown (10%).

What a beautifully designed play-action pass.

Against Philly, Goff had numerous open downfield throws thanks to great play design, like the one above. That helped him record the third-best positively graded throw rate of the week, which is a metric influenced partly by supporting cast and playcalling. If we see the Rams execute like this the rest of the year, the NFC better watch out.

alyoshamucci

Blinkscout Game 2, Eagles …

I was worried about this being a trap game and it almost was … so I’m glad we pulled through it and pulled away at the end.

The Great

1) Higbeast with the hat trick.

2) Losing 2 starters and having no dropoff.

3) Playcalling.

4) Kiser NFC DPOW. He’s still slow. But he made plays anyway.

5) Red Zone offense.

6) D Williams pick … thing of beauty at the most pivotal moment. We’re going to be seeing a lot of comp picks when these DBs go start on other teams.

The Good

7) Jared playing sound accurate football.

8) Running game, and Hendo getting a little groove going.

9) Van J seeing more targets.

10) Pass blocking.

11) 13 straight completions to open the game. In the zone.

The Bad

12) My fantasy football decisions the past week.

13) How long it took them to recover form the fumble TD at the half.

14) Lower leg stability has always been my worry with Boom.

15) Hate to see Cam have that injury. See #12. Don’t worry I have Deondre Swift to bail me out.

16) Need to get Reynolds and Everett some game tape to maximize our ROI comp pick.

17) Sloman kicks too low. Liram better be on speed dial.

18) How good the NFC West is. Im seeing all 4 as playoff teams.

The Ugly

19) LACK OF PRESSURE. I get it, they designed their offense to operate to mitigate it, I’m still nonplussed about it.

20) Coop, seriously, possession is the number 1 part of fielding a punt.

Question

21) Does anyone know for sure if Troy Hill picked that ball off?

22) Do we think Xavier Jones gets a carry or two this week?

Thought I’d ask Aaron Rodgers today about mental health, specifically what he thinks the value of people like him and Dak Prescott talking about their headspace, happiness and mental well-being has in destigmatizing talking about that stuff.

His full answer: pic.twitter.com/OtZ4kN1915

— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) September 23, 2020

Jimmie Everett to Flipper Anderson for 6 against the Bills in an epic 1989 contest. Precise throw and even better catch and run by the speedster! pic.twitter.com/LpqypS3x6p

— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) September 23, 2020

Peter King, from: https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/09/21/russell-wilson-seahawks-nfl-week-2-fmia-peter-king-let-russ-cook/

Numbers Game

Much has been made in the past week about the Rams’ salary cap, and the big contracts given to Jared Goff and Aaron Donald (last year) and to Jalen Ramsey, Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods (this year). But this year isn’t the issue for the Rams. The next two years are.

In 2020, the combined cap numbers for the five big contracts will be $73.9 million, which is 37.3 percent of the NFL’s 2020 cap number, $198.2 million per team.

But look how the numbers inflate next year, with a cap that’s likely to be about a $175 million. The cap numbers of the Rams’ golden five:

Goff: $34.63 million
Donald: $27.9 million
Ramsey: $22.5 million
Kupp: $14.5 million
Woods: $12.4 million
Total of those five: $111.9 million.

On a $175-million cap, those five contracts would take up 63.9 percent of the Rams’ salary load, and leave $63.1 million for 48 other players on the active and the practice squad. Say it’s 10 on the practice squad. That creates an incredibly bottom-heavy roster.

But I do not expect the Rams to stay status quo on those five deals. In the NFL salary space, teams can convert base salary to signing bonus at any time, meaning, for instance, that Goff’s salary next year could be reduced from $25.33 million to $1 million. That would allow the Rams to spread $24.33 million equally over the cap numbers of the last four years of his contract. Upside: Goff’s cap number in 2021 would be reduced by $18.2 million. Downside: Each of the last three years of the deal would have the cap number jacked up by $6.1 million.

That’s why—and the Rams aren’t the only team thinking this—it’s vital that the NFL get back to some semblance of normalcy in 2021, so the 2022 and future caps are not continually hamstrung by the economic effects of this COVID-affected season.

Zooey wrote:

Agamemnon wrote:

When was the last time I saw the Bills play? I thought maybe they were extinct.;

I know the last time I saw them play.

LA Coliseum. 3 years ago in October. The Bills won, and I was not glad.

Sun October 9 L Buffalo Bills 19 to 30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxN-H2lXCaI

Adam Schefter@AdamSchefter
The Chargers’ team doctor accidentally punctured his own quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s lung just before kickoff Sunday while trying to administer a pain-killing injection to the quarterback’s cracked ribs, league and team sources told ESPN.

trey wingo@wingoz
This has happened before. Before a playoff game The Steelers doctor gave Jerome Bettis a pain killing injection in his leg…but the shot hit a nerve, his leg went numb and Bettis couldn’t play vs The Ravens.

Cameron DaSilva@camdasilva
By just about every metric, the Rams’ pass rush has been one of the worst in the NFL.

It’s the biggest question on what’s been an otherwise stout defense.

ESPN’s pass rush win rate: 30th (32%)
PFR pressure rate: 26th (15.7%)
PFR hurry rate: 28th (4.5%)
Total presures: 11th-fewest (14)
Sacks: 10th-fewest (3)

It’s early, but the pass rush has to be better

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Bills coach Sean McDermott (former wrestler who at times has picked the brain of legendary collegiate wrestler/coach Cael Sanderson) on Aaron Donald’s dominance: It all comes down to really one thing, if my information is correct…he was a wrestler!

PFF LA Rams@PFF_Rams
Troy Hill’s 72.9 NFL QB Rating when targeted from the slot ranks 6th among all secondary defenders (min. 25 coverage snaps)

Cornell29

Highest rate of catchable passes thrown 20+ yards downfield (min 3 deep-ball attempts)

#RamsHouse
Jared Goff (100%)

#Seahawks
Russell Wilson (83%)

#GoBucs
Tom Brady (80%)

#GoPats
Cam Newton (80%)

#BillsMafia
Josh Allen (78%)

– Via @Ihartitz 💰 https://t.co/xa7LjqRw1o

***

PFF under pressure stat

22 Sep 2020, 11:26

J. Goff vs #Eagles on Sunday..

Under pressure:
4-10, 37yd, 1TD, 1SK, 84.2 rating

NO Pressure:
*16-17, 230yd, 2TD, 158.3 rating
(*ALL 16 comp resulted in first downs!) per @PFF

***

Only two starting QBs without a turnover-worthy play in 2020:
Aaron Rodgers
Jared Goff https://t.co/mU5BICSOBV

• This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by zn.

PFF LA Rams@PFF_Rams
Micah Kiser played 1 snap in 2019, but has come out of the gates in 2020 with a massive spark to the defense. Through 2 games, Kiser has:

– 20 Solo Tackles (T-1st)
– 13 Defensive Stops (T-2nd)
– 2 Pass Breakups
– 1 Forced Fumble

Cameron DaSilva@camdasilva
I know it’s early, but Rams RBs are being targeted on 4.1% more of Goff’s pass attempts than they were last year.

from https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2020/9/22/21451417/rams-advanced-stats-jalen-ramsey-eagles-micah-kiser-missed-tackles

According to PFR, Ramsey was targeted five times, allowing one catch for three yards. That would mean that Ramsey has given up 84 yards on 16 throws in his direction this season, if you believe PFR, which is as good as you’d expect from him.
…
Goff has the fourth-most “pocket time” to start the year at 2.6 seconds and he’s number two in play action passing attempts.