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znModeratorJ.B. Long@JB_Long
Don’t interpret this as “the #LARams deserve All-Pro honors up front.”However, hard though it may be to accept, only Mahomes and Carr have a lower sack rate than Jared Goff.
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from Touchdown Wire’s 2019 NFL All-Underrated Team: https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/2019/10/31/the-most-underrated-players-in-the-first-half-of-the-2019-season/16/
Dante Fowler Jr., EDGE, Los Angeles Rams
Selected with the third overall pick in the 2015 draft out of Florida by the Jaguars, Fowler struggled early on to live up to any of his monstrous potential as his raw athleticism was taken to task by more experienced blockers, and injuries and off-field issues affected his growth as a player. He was a pretty decent disruptor at times, but after missing his entire rookie season due to a torn ACL, he never managed more than eight sacks in a season. Perhaps the best thing that could have happened to Fowler was a 2018 mid-season trade to the Rams, where he was given one task by defensive coordinator Wade Phillips: Pin your ears back and go get the quarterback. In 2019, Fowler has done that better than at any other point in his career, with 6.5 sacks, two quarterback hits, and 33 quarterback hurries. Now, Fowler has become a fully-loaded pass-rushing monster, able to take blockers apart with speed and force at the edge, or a quick inside move to demolish on stunts and twists.
znModeratorJared Goff receives a C+ as the Rams get graded at their midseason point
Vincent Bonsignore
Just before Sean McVay and the Rams left London to begin their bye week and start to prepare for the second half of the season, the third-year coach provided a glimpse into what might unfold during the seven-day break. He tipped his hand a bit in terms of where he thinks his Rams are heading into the last eight games of the season.
“Our staff will get some rest and look at ourselves, figure out what can we do a great job of from an evaluation standpoint, especially these first eight weeks, and then putting ourselves in a position to hopefully peak at the right time,” McVay said.
He could not have been any clearer, most notably with the “peak at the right time” tag line.
In many ways McVay saw exactly what everyone else did during the first eight weeks of this Rams’ season: A talented team that, for whatever reason, simply hasn’t put it all together on a consistent basis. And while it’s understandable for him to hope the Rams will be able to soar to their highest peak at just the right time to make another run at the Super Bowl, at this point that seems more like a wishful possibility than a full-on certainty.
The Rams’ inability to develop a productive and consistent run game at any point of the season is a worrisome inefficiency that has rendered their offense less explosive and balanced than in years past. Todd Gurley provided the backbone of their offensive operation the last two years, and their ability to play off his production in the pass game often made them unstoppable.
But with Gurley on a load management program — and unable thus far to flash the explosiveness and power he showed before a late-season injury last year — and the offensive line simply not performing up to past standards, the Rams’ offense looks and feels decidedly different.
That, more than anything, is the cause of their 5-3 record and third-place standing in the NFC West. And as they self-evaluate and begin plotting their attack for the next eight games, it behooves them to figure out a way to run the ball more productively and consistently.
That said, as the Rams hit the midway point of their season, here is the first half report card by position:
Quarterback
Grade: C+Jared Goff leads the NFL in passing yards with 2,367, but among qualified quarterbacks his 86.8 QBR is 28th in the league. He was much better the last two weeks against the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals, posting ratings of 99.8 and 119.3, respectively, a sign that when Goff is protected and given time to stand in the pocket he can do damage.
But he hasn’t consistently been afforded a high level of protection over the majority of the season — partially the result of an inconsistent run game and a leaky offensive line — and when Goff has been asked to carry more of the burden to make up the difference, the results have been uneven to say the least.
In addition, teams have been determined to take away the Rams’ big pass plays by playing deeper zone cover concepts, forcing Goff to be more patient and operate more underneath. The last two weeks are proof he is getting better in that area, by utilizing his tight ends more and consistently finding Cooper Kupp in open spaces, but the quality of opponent has to be taken into account.
Goff can play better, but he also needs his offensive line and running game to be better, too.
Running back
Grade: C-Todd Gurley has 92 carries for 355 yards. To put that in perspective, at this point last season Gurley had 169 carries for 800 yards. And his 436 total yards from scrimmage this year is down considerably from the 1,151 he had at this point last season.
Gurley isn’t being utilized as much as he was in the past and he simply isn’t playing as well when he is being used. Whether that’s due to lingering issues with the left knee that broke down last year, or him not being able to get into a groove within in a much more guarded usage pattern, Gurley just isn’t the force he’s been the last two seasons.
And that is a major problem the Rams continue to try to work around.
The question now is, will the Rams begin easing the workload management program Gurley has been operating in, or is this just the new reality?
Backups Malcolm Brown (154 yards on 37 carries) and Darrell Henderson (119 on 29) have been more effective than Gurley, but Brown has missed time with a foot injury and Henderson doesn’t appear ready to assume a bigger role.
One way or another, the Rams must get their run game squared away, whether by unleashing Gurley or expanding the role of Brown or Henderson.
Wide receiver
Grade: B+Cooper Kupp has returned from last year’s knee injury with a vengeance, and his 792 receiving yards on 58 catches provides proof of what the Rams missed late last season after he was lost to a knee injury. Robert Woods has been efficient with 471 yards on 38 catches while Brandin Cooks has fallen off with 27 catches for 402 yards. Cooks suffered his second concussion of the season against the Bengals, and his overall production has been diminished by injuries and the way defenses are taking away the Rams’ long ball. If he can stay healthy the rest of the way, it behooves the Rams to find a way to get him more involved downfield.
Offensive line
Grade: CThings have picked up recently with this group, with the improved play of tackles Andrew Whitworth and Rob Havenstein and rookie left guard David Edwards solidifying that spot in place of the injured Joe Noteboom. But it’s been a bit of a roller coaster all year implementing three new starters — including center Brian Allen — and dealing with right guard Austin Blythe’s ankle injury. The hope all along was that this group would be ascending over the second half of the season after going through an early learning curve with so many new faces. The Rams need that to be the case.
Tight end
Grade: BGerald Everett continues to emerge as a target for Goff with 26 catches for 297 yards, and there are signs that his production will continue to rise as Everett takes advantage of the defensive mismatches he’s facing. Tyler Higbee has been his typically steady self as a reliable pass-catcher when called upon and as a run and pass protector.
Defensive line
Grade: BAaron Donald continues to be a game-breaker at the line of scrimmage, and while his five sacks leave him off the pace of last year’s 21.5-sack total, the pressure and problems he creates for offensive lines helps free up teammates to do damage. Michael Brockers has been solid at tackle with 34 tackles and 1.5 sacks, and first-year starter Sebastian Joseph-Day has been more than adequate at nose tackle. Rookie Greg Gaines, who the Rams had high hopes for, has not been able to get on the field much, and Tanzel Smart and Morgan Fox have provided only spot duty.
The Rams have been solid in run defense, giving up 96.9 yards per game, and the defensive line is a big reason why, with its ability to make plays and tie up blockers so that second-level defenders can attack and clean up.
Inside linebacker
Grade: B+Cory Littleton has a team-high 66 tackles and is putting himself in line for a big payday after this season. He keeps getting better as an all-around defender capable of plugging holes, extending laterally to play sideline-to-sideline and being an asset in pass coverage. The Rams have been star-crossed opposite Littleton, with projected starter Micah Kiser suffering a season-ending shoulder injury during the preseason and replacement Bryce Hager dealing with injuries over the last month. But rookie Troy Reeder has been solid, with 31 tackles in three starts.
Outside linebacker
Grade: B+The Rams have gotten sturdy play from this group, led by Clay Matthews and his team-high six sacks before he went down with a broken jaw five games in. Matthews is expected back soon after the break, and will provide a big-time lift. Dante Fowler Jr. has really raised his play, with 6.5 sacks, solid run support and 32 total tackles. Rotation players Samson Ebukam and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo both have been good off the bench, giving the Rams a nice mix of reserves and starters. The pressure this group creates while playing off Donald’s brilliance has been a bright spot this year.
Cornerback
Grade: B+The Rams hit the reset button on this position by parting ways with both Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib in trades over the last two weeks. Both were set to be free agents at the end of the year, and given an opportunity to cut ties now and save $8 million in cap space while also making room for All-Pro corner Jalen Ramsey, the Rams opted to blow up the position early.
Ramsey has been mostly terrific in his first two Rams games and his ability to play man-to-man coverage is a game changer for Wade Phillips’ 3-4 defense. He’s now free to be much more aggressive with his blitz packages, knowing Ramsey can deal with his assignment one on one. Troy Hill has been steady opposite Ramsey and the Rams are high on youngsters Darious Williams and David Long Jr. Combined with slot corner Nickell Robey-Coleman, the Rams have been in good shape thus far at corner.
Safety
Grade: AThe Rams suffered a huge blow when John Johnson went down with what appears to be a season-ending shoulder injury, although rookie Taylor Rapp and valuable reserve Marqi Christian have stepped up in major ways. Rapp is playing like a veteran both as a tackler (43) and pass defender. Opposite them, veteran Eric Weddle has been everything the Rams hoped for, with 59 tackles and as the quarterback of the defense. This group’s ability to be flexible in pass and run coverage is invaluable.
Special teams
Grade: BGreg Zuerlein has made 16 of 20 field-goal attempts, although one of the misses resulted in a back-breaking loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Given his usually high standards, Zuerlein has been a bit off this year, but there’s no cause for alarm. Johnny Hekker is averaging 44.2 yards per punt, down two yards from last year.
Coaching
Grade: BThe Rams’ record might not indicate it, but Sean McVay is handling some situations with a deft hand in order to put the Rams in prime position to make another run. An organizational edict to manage Todd Gurley’s workload — and Gurley simply not being as explosive and productive as in years past — has forced McVay to work around a major disruption to his offense. He’s also had to deal with injuries to three starters.
He hasn’t complained or pointed fingers. He’s simply gone about trying to find answers. He didn’t always locate them in the first half, but the Rams are a missed field goal from being 6-2. As the season progresses and McVay continues to push buttons to manage the health and spirit of his team, it will be interesting to see how it all plays out. But for now, he’s doing an admirable job.
znModeratorRams thriving on defense despite personnel upheaval
GREG BEACHAM
https://apnews.com/5b0094f7b6d849a698d45dd171d85d15
The Los Angeles Rams are heading into the second half of the season missing more than half of the starters from last year’s Super Bowl defense, including their entire secondary.Change has arrived quickly for the defending NFC champions, but they appear to be adjusting well.Just eight games after coordinator Wade Phillips’ unit held New England to the fewest points ever scored by a Super Bowl winner, the Rams (5-3) have undergone big personnel changes on Phillips’ side of the ball. And while the Rams’ once-prolific offense has frequently struggled despite returning every key skill-position player from last season, the defense has been largely solid despite its upheaval.
Three members of last year’s starting secondary are gone, with both of their veteran starting cornerbacks getting traded in October, and the fourth Super Bowl starter — safety John Johnson — is on injured reserve. They’ve also adjusted to losing new linebacker Clay Matthews, who was off to a great start before breaking his jaw and adding elite cornerback Jalen Ramsey in a trade that compelled Phillips to make philosophical adjustments to his schemes.Through it all, the Rams have held their past three opponents to 40 combined points while playing in three different cities and enduring a 10-day, trans-Atlantic road trip heading into their bye week.
While San Francisco and Seattle have jumped ahead of them in the competitive NFC West, the Rams feel they’re in position to rally back.
“Some games, we’ve played really well,” Phillips said. “We haven’t been as consistent as we want, but we have played good run defense throughout the year. I think our run front is strong, probably stronger than last year. That helps us in that if we can force them into the passing game, we’ve got to play good pass defense.”Los Angeles is relying on its defense more than ever this season with the inconsistency of coach Sean McVay’s offense. Even with four new starters in the secondary, even with Aaron Donald facing the most double-team blocks in the league, the Rams have got the job done recently.Heading into Week 9, the Rams rank 11th in the league with 338.2 yards per game allowed. Los Angeles’ run defense has been largely solid, even with the offseason losses of Ndamukong Suh and Mark Barron, while their pass defense has been boosted by Ramsey’s arrival and a strong pass rush.Ramsey’s arrival emboldened Phillips to call more man-to-man coverages in the past two games, and longtime backup cornerback Troy Hill appeared to handle his part quite well when thrust into a starting role. Ramsey has arrived on the West Coast in strong form, and he is rested and ready to take on major responsibilities in the second half.
“There’s some good man-to-man players, but then there’s a few great ones,” Phillips said. “Those are the guys that you can say, ‘Hey, he’s got it no matter what and can help somebody else.’ Some guys can play blitz coverage and other guys help somebody else. You basically eliminate one guy for us as far as what’s going on with us now.”Man-to-man defenses also help the pass rush by theoretically forcing the opposing quarterback to hold the ball longer, and that appeared to work in the past two games: Dante Fowler, who has 33 quarterback hurries in his impressive season, stepped up to make 4½ of the Rams’ whopping 10 sacks against Atlanta and Cincinnati.
Much of the credit also must go to Donald, whose relatively modest stats — by his standards, not by anyone else’s — belie the success he’s having again this year. The back-to-back AP Defensive Player of the Year has five sacks, 11 tackles for loss and nine quarterback hits in eight games, but that’s only a fraction of his impact.“He disrupts so many things, and he helps other people,” Phillips said. “When he gets double teamed, certainly other people are one-on-one, and he’s double teamed a lot, we know that. But he also dictates protections for them, which gives us a chance to rush better in some of those situations. You look at the film, he’s still a dominant force. Whether he gets 20 sacks or not, he’s still a dominant force.”
New safety Eric Weddle has played well and provided invaluable tutoring help to even greener teammates in the secondary. Other contributors are stepping up, too: Linebacker Cory Littleton remains a ferocious all-around defender and the Rams’ leading tackler, while rookie safety Taylor Rapp is getting additional responsibilities each week as he grows in confidence.More help is on the way: Matthews has the wiring out of his broken jaw, and he will return to action soon. He began his first season with the Rams by making six sacks in five games, along with seven total tackles for loss.
“He’s feeling good,” McVay said of Matthews. “I really just think it’s going to be a matter of how quickly and how comfortable does he feel, as far as, ‘All right, I’m ready to go,’ and play full contact.”
znModerator🎉 #SackParty pic.twitter.com/i5TvzqkqGc
— Ogbo Okoronkwo (@OgboOkoronkwo) October 31, 2019
znModeratorLouis Riddick@LRiddickESPN
Chuck Noll had Terry Bradshaw. Bill Walsh had Montana and Young. Jimmy Johnson had Aikman. THEY ARE ALL HALL OF FAME QB’s!! THAT’S HOW IT WORKS!Vincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
On flip side, you’re talking about a s—-load of other great players/HOF’s around those QB’s, many of whom were handpicked by the coaches you are subtly implying road coattails. Football is the ultimate team game.And that team aspect reaches all the way to the leadership in place that picks players and assembles teams. A process of which coaches have tremendous input in identifying and selecting and developing. THAT’s how THAT works.
The Athletic LA@TheAthleticLA
Why did the Rams trade Aqib Talib? They knew he was leaving anyway, they like their young corners and the chance to create significant salary-cap room was too much to pass up,Vincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
If you’re the #Rams, would you rather get that $4.25M back to use toward future? Or let it sit on Injured Reserve?Rich Hammond@Rich_Hammond
Rams were not scheduled for any activity today, but Cal Lutheran (the site of their practice facility) was closed today because of the Easy Fire. It has been headed in that general direction and several Rams coaches/staffers live near the evacuation zone. Stay safe, all.znModeratorNFL midseason report cards: 32 things we learned while grading the teams: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2019/10/31/nfl-grades-teams-midseason-2019-32-things-we-learned/4099655002/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatodaycomnfl-topstories
11. Rams (B-): On one hand, they’re fortunate to be relevant, though they currently sit just outside of that crowded NFC playoff bracket. On the other, they’re trending up amid the addition of CB Jalen Ramsey while feasting on a soft portion of their schedule.
znModerator
znModeratorRams Talk@TalkRams
Fun facts: #LARams OLB @dantefowler already tied his career high in tackles in a season, past his career high in tackles for a loss and is 1.5 sacks away from passing his career high in sacks in a season. Still eight games left in the 2019 regular season! Final stat predictions?znModeratorThese interior defenders have been unblockable through eight weeks! pic.twitter.com/16zXXxyWMK
— PFF (@PFF) October 31, 2019
znModeratorJim Nagy@JimNagy_SB
Whenever a team hits on undrafted free agents it almost NEVER has anything to do with the general manager. GM’s rarely ever to dip into UDFA level players. When a team hits on a UDFA it’s almost ALWAYS the result of excellent work by an area scout.LMU93
It would serve the Rams well to use all three- Fowler, Matthews and Okoronkwo- in rotation. It’s great that Okoronkwo has shown up a bit the past two weeks but Matthews is clearly their primary guy there. But they rightfully want to limit his snaps so timing is good. Plus longer term ideally Okoronkwo continues to develop so that if/when they lose Fowler in 2020 they still have some talent there (with more to backfill).==
from Pro Football Focus midseason highlights: Rams offense
https://www.therams.com/news/pro-football-focus-midseason-highlights-rams-offenseL.A.’s offense continues to produce at a high level, grading out in the top half of the league. The running game, which has gotten contributions from Todd Gurley, Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson Jr., also grades out as one of the NFL’s 10 best.
Perhaps coincidentally, the unit had its two best performances in each of the last two weeks, according to PFF, as the Rams have mounted a two-game win streak. Their offensive grade of 78.0 against the Bengals and 78.6 against the Falcons bested the previous top two marks of 77.5 against New Orleans in Week 2 and 75.2 against Seattle in Week 5.
Additionally, L.A. has a top-10 run game in the eyes of PFF despite facing four of the scouting service’s top 10 run defenses so far this season: the Saints (83.5, fourth), the Buccaneers (80.8, fifth), the Seahawks (77.4, ninth) and the Falcons (77.1, 10th). Its top performances came against the Panthers in Week 1 (76.1) and Saints (73.8).
znModeratorAt the bye week, Rams still see room for improvement but feel good about where they stand
Stu Jackson
https://www.therams.com/news/at-the-bye-week-rams-still-see-room-for-improvement
As Rams pass rush finds its groove, so does Okoronwko
Stu Jackson
https://www.therams.com/news/as-rams-pass-rush-finds-its-groove-so-does-okoronwko
Sean McVay knows Rams have work to do: ‘We’re what our record says we are’
Cameron DaSilva
link: https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/10/30/nfl-rams-sean-mcvay-season-second-half/
znModeratorSubtract the Tampa game, just to see what they look like without the Big Exception, and the Rams D has allowed 17 points a game. And that includes wins against Carolina and New Orleans, a close game against Seattle, and holding SF to 20 (SF is 3rd in scoring).
17 ppg allowed would be 5th in the league.
It’s not a spectacular accomplishment–they have to do better than 50% wins against winning teams–but it’s promising.
znModeratorTop PFF grades from Rams’ win over Bengals: Okoronkwo, Reynolds impress
On defense, it was Troy Hill leading the way. He earned an overall grade of 85.5, which landed him a spot on the PFF Team of the Week
Oh man was I wrong about him…. or was I? I’m confused… I thought he looked bad
The consensus is that overall Hill played well. He has had bad games in the past, and he had a couple of iffy moments against the Bengals, but overall this year he is playing well. The Rams apparently think so because him playing well allowed them to do the Talib trade. Or, Talib salary dump disguised as a trade.
Behind Hill, they have Robey-Coleman, Williams, and Long. That bodes well for the future. Odds are Hill is the starter next year and the other 3 continue to contribute and get better.
With Ramsey, Hill will attract a lot of attention. Onslaughts of it, really. If he just holds his own, he’s fine and so is the Rams D.
Troy Hill was a top performer for the #Rams defense in Week 8! 💪 pic.twitter.com/ZnogTGfl4a
— PFF (@PFF) October 28, 2019
znModeratorThe Rams run game is just inconsistent and because of that, the offense struggles at times to find its identity. Edwards takes his guy to the woodshed which opens up a huge hole. Nice cutback by Gurley to get off of the goal line. pic.twitter.com/GxwdFSEz1n
— BGrisakPFN💭 (@bgrisakPFN) October 30, 2019
znModeratorGoff knocked off of his spot and misses Kupp. The right side of the Rams OL is a mess right now.
David Edwards with the pancake though! He's so relentless. pic.twitter.com/BMxhpB60C1
— BGrisakPFN💭 (@bgrisakPFN) October 30, 2019
znModeratorRunning game hasn't worked up to this point so McVay gets creative. Pulls both Higbee and Woods right. OL blocks like the play is going right, defense freezes, play goes left, Gurley picks up 9. pic.twitter.com/6YTmEJoJHR
— BGrisakPFN💭 (@bgrisakPFN) October 30, 2019
znModeratorRams do a very good job with the pre-snap motion which freezes the D. Henderson does a nice job spotting the cut back lane created by David Edwards. You see a little bit of that acceleration as he picks up 15. pic.twitter.com/FtTx0oRH0h
— BGrisakPFN💭 (@bgrisakPFN) October 30, 2019
znModeratorI don't think that the Rams running game was as bad as some are making it out to be. Henderson averaged 4.5 yards per carry. Offense just struggled to get into a rhythm after the first drive in the second half due to missed third down conversions. Nice cutback from DH to get 7. pic.twitter.com/W7uwNJcq4t
— BGrisakPFN💭 (@bgrisakPFN) October 30, 2019
znModeratorNot going to focus a ton on Goff, but there are two aspects of this play that I want to point out. The first is the ball placement. Goff gets this ball JUST over the safety. This really was a fantastic throw. pic.twitter.com/ndvF0GfJ4x
— BGrisakPFN💭 (@bgrisakPFN) October 30, 2019
znModeratorPFF Week 9 NFL Power Rankings
https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-2019-pff-week-9-nfl-power-rankings
7. LOS ANGELES RAMS
Last Week: 7thAfter three consecutive losses, the Rams did what they were supposed to over the last two weeks: beat bad teams in the Falcons and the Bengals. Now, they have their bye to regroup and attack the second half of their schedule. They have just the 28th-ranked pass-blocking unit in the NFL through eight weeks, which is especially concerning considering that quarterback Jared Goff has a passer rating of just 62.4 under pressure (20th among qualifying quarterbacks). The talent is certainly still their on their roster, but they’ll have to clean things up to work back into serious contender status in the NFC.
znModeratoralyoshamucci
Game 8 … Bengals …
Well it was going to be a win unless we really blew it, so I was watching to see if we won efficiently. Low Gurley usage, vanilla playcalling … ball control.
The Great
1) Really satisfying watching Coop bust out.
2) Obo making some plays. Yes I’ve been waiting. He was one of my guys.
3) Troy HIll next man upping Marcus Peters/Talib with basically no drop off.
The Good
4) Winning games we should win.
5) Winning in London.
6) Josh Reynolds stepping up and allowing our team to not miss a beat.
7) Darrell Henderson showing me the stuff I saw in college (where upon contact he bucks up against his attacker and throws him off balance to shed tackles)
8) Knowing our deepest CB can ball.
9) Rapp playing continuously solid.
10) Fowler playing himself into a comp 3rd for us …
The Bad
11) The Mixon drive on us … it energized them.
12) No turnovers. Bummed me out.
13) Really not as much push as I expected on such a mediocre line.
14) Got a few bigger plays against us that I was not happy about. May not be a big deal but it looks like Zac pointed some weaknesses out that others may take advantage of.
15) Brandin’s concussion form that light hit … that’s not safe for him and I hope he has a long consult about his health and future. I’ll miss his mighty mouse type strength … but we’ll be okay and he’ll be okay if he needs to leave.
znModeratorTop PFF grades from Rams' win over Bengals: Okoronkwo, Reynolds impress
On defense, it was Troy Hill leading the way. He earned an overall grade of 85.5, which landed him a spot on the PFF Team of the Week. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo deservingly got a high mark from PFF, too, recording 1.5 sacks in the game and looking like a starting-caliber edge rusher.
znModeratorIan Rapoport@RapSheet
Follow-up to the #Dolphins trade for CB Aqib Talib: The expectation is that Talib, who is rehabbing a rib injury, works to recover on his own while on Injured Reserve. Don’t expect him to report to Miami at this point. The relationship with coach Brian Flores helps with the plan.Andrew Brandt@AndrewBrandt
The Dolphins can certainly afford Talib’s tab, as they have the lowest payroll in the NFL, around $140 million. My sense is they were probably looking to do more trades like that.znModeratorAaron Donald mic’d up.. 💪🔥 pic.twitter.com/BHyjCWufCF
— Footballism™ (@FootbaIIism) October 29, 2019
znModeratorAdam Schein on contenders & pretenders
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001070790/article/texans-rams-eagles-are-indeed-contenders-bears-pretendersCONTENDERS
2) Los Angeles Rams (5-3)
I loved the Rams’ aggressive trade for Jalen Ramsey. And since the deal, Sean McVay’s team has won two “get right” games against the lowly Falcons and Bengals to put a three-game skid in the rearview. Did the Rams get their mojo back? I think so. Still love this team, and can you imagine how different the narrative would be if “Greg the Leg” did his job at the end of the Seahawks game?
L.A. has a favorable schedule in the second half, with four of eight games against teams with losing records. The Rams have great player (did you see Cooper Kupp’s 220-yard outing on Sunday?) and exceptional coaching. Don’t sleep on the NFC’s reigning champs.
znModeratorESPN: 10th (11th)
Player who needs to step up: Todd Gurley II, RB
Gurley has yet to have a signature game in 2019, which perhaps shouldn’t come as a surprise given the amount of offseason speculation about the health of his left knee and his tempered workload throughout training camp. However, the Rams and Gurley have repeatedly stated that his health is fine, which means it’s time — with eight games remaining in the season — for the Rams to turn up his workload and for Gurley to prove that he still remains a dynamic playmaker who can power his team to a deep playoff run.
NFL.com: 12th (14th)
How about Cooper Kupp? Last year around this time, Kupp was getting his left knee reconstructed on an operating table. Now? He just might be the best of all the Rams’ skill players. He certainly was on Sunday, when he piled up over 200 receiving yards and a touchdown in a win over the Bengals. Right now, he’s my choice for Comeback Player of the Year. The Rams will need Kupp to continue to produce after the disappointing news that Brandin Cooks suffered yet another concussion against the Bengals. That’s now four concussions for Cooks since Super Bowl LII and two in the span of 24 days. This could lead to an extended absence for Cooks, which would be a significant loss for a Rams offense that counts on the speedy wideout to stretch the field.
CBS: 10th (13th)
They have found their offense the past two weeks. Jared Goff has piled up big numbers against two bad defenses.
Yahoo!: 12th (12th)
Cooper Kupp has at least 100 yards in five games this season and had 220 on Sunday. He’s on pace for 116 catches, 1,584 yards and 10 touchdowns. And he’s coming off a torn ACL. Quite an amazing season.
Pro Football Talk: 10th (12th)
They’ll need to play better than they did against the Bengals in London if they hope to beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh.
USA Today: 11th (13th)
Todd Gurley is tracking toward 811 rushing yards (and 997 from scrimmage) projected over 16 games. But don’t worry … nothing’s wrong with him.
SI’s MMQB: 12th (12th)
London games are a crapshoot, so tough to knock the Rams for only winning by 14. Big game from Cooper Kupp (7 receptions, 220 yards, 1 TD) and another steady outing from Jared Goff have the Rams feeling better as they hit the bye.
The Athletic: 11th (14th)
What to make of the Rams as they head into their post-London bye week? Are the defending NFC champs back on track after back-to-back wins, or should we put asterisks beside the last two games because those wins came against the woeful Falcons and Bengals? The only thing we can say for sure is that Cooper Kupp is ridiculous and should be the midseason leader for the NFL’s comeback player of the year award after his impressive return from last year’s torn ACL. He is currently second in the NFL in receiving yards, tied for second-most receiving touchdowns and third with 99 receiving yards per game.
Washington Post: 10th (13th)
Being the NFL’s best third-place team doesn’t completely change the fact that you’re still a third-place team. Beating the Bengals in London keeps things from getting worse for the Rams but shouldn’t convince anyone that they are back on track. At least not yet.
znModeratorRich Hammond@Rich_Hammond
It was just 20 months ago that the Rams started a grand experiment and brought in Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib and Ndamukong Suh. Doom was predicted. Instead everyone got along and they went to the Super Bowl. Yet now they’re all gone. You never can predict sports.znModeratorMemories 😢 https://t.co/3ZBOGKDpiG
— Darrell Henderson Jr (@DarrellH8) October 29, 2019
znModeratorRich Hammond@Rich_Hammond
So it seems that the Rams will roll over quite a bit of cash to 2020 and roll with their current offensive line and Troy Hill/Darious Williams at cornerback. Internal improvements will have to be significant over final eight games.J.B. Long@JB_Long
At the midway point, the #LARams rank 4th in defensive efficiency & have allowed the 2nd-fewest explosive plays.That’s with 1.5 games of Jalen Ramsey & includes an abysmal performance against TB.
If the defense can replicate (or improve) in the 2nd half, L.A. has a chance.
Sosa K@QBsMVP
Take this as you will:Aqib Talib: 29 targets, 18 completions, 62.1% completion, 231 yards, 8.0 yards/target, 3 TD’s, 121.5 rating, 17.6% missed tackles
Troy Hill: 20 targets, 9 completions, 45% completion, 103 yards, 5.2 yards/target, 0 TD’s, 61.0 rating, 0% missed tackles
The Athletic LA@TheAthleticLA
Why did the Rams trade Aqib Talib? They knew he was leaving anyway, they like their young corners and the chance to create significant salary-cap room was too much to pass upOffensive Line Performance@OLPerformance
The term “Pancake Block” came to life because of @OrlandoPace_HOF – He was the originator of the term, because of his dominant styleLindsey Thiry@LindseyThiry
Progress report on Rams OLB Clay Matthews, who the Rams hope to have back in Week 10: “He’s gotten all of that stuff taken out off of his jaw and he’s feeling good,” Sean McVay said.Stu Jackson@StuJRams
Rams HC Sean McVay on LB Clay Matthews (broken jaw), whom McVay is hopeful to get back after the bye week:“He’s gotten all of that stuff taken out off of his jaw and he’s feeling good.”
McVay said they will take things day-by-day next week.
More McVay on Matthews:
“I really just think it’s going to be a matter of how quickly and how comfortable does he feel as far as, ‘All right, I’m ready to go,’ and play full contact…in the absence of some of that restrictive protection that he’s had. He’s on track for that.”
McVay on WR Brandin Cooks (concussion):
“He’s feeling good. He’s very aware of what’s going on and he can talk about what occurred pre-concussion.”
Team is sending Cooks to a specialist in Pittsburgh and hopes to get more clarity on his status from that.
znModeratorSuccessful surgery for @iamjohnthethird! 😂 pic.twitter.com/UspCXoLM6H
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 29, 2019
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