from PFF: https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-week-1-pff-team-of-the-week-key-takeaways-weekly-awards-and-more

DALLAS WON’T GET TOO FAR IF ITS OFFENSIVE LINE REPEATS ITS WEEK 1 PERFORMANCE

Led by Aaron Donald, the Los Angeles Rams caused Dak Prescott to play under fire throughout their Week 1 matchup. He was under pressure on 19 dropbacks, the second-most of the week. When a quarterback is under pressure that much, not many good things are going to happen for the offense. Prescott did make a great play under pressure early in the second quarter to CeeDee Lamb, but that was just about the only positive outcome on those plays.

And that number of pressured dropbacks could have been much higher had Prescott not had so many short, quick throws to avoid it. He did make all these requisite throws when free from pressure, as he was the sixth-highest graded quarterback of the week on such plays.

Because of Donald and the offensive line not having its best day, we didn’t get to see Prescott uncork many downfield throws. His deep ball was the backbone of his success last year, but he threw a pass 10 or more yards downfield on just over one-fifth of his passes (third-lowest rate of the week) in Week 1.

As a whole, the Dallas offensive line was the third-lowest graded unit of the day and lost the third-most reps. Tackle Tyron Smith and center Joe Looney didn’t play poorly, as they earned pass-block grades of 77.3 and 69.1, respectively, but the other three (Connor Williams, Zack Martin and Terence Steele) offensive linemen struggled. All three were either beaten by a defender or allowed a pressure on six or more pass-block reps. While the Cowboys won’t face a player like Donald every week — and Martin is likely to bounce back, given he was the highest-graded active guard in pass protection from 2014-19 — Williams and Steele are two reasons to worry, especially with facing Grady Jarrett in Week 2.

Malcolm “Vulture” Brown drops a wing in the hole and rides over top for a TD. #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/qzdkD27bWq

— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) September 14, 2020

Tyler Higbee shakes Jaylen Smith and leaves him in his wake. Will be a factor this year despite weak output tonight.#RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/ASkrTzWlWZ

— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) September 14, 2020

Decisive run by Cam Akers #Rams pic.twitter.com/h29T92mbb5

— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) September 14, 2020

Aaron Donald generated 10 QB pressures on 35 pass rushes (28.6% pressure rate) in the #Rams win over the Cowboys. @AaronDonald97 has led all IDL in pressure rate in each of the last 3 seasons:

2017: 14.6%
2018: 13.9%
2019: 13.5%

➤ Week 1 vs DAL: 28.6%#DALvsLAR | #RamsHouse

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 14, 2020

Robert Woods created most of his 105 receiving yards after the catch (90 YAC), +20 yards over expected according to our Expected YAC model.

Woods' biggest YAC plays came on crossing routes (35 & 22 YAC), which was Goff & Woods' go-to route in 2019…#DALvsLAR pic.twitter.com/YUczEUDQ2v

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 14, 2020

It's tempting to laugh, but this is absolutely terrifying.

This isn't the leprechaun video–that was harmless. This is the reason the virus will continue to spread and a return to normal looks more and more distant. How can we reach people who don't care about facts? https://t.co/tAWUXq3qWy

— Sarah Spain (@SarahSpain) September 14, 2020

hammer

Although the Rams defense played well in the second half, that last defensive stand really stood out. The constant pressure on Dak was tremendous on that final stand. The defense looked dominant and fresh. I didn’t see the dreaded prevent defense, thank goodness. I knew Donald would be fit and ready to play to the end even without preseason games, but the rest stepped up too. The Rams as a whole looked as prepared as any other team I saw play yesterday.

As the final minutes ticked down I felt confident they would secure the win. That was not the case last year.

And the defense was fresh because they got a little help from the offense. The offense dominated the time of possession. (Hopefully next week they get touchdowns in the Red Zone instead of field goals.) The offense dominated the time of possession because the oline performed well and McVay called a good game. The oline’s performance stands out to me and I think they can build on it. I’m also not as concerned about the linebackers or pass rush after this game. Going forward I can’t wait to see how the defense plays with a larger lead during the game.

Highest graded #RamsHouse players on offense and defense in last night's matchup against #DallasCowboys :

▶ Offense: Andrew Whitworth (95.2)
▶ Defense: Aaron Donald (91.7) pic.twitter.com/312fOAWEMy

— PFF LA Rams (@PFF_Rams) September 14, 2020

A rookie breaks out, Malcolm Brown’s moment and more from a Rams win

Jourdan Rodrigue

https://theathletic.com/2063775/2020/09/14/the-pile-a-rookie-breaks-out-malcolm-browns-moment-and-more-from-a-rams-win/?source=twittered

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Nobody in a “Bone” uniform was surprised to see rookie safety Jordan Fuller not only start for the Rams on Sunday night against Dallas, but thrive.

Quarterback Jared Goff, for example, specifically remembers how the rookie picked him off in the first week of training camp. As a sixth-round draft pick filling in for starter Taylor Rapp when he suffered a knee injury before pads went on this summer, Fuller wasn’t necessarily supposed to carry such a big stick.

“He’s challenged me in training camp,” Goff said. “I mean, being a rookie, being able to be as long as he is and as smart as he is, he does a lot of stuff in our defense that really fits him. He’s a tremendous player. … (When) he picked me off, I was like, ‘OK, this kid can play. He’s smarter than most rookies.’”

Fuller showed up to Rams camp as a man on a mission, and seized his opportunity. And by the end of Sunday night’s 20-17 win, in which he led the Rams with eight tackles — and made a huge fourth-quarter stop on fourth-and-3 with the Cowboys trailing by just two points at the Rams’ 11-yard line — it doesn’t look like that opportunity is going away soon.

“That play right there,” head coach Sean McVay said after the game, “that was the play of the game, arguably. Can’t say enough about Jordan Fuller and his maturity as a rookie, and what kind of play that was. Outstanding.”

In fact, McVay indicated Rapp is not still nursing his knee injury and that, in fact, Fuller had played his way into the starting spot. Rapp played special-teams snaps and was on the field at the end of the game alongside John Johnson and Fuller in what appeared to be a larger nickel package.

“(Fuller’s snaps were) based on the way that Jordan played throughout camp,” McVay said. “Taylor Rapp is a big part of our football team. That’s not going to change. But it’s more a result of all of the great things that Jordan has done from day one. I mean, he’s been making plays. He’s mature beyond his years, the way he sees things. His range. His ability to make plays, as he demonstrated tonight. Very pleased with Jordan, and he’s going to continue to get better — but Taylor is a huge part of our football team as well.”

Fuller was not made available to media in the limited Zoom interview sessions after Sunday night’s game. But it’s pretty easy to see he’ll be a huge part of the Rams’ plans on defense moving forward.

“Jordan has been balling all camp,” star cornerback Jalen Ramsey said. “We’re happy to have him…he’s been playing extremely well, and we expected him to do that tonight. Very proud of him, glad to have him a part of this team.”

Welcome to The Pile. The Rams are 1-0 … let’s start poking around.

The importance of Malcolm Brown

The Rams’ certainly utilized a running-back-by-committee approach on Sunday night, but the hero was veteran Malcolm Brown, who scored the first-ever touchdown in SoFi Stadium, and followed that up with the Rams’ only other trip to the end zone in the third quarter.

“I feel like I might live forever,” said a smiling Brown after the game, about what it meant to be the guy to achieve that historic moment.

Brown finished with 110 scrimmage yards on 21 touches, and there is a reason I’m framing his statistics in that way. The Rams used Brown as a “layup” option in the passing game with Goff, targeting him four times (he caught three). This is notable because, according to Football Outsiders, the Rams used their backs in the passing game less than any other team in the NFL last season. Brown also was a drive-finisher — the exclamation point at the end of a sentence — and after things got messy in the second quarter and it seemed like the Rams were just throwing pages of their playbook at the wall, they went back to what worked, simply and effectively. They heavily featured Robert Woods in the passing game, and then punctuated the drive with Brown.

But I want to talk about something more important than Brown’s stats, or personnel groupings or what he just did for your fantasy football team.

Think about it this way: Brown is only 27 years old, but in running back years, that’s a little past middle-aged. He’s got multiple seasons on the Rams’ other three active backs, rookies Cam Akers (who got the start on Sunday) and Xavier Jones, and second-year back Darrell Henderson. This season, Brown was “the guy who is supposed to teach all the other guys how to be a pro.” Last season, and in those prior, Brown was “the guy behind the guy,” Todd Gurley. If a person was ever a physical embodiment of McVay’s “We not me” mantra, it’s Brown.

On Sunday night, Brown was it. He was the engine who made the Rams hum. He was exactly who they needed. He wasn’t playing a supporting role; he was that dude.

I asked Brown what that meant to him.

“Oh, man. It’s very exciting. I feel like that’s just what I had to do. Sometimes in this league, you have to step in and play a role. And I was very aware of it,” Brown said as his voice seemed to waver a little bit.

“My rookie year, when I came in, I knew I wasn’t just going to be the man automatically. I was very, very, very aware of it. And I just played that role, man. I just kept my head down and worked. And … I knew maybe, eventually, I may get a shot. And I may not. But you just have to keep going. Just never quit. That’s what I tell a lot of guys coming in, man. It may not be the circumstance you want, but you last long enough and do what you need to do throughout your years in this league, and something will spark. The opportunity came, and I was able to do what I had to do.”

Brown might never be a superstar. But he — and everything he stands for — is now cemented in Rams history. And that’s important.

Kickers, man

Rams rookie kicker Samuel Sloman had to operate in a fairly high-pressure situation Sunday night, even without fans in the stands. He was kicking in front of former longtime Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein, with whom the team parted ways last year. Zuerlein then signed with the Cowboys.

So, of course, a missed field-goal attempt off the left post in the first quarter wasn’t the best way to start things for Sloman. The fact that it was a 29-yard try didn’t help; nor did the fact that, without fans in the stands, the “doink” rattled through the airy stadium.

But the Rams went back to Sloman, even in certain yardage situations when analytics argue that a coach should go for it on fourth down. One reason the Rams kept on kickin’, McVay said, was the fact that they had to show confidence in their young leg after the miss. It worked. Sloman made his next field goal and two point-after attempts.

“And, you know, I’ll never claim to be perfect with some of my decision-making,” McVay said. “You always look inward as well. … There was a lot of being mindful of making sure (we) got Sam in some good situations, and I think in a lot of instances it was like, ‘Hey, we still have confidence to let you come out and punch this thing in. We felt like that was the right decision. … There were a couple that I thought about (going for it), even at the end there (when the Rams punted), but just feeling the flow at the end of the game, that the defense had such good momentum, I felt good about punting it back. But a lot of good things to be able to look at tonight.”

Red-zone woes

The Rams were 2-for-5 in red-zone efficiency. In the first half, the Rams made four trips to the red zone and came away with a single touchdown (on their opening drive), and they finished the half with just 13 points to Dallas’ 14 even though they possessed the ball for nearly twice the amount of time the Cowboys did.

McVay summed up the issues pretty well postgame.

“We have to call some better plays, and also, we have to do a better job of avoiding the penalties,” McVay said. “Self-inflicted wounds. We had favorable down and distance (and) we end up getting an intentional grounding. That’s a drive-killer. I called a bad screen in a situation there on a second down. The good thing is, it’s much easier to correct after a win. We made some plays that could have cost us, but we also made some plays that got us the win tonight.”

Robert Woods, another “that dude“

Receiver Cooper Kupp signed a three-year, up-to-$48 million extension this week, but veteran Robert Woods was the money-maker against Dallas.

Goff’s comfort with Woods, particularly on throws over the middle or in crucial conversion situations, was notable. Woods essentially set up the Rams’ first scoring drive with catches of 20, 30 and 9 yards, respectively.

Woods finished with six catches for 105 yards — a 17.5-yards-per-catch average — and one carry that gobbled up 14 yards. Woods had back-to-back 1,000-yards-receiving seasons in 2018 and 2019 and wants another ones, especially with contract negotiations coming up in the next year and a half.

The calls that made a difference

Two calls really stood out for the positive and the negative, depending on the teams’ perspective.

On a third-and-7 play at the Rams’ 30-yard line, Goff’s pocket broke down and Cowboys edge-rusher Aldon Smith came barreling in. He appeared to make enough contact with Goff to force a wobbler out of the quarterback’s hand, and the ball was picked off by Chidobe Awuzie (Dallas ultimately turned it into a field goal). Upon closer inspection, Smith’s forearm made substantial contact with Goff’s helmet and facemask and appeared to twist his head around, but there was no flag.

Goff is not allowed to criticize the officials for fear of a fine from the league. But he said he pleaded his case on the field — to no avail — and that if there was ever going to be a roughing call in his favor, that would be it.

Then, with 31 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the Rams leading by three points, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott went deep to Michael Gallup, who pulled in a 31-yard catch that could have, at the very least, set up a game-tying field-goal attempt. But a flag flew, and Gallup was called for offensive pass interference. The cornerback in coverage? Ramsey, who said after the game that the controversial call was “as clear as day” to him.

Ramsey said he was even surprised that the Cowboys challenged him deep, and on an island, at the end of the game.

“But everybody gets paid in the NFL,” he quipped.

Bottom of The Pile

• Many Rams players walked into SoFi Stadium on Sunday wearing shirts that honored victims of police brutality and racial violence, showing their names and pictures. Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Tamir Rice and Emmett Till were all among those honored on players’ shirts. Players also warmed up in long-sleeved shirts that read, “It takes all of us.” Several minutes before kickoff, the Rams played “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” on the video board and the Cowboys stood in their end zone quietly, hats removed. Most of the Rams were in the locker room as it played, but Micah Kiser and David Edwards remained in the Rams’ end zone. As the national anthem began, approximately 15 Rams players took a knee in protest; notably, Donald and nose tackle Michael Brockers were part of this group, their arms linked tightly and their heads bowed.

• The Rams had Kupp back as a punt returner. We saw a little of this in training camp, as mostly Nsimba Webster got those reps.

• Not only did Donald’s opening-drive sack on second down (for a 7-yard loss) help set up a third-and-long play and then a Cowboys punt, it also moved him into second place on the all-time franchise sack list. The Rams then hit a bit of a dry streak until the third quarter, when a Brockers sack up the middle on third down gave them back a little momentum. Outside linebacker Leonard Floyd also notched his first sack, and there are clips floating around on social media of moments when Donald completely manhandles multiple blockers on his way to pressuring Prescott.

• Another big play involving Fuller and Ramsey: On third down, with Dallas backed up deep in its own territory, Ramsey put an enormous hit on receiver Amari Cooper that appeared to knock the ball loose. Fuller then sprinted to dive on it. While the play was ruled as an incomplete pass (Cooper never fully caught it), the play was still important because it forced a Dallas punt.

• I’m not totally ready to freak out about the Rams’ tackling problems yet. There was one play in which Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliot should have been forced out of bounds by one of (checks notes) FOUR players covering him downfield, but he cut inside and all four missed him. It was bad — bad enough to get the Twitter meme treatment — yet without a preseason or much of any live preparation, I sort of expected tackling to be an early issue around the league.

• You can’t have cheerleaders on the field in COVID-19 times. So the team had them all doing their thing in the parking lot, then streamed it on the video board and into a “second screen” experience for fans watching at home.

• Rams owner Stan Kroenke, in attendance to see the first game ever played inside his $5 billion SoFi Stadium, received Sunday night’s game ball from McVay.