In the 2008 victory over Dallas, ball hawking safety OJ Atogwe led the Rams defense in shutting down the Cowboys attack. Between 2006-2010 no player had more takeaways then Atogwe (Interceptions AND forced fumbles). Here, OJ picked off Brad Johnson two times! pic.twitter.com/gmjW6RYFtC

— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) December 13, 2019

Rookie Bobby Evans steps up in reconfigured Rams’ O-line

https://www.yahoo.com/news/rookie-bobby-evans-steps-reconfigured-013518537.html

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — In one month, rookie Bobby Evans has gone from simulating the Los Angeles Rams’ opponents to running them over as the starting right tackle.

In the same time span, the makeshift offensive line Evans is part of helped the Rams stabilize their season and give them a chance to make the playoffs for the third straight year.

“Honestly, I just feel like life picked up a lot ’cause I went from, you know, being a scout-team backup guy to a starter,” Evans said.

Evans, a third-round draft pick from Oklahoma, has started the past four games after Rob Havenstein sustained a knee injury. Next to him is David Edwards, another rookie. Austin Blythe changed positions and is now the starting center. Left guard Austin Corbett was acquired from Cleveland in a trade on Oct. 15.

The only projected starter still in the lineup is left tackle Andrew Whitworth, but that front five combination has allowed the Rams to get the offense on track.

Since Evans came into the lineup against Chicago in Week 11, Todd Gurley has run off three of his four most productive rushing performances this season. That, in turn, has allowed Jared Goff to find success with play-action passing.

Coach Sean McVay said Evans has been integral to creating holes for Gurley and keeping Goff upright against several top edge defenders, including Khalil Mack for the Bears and Seattle’s Jadeveon Clowney.

“I’ve been really impressed with him, you look at some of the players that he’s gone against, the caliber of big-time guys and the way that he’s been able to perform,” McVay said. “He’s got great play energy. If you watch him, the excitement, the way that he helps his teammates up, finishes blocks, gets excited when guys score. He’s got a nice enthusiasm about himself that you get excited about. I’ve been very pleased with Bobby.”

Whether Evans’ play has been strong enough to usurp the starting job from Havenstein is a matter McVay and his coaching staff have tried to deflect.

“I feel good about the fact that we can execute our offense at a high level however that game day right tackle spot plays out,” passing game coordinator Shane Waldron said.

Havenstein is in the first season of a four-year, $32.5 million dollar contract extension he signed in August 2018, a deal he earned with steady play in McVay’s first two seasons.

But the response to the first real adversity during McVay’s time in Los Angeles, a downturn which also coincided with the spate of injuries that forced the offensive line to be reshuffled, might have rendered past performance and future earnings secondary to how the Rams are playing now as they try to chase down Minnesota for the second wild-card in the NFC.

The Rams seem inclined to stick with what is working. Havenstein was a full participant in practice Thursday, but it was Evans working alongside the other starters during positional drills.

Still, what could be a complicated decision right now might bode well for the future of the Rams up front, with Whitworth in the final season of a three-year contract. If Whitworth decides not to play a 15th season or the Rams decide to move on from the dependable Louisiana native who has played all but 10 offensive snaps this season, Evans and Havenstein would be the obvious choices to start in some combination at left and right tackle.

Evans played both positions in college for the Sooners and believes he can highlight different parts of his game depending on where he lines up.

“I would say I feel smoother pass setting at left, but I feel stronger on the right, you know what I’m saying?,” Evans said.

Left or right is something to be resolved later for Evans. Right now, he is focused on being ready to play against Dallas on Sunday if needed.

Blythe said Evans’ attitude reflects why he has been able to adapt so well to the NFL.

“He’s just been a professional,” Blythe said. “He’s done what the coaches asked.”

http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap3000001086985/next-gen-stats-key-figures-shaping-the-dpoy-race?campaign=Twitter_atn

Aaron Donald’s continued dominance
Another year, another season of Aaron Donald dominating. Barring voter fatigue, Donald could be well on his way to becoming the first player in NFL history to win DPOY in three consecutive seasons. No other player stands so far ahead of his peers at his position. Donald leads the NFL in pressures (60) for the second-straight season — remarkable for his position — as he has 24 more pressures than any other interior DL. Donald has generated a pressure on 14.0% of his pass rushes, which is the sixth-highest rate in the NFL (min. 200 pass rushes) and stands head and shoulders above the next-closest interior DL (Gerald McCoy: 11.4%). To put this in perspective, consider the base rates: Defenders aligned as interior D-linemen generate pressure on 6.6% of their pass rushes compared to 9.7% when aligned on the edge. The key to Donald’s success? His patented burst off the ball. He has a pass rush get-off of 0.83 seconds (the average time it takes him to cross the LOS).

Double team rate as a defensive tackle (x) by pass rush win rate as a defensive tackle (y).

PRWR = rate pass rusher beats blocker in 2.5 seconds.

ESPN metrics, NFL Next Gen Stats data. pic.twitter.com/H6XmXgRJoh

— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) December 12, 2019

Safety Blitz

Gurley’s New Rushing Style Works

I see a more patient runner who reads the blocks before taking an angle ala L Bell. Muscling through the trenches waiting for a big play. Doesn’t seem as fast or as strong but whatever changes he has made are working.

.@RamsNFL @trapp07 is exactly who they thought he would be coming out of @UW_Football; a tackling machine. Huge stop here on 3-2. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/kGqLiCDgcK

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) December 12, 2019

.@seattle v @RamsNFL on 3-3 on opening drive. The Rams blow the coverage and Wilson misses an opportunity to make them pay. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/5YHGwTySr6

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) December 12, 2019

Aaron Donald should win defensive player of the year again based off these two pictures alone #Rams pic.twitter.com/yDKNG9EsrP

— Tony Clements (@TonyClementsTC) December 9, 2019

Sarina@sarina
Nsimba Webster is day-to-day (hip).
Rob Havenstein will be full participation this week.
Gerald Everett is day-to-day (knee).

PFF LA Rams@PFF_Rams
Staying true to his nickname, “Slot God” Nickell Robey-Coleman holds the 4th-Highest Coverage Snaps per Reception rate in the league this season for all corners from the slot with at least 150 coverage snaps

Gary Klein@LATimesklein
Michael Brockers: “I understand teams — sometimes they love a guy but they still have to let him go. That could be the situation. Hopefully it’s not. But I’ve been in this business long enough to understand that some tough choices have to be made.”

Cooper Kupp had a productive game, including a touchdown, while playing only 20 snaps in McVay’s evolving offense.

The Rams’ loss to the Ravens is apparently now in Voldemort territory: “the game we won’t talk about anymore,” quipped McVay.

Los Angeles Rams@RamsNFL
“My main focus is to try to find a way to keep winning, and find ourselves in a playoff game.” –
@AaronDonald99. Aaron Donald talks about potentially winning his 3rd Consecutive Defensive Player of The Year Award, and Sunday’s matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.

Stu Jackson@StuJRams
Rams HC Sean McVay on whether he’d be apprehensive to make changes to current OL if RT Rob Havenstein is ready to go:

“We’re going to monitor that as the week progresses. It’s something we feel good about.”

No decision yet on capacity Havenstein would be used if he’s full-go.

If Webster is unable to play against the Cowboys, Rams coach Sean McVay said each of the team’s three starting wide receivers – Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks – are capable of filling in as the punt returner.

Rams can’t afford another mistake on their offensive line, so Bobby Evans must stay

Rich Hammond

https://theathletic.com/1453403/2019/12/11/rams-cant-afford-another-mistake-on-their-offensive-line-so-bobby-evans-must-stay/

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — The Rams are now parents of a newborn, one they’ve just been able to get settled. It’s time to tiptoe out of the room slowly, so as not to create any further fuss.

Imagine hearing before Week 1 that the Rams would thrive in mid-December with an offensive line of Andrew Whitworth, Austin Corbett, Austin Blythe, David Edwards and Bobby Evans. At that point, Edwards and Evans hadn’t played an NFL regular-season game and Corbett was languishing in Cleveland.

Yet as the Rams learned better than any team this season, it’s difficult to project an offensive line. A team sometimes has to go where the line takes it, and right now, after a couple months of searching, the Rams seem to have found the right mix. That’s why they must continue to start Evans over Rob Haventstein at right tackle when they play the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, and perhaps beyond.

“I think you see those (linemen) getting more and more comfortable,” head coach Sean McVay said this week. “They’re confident, they’re physical, they’ve got athleticism. I’ve been really pleased with that group.”

This isn’t easy. Havenstein has been a full-time starter at right tackle since 2015. He served as a cornerstone of the NFL’s best offense in 2017 and 2018. He’s been effective, he’s been a good teammate and the Rams rewarded him in August 2018 with a four-year, $32 million contract extension.

Havenstein is in the final stages of recovering from a knee injury that has sidelined him for the last four games (he was a full participant in Wednesday’s walk-through practice). To suggest he should be benched in favor of Evans, a 22-year-old rookie, on some levels might be illogical and impractical. Yet the Rams, the defending NFC champions, are in a fight just to make the playoffs, and they shouldn’t make any adjustments to their line until it’s obvious that they must.

“We’re going to monitor that as the week progresses,” McVay said Wednesday of Havenstein’s role. “It’s something we feel good about. If he is able to go, we’re getting another really good football player back. In terms of what capacity, we have not made that decision.”

Evans, a third-round pick from Oklahoma, entered his rookie season with low expectations and sat on the inactive list for the first six games. At the time of his drafting, pundits criticized Evans’ lack of height (6-foot-4) and athleticism, with many considering him to be a long-term project at best.

The Rams, with few other options, turned to Evans in Week 10 against Chicago. He has now played 256 snaps with only one sack allowed and zero penalties. For some context, Havenstein has played 616 snaps, with five sacks allowed and eight penalties.

Asked if he felt ready to join the starting lineup as a rookie, Evans said: “I did. I definitely did. This is something I’ve been working for since I was in second grade.”

“I would say I’m better in certain areas, as far as my pass blocking,” he added. “I’m definitely improved compared to where I was at the start of the season. Also in the run game, I think I’ve been able to move some guys around and open some holes for (Todd) Gurley.”

Evans vs. Havenstein is not exactly a straight-line comparison. Havenstein played next to Blythe — who struggled mightily at right guard before a move to center — and did not benefit from the Rams’ evolution to more “12” personnel looks, in which the right tackle is more often helped by a blocking tight end. That said, Evans is playing next to a fellow rookie (Edwards) and came in with zero practical experience. He has done well.

And that’s really where the analysis should stop. Even if, on some level, it makes practical sense to go back to Havenstein, the Rams can’t do it now. Maybe late-season stress will get to Evans and force a change, but that can’t be predicted. Evans already has bounced back from one poor game against Baltimore — the entire Rams offense was awful that night — with two consecutive solid efforts.

“It’s been a major improvement,” McVay said of Evans’ progress since the draft. “I’ve been really impressed, when you look at some of the players he has gone against, the caliber of big-time guys and the way he has been able to perform.”

The Rams used five different starting offensive-line combinations in their first 10 games. That is startling for a unit that enjoyed so much stability and success the previous two seasons.

The line seems to have settled in. Whitworth remains a rock, and his play has improved after some surprising early-season dips. Corbett, a No. 33 overall pick just 20 months ago who was acquired from the Browns for only a (2021) fifth-round pick in October, has been steady at left guard. Edwards, a fifth-round pick this year, has had some penalty issues but is doing fine for a rookie right guard. With this current group of starting linemen in place, the Rams have allowed only three sacks in their last four games.

The Rams also have helped their young linemen in recent games with an increase in two-tight-end sets and a rededication to the run game. They have been utilizing Gurley more, in a traditional sense for a running back, and have been using receivers in the run game with jet sweeps.

“Any time you can start working the perimeter and inside, you really start to stretch the defense because they’re not sure what to play,” Whitworth said of the run game. “It just puts them in a tough spot. They have to commit one way or another to stop something. That’s just kind of the efficiency that, in years past, we’ve had and that we’re starting to get back.”

Which is another reason why the Rams shouldn’t do any more tinkering with the line now. It started during the offseason, when they believed they could replace two veterans (left guard Rodger Saffold and center John Sullivan) with two second-year linemen (Joe Noteboom and Brian Allen). Noteboom started slow — and likely made life difficult for Whitworth, who uncharacteristically struggled in early-season games — before suffering a major knee injury in Week 6.

Allen also showed improvement before his own knee injury in Week 9, but it’s notable that Rams offensive players — without drawing negative comparisons to Allen — have had strong praise for Blythe’s communication and poise since he replaced Allen at center. Would Noteboom and Allen be thriving now if they stayed healthy? It’s possible, which makes the Rams’ long-term planning even more interesting.

The one stable position since the start of 2017 — left tackle — is about to become the biggest issue. Whitworth, who turns 38 on Thursday, is set to become an unrestricted free agent. Retirement is a possibility, particularly since he pondered it after last season, but Whitworth is playing at a high level. Presumably, there’s a chance the Rams could convince him to return on a short-term contract. If not, well, the options aren’t great.

In an ideal world, Noteboom would have thrived this season at left guard before sliding over to tackle. Instead, he underwent major knee surgery in October. With a normal recovery time, Noteboom could be ready for the start of next season, but it’s doubtful that the Rams would feel comfortable with him taking over at left tackle without a full offseason to prepare.

Havenstein has played right tackle on a full-time basis since his time at the University of Wisconsin started in 2011. Evans played left tackle last season at Oklahoma, but if he were to change positions during his NFL career, it most likely would be at guard, given his physical attributes.

The Rams have more options inside but still must make some decisions. Blythe is set to become a free agent after this season. Given the way the offense has thrived with him at center, do the Rams retain Blythe and move Allen to guard, where he played during three of his four years at Michigan State?

Noteboom and Edwards also are options inside, and it seems increasingly likely that Corbett, who is under contract through the 2021 season, will be a part of the Rams’ plans in some form.

Then there’s right tackle. As recently as this fall, the Rams clearly believed Havenstein had locked down that position. If the Rams are ready to flip that plan and commit to Evans, what would that mean for Havenstein? He has an annual salary-cap hit of approximately $8 million through the 2022 season, and the Rams can’t cut him after this season because he has a dead-cap hit of $6.15 million.

Given the Rams’ relative lack of depth at tackle — independent of what might happen with Whitworth — the wise move seemingly would be to keep Havenstein no matter what. But considering that players such as Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Brandin Cooks and Aaron Donald are set for raises in 2020, could the Rams really afford to keep a high-salaried backup lineman?

That’s getting ahead of things a little bit. Evans has had significant action in only four NFL games, so it’s premature to project something dramatic. But Evans’ strong play thus far has given the Rams some options for the future and has — if they’re smart — secured his place in the lineup for now.

“I’m just going to keep grinding,” Evans said Wednesday. “It doesn’t matter if (Havenstein) is starting or I’m starting. I’m all about the team and about my guys.”

.@AaronDonald97 stays bringing the 🔥

The 2018 NFL leader in QB pressures (72) is back at it again. #ProBowlVote @NextGenStats powered by @awscloud pic.twitter.com/wUVWp5fWlU

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 12, 2019

==

Aaron Donald is the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year again, which would be his third straight. That would make NFL history https://t.co/OSYQSJfUQK

— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) December 11, 2019

Steven Jackson and the Rams hosted Dallas in 2008 and @sj39 put in one of his best games! 160 yards on the ground and 3 touchdowns! The Rams defeated the cowboys 34-14 that day. In his prime Jackson had the size, strength, agility and speed. He proved to be lethal this day! pic.twitter.com/eBbEB1Fwrb

— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) December 11, 2019

CanuckRightWinger

I am taking great pleasure in watching the Postgame Seahawks wrap-up shows shown up here on the Vancouver Cable Network!!!
Clearly the Seattle area talking heads are stupefied by:
-how did the Seattle Offensive juggernaut that was averaging the NFL 5th best 27.4 PPG coming into this game, get shutout on TDs;
-how did Russell Houdini Wilson get sacked FIVE times by Los Ramos;
-how did Todd ReportedlyHibernating Gurley rush effectively against the vaunted Seattle D…..I mean, they have that Javeon BruceAlmighty Clowney…..and just push them around with a pretty-much rebuilt rookie OLine!!??