Forum Replies Created
-
AuthorPosts
-
znModeratorZoltán Buday@PFF_Zoltan
The Rams offensive line has played a big part in the offense’s recent struggles:First 10 weeks:
78 pressures allowed (6th fewest)
Pass blocking efficiency: 83.7 (t-4th best)Last 4 weeks (just 3 games):
51 pressures allowed (4th most)
Pass blocking efficiency: 71.4 (3rd worst)znModeratorMcVay is an excellent coach. He’s already proven himself. However . . .
Howdy BT. Always good to see you ’round these parts. Hope you’re hanging in there. I assume you saw the Chiefs game. What did you get out of that one? Just asking just to know your response to that one game.
znModeratorDefense ain't dead: Vic Fangio's unit grounds high-flying Rams in Chicago (via @MikeSilver) https://t.co/JCwjgvGLI3 pic.twitter.com/J9m6ji4Nr4
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) December 10, 2018
znModeratorSean McVay shouldered the blame for the Rams offensive display Sunday night. But with three games remaining in the season, are the Rams suddenly trending in the wrong direction? https://t.co/fGOk5eOhu2
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) December 10, 2018
znModeratorRams lose to Bears 15-6: Instant analysis of ugly Week 14 loss
Cameron DaSilva
Rams lose to Bears 15-6: Instant analysis of ugly Week 14 loss
It’s not often a team completely shuts down a Sean McVay-led offense, but that’s exactly what the Chicago Bears did on Sunday night. The Los Angeles Rams were kept out of the end zone for the first time under Sean McVay, losing to the Bears by a score of 15-6.
It’s just the Rams’ second loss of the season, but it was ugly from start to finish. Jared Goff threw four interceptions, Todd Gurley was held to 28 yards on 11 carries and the defense was gashed for 194 yards rushing.
As a result of the loss, the Rams have dropped to 11-2 and no longer own the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Game ball
Nickell Robey-Coleman: 3 tackles, 1 INT, 2 PBU, 1 TFL
Stat of the game: 3.5
The Rams averaged only 3.5 yards per play. Entering Sunday night, they averaged 6.7 yards per play.
Game notes
Jared Goff is not a cold-weather quarterback. The pressure generated by the Bears played a big role, but he didn’t look comfortable at all Sunday night. He was holding the ball too long, missing open receivers by overthrowing them and his passes simply weren’t sharp. Fortunately, the Rams shouldn’t have to play a cold-weather game unless they face the Bears in the playoffs.
This was by far the offensive line’s worst performance of the season. Granted, it came against a front that features Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks, among others, but there was a litany of issues. Andrew Whitworth had a costly false start in the second quarter, John Sullivan was dominated on the safety and Rodger Saffold didn’t open up any running lanes for Gurley. There were also defenders left unblocked multiple times for some odd reason.
It was a good performance by the defense, all things considered, but the run defense was especially bad. Cory Littleton was wiped out by blocks, Mark Barron was late to read runs and the defensive line was allowing huge holes. Nickell Robey-Coleman, Marcus Peters and the entire secondary played well, picking off three passes and allowing just over 100 yards passing.
The Bears did an outstanding job limiting Aaron Donald on Sunday night. He had just two tackles and no sacks, hitting Trubisky once. It’s a big reason they were able to win this game.
Los Angeles ran only 61 plays and had the ball for 23:11 compared to the Bears’ 36:49 time of possession, which limited the production of the Rams offense.
The Rams’ third-down efficiency was horrendous, converting only three of their 12 attempts, ending drives quickly and leading to three punts, three field goal attempts and three fourth-down tries, one of which was converted on a fake punt.
znModeratorjrry32
We be thankful that this crap happened now instead of in the playoffs. It’s a wake up call. McVay will hopefully learn from this game. The Vikings stomped us last year just like the Bears did this year. What happened the next time McVay played the Vikings? We destroyed their defense. It felt like he had an answer to everything they tried to do. You know he’s going to obsess over this game. If we see the Bears again in LA, I have a feeling it’s going to be a very different experience.
The one potential positive we have is that the defense seems to be rounding into form with Talib back. The run defense still sucks ass, but our pass defense looks so much better.
Anyway I’m not overreacting to one game. Even great teams lose football games. We went on the road in poor conditions and faced the current #3 seed in our conference. They won. It happens. This is our first really bad game of the season. It came at a bad time, but the defense at least stepped up.
a few thoughts:
1. McVay was definitely outcoached. IMO, we lost the Philly and Atlanta games precisely because McVay abandoned the run at the wrong time. Gurley was feasting on both those defenses. I don’t know if we would have been able to run it on Chicago if we kept trying, but I do know that we weren’t able to throw it effectively when we abandoned the run. There was a point in the second half where we rushed twice for 17 yards, and then McVay threw on like the next 5 or 6 plays. This was a game where it was clear that Goff didn’t have it. This is a game where you need to tell your OL and Gurley, “This is big boy football time. We need you guys to carry this team.” And once they start to wear down the Bears’ front, you start hitting them with some PA and get Goff into a groove. Instead, McVay kept trying to put it on Goff to dig us out of the hole. The Bears weren’t respecting the PA game and were daring us to run.
2. We did try a couple of screens. Both could have gone for big yardage, but Gurley got held up in traffic and the pressure got on Goff too quickly.
3. The crowd noise was a huge factor. It forced our offense to play slow.
4. McVay wasn’t very creative in this game. I don’t know why.
5. McVay seems to obsess over losses. If we play the Bears again, I think we’ll see a very different result. Remember that Seattle beat us 16-10 and Minnesota beat us 24-7 last year. The next time we played those teams we put up 42 points on Seattle and 38 points on Minnesota. I don’t see McVay being made the fool twice.
some more (scattered) thoughts:
* Barron isn’t playing like himself. He’s missing tackles and not playing with the reckless abandon of the past. He just doesn’t fill gaps with authority. And Littleton isn’t doing that either. We need someone who can.
* Their defense is great. But the penalties and blown assignments are on us. I’ve never seen the offense look this disorganized.
December 10, 2018 at 10:54 am in reply to: "Donald Wins Sports Illustrated's Performer of the Year" & more AD stuff #95066znModeratorPeter King
————-
Regarding the debate over the MVP, and whether defensive tackle Aaron Donald should be a legitimate prime candidate for the award, I have three thoughts:
1. The name of the award is “Most Valuable Player,” not “Best Player, Regardless of Position,” or “Most Outstanding Player.” And it’s hard to think that a defensive tackle, even one as incredibly good as Donald, would contribute as much to a very good team as a top quarterback would to a very good team.
2. Putting emotion aside, ask this question: What would the record of the Rams—11-1 after 12 games—be without Donald, versus the record of the Saints (10-2) without Drew Brees or the Chiefs (10-2) without Patrick Mahomes? (Or even the Rams without Jared Goff or Todd Gurley?)
3. I asked Pro Football Focus to calculate the WAR (Wins Above Replacement), the metric showing how many wins each player is worth to his team versus an average player at the position, in the NFL after 13 weeks. The PFF list of WAR for the candidates most often mentioned as MVP candidates, and including Donald:
Patrick Mahomes, 6.22
Drew Brees, 6.22
Philip Rivers, 4.55
Jared Goff, 4.37
Russell Wilson, 3.59
Deshaun Watson, 2.20
Aaron Donald, 1.82
Todd Gurley, 0.56Interesting that the value of the defensive tackle for the Rams is higher than the value of the running back, in the eyes of PFF.
Donald’s WAR is significantly higher than any other defensive player; Bobby Wagner (1.49) is next.
znModeratorPeter King
Night window—Either the Rams don’t like playing in 25-degree wind chill, or the Bears’ defense is going to make Chicago a threat to play into February. Or both. Bears 15, formerly explosive and wildly entertaining Rams 6.
—————————
Chicago is going to be trouble in January. I’d say “big trouble” if Mitchell Trubisky was as trustworthy as a playoff quarterback needs to be. He might play well in January, but he hasn’t shown enough to make Bears fans confident that he will. Until he is, this team will have to win with defense, and it showed it can against one of the league’s most explosive offensive teams. This was a Butkus/Singletary type of performance.The first 10 Rams possessions ended in: field goal, punt, pick, field goal, punt, safety, punt, pick, missed field goal. Yikes. It was 25 degrees at Soldier Field Sunday night, with virtually no wind. But the Bears gave the Rams no room to breathe. And that was without dominating performances from the best two Chicago defenders, Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks (two sacks, six tackles between them).
What makes this D so imposing? The fact that pressure comes not just from two men. The Bears now have 25 interceptions, by the way. They had 24 in the previous three years combined.
—
Don’t buy Sean McVay falling on the sword. When your offense stinks, the popular thing to do is for the coach and/or play-caller to take all the blame. “Certainly don’t blame Jared for the bad spots I put him in,” McVay said. What should we blame him for, exactly?
In the last two games, at Detroit and at Chicago, Goff has stunk it up: 48-percent passing, 193 passing yards per game, one touchdown, five picks. Maybe the weather bugged the California kid Sunday. It’s not time to panic, certainly. But Goff’s got to be much better for this team to win big in the playoffs.
znModeratorGoff just had 2 bad games in a row. He is not yet a qb who is veteran enough to be consistent and who has seen it all on defense and can be steady even against top defenses. His numbers from the last 2 games are
48% completions (would rank 32nd), 3.7 YPA (would rank 32nd), 1 TD for 1.3% (would rank 32nd), 5 INTs for 6.5% (would rank 32nd), and an avg. qb rating of 48.85 (would rank 32nd).
All qbs have “off” games especially on the road against a top defense, but usually not THAT “off” and not 2 in a row like that.
So…I would say Goff in his 3rd year is not as consistent as he will be or as we need him to be. To lay the obvious on real nice and thick–Goff needs to be better going forward, meaning more consistent without deep drops like that in his “off” games. I still don’t doubt he can do it but right now he hasn’t yet
znModeratorI wonder how deep that draft is and at which positions.
It could be a case, for example, where the top 19 players are on defense but then it falls off position by position after the top guys. That’s the opposite of a draft where the top picks are not all that elite but there’s a lot of quality in the late 1st through 3rd rounds.
znModeratorVincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
Sean McVay just basically took full responsibility for tonight’s #Rams lossMyles Simmons@MylesASimmons
#LARams HC Sean McVay: “Consistently, over and over, I put our players in bad spots. … This loss is on me. I didn’t do nearly enough for our football team today.”Joe Curley@vcsjoecurley
one thing about the loss, football teams need to lose once in a while. They need the lessons a loss can provide to keep evolving. They need to be humbled sometimes to stay sharp. This hurts the Rams in terms of their seeding, but may make them a better team for January.Rich Hammond@Rich_Hammond
Todd Gurley on what went wrong for the Rams: “Everything. They did a great job. We played like shit. They held us to six points. Simple as that.”Pete Prisco@PriscoCBS
Great NFL Sunday, but I end the night with this thought? Is anybody that good? The Bears lost to the Giants last week. The Saints lost to the Cowboys. Pats lose. Chiefs barely survive. Chargers struggle. Anybody?znModeratorRefocused, NFL Week 14: Los Angeles Rams 15, Chicago Bears 6
https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-refocused-nfl-week-14-chicago-bears-15-los-angeles-rams-6
Chicago
Mitch Turbisky struggled in the passing game, failing to record over 100 yards on 30 attempts. Trubisky did everything he could to let the Rams back in the game with his three interceptions. When the Bears asked Trubisky to throw downfield, he struggled to hit the ball close his receivers, missing high far too often.
Jordan Howard recorded his first 100-yard game of the season and nearly matched Trubiksy’s passing yards. Howard was the key cog for the Bears, as they were forced to do just enough on the ground to keep the chains moving.
The Bears’ defense was dominant and held the Rams to under 250 yards of offense and only six points. The defensive front was essentially unblockable, as they recorded three sacks on top of numerous pressures and quarterback hits. Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks were among the standouts, and each recorded a sack with Mack recording a strip-sack.
The secondary came away with four interceptions, each by a different player. The combination of Prince Amukamara and Kyle Fuller came away with two of those with Amukamara also recording three pass breakups.
Los Angeles
Jared Goff had his worst game of the season going up against one of the top defenses in the NFL. He completed under 50% of his passes and threw four interceptions. Goff was under pressure essentially all game long, as the Rams offensive line struggled with miscommunications and top-tier pass-rushers of Chicago’s defensive line.
The Rams couldn’t generate any rushing attack, which plays an integral part of their gameplan every week. Gurley finished with only 28 yards on 11 carries and the offense finished with just over 200 yards of total offense, well below their season average.
Aaron Donald and his ability to take over games for the Rams’ defense has been unparalleled. However, against the Bears, he was kept quiet all game. He struggled to create pressure and only recorded one tacke and one assist as the Bears got the ball out quick or used a lot of trap plays to limit the effectiveness of the best defensive player in the game.
Marcus Peters came down with an interception early in the game to put the Rams in position for their first score of the game and then recorded another pass deflection. Outside of those two plays, Peters took away any receiver on his side.
Keys to the Game
Chicago
The Bears won this game due to their defense. The game showed how good the team’s defense is and how little they need from the offense to beat even the best teams in the league.
Los Angeles
The Rams’ potent offense came across a defensive juggernaut in Chicago, which led to a season-low in yards and points by the Rams. Goff was under pressure all night and threw four interceptions. Couple that with the lack of ground game, and the Rams drop their second game of the season.
znModeratorSam Farmer@LATimesfarmer
Throwback game, as in, “I want that throw back.”J.B. Long@JB_Long
Lowest yardage output (214) and point total (6) of the Sean McVay era.Chicago’s defense leads the way in a 15-6 win over the #LARams.
Saints back in the driver’s seat for the NFC 1-seed.
Vincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
That’s my point. No, I don’t think they will. Which means, while I can understand tdisappointment of #Rams fans, I think some perspective is in order. The #Rams had a bad day against a very, very good (and hungry) defense on their field. Not to minimize the loss, but it happensThis is the #Saints bad game against the #Cowboys dressed up as the #Rams against the #Bears. (it happens)
The reality is, they have not played well at all offensively while getting physically handled by the #Bears defense. All likelihood, it’s one they just have to flush ASAP.
Robert Woods over 1,000-yards receiving for the season
December 9, 2018 at 4:33 pm in reply to: Sunday's games (before Rams): watching any? upset predictions? #95026znModeratorPatty girls lose. Miami with a walk off lateral. LOL
chiefs with an big come back, go to OT.Saw the winning Miami play in highlights shown during the KC game. Wild. And then KC/Balt was pretty wild itself. Baltimore receiver should have had that one in OT at the end on 4th and 22, it was there.
znModeratorFrom @NFLMatchup — The #Bears defense has to take away inside vertical throws vs. #Rams QB Jared Goff. Here, we break down Cover 6 “Lock” with a D-Line stunt to create pressure. pic.twitter.com/nPzdGdlpmU
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) December 9, 2018
znModerator
The Rams are the clear number two in our ratings, sitting almost 35 points above the Patriots. The Rams ran away from the Lions on Sunday with Todd Gurley generating 3.57 yards after contact with four avoided tackles. Defensively, it doesn’t get much better than the 17 pressures registered with four sacks and a forced interception. They have a tough Sunday night matchup against the Bears which, if they win, will all but guarantee a number one seed in the NFC playoff race
znModeratorGame Preview: Rams Head to Chicago with Chance to Clinch First-Round Bye
https://www.therams.com/news/game-preview-rams-head-to-chicago-with-chance-to-clinch-first-round-bye
Rams vs. Chicago Bears: Who has the edge?
link: https://www.dailynews.com/2018/12/07/rams-vs-chicago-bears-who-has-the-edge/
All the right moves: Similarities between Rams, Bears more than QBs, coaches
4 Bears questions: Can the Rams, and QB Jared Goff, handle the cold Sunday?
Tied by record contracts, Bears’ Khalil Mack and Rams’ Aaron Donald to face off
https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/bears-khalil-mack-rams-aaron-donald-face-off/
Masters of disguise: Rams’ Sean McVay vs. Bears’ Vic Fangio a marquee matchup
Bears vs. Rams: What to Watch 4
https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/bears-vs-rams-what-to-watch-4/
znModeratorRams Power Rankings: Week 14
Clarence Dennis
https://www.therams.com/news/rams-power-rankings-week-14
NFL.com, Elliot Harrison Rank: 2
Last Week: 2
Change: –
“The Rams let the Lions hang around far too long on Sunday. Such is life on the road for even the premier teams — just ask the Chiefs. The key to L.A.’s win was the disruptive play of Aaron Donald, a few intermediate dimes from Jared Goff and heady play from Todd Gurley. Loved his decision to run parallel to the goal line late to burn clock, doing his best impersonation of DeSean Jackson in the Miracle at the Meadowlands 2.0. Sean McVay’s group needed no such miracles at Ford Field, although Detroit was more than game for most of the afternoon. One front on which the Rams keep beating teams: special teams. Johnny Hekker was able to pin the Lions, and Legatron was money again. The Lions didn’t return a single punt or kick Sunday. The third phase of the game, which is often over mentioned in the football conversation, might be the difference for this team come mid-January. No, really.”ESPN.com Rank: 1
Last Week: 2
Change: +1
“We’re No. 1 in: Pass-block win rate. Give it up for the big guys up front, where it all starts for the 11-1 Rams and their explosive offense. The offensive line ranks No. 1 in pass-block win rate, defined as when a pass-blocker sustains his block for 2.5 seconds following the snap. The Rams have won 63 percent of their pass blocks, allowing Jared Goff plenty of time to distribute the ball to a host of playmakers.”Yahoo! Sports, Frank Schwab: 1
Last Week: 2
Change: +1
“It stinks that defensive players practically can’t win the MVP. Because I think Aaron Donald might deserve it. I don’t think there has been a better player in the NFL this season, and he plays for the only 11-1 team. The best player in the league on the best team in the league should get more MVP consideration than he’s going to get.”Bleacher Report Rank: 1
Last Week: 2
Change: +1
“By virtue of a 14-point win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams became the first team in the NFL to sew up a division title in 2018. They also did something that was much more important and prestigious—reclaim the No. 1 spot in the Bleacher Report NFL power rankings.
That they did so with one of their less impressive showings of the season speaks to the unpredictability of today’s NFL. This was a one-score game most of the way before the Rams sealed the deal with a late touchdown. But it was also a game in which no one really doubted that the Rams would pull away at the end. L.A. is simply on another level than the Lions.”USA Today Rank: 1
Last Week: 2
Change: +1
“Only team with 11 wins. Only team to clinch playoff berth so far. Only team with two bona fide MVP candidates (Todd Gurley and Aaron Donald).”Pro Football Talk, Mike Florio: 1
Last Week: 2
Change: +1
“There’s a good chance they’ll keep this spot through the balance of the season.”Sports Illustrated: T1
Last Week: 2
Change: +1THIS WEEK’S OPPONENT’S RANKS — CHICAGO BEARS
NFL.com — 8
ESPN.com — 8
Yahoo! Sports — 7
Bleacher Report — 8
USA Today — 9
Pro Football Talk — 8
Sports Illustrated — 10znModeratorGary Klein@LATimesklein
Rams DT Ndamukong Suh fined $20,054 for horse-collar tackle, and, though not penalized in game, LB Dante Fowler fined $26,739 for unnecessary roughness on play during victory at Detroit, per person with knowledge of situation—
The top graded special teamers in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/n4i14MxT6k
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) December 8, 2018
==
Last time I was in Chicago it was to cover the #Rams making @JaredGoff16 the first overall pick in the 2016 draft. Time flies. Incredible to think how far everything has advanced since that night. pic.twitter.com/YgYCWLmt7d
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) December 8, 2018
znModeratorThe writer is high on speculation. I think we will get both 3rd round picks. imo
Speculation is legal in many states.
And…you’re probably right.
.
znModeratorChicago:
despite being fifth in points scored, they’re 20th in yards. That’s largely because the defense has scored six touchdowns on its own, which has driven up the Bears’ point total.
Avg. offensive (only) points scored per game:
Chicago: 25.2 (10th)
LA: 32.2 (3rd)Avg. defensive points allowed per game:
Chicago: 18.6 (4th)
LA: 24.3 (21st)znModeratorIf Rams-Bears comes down to the 4th quarter, one team has a clear edge
Cameron DaSilva
If Rams-Bears comes down to the 4th quarter, one team has a clear edge
The Chicago Bears have surprised a lot of people this season by going 8-4 through 12 games. Mitchell Trubisky and the offense have taken a big step forward under Matt Nagy, while the defense – in part thanks to the arrival of Khalil Mack – has been one of the best units in all of football.
They’re far from a perfect team, though. they’re averaging just 4.1 yards per carry, which is 27th in the NFL, and despite being fifth in points scored, they’re 20th in yards. That’s largely because the defense has scored six touchdowns on its own, which has driven up the Bears’ point total.
Three of those defensive touchdowns have come in the fourth quarter, which has covered up some of the Bears’ struggles in the final frame. Sure, they rank 10th in fourth-quarter points per game (7.9), but if you subtract the 21 points scored by the defense, they’d be averaging about 6.2 fourth-quarter points per game – tied for 20th in the NFL. Three of their 10 fourth-quarter touchdowns have been on defense.
Put simply, the Bears offense has been relatively stagnant in the final 15 minutes. According to Inside Edge, they average just 80.2 yards from scrimmage per game in the fourth quarter, which is the second-lowest in the NFL, ahead of only the Redskins.
Trubisky’s 52 passing yards per game in the fourth quarter put him last in the entire league among qualified quarterbacks. Granted, some of that has to do with the Bears holding the lead in a lot of games, but his 91.5 passer rating (20th in NFL), four touchdowns and two interceptions in the fourth quarter this season leave plenty to be desired.
It’s not just the offense that’s been bad, either. The Bears have given up 133 yards per game in the fourth quarter this season, which is the second-worst mark in football, ahead of only the Chiefs. And if you think they’re giving up yards but not points, think again.
Opponents are scoring 9.3 fourth-quarter points per game against the Bears – 29th in the NFL with only the Raiders, Falcons and Giants ranking lower. Teams have the ball 54.55 percent of the time in the fourth quarter against the Bears, too, which is the sixth-highest average in the league.
Those are admittedly a lot of numbers to get through, but here are a few more that show just how great the Rams have been in the final 15 minutes of each game. They’re seventh in fourth-quarter time of possession (53.38 percent), eighth in fourth-quarter points per game (8.1) and teams are only averaging 5.6 points per game in the last frame – eighth-best in the league.
Jared Goff has just one turnover on 111 fourth-quarter plays – a lost fumble – which is the second-lowest turnover rate of any quarterback (0.9 percent). Only Aaron Rodgers is better.
If this game comes down to the wire as many expect it to, the Rams have the clear edge in the fourth quarter. That could be the difference between winning or losing by one possession.
znModeratorznModeratorznModeratorznModeratorThe highest graded punters in the NFL so far this season. pic.twitter.com/YQRvDVfQuf
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) December 8, 2018
znModeratorSo T update us. Any new developments on these fronts?
znModeratorznModeratorWhen Robert Woods goes over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career, I want @JB_Long call to be, “Over the river and through to Woods”: https://t.co/rQbOE7jrH2
— Rich Hammond (@Rich_Hammond) December 8, 2018
znModeratorGary Klein@LATimesklein
Rams CB Aqib Talib said Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky can present “the Russell Wilson effect” or “the Cam Newton effect.” Or both. “He’s kind of like both of them put together.”McVay: “We have a lot of confidence in Justin [Davis] and John [Kelly] to step up, and they’ll be needed…And they’ll be needed to do it in a hurry.”
-
AuthorPosts
