A lot just happened.

But let's take it back to earlier in the third quarter, please enjoy. 🍿@JaredGoff16 x @RobertWoods x #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/qIaJXGpdma

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 1, 2019

After ugly November, Jared Goff starts December with best game of 2019 https://t.co/3rARvCZNRs

— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) December 2, 2019

20-0 Rams at the half!
Goff to Higbee! #LARvsAZ pic.twitter.com/rR6se8zd0J

— Alvin L (@alfsbones) December 1, 2019

#LARams 34, Arizona #Cardinals #RedSea 7: Game recap

Not a ton needing unpacking here. The Rams were just dominant on both sides of the ball all day. On to Week 14 with the #Seahawks coming to LA in a must-win showdown… https://t.co/72wTqqhCvZ

— TurfShowTimes (@TurfShowTimes) December 2, 2019

Rams24/7@Rams24_7
I bet coach Kromer is gonna be working on hand placement with Edwards this week

TurfShowTimes@TurfShowTimes
#LARams might be the worst at power A gap runs on 3rd/4th & short. Success rate has to be under like 25%

Gary Klein@LATimesklein
Gurley stopped on fourth down. He has 96 yards rushing. Will McVay put him back in to break 100 for first time this season?

Rams24/7@Rams24_7
Woods passes his previous career high (171) with his 14th catch for 172 yards

Rams Talk@TalkRams
I know, I know, it’s the #AZCardinals. But this a team that has been competitive in every game this season. First time blown out. Not partying like we won the Super Bowl, but it’s a nice step forward through three quarters.

Can Rams break offensive drought in the desert?

J.B. Long

https://www.therams.com/news/can-rams-break-offensive-drought-in-the-desert

It’s do or done in December for the Rams, who in all likelihood, must win out to play into January.

And perhaps Arizona is exactly where they must go to get on track, given that Sean McVay is 4-0 against the Cardinals, and under his leadership, the Rams have outscored their NFC West foe by a combined total of 130-25 with two shutouts (Week 7, 2017 and Week 2, 2018).

But despite their losing record, these Cardinals are a far cry from the Carson Palmer and Sam Bradford and Josh Rosen-led groups from seasons past.

If the two remaining contests against Arizona were the ones you were banking on for wins down the stretch, it’s probably time to reconsider.

Cardinals On The Calendar

When the schedule was released in April, I remember the relief in some quarters of the Rams facility, knowing that there would be plenty of game film on Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray by the time the calendar flipped to December.

Well, here we are. And while the element of surprise may be minimized, I’m not sure there’s any comfort in watching what the Cardinals have built on offense.

They’ve gravitated to 11-personnel as the season has worn on, moving away from the four-receiver groupings that perhaps they weren’t yet equipped to leverage to their advantage. As a result, Arizona comes off its bye having scored 25-plus points in six of its last seven games, including at San Francisco most recently, a contest in which they held a 16-0 lead.

Conversely, the Rams are spinning their wheels on offense and have been held under 20 points in each of the three games since their bye; they haven’t suffered through a four-game slog since 2016.

Snap a Drought in the Desert

So after a November to forget, here’s hoping it’s a December to remember for Jared Goff.

“I do think sometimes these years can be very good for you, because they’re really good learning experiences,” Rams general manager Les Snead said this week. “You realize as a QB, not every year is going to be a Pro Bowl season. That’s just the way it is.”

You’ve likely seen some variation of this stat this week: Goff has gone three straight games without a passing touchdown, the longest span of his career.

Hopefully, each time that was mentioned, you were also seeing highlights of Cooper Kupp fumbling over the pylon and Josh Reynold’s haul getting called back due to a penalty in the win over Chicago. Context matters.

Nonetheless, I’m looking forward to saying, “There’s the first touchdown pass since London for Goff,” and putting that story line to rest.

The Rams receivers have felt the squeeze, as well.

By a wide margin, Robert Woods has more receptions (51) without a touchdown catch than any player in the NFL this season.

And at seven consecutive games, Brandin Cooks is enduring the longest stretch of games without a receiving touchdown in his career.

This is a susceptible pass defense the Rams are set to face in Week 13, as Arizona has allowed 29 passing scores this season, most in the NFL and their most through 11 games in franchise history.

A Tale of Two Quarterbacks… And Their Turnovers

As we’ve pointed out at various junctures this season, the Rams are defying the odds by playing above-.500 football in spite of their negative turnover margin.

Teams this insecure with the football don’t often compete for postseason spots.

Not that it’s all on Goff, but he’s coming off his fourth multi-interception game of 2019 and has been responsible for 17 total turnovers.

Conversely, Arizona remains competitive because they’ve valued possessions as much as any team in the NFL this season.

Earlier in his debut campaign, Kyler Murray set an NFL rookie record with 211 consecutive passes without an interception. For all he scrambles, he’s yet to lose a fumble. In fact, across the NFL, only Patrick Mahomes and Drew Brees have fewer turnovers (5), and they’ve both played fewer games.

Teammates From Texas

Rams rookie Bobby Evans will make another start at right tackle in place of Rob Havenstein (out, knee) this week. And no one outside the Cardinals complex has a better perspective on the top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Evans won three state titles with Murray in high school. Then, he blocked for the Heisman-winner at Oklahoma.

On this week’s Rams Revealed podcast, Evans had this to say about his reunion with Murray.

“Oh, it’s going to be crazy man. We’ve come a long way. Both of us. Seeing him do his thing, I’m really proud of the guy.”

I also asked Bobby if he is glad Kyler chose the NFL over MLB, where he was selected ninth overall in the 2018 amateur draft.

“I am. Just to prove to people that he could do it.”

Feast Week

For all the good he’s done in his rookie campaign, Murray absolutely will take a sack. Extending plays and hanging on until the bitter end, the 22-year-old has been dragged down 35 times this season. Only Tampa Bay’s Jameis Winston has been sacked more.

On Thanksgiving weekend, Aaron Donald, Dante Fowler, Clay Matthews and others better be ready for seconds.

Chandler’s Chop

On a better team, linebacker Chandler Jones would be a viable candidate for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Since being acquired in a trade with New England in 2016, Jones has six more sacks than any other player in the NFL (Donald ranks second with 47.5).

What’s of greatest concern this week is the force with which he arrives at the quarterback. He and Tampa Bay’s Shaq Barrett not only share the NFL lead with 12.5 sacks in 2019, but they’re also the only players with five “strip-sacks.”

Rams fans are keenly aware of how much trouble Goff has had in this department. L.A.’s quarterback has to be on red alert against the Red Sea.

In T-Sizzle’s Sights

One other tidbit I found intriguing about Arizona’s pass rush: 37-year-old Terrell Suggs will have Goff in his crosshairs.

The seven-time Pro Bowler has dropped 76 different quarterbacks during his 17 seasons.

But he’s yet to bring down Jared Goff.

If he gets a sack on Sunday, Suggs would tie Reggie White and Julius Peppers for the most quarterbacks sacked in an NFL career.

Rarely Running Backs

I remember watching intently as Todd Gurley went through his pregame routine in Glendale last season, testing a knee that had been injured in the prior week’s loss to Philadelphia.

An MVP candidate for the better part of 2017 and 2018, Gurley wasn’t able to go that afternoon, and this week serves as a painful reminder that he hasn’t returned to his All-Pro form since.

Gurley is coming off just nine touches against the Ravens, his sixth game this season with 15 or fewer.

Across the field Sunday is another running back just a few seasons removed from All-Pro honors. David Johnson only played eight snaps at San Francisco before Arizona’s bye week, and that was with Chase Edmunds inactive. It was the first time since Johnson’s rookie season he played in a game and didn’t get a carry, as the Cardinals chose to roll with Kenyan Drake, who was acquired mid-season for a paltry conditional sixth-round pick.

Johnson’s reps could be even more restricted now that Edmunds is back from a hamstring injury.

As for Gurley, we’d all love to see him put the past 12 months in the past, break out in Week 13, and give the Rams reason to believe that an undefeated December is possible.

Zooey wrote:

Ok…where are the directions for putting tweets in here? Cuz I cannot do it.

It’s no different from youtubes.

The trick is, when you find a tweet you like, locate the date and click that. Doing so takes you to a page where the url will be the pure url for that one tweet.

Then you just paste it in here and hit “post.” Again, no different from youtube.

Number one total offense in the NFL: Ravens at 433.3 yards/game.

Number one total defense in the NFL: 49ers at 248.0 yards/game. pic.twitter.com/zdF4KokBG1

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 1, 2019

Young QBs, nope ALL QBs, take a look at this… the basic Dble slant, triple slant combo, everyone runs it, few read it correctly! Here’s my thoughts… pic.twitter.com/kGLFmntfng

— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) December 1, 2019

Opponent Scouting Report: LA Rams at Arizona Cardinals https://t.co/l2CWyV6ouS

— TurfShowTimes (@TurfShowTimes) November 30, 2019

This gentleman showed remarkable restraint in dealing with this crazy racist woman. Some in the same situation might have opted for walking right over #HallwayHolly….while wearing pointy heels. https://t.co/idyx0SJCz1

— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) November 30, 2019

Deadpool

On that first video clip that the author says: As such, Goff ends up with plenty of plays like the one above. Goff does well to get to the right receiver, but his “slide” in the pocket is a half-measure at best and his throwing motion comes around as flimsy as a pool noodle with no punch at the end to drive the ball out. To no surprise, the ball lands a few yards short of and behind the target.

Now anyone looking at that clip can see there is no room to slide anywhere thanks to both tackles getting worked. He also cannot step up into the pocket OR step into his throw. You have to have an absolute monster arm to complete that pass flat footed with no follow through.

In the second clip, Goff should have completed that pass, but really what happened was a 5 man rush where Demby’s and Whits guys stunt and Whit gets flat out beat around the edge and Demby is left blocking air because he sucks. Oh and Havs once again gets his ass kicked.

In the 3rd clip Whit gets trucked by Bud “freakin” Dupree, Havs gets beat on an inside move and Edwards gets pushed right into Goff. No chance for anything there. Blythe held his own and Corbett blocked, well he blocked no one. never put a hand on anybody.

The 4th clip is where I have been complaining about Goff for 4 years now. Sure, Havs and Whit get trucked into Goffs pocket, but instead of stepping up into the 2 hole or just running thru it, he goes left and trips over a DT. I’ve said this before and I will say it again, I just don’t like his feel in the pocket. Or in his ability to climb the pocket. Again, though, Whit and Havs are at least 75% responsible for this play failing. I just expect a 4th year Goff, if he indeed a top flight QB, to salvage that with 3 steps into the 2 hole. Oh and just to be completely fair, there wasn’t one receiver open.

The author kinda starts the story off wrong saying its easy to blame McVay getting figured out or Goff sucking. No, actually anyone that watches football knows its easy to blame an absolutely mess of an offensive line.

In fact, if I were rank what or who I blame for the Rams offensive woes, it would look like:
1. OL
2. McVay and his lack of adjustments
3. Goff
4. Gurley
5. WRs/TEs

But the author does get some of it right. Goff doesn’t have elite arm strength to just will the ball into spots. Few do. He also is correct in his mechanics, and I think his throwing motion has gotten slower this season. I can’t verify it, but it seems like a longer looping motion. He also gets right that Goff is just not good at navigating a muddled pocket.

What Goff could do well is place the football in spots few QBs could. Elite arm talent IMO. But this year, his deep ball is just terrible. And overall he is just off in his accuracy. Even when he has time to throw.

So Goff isn’t issue no. 1 or no. 2, but like my dad says, if you aren’t part of the solution, you are part of the problem. And him being a statue in the pocket, with no internal clock and a waining deep ball, he is not part of the solution.

Again, it is just mind boggling to me how poorly Havs and Whit are playing this year. Havs is so slow looking out there, he is too upright getting out of his stance and is literally on his heels the second the ball is snapped. Leading him to get trucked into the pocket, or beat by a speed move, inside or out. He is either hurt, or he is already done. Whit, has been equally as bad getting beat by power and speed this season, its such a shockingly sharp fall from last season, there is just no way anyone could have predicted it. Its tough to watch.

wv wrote:

Enh. I guess what i object to (mildly) is the use of the term “educated.”
I would have phrased it “college-educated” I suppose.

Billy_T wrote:

I was bothered a lot by the “uneducated” thing.

Point taken.

Yet we ourselves talk about the corporatitized dumbing down of the public.

Billy_T wrote:

Likely just needs an update to the CMS or to the cache plugin. Maybe both.

I passed the info on, thanks BT