Category: Latest Rams news

Analyzing Rams’ snap counts in Week 13 win vs. Cardinals

The Rams dug deep on their depth chart in Sunday’s blowout.

The Rams were able to give their backups some playing time on Sunday afternoon in Arizona, blowing out the Cardinals 34-7 on the road. It was their fifth straight win over the Cardinals dating back to 2017, all of which were by at least 16 points.

As a result of the lopsided score, the snap counts were impacted and starters didn’t get as much run as they typically do. Many of the starters on offense were replaced in the fourth quarter, as was the majority of the defense.

Blake Bortles and Darrell Henderson handled the offense on the final few drives, giving Jared Goff and Todd Gurley a rest. Here’s how the rest of the snap counts broke down on that side of the ball.

Offense

Tyler Higbee was the starting tight end with Gerald Everett out, and he made the most of his opportunity. He played 91% of the snaps, which was the same number as Jared Goff and the other starters who were pulled in the fourth quarter, turning his extended playing time into a career-high seven catches for 107 yards and one touchdown.

Robert Woods led all wide receivers with 67 snaps played, followed by Brandin Cooks (61) and Cooper Kupp (57). Josh Reynolds played 29 snaps, while Mike Thomas got in for seven snaps at the end of the game. Woods was targeted 19 times in the game, so when he was running routes, Goff was looking his way.

Todd Gurley got a little bit of a breather, playing only 68% of the snaps. Malcolm Brown spelled him on occasion, while Henderson closed out the game with four carries for 17 yards.

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Rams open as home underdogs vs. Seahawks in Week 14

The Rams are home underdogs for just the second time since Week 17 of the 2017 season.

The Los Angeles Rams went the entire 2018 season without being a home underdog once. The Ravens were road favorites against the Rams in Week 12, marking the first time the Rams weren’t favored at home since Week 17 of the 2017 season.

Next week against the Seahawks, the Rams will once again be underdogs at the Coliseum. According to BetMGM, the Seahawks are favored by 2.5 points over the Rams in Week 14. The over/under is set at 46.5 right now.

The Seahawks still have to play the Vikings on Monday night, which could very well change this line. If Seattle gets blown out or wins by a wide margin, it could push the spread in either direction.

The Rams lost to the Seahawks earlier this season, falling 30-29 on the road in Week 5. Greg Zuerlein missed a 44-yard field goal by inches, sailing it over and wide of the upright to give the Rams their second straight loss.

Seattle is 9-2 and in control of a playoff berth at the moment, potentially jumping up to the No. 2 seed and overtaking the 49ers for the NFC West lead with a win on Monday night. The Seahawks have looked like one of the best teams in the league and will be a real test for the Rams in Week 14.

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Bad roughing the passer penalty cost Jalen Ramsey first INT with Rams

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo was called for roughing the passer, which negated Jalen Ramsey’s first INT with the Rams.

Jalen Ramsey has made a huge difference for the Rams since coming over in a midseason trade. While he may not be creating big plays the way Marcus Peters has for the Ravens, his man-coverage ability has allowed the Rams to be more aggressive on defense – and it’s shown in the numbers.

Outside of last week’s 45-6 loss the Ravens, the Rams have yet to allow more than 17 points in the other five games since acquiring Ramsey.

Los Angeles was particularly good defensively against the Cardinals on Sunday and Ramsey nearly came away with his first interception as a member of the Rams. unfortunately, the play was negated by a penalty on Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, which was questionable, to say the least.

Here’s the play in full-speed, which shows off Okoronkwo’s ridiculous spin move to beat the left tackle.

Even when you slow the play down, it doesn’t look clear and obvious what Okoronkwo did wrong. He made contact with Kyler Murray’s helmet, but it wasn’t intentional or initiated by Okoronkwo lowering his own helmet.

He was simply leaping over D.J. Humphries in an attempt to tackle Murray.

Okoronkwo didn’t seem to agree with the call, posting a thinking emoji on Twitter after the game.

Officiating has been highly criticized by everyone from players to fans to coaches this season, and this appears to be yet another example of a blown call.

Fortunately, it didn’t change the outcome of the game, but it did take a turnover for the Rams and QB hit off the board for Okoronkwo. Still, it was a great performance by the defense.

In the locker room afterwards, Ramsey said this about the way the defense played.

“The defense played a really good game,” he said. “There were a lot of sacks, guys played well, guys got opportunities, stepped up and played well.”

He would’ve loved to nab his first interception with his new team, but he’ll have to wait at least one more week. Perhaps it’ll come against Russell Wilson and the Seahawks on Sunday night.

NFC playoff picture: Why Rams should root for Seahawks to beat Vikings

The Rams need the Seahawks to win on Monday night in order to improve their playoff odds.

The 2019 season is winding down with 30 teams only having four games remaining on their schedules. The Seahawks and Vikings will join that group after Monday night’s showdown, which has huge postseason implications – especially for the Rams.

At 9-2, the Seahawks are currently the No. 5 seed in the NFC. The Vikings are close behind, sitting at 8-3. The Seahawks can overtake the 49ers for the division lead with a win on Monday night, while Minnesota can move up to the No. 5 seed by knocking off Seattle.

The Rams are in the near distance at 7-5, needing some help in order to make the playoffs. Monday’s game will go a long way toward determining the Rams’ postseason chances, but before we get into who they should root for, let’s take a look at the current playoff picture.

  1. West: 49ers (10-2)
  2. South: Saints (10-2)
  3. North: Packers (9-3)
  4. East: Cowboys (6-6)
  5. Wild card: Seahawks (9-2)
  6. Wild card: Vikings (8-3)

In the hunt

Rams (7-5)
Bears (6-6)

As difficult as it is for the Rams and their fans to root for a division rival, it’s absolutely necessary on Monday night. Los Angeles needs the Seahawks to beat the Vikings to improve their playoff odds.

According to the New York Times’ playoff machine, the Rams currently have a 20% chance to make the postseason. If the Seahawks win tonight, that number will increase to 26% – not a significant amount, of course, but any improvement is a plus.

However, if the Vikings win, the Rams’ odds will decrease to just 13%. The reason is obvious, too.

With a win, Minnesota will push two games clear of the Rams for the sixth wild-card spot. It’ll drop the Seahawks back to 9-3, too, but the Rams have already lost to the Seahawks and face them next week. If the Vikings lose, they’ll only be one game ahead of Los Angeles, which isn’t an insurmountable deficit to overcome.

In that scenario, the Rams would need to win in Week 14 against the Seahawks and the Vikings would need to lose to Detroit in order for Los Angeles to slide into the No. 6 seed. Again, something that isn’t impossible.

But it all starts with the Vikings losing tonight. If they win, the Rams would need to beat the Seahawks and Cowboys, and Minnesota would need to lose to the Lions and Chargers. Week 16 and 17 would then be in the Rams’ hands, but they’d much prefer to take control of the sixth seed next week.

Robert Woods showed why he’s underrated with 172 yards vs. Cardinals

Robert Woods had the most yards after catch Sunday of any player this season.

Robert Woods missed Week 11 due to a personal issue, but he hasn’t missed a beat since returning to the team. Last week, he had six catches for 97 yards, and on Sunday against the Cardinals, he nearly doubled his yardage total in three quarters.

Woods tallied 172 yards on 13 catches in Week 13, setting a new career-high in yards and tying the best mark of his career in receptions. He still hasn’t scored a touchdown yet this season, which is a bizarre fact, but he remains one of the NFL’s most underrated receivers.

His versatility and ability to do everything at wide receiver makes him so valuable, which showed on Sunday in Arizona. He did most of his damage after the catch, picking up 137 of his 172 after hauling in a reception. That’s the most yards after catch by any player this season.

That long green streak down the right sideline came on a broken screen pass to the left side, which forced him to reverse field. Jared Goff threw a block to spring Woods free for 48 yards, all of which came after the catch.

This was the second time in 2019 that Woods caught at least 10 passes for 150 yards, doing so in Week 4 against the Buccaneers (13 catches, 164 yards). He’s just the third receiver in Rams history to accomplish that feat, joining the great Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce.

Woods probably won’t make the Pro Bowl, especially without having a touchdown, but he’s still vastly underrated and outplaying his meager contract with the Rams.

On the season, he has 64 catches for 835 yards in 11 games, which rank second on the team.

Watch highlights from Rams’ Week 13 win over Cardinals

The Rams made easy work of the Cardinals, rolling to a 27-point win with some highlight-reel plays.

Needing a win to keep their playoff chances alive, the Rams came away with a huge victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon. They made it look easy, too, winning 34-7. It’s their fifth straight win over the Cardinals, all of which have come by at least two touchdowns.

It was a game filled with highlight-reel plays, from Jared Goff throwing a block for Robert Woods on a 48-yard gain, to Todd Gurley shaking off multiple tacklers on a run in the red zone. Goff, Woods and Tyler Higbee all had their best games of the season, leading the Rams to victory in Week 13.

Taylor Rapp also broke through with a pick-six and another near-interception, while the Rams sacked Kyler Murray six times as a team.

If you couldn’t watch the game, the highlight package below will catch you up on everything that happened in the game, which was never really close.

Watch: Sean McVay hands out game balls after Rams’ win vs. Arizona

Four players received game balls after Sunday’s win.

The Rams put it all together against the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon in Arizona, rolling to a 34-7 victory. It was their most complete game of the season, maintaining control from start to finish with very few blemishes on the day.

It was a much-needed win after being blown out by the Ravens, especially considering how tight the NFC playoff race is.

After the game, Sean McVay handed out game balls to four players for their roles in the win. None of them are particularly surprising, given the impact they had on Sunday.

But before doing that, he gave a speech in the locker room to fire up his players.

Taylor Rapp certainly deserved a game ball for his pick-six, while Tyler Higbee’s career day warranted one, too. Robert Woods’ 172 yards were a big part of the win, as was Jared Goff’s near-perfect performance.

Studs and duds from Rams’ bounce-back win vs. Cardinals

Jared Goff and Robert Woods helped carry the Rams offense to victory.

The Rams went into Arizona for the third time in as many seasons Sunday and once again showed their dominance over the Cardinals. They blew out Arizona 34-7 on the road, moving their record to 7-5 on the year.

Though their playoff chances remain slim, the Rams are still alive in the NFC after this victory. It was their most impressive win of the season, racking up 549 yards, including 424 yards by Jared Goff.

Here are our studs and duds from Week 13.

Studs

TE Tyler Higbee

Higbee had a career day in Arizona, and all of his work occurred in the first half. He finished the game with seven catches for 107 yards and one touchdown, all of which came before the halftime break. He set career-highs in receptions and yards, doing everything for the Rams against the Cardinals.

QB Jared Goff

Goff bounced back from an underwhelming November, throwing two touchdown passes and racking up 424 yards. He set season-highs in completion percentage and passer rating, leading the Rams to victory with his best performance of the year. He really didn’t make any mistakes, either, committing zero turnovers and hitting open receivers when given the chance.

WR Robert Woods

Woods ran wild against the Cardinals. He gained 172 yards on 13 catches (19 targets), and although he still hasn’t scored a touchdown, he continued what’s been a very good season. He’s effective at every level, whether it’s on screen passes or routes over the middle. His block on Todd Gurley’s 9-yard run on the opening drive helped spring the running back free, too.

S Taylor Rapp

Rapp broke up two passes, including a pick-six that he returned 31 yards. He could’ve had two other interceptions, too, but he dropped one and another was called back due to a pass interference penalty on Nickell Robey-Coleman. Rapp only had two touchdowns, but his pick-six was icing on the cake for the Rams.

RB Todd Gurley

Gurley carried it 19 yards for 95 yards with one touchdown, and his longest rush was only 11 yards; that shows how consistently he picked up chunks of yardage. He also had a 20-yard reception and broke a handful of tackles on a run in the red zone. The Rams don’t lean on him the way they used to, but he’s still a playmaker when given the football.

OLB Dante Fowler Jr.

It was a quiet November for Fowler, going the entire month without a sack or quarterback hit and only one tackle for loss. He was impactful on Sunday, though, recording one sack, two tackles for loss and two passes broken up. His sack was particularly impressive, containing Kyler Murray in the pocket and using one arm to corral the shifty quarterback.

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Rams made NFL history with yet another lopsided win over Cardinals

The Rams are the first team in NFL history to accomplish this feat.

Before Sean McVay took over as head coach, the Rams had lost five of their last seven games against the Arizona Cardinals. Since he was hired, though, the tables have turned in a big way. It’s looked more like a David versus Goliath matchup since 2017, with the Rams being the latter instead of the former.

They’ve won five in a row over the Cardinals, each one in dominant fashion. The Rams have scored at least 30 points in each game and kept the Cardinals under 17 points in all five meetings, capped off by Sunday’s 34-7 victory by Los Angeles.

With it, the Rams made league history. They’re the first team ever to win five straight against a single opponent, scoring at least 30 points and allowing fewer than 17 in each game.

Here are the last five games between these two teams:

  • 10/22/2017: Rams 33, Cardinals 0
  • 12/03/2017: Rams 32, Cardinals 16
  • 9/16/2018: Rams 34, Cardinals 0
  • 12/23/2018: Rams 31, Cardinals 9
  • 12/1/2019: Rams 34, Cardinals 7

In total, the Rams have outscored Arizona 164-32. That’s about as lopsided as it gets between two franchises.

The Cardinals were no match for Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, being held to 81 yards on their first nine possessions before gaining 117 yards in garbage time. Kyler Murray was held completely in check, and Kenyan Drake proved to be a non-factor.

The Rams offense was equally impressive, scoring on five of their first seven drives. Jared Goff had his best game of the season, throwing for 424 yards and two touchdowns, while Todd Gurley added 95 yards rushing.

5 takeaways from Rams’ 34-7 victory in Arizona

The Los Angeles Rams dominated the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13. Here are a few takeaways from the victory.

The Los Angeles Rams flashed back to last season on Sunday against the Cardinals, looking like the team that made it all the way to the Super Bowl. They dominated Arizona for the fifth straight time, winning 34-7 in Arizona. The Rams were in control the entire game, jumping out to a 34-0 lead before garbage time began.

It wasn’t until midway through the fourth quarter that the Cardinals got on the scoreboard as Kyler Murray led a touchdown drive with his back against the wall. He capped it off with a nifty 15-yard touchdown run, giving the Cardinals their first score of the day.

Here are a few takeaways from the Rams’ dominant win over the Cardinals.

Defense smothers Cardinals’ offense

Other than Murray’s aforementioned garbage time drive, Kliff Kingsbury and his quarterback had a miserable day against the Rams’ defense. It was an unrelenting performance by the Rams through the first three quarters. The Cardinals failed to score points on their first nine drive, which included four three-and-outs and just one drive of at least 30 yards.

It was a return to form for a defense that had been dominant for most of the season before being dismantled by Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in primetime last week. Murray was sacked six times and six different Rams were credited with sacks. Everybody on the defensive side deserves credit for this win.

It was the fifth time this year where the Rams held an opponent to 10 points or less. If they want to have a shot at the playoffs, it hopefully won’t be the last.

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