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  • October 17, 2018 at 11:27 pm in reply to: tweets … 10/17 #92500
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    Benjamin Allbright@AllbrightNFL
    Had an interesting conversation with an NFL defensive coordinator today.

    He said philosophically you can no longer build a defense to prevent yardage, the focus of your defense has to be to generate turnovers with modern NFL rules.

    Joel Corry@corryjoel
    The $20M per year highly productive pass rusher is going to become the new normal in the NFL. Get used to it.

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    October 17, 2018 at 11:11 pm in reply to: PFF OL rankings week 7 & other PFF bits #92499
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    from Ranking all 32 NFL teams’ pass-rush units after Week 6

    https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-ranking-all-32-nfl-teams-pass-rush-units-after-week-6

    2. LA Rams

    TEAM PASS-RUSH GRADE: 84.3

    Team Pressure Percentage: 41% (2nd)

    Team Pressure Percentage when Blitzing: 53.6% (17th)

    Top Pass-Rusher (Pass-Rush Grade): DI Aaron Donald (93.4)

    October 17, 2018 at 11:07 pm in reply to: Power Rankings Week 7 #92497
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    from 2018 PFF NFL Power Rankings – Week 7

    https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-2018-pff-nfl-power-rankings-week-7

    The Rams rode their dominating defense and Todd Gurley to a victory in Denver, pushing their record to 6-0. Running backs very rarely matter these days, but rushing in the right situations while contributing 131 yards after contact can do wonders for an NFL offense. This defense deserves recognition for their hot start, as they are allowing the lowest EPA allowed on early down pass attempts. Nickell Robey-Coleman has thrived under Sean Mcvay, becoming one of the premier slot corners in the NFL.

    October 17, 2018 at 10:17 pm in reply to: articles … 10/15-10/17 #92494
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    Rams vs Broncos: 10 deep dive observations…

    https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2018/10/16/17981752/los-angeles-rams-denver-broncos-week-6-10-deep-dive-observations

    Quotes & Notes 10/17/18: Rams Welcome WR Nick Williams, Discuss Undefeated Start

    https://www.therams.com/news/quotes-notes-10-17-18-rams-welcome-wr-nick-williams-discuss-undefeated-start

    Injury Report 10/17: Zuerlein Cleared to Play in Week 7, Kupp Likely Out vs. 49ers

    https://www.therams.com/news/injury-report-10-17-zuerlein-cleared-to-play-in-week-7-kupp-likely-out-vs-49ers

    October 17, 2018 at 10:14 pm in reply to: Gurley stuff from 10/17 to… #92493
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    Zooey wrote:

    Gurley takes the angles. He inches his way out of the reach of maximum impact.

    Yeah he doesn’t have fast cut jitter in his body, though he is very athletic, so he does exactly what you say there. And you can watch an entire game of his and not notice it. OTOH if you look for it it’s very visible. It also means he doesn’t lose velocity. He does this thing we’re talking about at full speed.

    October 17, 2018 at 9:30 pm in reply to: Gurley stuff from 10/17 to… #92490
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    Zooey wrote:

    And…importantly…does not seem to take bad shots. Marshall always could kind of elude the tackler and avoid the blasting hits. Gurley is similar.

    I have a theory about that. Indulge me.

    He has great vision and balance, especially for his size, and the result is not that he jukes people or “Faulks” them but that he arrives where the defenders are presenting the least optimal target. And it’s not that glaringly obvious either. He doesn’t “elude” in the classic way we think of, but he shifts his body weight etc. just enough so that the defender is at a disadvantage. The point is, that’s “decided” before he gets to the defender. He sees the defender, adjusts a bit in motion, and the defender arrives with a bit less of a target. So you can’t seem to get a straight up direct hit on him. It’s like when I am chopping wood and I dont get the effect I want because I don’t hit it right. Well imagine the piece of wood actually moved 2 inches. Not jumped out of the way, or dodged like a cat–it just shifted because it saw the angle of my swing.

    He also sees things quickly and is very decisive (more than most) and has enough burst to go where they ain’t, when that option presents itself.

    October 17, 2018 at 8:10 pm in reply to: analysts praising McVay offense (a lotta good stuff here) #92487
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    THE LOS ANGELES RAMS WALK THE WALK

    http://www.optimumscouting.com/news/the-los-angeles-rams-walk-the-walk

    In an NFL climate where many talk the talk, Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams walk the walk. While the Rams offense may be branded as a throwback, a downhill running scheme, the reality is that their mentality is almost completely divorced from what the NFL looked like even a decade ago.
    According to Football Outsiders, the 2006 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (coached by current Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden), Houston Texans and Chicago Bears (who went to the Super Bowl that season) used a shotgun formation on just one percent or fewer of their offensive snaps that year. For the most part, the NFL was still dominated by the under center West Coast Offense which was spear-headed by short, timing concepts in the passing game. Since 1978, when the NFL changed its pass protection rules, these short, timing concepts have made up most of the NFL’s under center passing game.
    Below is an example of the 2018 San Francisco 49ers running a “quick game” pass from under center designed for an immediate reception in the flats:

    These “quick game” concepts generally cap the potential of a play by design, as there is no way to exploit downfield weaknesses in coverage with routes that do not threaten deep. As the sport has evolved, there are fewer of these West Coast Offense passes from under center, but they have been assimilated into the shotgun.
    Below is an example of the frequency that Mike McCarthy’s Green Bay Packers run their “slant-flat” concept, mostly out of the shotgun:

    Most of these concepts are designed to be thrown within five yards of the line of scrimmage, leading to the most “explosive” results coming from quarterback Aaron Rodgers freelancing on scramble drills. In 2018, a five-yard pass,when the league-wide adjusted yards per attempt (AY/A) is 7.4, is not nearly as valuable as it was in 1978, when the league-wide AY/A was 5.1 yards, which is why you are seeing the schematic value of orchestrating a deep passing game making more and more of a difference with each passing season.

    When you study the 2018 Los Angeles Rams offense, this is the area where you start to notice the vast difference between them and most teams. Their innovation isn’t actually innovation. It’s exclusion. One of the driving forces for quarterback Jared Goff’s AY/A of 10.0 yards per attempt? Completely disregarding the under center quick game nearly wholesale.
    In six games in 2018, the Los Angeles Rams, by my count, have called 89 passes from under center in non-empty (at least one back in the backfield) looks. Out of those 89 passes, 82 (92.1 percent) came off play action. The vast majority of those passes were read from deep to short, a completely different mentality from the West Coast Offense passes designed to hit a man in the flats on a quarterback’s third step. The deep-to-short read play-action game is the main reason why Goff has 16 pass attempt of 20 or more yards traveled this season, with four resulting in long touchdowns.

    Below are all of Goff’s under center throws from last week’s game against the Denver Broncos:

    While most NFL coaches talk about how they want to keep defenses guessing by making every play look the same, McVay actually does so by giving defenses run action on more than 95 percent of under center looks, no matter if it’s a tailback handoff, an end around to a motion man or a play action pass. By committing to “minus splits” by receivers and a single bell-cow back, there are few pre-snap tendencies to scout when the Rams go under center. Defenses have to live and die with their decisions on post-snap run-pass conflicts. This is very different from other teams, like Gruden’s Raiders, who telegraph much by personnel and situation.
    Over the last three weeks, the Los Angeles Rams have thrown 39 passes from under center, all of which came off play action. In six games this year, they have only thrown seven straight dropback passes from under center, with six of them coming in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers. In a league exploding in passing efficiency, McVay has simply phased out quick passes out of under center looks, passes which made up the majority of NFL throws just a decade ago.

    With the third-year Goff on pace to have a top-10 season in NFL history, it’s hard to claim that McVay moving on from decades-long NFL staples has been the wrong move. One might even make the case that the volume of play-action passes that the Rams run has given them the reps they need to be able to block efficiently while Goff has his back to the defense. Los Angeles allows virtually no penetration, a visible difference between them and most NFL teams on back to-defense play-action passes.
    For example, the Green Bay Packers ran just three back-to-defense play-action passes in the last 40 minutes of Monday Night Football this week, with all three of those plays blown up by the San Francisco 49ers, a team the Rams play this coming Sunday.

    Until someone can make the Rams pay for showing run action on nearly every under center look, which no one has been able to do in 2018, don’t expect them to stop. Depending on how you think the situation shakes out long-term, McVay’s commitment is him going full galaxy brain or he’s a few steps ahead of everyone in the NFL.

    October 17, 2018 at 7:28 pm in reply to: tweets … 10/17 #92486
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    Rich Hammond@Rich_Hammond
    From Sean McVay today:
    – K Greg Zuerlein is fully cleared to play
    – WR Cooper Kupp (knee) officially has been ruled out
    – OL Rodger Saffold (knee) remains on track to play
    – New WR Nick Williams could be an option for the roster Sunday

    Lindsey Thiry@LindseyThiry
    Something to keep an eye on for the Rams: Cooper Kupp is OUT for Sunday, and the Rams’ top backup Josh Reynolds was limited today because of a hand injury, per the Rams’ injury report.

    Myles Simmons@MylesASimmons
    Heard from #LARams K Greg Zuerlein who sort of pumped the brakes on things for this week. Said he wants to still make it through the week of practice and see how he feels, since today was just a walk-thru. Also wants to feel mentally confident in the leg.

    Zuerlein did concede, “physically, I think we’re about there. Just got to make the kicks when I’m put out there.” #LARams

    Vincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
    Spoke with #Rams rookie OLB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, who practiced forfirst time today after coming off the PUP list. He told me he feels like he’s out of (football) jail: “I’ve felt great for a couple weeks now, I was just waiting on the PUP rules. Now that I’m free I’m having fun”

    I asked Ogbonnia Okoronkwo what he feels he can add: “Given the opportunity I’m bringing speed off the edge. I’m going to bring explosiveness and juice off the edge. I bring big-play ability, that’s what I do. I live for those 3rd down moments when you’ve got to make a play.”

    Cameron DaSilva@camdasilva
    The Rams started 6-0 each season from 1999-2001. Not ONCE did they win their 7th game in that 3-year span.

    Can the 2018 Rams do it on Sunday?

    Dahaunte Adams@JuMosq
    Jared Goff hasn’t thrown a straight drop back pass from under center in three weeks.

    Lindsey Thiry@LindseyThiry
    Todd Gurley fantasy owners must be ecstatic. Through 6 games, he has a league-best 11 touchdowns and a league-high 70 points, averaging 11 points per game.

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    October 17, 2018 at 6:58 pm in reply to: post-week 6: guys break down Rams plays #92485
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    October 17, 2018 at 6:43 pm in reply to: 2011 Giants, 2006 Colts, 2009 Saints #92484
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    wv wrote:

    but i got a feeling this D will continue to make big plays in the fourth quarter.

    That could be.

    Right now, Rams are 2nd to the Ravens in terms of points allowed in the 4th quarter.

    Baltimore avgs. 1.0 points allowed in the 4th after 6 games. 0.0 in the last 3 games.

    Rams avg. 2.7 points allowed in the 4th after 6 games. 4.3 in the last 4 games.

    October 17, 2018 at 11:59 am in reply to: 2011 Giants, 2006 Colts, 2009 Saints #92479
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    Right now the Wade Williams defense ranks:

    7th in points allowed, but 22nd in the last 3 games
    11th in yards, but 17th in the last 3 games
    13th in passing yards, but 23rd in the last 3 games
    14th in rushing yards but 28th in yards per carry (teams don’t run on the Rams, it;s not that they consistently stop the run)
    22nd in sack percentage, but 15th in the last 3 games

    October 17, 2018 at 10:59 am in reply to: articles … 10/15-10/17 #92472
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    October 17, 2018 at 10:57 am in reply to: post-week 6: guys break down Rams plays #92471
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    October 17, 2018 at 10:51 am in reply to: Power Rankings Week 7 #92470
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    PFW

    https://www.profootballweekly.com/lists/2018/10/16/19a83f4e2dda4fe99e8783ee84fc8653/index.xml?page=1

    1. Rams (6-0) — Two narrow road wins don’t change this ranking any

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    sportingnews

    http://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/…rs-vikings-chargers/cqxspbdpauzh13hwpnv1zly75

    1. Los Angeles Rams 6-0 (last week: 1)

    Todd Gurley is literally running his way to an MVP season, showing he can carry the team even when the passing game and defense are off.

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    NBC

    https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bears/nfl-power-rankings-week-7

    1. Los Angeles Rams
    Todd Gurley is not of this planet.

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    October 17, 2018 at 10:22 am in reply to: articles … 10/15-10/17 #92465
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    Five Takeaways: Run Defense Improves as Rams Beat Broncos

    https://www.therams.com/news/five-takeaways-run-defense-improves-as-rams-beat-broncos

    Daily Dose: Gurley is Unstoppable

    https://www.therams.com/news/daily-dose-gurley-is-unstoppable

    October 17, 2018 at 12:15 am in reply to: reactions, Denver game #92461
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    I was a bit disappointed in that win (to the degree it’s possible to be disappointed in a win) because McV kept putting the other team back in the game and making it closer than it shoulda been.

    take the example of getting sacked out of FG range and therefore subtracting a score.

    Up 20 to 10, quarter 4, 3rd n 3 at the DEN 19, Goff sacked by Chubb for -10 yards; 4th down 47 yard FG, no good.

    The Denver defensive strategy was to cover and sack, and sacrifice the run. So Denver committed its defense to defending the pass, and that’s a team with good pass rushers and a good secondary. Goff was having a subpar day for him for that reason. He held the ball because the receivers were covered, and that was by defensive design—Denver was using its strengths (pass rush, secondary) to counter a Rams strength, and it was working.

    So Goff dropped back 28 times in that game, and was sacked on 5 of them and had incompletions or an INT on 9 more. He was throwing for 50% and ended up with 174 net yards passing.

    So the pass was not there like it usually is.

    In contrast in the situation I am talking about if you run on 3rd down in that situation you at least stay within more manageable FG range. Even a no gain on that run gives you 10 yards on the FG. Puts you up 23-10 at that point, which with the Rams FG coming later in the 4th puts you up 26-13 with 3:15 remaining.

    It’s just one decision where they made things a bit harder than they had to be.

    McVay discussed that play in his last presser:

    And then I thought the two plays that we ended up taking sacks, when we were on the 19 yard line. Fortunately, the second one on the bootleg didn’t end up hurting us, we were running the ball so efficiently. Then the third down-and-three, where we end up knocking ourselves out of, what you feel like is going to be a good field goal range. So to answer your question, yeah, I’m still bothered by those. I thought that you got to learn from them. I’ll move on, but I think it’s great. We ask our players to try to learn from some of their decisions or their execution and things like that. It’s the same way. Those plays didn’t work out in our favor, but they didn’t really go in alignment with some of the flow and the feel of the game, with the way we were running the football. Those are the things that, hopefully, you get better with and you learn from experience.

    October 16, 2018 at 11:04 pm in reply to: Tweets – 10/15 Rams sign WR Nick Williams, cut K Santos #92459
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    October 16, 2018 at 10:05 pm in reply to: Tweets – 10/15 Rams sign WR Nick Williams, cut K Santos #92456
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    October 16, 2018 at 10:02 pm in reply to: Tweets – 10/15 Rams sign WR Nick Williams, cut K Santos #92455
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    Cairo Santos@cairosantos19
    Thank you to the @RamsNFL for the opportunity to fill in for the last 2 games! Very special and fun to work with some of the best in the game. Glad to get back to game ready and help you stay unbeaten! Also really happy to see Greg the Leg healthy. On to the next chapter!

    Downtown Rams@DowntownRams
    Greg Zuerlein would have broken the single-season record for points in a season last year if he had not hurt his back.

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    October 16, 2018 at 9:45 pm in reply to: Tweets – 10/15 Rams sign WR Nick Williams, cut K Santos #92448
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    Vincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
    Two tough road wins, two valuable lessons for the #Rams: “I think winning close games is a skill. It’s something that needs to be developed.” – John Sullivan.

    from Vinny Bonsignore Q&A (10/16)
    [What to look for in SF game?] I know Jared is looking forward to throwing away the gloves for a while. Ha. More efficiency in the Red Zone. Continued success against the run. Eliminating that one bad performance by someone in the secondary. Josh Reynolds for a full game, how does he respond. That ball that bounced off him got tipped by a defender, which altered the direction of the ball. Seemed like just a fluke type deal. Rams really, really like him. Reynolds is well liked and well regarded and trusted. I think he holds down the fort. But they need Cooper back ASAP to make this offense complete

    I think they can hang a 30-spot on anyone at any time anywhere. I think Sunday presented certain challenges, some they handled well others not so much. But I don’t think the NFL just figured out a way to beat the Rams.

    There is so much wisdom in that locker room. And I don’t say that frivolously. I’ve been in locker rooms with a bunch of knuckleheads. There is a huge difference. And I think the way they handled adversity…it doesn’t surprise me. And I really do think they’ll grow from it even more

    Every week is a different challenge. This is a tough, tough league. Honestly, every single week has the potential for disaster. That said, the whole New Orleans, Seattle, Mexico City stretch will be tough. Then it’s at Detroit and Chicago on back to back weeks. Anyone of those offers a chance to trip. And you have to figure at some point it does. I don’t see it as the result of a bad matchup or talent issues. I just think one week the Rams won’t have their A game and someone will take advantage. It’s almost inevitable.

    [For them to go deep in the playoffs] First and foremost, stay healthy. But beyond that, taking care of the football. Being more efficient in the end zone. Being more consistent defensively. And I think they have the capability to do all of those things. I really liked what I saw – for the most part – defensively Sunday.

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    Rich Hammond@Rich_Hammond
    As Sean McVay hinted at yesterday, Rams have changed their normal 70-minute Wednesday practice to a 35-minute walk-thru. McVay said he was mindful of the physical nature of Sunday’s game and the Rams’ third consecutive road game.

    Rams’ interior run blocking was ridiculous on Sunday.

    J.B. Long@JB_Long
    After 6 weeks, #LARams RB Todd Gurley has as many touchdowns (11) as the Cowboys, Redskins, Cardinals, Giants, and Raiders. And more than the Bills and Titans (7 each).

    The last time the #NFL saw a touchdown streak longer than the 9-game stretch @TG3II has put together was in 2012 with @ArianFoster (11 straight games from 2011 Week 15 through 2012 Week 10). Marshawn Lynch also had 11 in a row within the 2011 season.

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    October 16, 2018 at 2:53 am in reply to: tweets & other bits … 10/15 #92426
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    Adam Caplan@caplannfl
    Something in common with the best player callers: Fearless, understand use of personnel better than most:
    McVay, Payton, Shanahan, Pederson, Reid, McDaniels

    Others who do a nice job with formations, etc, use of personnel: DeFilippo, Nagy

    Joe Curley@vcsjoecurley
    Asked about getting “ready for the Rams,” Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers tells ESPN after win over San Francisco, “It’s rest and then we look at our schedule. It gets really tough. We’re gonna find out what type of team we are.”

    The Rams have gone from the cellar to a barometer for Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in 21 months.

    October 15, 2018 at 11:18 pm in reply to: anyone watching MNF? That's the Rams next 2 opponents #92424
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    tied 30-30 w/ 1 minute left in the 4th

    GB wins 33-30

    Rodgers comes through with a minute to go

    October 15, 2018 at 10:12 pm in reply to: tweets & other bits … 10/15 #92421
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    jrry32

    Are we taking for granted how disciplined our offense is?

    Something that popped into my mind while watching other teams is how disciplined our offense is. I feel like I’m taking it for granted, but I remember under our previous few coaches how many procedural penalties we used to get. Other than a two or three false starts against Seattle (understandable), we’ve had next to no false starts, illegal formations, illegal shifts, etc. It is remarkable how disciplined our offense has been this year. *knock on wood*

    October 15, 2018 at 10:07 pm in reply to: tweets & other bits … 10/15 #92420
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    October 15, 2018 at 10:02 pm in reply to: anyone watching MNF? That's the Rams next 2 opponents #92419
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    Evan Silva@evansilva
    #49ers finally found their franchise QB.

    Geoff Schwartz@geoffschwartz
    49ers avg 10 yards a play in that half. That’s ridiculous and even more impressive with a backup QB

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    October 15, 2018 at 9:28 pm in reply to: reporters on the Denver game (articles, vids, tweets) #92417
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    from PFF Refocused, NFL Week 6: Los Angeles Rams 23, Denver Broncos 20

    https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-refocused-nfl-week-6-los-angeles-rams-23-denver-broncos-20

    Todd Gurley had one of the most productive rushing games of his career against the Broncos, relying largely on an outside zone attack. Gurley broke several tackle attempts with speed and a highly effective stiff arm.

    Jared Goff did throw an interception on an out route when Tramaine Brock tipped the ball which bounced off the face mask of the intended receiver Josh Reynolds and into the hands of Darian Stewart.

    Defensive interior Aaron Donald was once again his dominant self, as he got the better of both Denver guards throughout the entire game. Donald was consistently in the Denver backfield, forced Case Keenum to leave the pocket multiple times and notched a sack on the day.

    Cornerback Troy Hill, who is playing in place of the injured Aqib Talib, gave up big plays to the Broncos receivers. Wide receivers Courtland Sutton, Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders all recorded receptions longer than 40 yards while being covered by Hill.

    …

    Keys to the Game:

    Los Angeles:

    The Goff-Gurley combination rose above the cold weather to keep Denver down on the scoreboard through four quarters.

    Denver:

    Overall, Keenum’s inconsistency hurt the Broncos too much in this game. Despite the fact that receivers played themselves open, Keenum struggled to get the offense going with accurate passes.

    October 15, 2018 at 8:48 pm in reply to: tweets & other bits … 10/15 #92414
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    Speed_Kills

    Todd Gurley’s monster game

    208 yards 7.4 yards per carry and not a single run for a loss or no gain. Not one.

    October 15, 2018 at 8:43 pm in reply to: tweets & other bits … 10/15 #92413
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    J.B. Long@JB_Long
    The @RamsNFL lead the #NFL in yards per play on first down at 7.64.

    Unfortunately, that number is deflated by all the victory formation kneeling that Goff has done this season.

    October 15, 2018 at 8:41 pm in reply to: reporters on the Denver game (articles, vids, tweets) #92412
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    October 15, 2018 at 7:02 pm in reply to: analysts praising McVay offense (a lotta good stuff here) #92408
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    We’ve Only Seen a Fraction of What Sean McVay and the Rams Offense Has to Offer

    The Rams, missing some key offensive playmakers and playing in frigid temperatures, leaned on the run game against the Broncos, showing off the complexity of Sean McVay’s offense.

    ROBERT KLEMKO

    https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/10/14/rams-broncos-todd-gurley-sean-mcvay?utm_campaign=themmqb&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com

    DENVER — You won’t often see a more lopsided 23–20 win in the NFL than what you saw here Sunday afternoon. In beating the Broncos, the Rams held the ball for more than 35 minutes and gained almost seven yards per carry, and Todd Gurley set a career mark with 208 yards on 28 carries the first 200-yard outing of an outstanding young career. And they did it in the cold, with a banged-up group of receivers, with a fairly simple running game targeting the heart of the Denver defense.

    According to the NFL’s Next Gen stats, all but five of Gurley’s yards on the ground came off the tackles, the areas manned by Von Miller, Bradley Chubb and Shane Ray. If ever the Broncos had a chance against the undefeated Rams, it would have been via a handful of big plays by that group, and yet they were helpless against the league’s No. 1 offense in terms of yards per game.

    The Rams, missing Cooper Kupp for big chunks of the game (knee), and missing some bite in the passing game due to the frigid temperatures, showed how dominant they can be on the ground when they want to be, and when the defense is expecting it. This was the victory within a victory for the Rams, and one that makes them NFC favorites going forward.

    “I think it’s a message that even if you can stop the other stuff you’ve got to be able to stop the run,” says Rams veteran tackle Andrew Whitworth. “We do a lot of different things and this week it happened to be the run. So as a defense going into a week of preparation you have to ask yourself, what do you want to spend your time on? The pass game, play action, spreading guys out, or do you want to try and figure out how to stop Gurley. Last week Seattle decided they wanted to stop Gurley. This week Denver gave us the opposite. To be able to beat teams both ways is a huge part of the game. It’s bigger than you think.”

    The scary thing about this offense is that it’s still learning the complexities of head coach Sean McVay’s scheme. The quarterback is six games into Year Three, in his second season with this head coach. Wide receiver Robert Woods likens last season to pre-algebra, and now we’re watching Algebra. One can only fathom what Algebra 2 will look like.

    “I think we were just grasping our offense last year, trying to understand what McVay wants,” Woods said. “I’d say the biggest difference this year is everyone’s grasping it and thinking like him. That allows our meeting to be more detailed, it allows us to improve on the little things. Last year was introduction to Sean McVay’s complex offense, and now we’re adding the little details. A lot more fly sweeps. Our disguises are next level. Put on the film and you think you’ve seen the same play 12 times, but there are little differences to each.”

    It’s the job of every defensive coordinator left on the schedule to decipher those nuances, and games like this don’t help. With the Rams comfortably in the lead until the Broncos brought it within a score late, and with Gurley pounding the edges of the defensive line from simple formations and personnel sets, there’s not much to learn about the complexities of this offense from Sunday. There’s hardly anything new on tape.

    “We’re not showing everything and they still have to prepare for a lot of different things,” Woods says. “We’re trying to put their best players on edge and make them think.”

    These are the kinds of performances the Rams are getting used to—coming into someone else’s house, playing a .500-ish team with its back against the wall and coming away with a win and their offensive secrets unrevealed.

    “It ends up being harder to scout an offense like that because you’re going to get things you haven’t seen,” Rams linebacker Mark Barron says. “Our offense can beat teams a lot of different ways. Our running numbers looked like somebody’s passing yards today. I’m sure everybody’s plan is to take away Gurley, and you can’t. The receivers are all on pace for 1,000 yards. Goff is playing with precision. They’re unstoppable right now. It’s nothing you can do.”

    Unstoppable is a big word, but it may not be that far from the truth. There’s a big chunk of this offense we haven’t yet seen and that should be worrisome to anyone in L.A.’s path.

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