.@RamsNFL @TG3II finally got loose in the 3rd QTR behind the “new guys”; Allen & Noteboom. #CoachKrommer working his techniques all summer is paying dividends. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/fMguuDoKaf

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) September 11, 2019

5 interesting stats from Rams' Week 1 win: Cory Littleton makes history

Littleton makes history with huge game

Littleton was a big reason the Rams beat Carolina on Sunday thanks to his wildly productive day. He had 14 tackles, one interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, which is a stat line no other Rams defender has ever posted, according to Pro Football Reference.

Additionally, only one other player in NFL history has had at least 14 tackles, an interception and a fumble forced and recovered. That player is DeMeco Ryans, who did it in 2006 with the Texans.
Forced fumbles have only been a stat since 1993, but that doesn’t take away from the game Littleton had.

Wont find a better blocked run play than this. Also, #TeamReUpAustinBlythe pic.twitter.com/F4HDlefKd5

— Sosa K (@QBsMVP) September 10, 2019

long trap to #1 on the LOS from a condensed split with jet motion. the rams run game remains insanely entertaining to watch pic.twitter.com/VYdZ1ZZPj7

— betz (@alltwentytwo) September 10, 2019

Vincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
There was a noticeable drop in the #Rams usage of 11 Personnel on Sunday, and while it was tough sledding operating out of other groupings it’s imperative the Rams continue to diversify.

Blink and you might miss @dantefowler. 😳
 @NextGenStats powered by @awscloud pic.twitter.com/irq9n3JWpk

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) September 10, 2019

==
from PFF’s NFL Team of the Week: 2019 NFL Week 1: https://www.pff.com/news/pro-pffs-nfl-team-of-the-week-2019-nfl-week-1

LB CORY LITTLETON, LOS ANGELES RAMS
As someone who has made a name for himself as a special teams ace early in his career, we’ve seen Littleton on the PFF Team of the Week before. This time he makes it for his work on defense, though, after a performance that saw him finish the game with four tackles resulting in a defensive stop, a pass breakup and an interception.

==

PFF's NFL Team of the Week is LIVE for Week 1!

➡️ https://t.co/gHhSbgps77 pic.twitter.com/OcKoNurZ8l

— PFF (@PFF) September 10, 2019

Zooey wrote:

I don’t know where to put this pointless thought:

I heard the Browns were supposed to win the Super Bowl this year…

New topic. Just start a thread. Could be a buncha folks wanta chime in on the Browns and their early crowning. Anyone can start topics about anything (within the rules).

Five observations from the Rams’ win: Jared Goff’s uneven day and personnel-group shifting

Vincent Bonsignore

https://theathletic.com/1197232/2019/09/09/five-observations-from-the-rams-win-jared-goffs-uneven-day-and-personnel-group-shifting/?=twittered

CHARLOTTE — As first games go, there weren’t any unusual takeaways from the Rams’ win against the Carolina Panthers. The Rams did some good things and some bad things. They were crisp in some areas, sloppy in others. The offense showed promise but it remains a work in progress as Jared Goff and teammates play into a better rhythm.

In other words it seemed fairly predictable, given how NFL teams lean more and more against playing their starters during the preseason, which creates an adjustment period for the speed and intensity of regular-season football.

It’s something that can’t be replicated. It’s just has to be pushed through naturally, in real time.

Here are some of my thoughts after Week 1.

No blame game from Goff

Goff, in particular, looked a bit off while completing 23 of 39 passes for 186 yards with one touchdown and an interception.

“I thought there were a lot of good things and a lot of bad things,” Goff said. “I think your first game of the year, similar to every year, you come out and you think you know what to expect but kind of really don’t know until you get out there and go through a few series and that was no different (against Carolina). It did take us a minute to get rolling but I thought we did it.

“A few times we got in a good rhythm and began to start going. It felt like we were about to turn that corner and put the game away and never really did. I think that interception kind of put us back a little bit. It was a lot of good things and I think ultimately whenever you come on the road, especially a one o’clock start on the East Coast and come away with a win, you take it any way that you can get it.”

As far as not playing in the preseason, and the possible contribution to the Rams’ sluggish start offensively, Goff isn’t exactly buying it.

“I think regardless of you playing in the preseason or not, first games are different,” Goff said. “The different speeds, a different tempo. I think if we had or if we hadn’t (played in the preseason), we would have to come out and kind of catch our rhythm anyway. I think it does take those few series and being able to kind of see what they are doing, like I said, and settle in.”

That said, there were some useful takeaways to dig into beyond Goff’s individual performance. Among them, the progression of an offensive line breaking in two new starters, young players having to step up in challenging situations and the subtle differences in how the Rams might attack opponents offensively.

A shift in scheme?

There is no getting around the fact that the Rams looked different on offense, in terms of how their personnel groupings looked and how they went about attacking the Panthers’ defense.

For a team that utilized the “11” personnel grouping — one running back, one tight end and three wide receivers — on more than 90 percent of its snaps last season, that is worth noting.

The Rams had 77 offensive snaps Sunday, and they utilized 11 personnel 55 times — or roughly 71 percent of the time. That is a noticeable drop, obviously, and you wonder if that is the new norm.

Their next most-used grouping was 10 personnel, in which the tight end is replaced by a fourth receiver. The Rams utilized that set 12 times.

It’s no surprise, though, that the Rams enjoyed their greatest success out of 11 personnel, given their history with it. Of the Rams’ 349 yards, 302 were accumulated in that look — 160 in the air and 142 on the ground. They averaged 5.4 yards per play in that grouping.

They were far less successful in 10 personnel, with just 12 yards passing and 10 yards rushing for an average of 1.8 yards per play.

The Rams also used 12 personnel — one running back and two tight ends — five times, and gained 24 yards.

But while the success rates clearly indicate how much better — and comfortable — the Rams are in 11 personnel, it’s important that they continue to be flexible and diversified. As we saw late last year when teams like the Bears, Lions and Patriots showed how to slow the Rams’ bread-and-butter look down, it’s imperative the Rams don’t become victims of their tendencies and predictability. And while there might be some growing pains in non-11-personnel formations, it’s critical the Rams stick with it, because it likely will pay off over the course of the season.

Littleton continues to shine

On the way out of the Rams’ locker room, I spotted linebackers coach Joe Barry, whose group — which he oversees with assistant Chris Shula — accounted for 24 tackles, three sacks and an interception.

“Not a bad day for your crew,” I said.

“Not bad at all,” he replied, before quickly adding, “but we can get better.”

No doubt, but it certainly was a decent start for the Rams’ linebackers, specifically Cory Littleton, the Rams’ emerging inside backer. He was all over the field on with a team-high 14 tackles — eight solo — plus an interception and a forced (and recovered) fumble. Of all the Rams’ young players not locked up on long-term contracts, Littleton is a top priority to extend with a new deal.

And he showed exactly why against the Panthers.

“Just great athleticism. A guy that can really compete,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “Defend in the run. Defend in the pass. He’s always active and he made a big pick for us in a crunch-time situation that ended up being a big play for us to ultimately win that game.”

Littleton was happy with the win but hardly satisfied.

“If anything I think we started off a little slow,” he said. “We could be a lot better. Not saying we didn’t play a great game today. Throughout the season we plan on doing just that, getting better and stacking wins.”

Solid beginning for offensive line

The Rams broke in two new starters on the offensive line in left guard Joe Noteboom and center Brian Allen, both of whom are in their second seasons.

The Rams surrendered only one sack — although even Goff conceded that probably was his own fault — but more importantly they opened holes in the run game to allow Todd Gurley and Malcolm Brown to run for a combined 150 yards on 25 carries. Not bad, given the physicality and talent of the Panthers’ defense and starting the year in a loud atmosphere on the road.

Allen and Noteboom deserve credit for the smooth transition, and in doing so they allowed the line to get better as the game went on.

“I thought it was great,” right guard Austin Blythe. said “We’ve had tons and tons of practice time, especially against our defense, so (we’ve been) getting the communication, knowing how guys play, the combinations the talk and communication. But it is good to get out there and do it and now we have something to build on.”

Rapp’s big moment

It’s been long expected that rookie safety Taylor Rapp would get on the field early in his Rams career, given how good and comfortable he looked throughout camp and the preseason. It was no surprise, then, when he got on the field in some sub-package looks in the first quarter of the season opener.

Not expected was the head injury suffered by starting safety Eric Weddle in the second quarter, which sidelined him the remainder of the game. It meant Rapp assuming a much bigger role than expected along with fellow safety reserve Marqui Christian. Rapp was more than prepared to handle it.

Rapp responded with a big game, notching six tackles while helping to contain Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, who Rapp was often paired against in run support and pass coverage.

Rapp’s ability to play all over the field and his toughness and open-field tackling ability make him a perfect backup for now and a budding starting standout for the future. And just as impressive as his play on Sunday is how he didn’t even blink when pressed into more extensive duty.

“Yeah, Taylor Rapp and Marqui Christian both stepped up in a big way,” McVay said. “When you lose somebody like Eric, with what he means to our team – the communication, some of those things – it can be deflating but I thought our guys did a great job handling it. Certainly, you’re never going to be able to replace an Eric Weddle, but I thought, you know, in the midst of a little bit of adversity, which inevitably you’re going to face throughout the course of a season, our guys handled that pretty well.”

Statistics show a so-so Panthers defense in loss to Rams. Reality is somewhat kinder.

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nfl/carolina-panthers/article234870217.html

If you only scan the boxscore of the Carolina Panthers’ season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Rams, one glaring conclusion would present itself naturally:

Like, say, how the Rams emerged from the offensive smog that smothered them in Super Bowl 53 and dropped 30 big ones on the Panthers.

And that’s not totally unfair. After scoring a meager three points against the New England Patriots in February, the second-highest scoring offense of 2018 once again drove like a well-oiled machine. Even though star running back Todd Gurley III didn’t score, he racked up 97 rushing yards at a 6.9 yards-per-carry clip. Receivers Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp shredded the Panthers for 15 combined catches. On top of all that, quarterback Jared Goff only was sacked once … and he took the blame for that lone error.

But diving deeper into the schemes and actual flow of the game, you begin to understand why Carolina’s defenders weren’t all doom-and-gloom in the locker room postgame.

“We felt like it was clicking from the first three-and-out we had,” cornerback Donte Jackson said of the defense. “We felt like we were on a good track in this game, and it showed … We’ve just got to finish, take away some of those self mistakes.”

Third down is an apt place to start analyzing. The Rams converted 9-of-17 third downs, which on paper seems like a brutal margin for Carolina. But a deeper dive reveals not all those conversions were as harmful as the stat implies.

In the first half, Carolina allowed four third-down conversions and stopped five others. On those five drives, the Rams scored just six total points. Los Angeles did score a touchdown in the second quarter, but only after a fumbled screen with Cam Newton and DJ Moore gave the Rams the ball 10 yards out from the end zone.

“We started off stopping them on third down,” defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said. “We’ve just got to be better as the game goes on. We’ve got to be consistent with what we’re doing.”

Therein lies the problem.

In the second half, the Rams were much more successful converting those critical downs. Much of that came as the Panthers played six defensive backs at once in a 3-2-6 scheme they hadn’t shown all summer. That meant cornerbacks Jackson and James Bradberry were on the field, as were safeties Eric Reid and Tre Boston, with nickel Javien Elliott and corner/safety Ross Cockrell in as the extra guys.

“The group (with six defensive backs) really does give us good versatility,” coach Ron Rivera said. “It was some of the things that we tried to create some matchups.”

And while all those defensive backs helped counter the Rams’ pass-inclined offense — Los Angeles threw 39 times compared with 28 designed runs — it did give Goff more time to pass with less pressure on him.

That’s key because of how differently Goff plays with and without defenders in his face. According to Football Outsiders’ analytics, Goff was ranked the No. 5 quarterback in 2018 when not facing pressure; but he fell all the way to No. 24 when pressured, one of the largest drops of any qualified passer.

McCoy admitted he was “a little bit” surprised at how often the team played that sixth defensive back, although he agreed the formation helped early on.

“I think we’ll be better if we rush more four-man, but with the offense that they ran, coach wanted an extra DB on the field, which was fine because it was working for us early on,” McCoy said. “I think we get in situations with certain teams, and (against) other team’s schemes where we can rush four, we’ll get a lot more pressure.”

Defensive end Mario Addison agreed with McCoy that rushing four players instead of three made a substantial difference in the pressure Goff faced.

“They were getting the ball out fast,” Addison said. “We need to come up with a better game plan as far as having all four of your best rushers on the field at one time instead of three.

“When we started rushing four men instead of three, we started putting better pressure on the quarterback.”

Both McCoy and Addison also said they were somewhat taken aback by how often the Rams ran the ball out of the shotgun, something they didn’t have a tendency to do last season en route to the Super Bowl.

In addition to the third downs and rushing situations, a few other defensive tweaks offer some optimism for the future. A number of Rams fumbles ended up bouncing back to them as Panthers players raced to fall on them. There were a handful of sloppy penalties, which multiple players attributed to it being the first week of the season.

“It’s the first game. You’re going to have some things happen that you don’t want to happen,” Jackson said. “If you want everything to go right for your team, you’re watching the wrong sport.”

Overall, Carolina held Goff to 186 yards passing, which would have tied for his second-fewest at any point last season. Bradberry recorded his first interception of the year and had a shot at a second. Before a second-half outburst, the Panthers only allowed 34 rushing yards in the first half.

So in the locker room postgame, while there were muffled explanations for what went wrong, there wasn’t despair. There was a sense of, “Look at what we did do, not what we didn’t.”

McCoy said as much himself.

“You see the negatives, but you take the positives. We gave ourselves a shot at the end,” he said. “We have a really good team. We really do. We gave the NFC champs all they wanted. We just made too many mistakes. They made more plays than us at the end.

“We have Thursday night coming up, so we’ll get it fixed. … Definitely planning to see those guys again.”