Category: Latest Rams news

Todd Gurley makes Rams history with TD vs. 49ers

Todd Gurley is the first Rams player ever to accomplish this feat.

Todd Gurley isn’t having a great season by his standards, but he continues to score touchdowns at a high rate. Against the 49ers on Saturday night, he scored his 13th touchdown of the year, and in the process, he made Rams history.

He became the first player in franchise history to score 13 touchdowns in three straight seasons. Here’s the play he did it on, showing good speed to the edge after freezing the defenders on the right side.

Gurley isn’t the workhorse back he once was, but he’s still effective when given opportunities. It’s just that his chances are now limited and he doesn’t show the same burst he did in previous seasons.

He still has a nose for the end zone, though.

Watch: Jalen Ramsey makes first INT with Rams, stiff-arms 49ers RB

Jalen Ramsey finally got his first interception as a Ram.

It’s been a good week for Jalen Ramsey. After being selected to the Pro Bowl, Ramsey came out on Saturday night and showed exactly why.

In the first quarter, Ramsey picked off Jimmy Garoppolo’s pass, his first interception as a member of the Rams. He returned it 13 yards to the Rams’ 37-yard line, giving them decent field position.

At the end of his run-back, he hit Tevin Coleman with a vicious stiff-arm, throwing him to the turf.

Take a look at the air Ramsey got on this interception, going up and picking it off.

This is Ramsey’s ninth game with the Rams, and while he hasn’t put up big numbers, he’s had a big impact on the defense.

Watch: Brandin Cooks scores first TD since Week 2 on perfect drive by Rams

Brandin Cooks scored his second touchdown of the season Saturday.

Brandin Cooks has had a disappointing season marred by concussions and a lack of production, but he got going early on Saturday night against the 49ers. On the Rams’ opening drive, Cooks caught Jared Goff’s pass in the back of the end zone for six points, his first touchdown since Week 2.

It was Goff’s fourth completion on the first possession of the night for the Rams, all of which came on bootlegs to four different receivers.

Cooks now has two touchdowns and 514 yards on the season. He’ll snap his streak of four straight years with at least 1,000 yards receiving.

Rams Week 16 inactives: Rob Havenstein a healthy scratch vs. 49ers

Rob Havenstein is healthy, but he won’t be playing on Saturday night.

Rob Havenstein looked like one of the best right tackles in the league last season after signing a $32.5 million extension in the offseason, but this year has been nothing short of a disaster. After struggling out of the gates, Havenstein injured his knee in Week 10 and has been sidelined ever since.

Now healthy, Havenstein is still out of the lineup. He won’t be suiting up on Saturday night against the 49ers, instead being listed among the seven players who will be inactive. He’s a healthy scratch, which is alarming for a player of his caliber with a contract as pricy as his.

Here are the other six inactives, which does not include Greg Zuerlein. He’s healthy and ready to go against San Francisco after being listed as questionable.

In addition to Troy Hill being inactive, so too is Dont’e Deayon. That leaves Jalen Ramsey, Nickell Robey-Coleman, Darious Williams and David Long Jr. as the only active cornerbacks.

Kendall Blanton was called up from the practice squad a few weeks ago, but he’s inactive again. There’s no surprise with Jake Gervase, Natrez Patrick or Jamil Demby being healthy scratches, either.

Rams’ 3 biggest causes for concern vs. 49ers on Saturday

The Rams must be worried about San Francisco’s ground game.

Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

It’s do-or-die time for the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday night as they face the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. A loss will eliminate them from playoff contention, while a win will keep them alive until at least Monday night when the Vikings host Green Bay.

But before they look ahead to Week 17 or the postseason, the Rams must take care of business against the 49ers. It’s a tough matchup, but one they must win. Here are their three biggest concerns against San Francisco.

Stopping the 3-headed monster at RB

Similar to the Rams in 2017 and ’18, the 49ers’ offense is predicated on being able to run the football. It sets up the play-action passing game for Jimmy Garoppolo and keeps defenses on their toes with a balanced attack. San Francisco has had remarkable success running the ball this season, ranking second in the league in rushing with an average of 147 yards per game.

The 49ers have three very capable backs, too, with Matt Breida, Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman all chipping in. Right now, the hot hand belongs to Mostert, who’s averaging 5.7 yards per carry this season and leading the team with 662 yards.

The Rams were gashed by Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard last week and the 49ers aren’t going to be any easier of a matchup. If Los Angeles constantly misses tackles, the defense is going to get run over once again.

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Rams K Greg Zuerlein expected to play vs. 49ers

Greg Zuerlein should be fine for Saturday’s game against San Francisco.

It appears the Los Angeles Rams will have Greg Zuerlein available on Saturday night against the 49ers. Zuerlein is listed as questionable to play with a quad injury that he suffered against the Cowboys in Week 15, but he’s expected to play, according to Ian Rapoport.

The Rams worked out Brett Maher on Thursday but did not sign him, and they would’ve needed to sign a kicker by Friday to have him available for the game. They did not, which indicates Zuerlein is good to go.

Zuerlein didn’t kick in practice until Friday as the Rams tried to give him as much time to rest and heal as possible.

“He’s feeling good. It’s more of a precautionary thing than anything else,” McVay said on Thursday. “We wanted to just wait as long as possible until we actually kicked him. Then, if something doesn’t go according to plan, then we at least have somebody in place that you feel good about if that situation comes up.”

Zuerlein has made 22 of 29 field goal attempts this season and all 34 of his extra-point tries. His 75.9% make rate on field goals is his lowest since 2015, however, so there have been some struggles on his part this year.

Rams at 49ers: Time, TV and streaming info for Week 16

Everything you need to know for Saturday night’s matchup.

The Los Angeles Rams are back in prime time this weekend, taking on the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night. It’s a huge matchup for both teams for different reasons, with San Francisco trying to take back the No. 1 seed in the NFC, while Los Angeles needs a win to keep its playoff hopes alive.

To get you ready for this must-win game in Week 16, we’ve compiled all the important game day information – from streaming options to the officiating crew on Saturday night. 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 at San Francisco 49ers – Saturday, Dec. 21 at 8:15 p.m. ET

TV channel: NFL Network

Live stream: fuboTV (try it free)

Radio: ESPN LA 710 AM

Location: Levi’s Stadium

Forecast: Cloudy, 59 degrees, 12 mph winds

Referee: Clete Blakeman

Odds: 49ers -6.5, O/U 45.5

Look: Jalen Ramsey surprises kids at after-school program with Xboxes

Jalen Ramsey played the role of Santa at this after-school program.

Jalen Ramsey has only been a member of the Rams for a couple of months, but he’s already making an impact in the community. With Christmas right around the corner, Ramsey helped make the days of students at an after-school program in Los Angeles.

He gifted them each an Xbox One X, and their reactions were priceless.

Ramsey joined the Rams in a trade with the Jaguars back in October. He still has one year left on his contract in 2020, but if he doesn’t sign an extension before it expires, he’ll become a free agent.

The Rams front office and coaching staff have been very clear about their desire to keep Ramsey after trading two first-round picks for him, hoping to have him stick around in L.A. for several more years.

Report: Wade Phillips may not return to Rams in 2020 after contract expires

Wade Phillips is in the final year of his contract and may not be back in 2020.

One of Sean McVay’s first moves after becoming the Rams’ head coach in 2017 was to hire Wade Phillips as his defensive coordinator. It was an unusual match between the youngest coach in the NFL and a veteran with more than 30 years of experience, but it worked for them and the team.

Phillips, 72, may not be back in 2020, though. He’s in the final year of his contract and according to Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio, the Rams may part ways with their defensive coordinator.

Linebackers coach Joe Barry would be a candidate to replace Phillips.

The Rams defense has shown flashes of brilliance this season, but also many instances of struggles. They allowed 55 points to the Bucs, 45 to the Ravens and 44 to the Cowboys, but also seven games of giving up no more than 13 points.

It’s been an up-and-down season, to say the least, and Phillips doesn’t exactly know why the defense has had so many “clunkers,” as he put it recently.

“We’ve been inconsistent overall. We’ve had a couple clunkers and if I knew the reason, we wouldn’t do it,” he said this week. “But, we have fought back every time. I think the attitude of our team – our defense and our whole group – we’re fighters and we’re going to fight back.”

The Rams have ranked in the top 20 of yards and points allowed in each of the last three seasons, but they haven’t finished higher than 12th in either category despite having big names all over the defense.

Final score prediction for Rams at 49ers in Week 16

The Rams are 6.5-point underdogs, but can they pull off the upset?

Sean McVay has had remarkable success against the NFC West since joining the Rams, going 4-2 in his first season and 6-0 in his second. His Rams have already lost two division games this season with two more still to go, beginning with the 49ers on Saturday night.

In their late-season matchup last year, it was the Rams locked in as a playoff team and one of the best squads in the league. This time around, it’s the 49ers fighting for postseason positioning, needing a win to keep pace with the Seahawks in the NFC West.

That’s not to say the Rams are just playing spoiler; they need two wins and two losses by the Vikings to make the playoffs, themselves. It’s just that the Rams aren’t in a great spot the way San Francisco is.

So can they pull off the upset as 6.5-point underdogs on the road? The chances don’t look great, but the Rams will at least keep it close at Levi’s Stadium. They’ll cover the spread and stay within one score of the 49ers, playing better than they did in Week 6 when San Francisco shut them down and held Jared Goff to 78 yards passing.

The Rams just aren’t consistent enough to beat a team like the 49ers – even though their inconsistency is what leads some to believe they’ll win on Saturday after laying an egg against the Cowboys in Week 15.

The 49ers pass rush, even without Dee Ford, is simply too good for the Rams to handle. Goff has struggled under pressure and unless he’s frequently rolling out of the pocket, the passing attack doesn’t move the ball very well. Todd Gurley probably won’t offer a ton on the ground, either, with Fred Warner leading the 49ers’ stout defensive front.

Defensively, the Rams will have trouble stopping San Francisco’s potent rushing attack, which ranks second in the NFL. Tackling was a huge problem against the Cowboys and with the season wearing on, odds aren’t great that Dallas will shut down San Francisco’s running backs.

In the end, the 49ers will pull away and secure a narrow victory.

Final score prediction: 49ers 24, Rams 20.