Category: Latest Rams news

Rams are unwisely running Kyren Williams into the ground

Kyren Williams’ overusage is resulting in damaging results for the Rams.

Kyren Williams had a game to forget last weekend. He fumbled the ball twice and lost one of them on the opening drive in a 37-20 blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. More embarrassing for the young running back, the performance solidified a belief that he has taken a step backward in his development.

However, it is not Williams’ fault as he has had to navigate through a variety of factors, including multiple absences on the offensive line and a blatant overuse by Sean McVay and his coaching staff.

Out of 267 rush attempts by the Rams this season, Williams has accounted for 77 percent of them. When you account for carries strictly by running backs, it jumps to 84 percent. While Blake Corum has 29 carries and Ronnie Rivers has 10, Williams has 207.

Not to mention, his 121 pass-blocking snaps are 41 more than any other running back in the NFL.

Williams’ mistakes result from a combination of frustration and fatigue. He’s been the Rams’ bell cow, but he’s getting run into the ground, resulting in turnovers like what happened on Sunday night.

Sean McVay needs to give Williams a rest, especially when he plays the majority of the passing snaps, too.

Corum and Rivers are more than capable and they will get the job done. Save Kyren Williams before he becomes another case study like Todd Gurley.

Rams vs. Saints injury report: Updates on Alaric Jackson and others

All the latest updates and news on the Rams’ initial injury report ahead of their Week 13 game vs. the Saints.

The Los Angeles Rams have been fairly fortunate on the injury front in recent weeks but that doesn’t mean they’ll be at full strength against the New Orleans Saints this weekend.

Their final injury report of the week on Friday listed four players with injury designations, including Alaric Jackson. He popped up with a foot injury this week, which caused him to miss all three days of practice.

Tyler Higbee and KT Leveston have both been ruled out, while Jackson and Nick Hampton are both questionable.

Rams vs. Saints injury report

Rob Havenstein injury update

Havenstein is good to go after being a full participant in practice all week. He missed the last three games with an ankle injury, so the Rams will be glad to have him back on the field against the Saints.

Alaric Jackson injury update

Jackson missed practice all week with a foot injury, but Sean McVay said he expects Jackson to play against the Saints. He says the Rams are just “being smart” with Jackson as he deals with his foot issue.

Tyler Higbee injury update

Higbee will not play this week, though McVay did say he’s probably ready. The Rams just want to take it slow with their veteran tight end as he recovers from his knee injury.

Former Rams assistant Thomas Brown promoted to Bears interim coach

Former Rams assistant Thomas Brown will now coach the Bears for the rest of the season after Matt Eberflus’ firing

What a wild three weeks it’s been for former Rams assistant coach Thomas Brown. He started the year as the Bears’ pass game coordinator before being promoted to offensive coordinator when Shane Waldron was fired on Nov. 12.

Now, he’ll be the Bears’ interim head coach for the rest of the year.

Following Thursday’s loss to the Lions, the Bears fired Matt Eberflus as their head coach and promoted Brown to interim coach. It’s a huge opportunity for the 38-year-old, who’s a potential head coaching candidate for the 2025 hiring cycle.

Brown got his start in the NFL with the Rams in 2020 as their running backs coach after several stints in college. He was promoted to assistant head coach in 2022 and the Panthers hired him as their offensive coordinator in 2023.

He’s had many different jobs over the last five years and it could eventually lead to a head coaching gig at some point in the near future – especially if this final stretch with the Bears is a successful one.

Sean McVay talked to Kyren Williams about fumbles and expects him to bounce back

Kyren Williams has fumbled 4 times in his last 4 games, but Sean McVay isn’t benching him and expects the RB to bounce back

Kyren Williams has struggled with ball security throughout the last two seasons, but that problem has become even more concerning in the last four weeks. He’s fumbled it four times since Week 9, including twice in Sunday’s loss to the Eagles.

Sean McVay didn’t take any carries away from Williams after either of his two fumbles, and it doesn’t sound like anything will change with the running back rotation, either. McVay told reporters on Wednesday that he’s had conversations with Williams about his fumbles and he expects him to bounce back.

He also confirmed that Williams will remain the starter over Blake Corum.

“You certainly have those conversations and you understand it’s about being able to correct,” he said. “Negative experiences without teaching I think this is where you lose morale. It’s really important to be able to have teaching and let’s apply it. Kyren [Williams] is so conscientious. In a lot of instances, he is such a great competitor. That’s one of his best traits that you’re saying, ‘When you were doing this, let’s understand what a great job these defenses do at attacking the football. Where are we leaving ourselves susceptible and what can we do to try to able to give ourselves the best chance to get as many yards as possible while also not potentially giving the football up?’ I trust him being able to move forward. He’s always been a guy that has been mentally tough. He’s been able to respond and I think that’s going to be reflected moving forward.”

It’s been a disappointing season for Williams after he averaged 5.0 yards per carry and a league-best 95.3 yards per game in 2023. This year, he’s averaging only 4.0 yards per carry and 74.7 per game, and he’s already fumbled it five times after doing so three times last year.

It’s clear that McVay fully trusts his workhorse back but at some point, Williams must cut down on the costly fumbles.

Rams vs. Saints injury report: Latest updates, news for Week 13

All the latest updates and news on the Rams’ initial injury report ahead of their Week 13 game vs. the Saints.

After dealing with countless injuries early in the season, the Los Angeles Rams have been relatively healthy in recent weeks with the exception of right tackle Rob Havenstein missing three straight games. They came out of their games against the Patriots and Eagles without any major injuries, putting them in good shape heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Saints.

The Rams’ initial injury report of the week doesn’t create many causes for concern, especially with Havenstein working his way back from an ankle injury. One situation to monitor is Alaric Jackson’s foot injury, which caused him to miss Wednesday’s practice.

The Saints are also relatively healthy coming out of their Week 12 bye.

Rams vs. Saints injury report

Rob Havenstein injury update

Havenstein was a full participant for the first time since injuring his knee in Week 9. He’s on track to play against the Saints on Sunday.

Alaric Jackson injury update

Jackson popped up on the injury report with a foot issue, causing him to miss practice. It’s unclear how severe it is or when the injury occurred so that’s something to watch this week.

Tyler Higbee injury update

Higbee practiced for the first time since tearing up his knee in January. He’s not expected to play this week but he’ll be back at some point this season.

Rams’ Tyler Higbee officially designated to return from PUP list

Tyler Higbee is officially back at practice for the Rams and he’s been designated to return from the PUP list

Tyler Higbee is officially back at practice for the first time since tearing his ACL and MCL against the Detroit Lions in January. The Los Angeles Rams announced on Wednesday that Higbee is practicing and has been designated to return from the PUP list.

He’s missed the first 11 games of the season and while he is nearing a return, Sean McVay said Tuesday that Higbee isn’t likely to play against the New Orleans Saints this week. He still needs more time to get acclimated after missing about 10 months of work on the field.

While Higbee has been out, Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen and Hunter Long have all been filling in at tight end, though the Rams haven’t gotten much production from any of them.

It remains unclear when Higbee will be able to make his season debut but he’s obviously getting closer and returning to practice is a big step for the tight end.

Demarcus Robinson won’t be suspended by Rams, will play vs. Saints

The Rams have decided not to suspend Demarcus Robinson following his DUI arrest and he will play against the Saints

Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams have made a decision regarding Demarcus Robinson’s status for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints. McVay told reporters that the team will not suspend Robinson following his arrest on suspicion of DUI and he will play against the Saints.

Robinson has been with the team this week as the legal situation plays out, and the NFL will do its own investigation into the matter, too. It’s possible the league could suspend Robinson at some point if it finds Robinson violated the personal conduct policy.

McVay said Robinson addressed the team about the mistake and he has been remorseful since his arrest.

Robinson was stopped by police at around 5 a.m. Monday morning, hours after the Rams’ loss to the Eagles, after he was cited speeding in excess of 100 mph. He was released to a responsible party after being booked.

Will the Rams-Saints game be on TV in your area this Sunday?

Check the map to see if you’ll get Rams vs. Saints on TV in your area this Sunday

The Los Angeles Rams will be on the road in Week 13 after their home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night, paying the New Orleans Saints a visit this weekend. It’s the third straight year the Rams will face the Saints and the second time since 2022 that they’ll be on the road in New Orleans.

Unlike Sunday’s game against the Eagles, this game won’t be nationally televised in prime time. Instead, it’ll be in the late-afternoon slot on FOX with Kenny Albert and former Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma on the call from the Superdome.

Below is the broadcast map for Week 13 on FOX. If you’re in the blue, you’ll get the Rams-Saints game on TV in your area.

The Rams are 4-2 against the Saints under head coach Sean McVay, winning last year’s matchup at home, 30-22. This is a pivotal game for both teams, as they’re each below .500 and trying to stay alive in the playoff race.

If the Rams can beat the Saints and the Seahawks and Cardinals both lose this weekend, there will be a three-way tie atop the NFC West.

Rich Eisen has a bold prediction for the Rams’ final 6 games

Even after a lopsided loss to the Eagles, Rich Eisen sees the Rams getting hot and being a playoff team

All hope seems to be lost for the Los Angeles Rams following Sunday night’s drubbing at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles. They’re 5-6 and have lost two of their last three games, but there is a silver lining.

The Rams are still just one game out of first place in the NFC West, which keeps them very much alive for a playoff berth. NFL Network’s Rich Eisen hasn’t ruled them out as a playoff team yet and he actually believes the Rams are on the verge of catching fire.

Eisen predicted the NFC playoff picture and he has Los Angeles winning five of its last six games to take the division title. He thinks they’ll beat the Saints, lose to the Bills and then win their final four games – three of which are against division rivals.

“I think the Rams win this week at New Orleans, I think they lose at home against Buffalo and I think they win out,” Eisen said. “I think they win out, starting with a big win in San Francisco. They take care of the Jets in New York and they win both games against divisional rivals at home. They are 10-7, they win the West and they’re the team that you don’t want to face in the playoffs. They make the playoffs, I think they win the West and I can’t believe I’m saying that coming off of what I just saw against the Eagles.”

Eisen did say he’s “concerned about their O-line” but he loves the way the pass rush looks.

“They can put pressure on the quarterback and if they do that, the back end can survive,” he said.

The Saints are a very beatable team for the Rams, but it’s a road game against a team that’s fresh off a bye. They then face the Bills at home, which is by far the toughest games left on the schedule. After that, they have the 49ers, Jets, Cardinals and Seahawks.

It’s not out of the question for the Rams to go 5-1 down the stretch like they did last year, but the road to the playoffs is still littered with hurdles. It starts with beating the Saints on Sunday, which will get them back to .500 at 6-6.

Watch: Mic’d-up Puka Nacua gave a passionate sideline speech during Rams’ loss to Eagles

Puka Nacua was mic’d up on Sunday and his sideline speech to the Rams’ other receivers shows why he’s such a great teammate

Puka Nacua has become a fan favorite in Los Angeles largely because of two things: his remarkable play on the field and his funny personality off it. But the Rams’ second-year receiver also has a passionate and fiery side, which he showed on Sunday night when he was mic’d up against the Philadelphia Eagles.

When the game was out of reach and the Rams were on their way to their sixth loss of the season, Nacua brought together the wide receivers and gave a passionate speech about how they’ll respond and go back to work.

“Every new week, we got to drive the bus harder than we (expletive) did before,” he said. “We got to drive that (expletive) harder than ever before. It’s going to come through us. We knew that already. We got to drive that (expletive) thing straight through the mud, bro. No matter what it takes. Until the (expletive) wheels fall off. We’ll find a way to rebuild that (expletive), bro. We got numbers. Strength in our numbers. We’re built for this (expletive).”

After the game was over, Nacua made sure to tell every Rams receiver that they did a great job and he loves them. He also checked on Matthew Stafford to make sure he was good after taking a beating from Eagles defenders in the loss.

Nacua absolutely has a fun-loving side, but his passion for winning and succeeding on the field deserves praise, too. It’s why Sean McVay and his teammates speak so highly of him every time his name is brought up.