Category: Latest Rams news

Rams vs. Cardinals: Time, TV and streaming info for Week 17

Everything you need to know about Sunday’s season finale at the Coliseum.

In the blink of an eye, the 2019 season has reached its final week of the regular season. The year didn’t go as the Rams had planned it would, being eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16, but they hope to close out the season with one last win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday – the final game at the Coliseum.

To get you ready for the season finale, we’ve compiled all the important game day information – from streaming options to the officiating crew on Sunday afternoon. And be sure to follow along on Twitter with @TheRamsWire and @camdasilva.

You can live stream the game on fuboTV (try it free).

Los Angeles Rams vs. Arizona Cardinals – Sunday, Dec. 29 at 4:25 p.m. ET

TV channel: FOX

Live stream: fuboTV (try it free)

Radio: ESPN LA 710 AM

Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

Forecast: Partly cloudy, 59 degrees, 2 mph winds

Referee: Jerome Boger

Odds: Rams -6.5, O/U 44.5

[vertical-gallery id=627489]

How Andrew Whitworth, Clay Matthews can earn bonuses in Week 17

Andrew Whitworth and Clay Matthews have a lot to play for on Sunday.

The Rams are trying to finish the 2019 season with a winning record by beating the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon, and doing so will earn Andrew Whitworth a nice check. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Whitworth will earn an additional $500,000 if the Rams beat the Cardinals in Week 17, finishing the year with nine wins.

It’d be a good bonus for Whitworth in an otherwise disappointing season for the Rams. He started the year off slow, but he’s turned things around and returned to his usual level of play as an above-average left tackle.

He’s not the only player who can earn a bonus on Sunday, either. Clay Matthews needs only a half-sack to reach 8.5 on the year, which will trigger an additional incentive. He’s already earned $750,000 for recording eight sacks, and one more will give him another $250,000.

Matthews has had a renaissance season in 2019, playing well for the Rams despite missing three games with a broken jaw. He’s recorded eight sacks after putting up only 3.5 last season with the Packers, his most sacks in a year since he had 11 in 2014.

[vertical-gallery id=627489]

Look: Coliseum gets awesome paint job for final Rams game

The Coliseum got a custom paint job for the final Rams game there on Sunday.

The Los Angeles Rams and their fans will say goodbye to the Coliseum on Sunday afternoon in the 2019 season finale against the Arizona Cardinals. It’s the final Rams game at the historic stadium before the team moves into its new digs in Inglewood.

In addition to wearing commemorative jersey patches with a postgame fireworks show for fans, the Coliseum also got a fresh coat of paint.

Take a look at the end zone design and the midfield logo for Sunday’s Rams-Cardinals game, both of which are awesome.

Here’s another look at the field from Gary Klein of the L.A. Times.

At 8-7, the Rams not only want to finish with a winning record in their final season at the Coliseum, but they want to end the year on a high note by sending fans home with a victory. As 6.5-point favorites, the Rams are predicted to beat the Cardinals and finish the year 9-7.

[vertical-gallery id=627489]

Robert Woods loves the Coliseum, ‘but I’m ready for that new stadium’

Robert Woods has played at the Coliseum dating back to his college days, but he can’t wait for SoFi Stadium.

The Los Angeles Rams will pick up and move for the second time in four years next season, though this change will be much easier than the one they made in 2016. After moving from St. Louis to Los Angeles three years ago, the Rams will head to Inglewood in 2020, playing their home games at SoFi Stadium.

Sunday’s matchup with the Cardinals will be the Rams’ last game at the Coliseum, so while they’re out of playoff contention, this game does carry some meaning for the team. Robert Woods played his college ball at USC and his home games were held at the Coliseum, so he has plenty of history at this venue.

That being said, he’s ready to move into the brand new stadium being built in Inglewood.

“I love the Coliseum, but I’m ready for that new stadium,” Woods said, via the Los Angeles Daily News. “Having our own stadium, our own field, our own locker room. Being a real NFL team, having our own set-up here.”

The Rams played at the Coliseum from 1946-1979 before moving to Anaheim Stadium and then St. Louis. They returned to the Coliseum in 2016, but only for a brief stay while SoFi Stadium was being constructed.

Sunday’s game will be bittersweet, as Nickell Robey-Coleman called it, for many of the Rams’ players who played there the last four years. But, running out of the tunnel at a state-of-the-art stadium will be something special for the Rams (and Chargers) in 2020.

Rams hand out 2019 awards: Donald wins MVP, Kupp and Rapp honored

Aaron Donald was named the Rams’ most valuable player of 2019.

As deflating as it was for the Los Angeles Rams to miss the playoffs, there’s still plenty the team can be proud of and hang its hat on. There were breakout performances by a few players, while others established themselves as starters in 2020 and beyond.

To honor the best players from 2019, the Rams announced individual awards to four individuals before their season finale.

Aaron Donald won MVP, Taylor Rapp was named the team’s best rookie, Eric Weddle was selected for the Spirit of the Game Award and Cooper Kupp earned the Ed Block Courage Award for sportsmanship and courage.

Donald leads the team with 12.5 sacks and is No. 1 in the NFL with 20 tackles for loss, once again dominating from the interior. Without him, the defense would look vastly different. He impacts the game in ways no other player does, consistently wreaking havoc in the backfield.

Rapp has been a stud since taking over for John Johnson as a starting safety, recording 93 tackles, seven passes defensed and one interception, which he returned for a touchdown. He still has room to grow, but he showed why the Rams were so high on him in the draft.

His mentor, Weddle, had an up-and-down season. He started out strong, but hasn’t made much of an impact in recent weeks. That being said, he’s still a leader on defense, not only helping Rapp but everyone else from Jalen Ramsey to Troy Hill.

And finally, Kupp earns the Ed Block Courage Award, “which is given to a player who is a role model of inspiration, sportsmanship, and courage.” He bounced back after tearing his ACL last season, catching 87 passes for 1,062 yards and nine touchdowns in 15 games so far this season.

Sean McVay knows Rams can’t keep everyone: ‘That’s not realistic’

The Rams could undergo major changes this offseason.

Part of what makes winning consistently in the NFL so difficult is the fact that keeping a roster together is extremely tough. The salary cap leads to constant changes across the league, particularly when players are due for extensions after playing out their very affordable rookie contract.

The Rams will get a taste of that this offseason when Cory Littleton hits free agency, as will Dante Fowler Jr. – whom the Rams gave a one-year extension last offseason. They’re two of the Rams’ biggest names who will hit the open market, with Andrew Whitworth and Michael Brockers being in that group, too.

It’s unreasonable to think the Rams will be able to keep all of those guys together, given their limited cap space. Sean McVay knows that will be a challenge of the offseason, calling it “frustrating,” but he’s always happy to see players getting paid.

“That’s something that you learn. It’s about working through and figuring out, ‘All right, based on what we do have, how can we make it work?’ I think the tough thing is, you want to see all of these players get rewarded accordingly because the work and some of the things that you go through together,” he said Friday. “It’s so awesome to see these guys get rewarded, be able to take care of their families. You’d love to see everyone get paid, you’d love to be able to keep everybody. Unfortunately, that’s not real and that’s not realistic. If these guys are getting rewarded, that still is something you can take a lot of pride in. You’d always love to be able to retain your own guys. As you’re continuing to kind of navigate through what’s the best way to shape out our roster, given the financials and all those types of things, those are things that you work through. Frustrating, but something that you have to deal with, and everybody has to deal with that.”

The Rams defense could look very different in 2020. Eric Weddle may be a cap casualty, along with Clay Matthews. Brockers could leave in free agency, Littleton might price himself out of the Rams’ range and Fowler will have a chance to cash in elsewhere.

If Los Angeles loses all of those players, there will be a lot of new faces on defense. And that’s without even touching on the offense, which has fewer pending free agents but could lose two starters up front with Whitworth’s and Austin Blythe’s contracts expiring.

It will be an interesting offseason in L.A., to say the least.

[vertical-gallery id=627489]

Final score prediction for Rams vs. Cardinals in Week 17

Can the Rams send their fans home with one last win at the Coliseum?

It’s been a disappointing season for the Los Angeles Rams in 2019, but they still have a chance to finish with a winning record. They’ll host the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon for the season finale, looking to extend their winning streak against the Cardinals to six games.

It’s going to be a tough matchup for the Rams, who will be without Jalen Ramsey and likely Troy Hill at cornerback, as well. Andrew Whitworth and Michael Brockers were also limited in practice this week, as was Eric Weddle for one day.

The Cardinals have injury questions of their own, too, with Kyler Murray expected to be a game-time decision. Coming off a win over the Seahawks in Week 16, they hope to finish the season on a high note by beating another NFC West rival, but that will be difficult if Murray can’t play.

Kenyan Drake has helped carry the offense in the last two weeks, racking up more than 300 yards rushing, so he’ll be someone the Rams must key on stopping if they want to win on Sunday afternoon.

With it being the final Rams game ever at the Coliseum, they should be fired up to send fans home with one last home win. And there’s a good chance they will. Arizona is a formidable foe, but the Rams have had the Cardinals’ number since Sean McVay took over, winning five straight by at least 16 points in the last two-plus years.

This game probably won’t be a blowout again, but expect the Rams to win by at least one touchdown. Murray’s health could keep him limited, especially as a runner, so Los Angeles should be able to contain him and Arizona’s ground game.

The Rams’ depth at cornerback is good enough to cover the Cardinals’ wideouts, too, with David Long and Darious Williams stepping up as starters. That’s not a major concern, but it is a chance the Rams will have to adapt to.

Though Los Angeles may come out slow, the offense will find a groove and utilize a lot of play action and rollouts to keep Jared Goff away from the pressure that Chandler Jones will provide. Todd Gurley probably won’t be heavily featured, with the Rams likely playing it safe, but Malcolm Brown is capable of carrying a starter’s workload.

Final score prediction: Rams 30, Cardinals 20

Rams’ 3 biggest concerns vs. Cardinals in Week 17

Chandler Jones poses a major threat to the Rams on Sunday.

The Los Angeles Rams will run out of the tunnel at the Coliseum one last time on Sunday for the season finale against the Cardinals. It’s a game that doesn’t carry any playoff implications with both teams already being eliminated from contention, but it should still be an entertaining matchup.

Here are the three biggest concerns for the Rams in this game, beginning with a dynamic pass rusher on the other side.

Chandler Jones’ hot streak

Jones is on fire right now. He has 10.5 sacks in his last seven games, including a four-sack performance on Sunday against the Seahawks – his second four-sack game of the season. A third game with four sacks would put him over Michael Strahan’s single-season record of 22.5, and the Rams will do what they can to prevent that from happening.

Jones will match up with Andrew Whitworth more often than not, which is good news for the Rams. Whitworth hasn’t been perfect, but he limited Jones to just 0.5 sacks in Week 13. Jones is a game-wrecker the way Aaron Donald is, so of course there are concerns about stopping him.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

Rams Week 17 preview: 5 questions with Cards Wire

Previewing Sunday’s game between the Rams and Cardinals.

There are two NFC West showdowns being held in Week 17, but only one of them carries a lot of meaning. Rams-Cardinals is not that game.

They may not be playing for postseason positioning, but the season finale for both teams is important for player evaluation and pride; Sean McVay has said repeatedly that he wants to finish with a winning record.

In advance of this matchup, we talked to Jess Root of Cards Wire to gather intel on players such as Kyler Murray, Chandler Jones and Kenyan Drake. Here’s our conversation on the upcoming game.

How big of a spark has Kenyan Drake provided over David Johnson?

Drake has been huge. He has energized the locker room with his swagger. He has jumpstarted the offense with his explosiveness and big plays. For whatever reason, David Johnson just hasn’t had the juice to power the offense. The team talks about Drake like he is a long-term piece.

Is Chandler Jones the best edge rusher in the NFL, in your opinion?

The numbers certainly suggest it. No one has more sacks since 2016. He led the NFL in 2017 and leads the league this year. He has the length, the motor, the explosiveness and the power. No one else combines that with the same consistency with which he plays. Even with 19 sacks, he has dropped into coverage about 12 percent of the time this season as well. He might have equals in the league, but no one is overall better.

What’s the most encouraging thing the Cardinals have to build on for next year?

It comes down to Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray. Murray looks like the real deal and Kingsbury is proving to be flexible enough for the NFL. He has adapted to change the offense, while Murray has been successful doing a number of things.

Overall, how would you grade Kyler Murray’s rookie season?

It’s the best rookie QB season for any Cardinals quarterback. He is one of only three rookies to have at least 3,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards. If he plays Sunday, he will likely finish with over 3,500 and 600. He still has room for improvement but it can’t be graded any lower than an A. He has exceeded very high expectations.

What’s your prediction for this game?

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cardinals won with how they are playing, but I don’t think it will happen. I do expect them to be competitive and it will come down to the fourth quarter. The Cardinals will run the ball well and get some pressure on Jared Goff, but the Rams will get a 23-20 win.

[vertical-gallery id=627489]

NFL Week 17 picks: Who the experts are taking in Rams-Cardinals

The majority of experts are picking the Rams to win on Sunday.

The Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals will play their season finales on Sunday afternoon at the Coliseum, which will be the last Rams game at the historic stadium. They opened as the favorites in the game and despite losing two in a row, they’ve been the better team throughout the season.

The last time they met, the Rams crushed Arizona 34-7 in Week 13. In fact, it’s their fifth straight win over the Cardinals by at least 16 points, continuing their dominance of Arizona.

Experts across the league view the Rams as the favorites in this matchup with an overwhelming number of them picking Los Angeles to win on Sunday. According to NFL Pick Watch, 86% of experts are taking the Rams to win straight-up in Week 17.

There are only six games this weekend with a team that’s a bigger favorite in terms of expert picks.