Category: Latest Rams news

Wade Phillips calls Lamar Jackson ‘this era’s Michael Vick’

Wade Phillips wasn’t afraid to compare Lamar Jackson to Michael Vick.

During his heyday with the Atlanta Falcons, Michael Vick gave opposing defensive coordinators and head coaches headaches as they tried to devise a plan to contain him. He was as electric as any player to play the quarterback position, bringing a terrifying combination of speed and arm strength to the field.

There hasn’t been a player quite like him since, but Lamar Jackson is staking his claim as the next version of Vick.

Ahead of Monday night’s matchup with the Ravens, Jalen Ramsey likened Jackson to Vick on Instagram this week, and Wade Phillips didn’t disagree with the comparison. Phillips was asked how the two quarterbacks are similar, and he seems to believe Jackson has a slight edge.

“Pretty similar in a lot of ways. Both of them are great runners. Mike was similar in that he didn’t throw many interceptions and he had that flick of the wrist that he could throw the ball downfield. But Lamar is this era’s Michael Vick, maybe plus – Michael Vick-plus.”

That’s some high praise for a coach who was around Vick for several seasons. Phillips was the Falcons’ defensive coordinator in 2002 and interim head coach in 2003 when Vick was there, so he knows a lot about what it was like trying to stop No. 7.

Vick rushed for 777 yards in 2002 en route to a Pro Bowl selection, emerging as one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in all of football in just his second season.

Jackson is not only on his way to the Pro Bowl in Year 2, as well, but he’s also the front runner to be named NFL MVP. In Phillips’ mind, Jackson is clearly the best player in the league through 11 weeks.

“Lamar Jackson, everyone’s saying it and rightfully so, he’s certainly the MVP so far this year and is having a great year,” he said.

The Rams will get their first taste of Jackson next week when the Ravens visit on Monday night, and Phillips isn’t necessarily excited about facing that offense.

“Gives me a headache,” Phillips joked. “But it’s a great challenge. It’s something that competitors – and I think our guys are – it’s something for them to step up and play well against, and that’s what our challenge is.

“If I didn’t already, they’d give me white hair playing against teams like this. But I’m already there.”

Robert Woods is back with Rams but uncertain to play vs. Ravens

Robert Woods returned to the team Thursday but it remains to be seen if he’ll play against the Ravens.

Sean McVay opened his press conference on Thursday with some good news regarding Robert Woods. He announced that Woods is back with the team and will practice for the first time today.

Woods had been away from the team since Sunday when he had to leave to take care of a family matter, causing him to miss the game against Chicago. It was unclear when he would return to the Rams, but it’s good that he’s back in the fold.

As for what that means for his availability against the Ravens, that’s still to be determined.

“Robert’s here, he’s in a good place. We’re just taking it a day at a time,” McVay said, before adding “we’ll see” when asked if Woods will play on Monday night.

The Rams have kept everything in-house with regards to Woods’ situation, out of respect for him and his family. It does seem odd that McVay wouldn’t say for sure whether Woods will play against the Ravens, though, considering he’ll be back at practice Thursday and has an extra day to prepare.

Even if Woods can’t play, Brandin Cooks will be on the field for the Rams. He’s returning from his second concussion of the season, which caused him to miss the last two games.

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Why Brandin Cooks’ return is huge for Rams with Robert Woods still away

The Rams will have Brandin Cooks back, which is huge for the offense with Robert Woods still away.

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The Los Angeles Rams offense looked very different on Sunday night against the Bears than it did in Week 1. There were two new starters at wide receiver and three new faces on the offensive line, as well as Johnny Mundt replacing Gerald Everett as one of the two starting tight ends.

They had to thrust Josh Reynolds and Mike Thomas into larger roles with Brandin Cooks still recovering from a concussion and Robert Woods tending to a family matter. Being without both players was a big hit to the offense, given the importance of both players’ roles.

It’s unclear when Woods will return to the team and there’s a chance he could miss Monday’s game, but Sean McVay shared some good news on Cooks’ recovery Wednesday. He confirmed the wideout will be back on the field Monday night against the Ravens after missing two games.

“Brandin Cooks is back, he’s excited to be able to play,” McVay said. “He’s felt good for a couple weeks, so when he’s feeling good and we’ve gotten the thumbs up from everybody else, that makes us all feel good. He’s going to play and we’re excited about that.”

This is huge news for the Rams, to say the least.

Cooks has been the least impactful of the Rams’ top three wide receivers this season, but that doesn’t make him unimportant. He simply hasn’t gotten as many opportunities as Woods and Cooper Kupp.

His return to the field changes things dramatically for the Rams offense. With Cooks and Woods both out in Week 11, the Rams went with a completely different approach offensively. They utilized two-tight end sets on 34 plays, which is the highest total of the season. They ran the ball 34 times and Jared Goff only attempted 18 passes, the fewest in his career.

The Rams set out to run the ball straight at the Bears, and it worked to the tune of a 17-7 win. But as we’ve seen all season, McVay prefers to throw the ball over run it. It’s just that putting the ball in the air 40 times with Reynolds and Thomas as two of the top three receivers wasn’t a recipe for success.

We all know how reliant McVay is on 11 personnel, having three receivers on the field more than 90% of the time. The Rams can get back to that on Monday night against the Ravens with Cooks, Kupp and Reynolds, leaving Thomas and his unreliable hands in the No. 4 spot.

Cooks’ speed will also be very valuable. He can stretch a defense like few receivers can, and against the Ravens’ cornerbacks, that’s critical. While Marlon Humphrey has good speed, Marcus Peters and Brandon Carr are somewhat lacking in that area.

If the Rams can get Cooks matched up on Peters or Carr, they can take advantage against single-high safety looks when it’s essentially one-on-one outside. Thomas and Reynolds simply don’t possess that same level of speed as Cooks.

The biggest benefit of Cooks’ return is having three receivers Goff is comfortable with. The Rams clearly shied away from using too many three-receiver sets against the Bears because of his and Woods’ absences, but that should change on Monday night.

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With Marcus Peters in Baltimore, Rams will ‘be careful’ with what he knows

Sean McVay is well aware of Marcus Peters being on the other side this week.

Both the Rams and Ravens have players on their side who spent time with the opposing team. The Rams actually have two with Eric Weddle and midseason acquisition Kenny Young, who was a starter for the Ravens earlier this season. The Ravens have Marcus Peters, though, who the Rams traded to Baltimore before the trade deadline.

Weddle has already said he won’t be sharing any inside knowledge of the Ravens with the Rams, having too much respect for his former teammates and coaches. It’s unclear how much Young can offer Sean McVay and Wade Phillips, but it’d be reasonable to expect him to share at least some insight.

With the way Peters’ tenure in Los Angeles ended – being traded during the season – you can bet he’ll be giving his current team everything he can on his former squad. After all, Peters knows the Rams defense like the back of his hand, spending a season and a half in L.A.

McVay is well aware of Peters being on the other side, and while he wouldn’t definitively say the Rams will change things up because of it, he knows they have to be careful.

“It does [impact game planning] because he’s a great player. You look at the production that he’s had and how quickly he’s picked up some of the things that they’re doing schematically. He’s always been a guy that has great ball production. You look at him in his first game, getting an interception against Seattle. He has one against Cincinnati a couple of weeks ago. He’s very comfortable,” McVay said on Wednesday. “He’s a guy that whether he was here or not, you’ve got to be mindful of because he does have such elite ball skills. You do want to be careful about some of the things that he might be familiar with. He’s a great player and I’m really happy to see him doing so well.”

Peters is a smart player and while he might allow big plays at times, he also has the ability to completely change a game. Just in the four games since being acquired by the Ravens, he’s picked off two passes and returned both of them for touchdowns.

The Ravens are undefeated since acquiring Peters and their defense ranks second in points allowed since Week 7. The Rams are first in that category in the same span, but there’s no denying how well Baltimore’s defense has played.

With the added knowledge of the Rams’ scheme, it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising if Peters makes a big play or two in this game.

Rams preparing for Lamar Jackson with John Wolford as scout team QB

The Rams know they can’t emulate Lamar Jackson, but they’re going to try.

There isn’t a quarterback in the NFL right now who can do what Lamar Jackson does. His combination of speed and vision as a runner, as well as his accuracy and decision-making as a passer make him one of the most dangerous players in football – regardless of position.

His unique skill set makes him far more difficult to prepare for than a traditional pocket quarterback, which teams have learned all year long. The Rams will do their best to simulate him in practice, but not with Jared Goff or Blake Bortles.

Instead, it’ll be quarterback John Wolford, who’s currently on the practice squad.

“John Wolford’s going to do a great job for us. We’ll see if he found some extra speed this week, too,” McVay said. “You can’t ever really, truly emulate this guy, what he’s done and what they’ve done as a team. As a team, but then when you’re individually talking about their offense and Lamar Jackson, it’s been impressive. It’s fun to watch, it’s exciting, it’s going to be a great challenge and I know our defensive guys are excited about that challenge.”

Wolford is an athletic quarterback, as we saw in the preseason. He’s quicker than fast, though, as he ran a 4.77 40-yard dash at his pro day. His 4.18-second short shuttle time would’ve been the third-best at the combine in 2018, and his 6.78-second three-cone would’ve been the fastest at his position.

Obviously, Jackson is on another level, but Wolford is a better scout team quarterback before facing the Ravens than Andy Dalton is. He has a good combination of mobility and arm strength, as he showed on this play in the preseason.

As McVay said, you can’t truly emulate Jackson in practice, but the Rams are going to do their best with Wolford. Monday night’s matchup will come down to slowing Jackson as a runner because that’s where he and the Ravens offense are most dangerous.

Eric Weddle could tell Rams ‘a lot of stuff’ about Ravens, but won’t

Eric Weddle knows a lot about the Ravens, but he’s not going to tell the Rams anything.

Eric Weddle is one of the smartest players in the NFL. He’s also one of the most well-respected across the league, specifically with his former and current teammates. He earned that reputation with his play on the field and displaying loyalty off it.

His loyalty seems to have gone too far for some Rams fans, though, with Los Angeles playing Weddle’s former team on Monday night. The safety said back in August that he won’t share any of the Ravens’ secrets with the Rams, which angered fans in L.A.

There was some hope that he’d change his mind with this being such a monumental game for the Rams, but that’s not the case. He doubled-down on keeping his knowledge of the Rams’ scheme to himself Wednesday, saying he won’t give the Rams anything.

“There’s nothing that needs to be said, outside of, I could tell them a lot of stuff, but that’s just not who I am,” Weddle said, via the team’s website. “We’re going to play it on the field and the best team’s going to win, but they all know what I’m about.”

It all comes down to respect for Weddle. He built a strong relationship with players and coaches in Baltimore during his three years there, and he’s not going to turn his back on them – despite the fact that the team cut him this offseason.

It might seem a bit extreme to some fans, but the connection with Baltimore goes deep for Weddle.

“I said it whenever I did that last interview, I have a lot of respect for that place,” Weddle said. “Not only how it helped my career and rejuvenated my career, and how they treated myself and my family, but it’s a very tight-knit group. What kind of man would I be if I just turned my back on all of them?”

Sean McVay was asked about Weddle’s decision during Wednesday’s press conference, and it’s no surprise that he respects his decision. McVay said “it’s a small demonstration of why he’s a special guy,” understanding why he wouldn’t want to share intel on his former teammates.

“I think what you respect about Eric is he’s one of those guys that you pick his brain just because you want to talk some football. But in terms of some of the intricacies, I think he’s got a lot of loyalty to those guys even if he’s not there anymore,” he said. “And I think those are things that I think he would probably say, ‘I like talking ball with you,’ but I don’t want to do something that takes away from his ability to try to unfairly give information with the Ravens and I know that’s something that he’s communicated. So I haven’t talked to him about it.”

Kickoff between the Rams and Ravens will be on Monday night at 8:15 p.m. ET, with the Rams trying to get their seventh win of the season.

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Sean McVay weighs in on Eric Weddle’s decision to keep Ravens’ secrets

Eric Weddle won’t give away anything on his former team, and Sean McVay respects that.

When Eric Weddle signed with the Rams, one of the first games he probably circled on the schedule was a matchup with his former team, the Ravens. It was always going to be an intriguing matchup, but with Baltimore 8-2 and looking like one of the best teams in the NFL thanks to Lamar Jackson, the implications of this game have been heightened – especially for the 6-4 Rams.

Weddle knows the Ravens better than anyone outside their locker room, but Sean McVay and Wade Phillips shouldn’t expect any inside information from their starting safety. He said back in August that he won’t share any of his former team’s secrets – a startling revelation to Rams fans everywhere.

“I can’t give all the secrets away. Those are my guys. I can never turn my back on my guys over there,” Weddle told Andy Benoit in a film breakdown video. “Coach McVay knows what he’s doing. He doesn’t need much.”

Weddle respects his former teammates too much to give away secrets about their scheme.

“What kind of man would I be if I rat out my guys that I played three years with?” Weddle asked. “I cherish every relationship I made on that defense, on that team. The minute I say, ‘Here are all of their calls’ or ‘here are the checks to this,’ then what am I at the end of the day? I lose everything that I gained from there. And that means more to me than anything.”

McVay was asked by reporters on Wednesday if he’ll pick Weddle’s brain this week in advance of their Week 12 matchup with the Ravens. McVay knows Weddle said in the past that he won’t share any inside details about Baltimore’s scheme, and the coach respects that.

“I think what you respect about Eric is he’s one of those guys that you pick his brain just because you want to talk some football. But in terms of some of the intricacies, I think he’s got a lot of loyalty to those guys even if he’s not there anymore,” he said. “And I think those are things that I think he would probably say, ‘I like talking ball with you,’ but I don’t want to do something that takes away from his ability to try to unfairly give information with the Ravens and I know that’s something that he’s communicated. So I haven’t talked to him about it.”

McVay was then asked whether that would be regarded as unfair.

“I think this, it’s totally at each person’s individual approach. I think with his reasoning, I think it’s a small demonstration of why he’s a special guy. But we’ll talk some ball, we’ve talked before. Maybe I already asked those questions in the free-agent visit, he just didn’t realize it,” McVay said, smiling.

Schemes change every year and there are certainly differences between what the Ravens did last year when Weddle was there and what they’re doing now. In reality, there probably isn’t much of an advantage Weddle can give the Rams, because players still have to go out and execute the plays called.

Monday night will mostly come down to stopping Jackson, and if the Rams can’t do that, they’re going to be in for a long night – regardless of what Weddle might (or might not) tell them.

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Robert Woods still away from team, status for Week 12 unclear

Robert Woods is still away from the team for a personal matter, and his status for Monday night is uncertain.

Robert Woods was a last-minute scratch from the Week 11 lineup on Sunday night when it was announced that he was tending to a personal matter. The Rams haven’t disclosed anything on the situation out of respect for Woods, with Sean McVay sharing very little on the wideout.

On Wednesday, McVay did open his press conference with an update on Woods. He remains away from the team and it’s unclear when he could return.

“Robert Woods is still handling his family matter. He will not be here today,” McVay said.

As for whether Woods will play on Monday night against the Ravens, that’s to be determined. McVay was asked when Woods would need to return to the team by in order to play this week, but the coach wouldn’t give a firm answer.

He did acknowledge that Woods’ experience helps, and that he’d likely be able to play on a short week of practice.

“That’s one of those things that I’d rather be able to talk to Robert, kind of just see. Most importantly is the family stuff always comes first. That’s our priority, and that’s what he’s taking care of and then we’ll worry about the football stuff a little bit later,” McVay said. “I don’t want to put a finite answer on that. He is a guy that because of what a savvy player [he is], his experience, how smart he is – I do think he’s one of the guys that does have the ability to play on a short week, but you certainly don’t want to minimize the importance of the preparation throughout the week.”

Woods is a key part of the offense, both as a receiver and blocker. He was missed on Sunday night against the Bears, as his absence was likely part of the reason the Rams only opted to throw the ball a season-low 18 times.

The Rams will be getting some help at wide receiver this week, though. Brandin Cooks, who has missed the last two games with a concussion, will play against the Ravens.

“Brandin Cooks is back. He’s excited about being able to play. He’s felt good for a couple weeks. When he’s feeling good and we’ve gotten the thumbs up from everybody else, that makes us all feel good. He’s going to play and we’re excited about that.”

The Rams host the Ravens on Monday night at 8:15 p.m. ET at the Coliseum.

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Rams’ new-look defense will be tested by 3 MVP candidates in next 4 weeks

If the Rams are going to make the playoffs, they’re going to earn it by facing three MVP frontrunners.

There’s no denying how well the Los Angeles Rams defense has played in the last four games. Defensively, they rank first in points allowed (44), first in rushing yards allowed (644) seventh in passer rating against (78.9), fifth in sacks (16) and seventh in third-down conversion percentage (31.7%).

Yet, it’d be unfair to mention those numbers without saying which quarterbacks they’ve faced in that span. The last four quarterbacks to take the field against the Rams are Matt Ryan, Andy Dalton, Mason Rudolph and Mitchell Trubisky. Of those four, only Matt Ryan is having a decent season, and Dalton has since been benched.

Things are about to change dramatically in the next four weeks, though. The Rams’ new-look defense with Jalen Ramsey and Troy Hill as the starting cornerbacks will be tested by three MVP candidates and another dynamic quarterback in the next month.

It all begins with Lamar Jackson on Monday night, followed by matchups with Kyler Murray, Russell Wilson and Dak Prescott. Jackson, Wilson and Prescott are considered the front-runners to win NFL MVP, and while Murray isn’t in the running, he’s one of the more difficult quarterbacks to defend because of his mobility and speed.

The combined numbers of those four quarterbacks are absolutely outstanding this season, especially compared to those of the previous four quarterbacks the Rams have faced. Jackson, Murray, Wilson and Prescott have combined for 77 touchdown passes and only 21 interceptions, with each completing at least 64.6% of their passes. Wilson and Prescott are Nos. 1 and 2 in touchdown passes, while Jackson and Murray have more rushing yards than any other quarterbacks in the league. Jackson is 10th among all players, and Murray is 26th.

From the previous group of Ryan, Rudolph, Dalton and Trubisky, only Ryan ranks in the top 20 in passing yards. Together, the four have combined for 48 touchdown passes and 30 interceptions, and only Ryan has completed more than 62.4% of his passes.

The Rams defense has deservingly received a lot of praise for the way it has played since acquiring Ramsey, but there hasn’t exactly been a quarterback to challenge the Rams much lately.

Now, the Rams will have to face three teams that rank in the top six in yards, and four teams that are in the top 10 in scoring. For comparison, the Steelers, Bears, Bengals and Falcons all rank 20th or lower in scoring.

If the Rams are going to make the postseason and potentially contend for a title, they’re going to have to earn it in the next four weeks.

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Rams vs. Ravens: 5 things to know for Week 12 matchup

Five important facts and stats to know for Monday night’s game.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Rams will face their toughest test of the season on Monday night when they take on the Baltimore Ravens at the Coliseum. Los Angeles needs a win to keep pace in the NFC playoff race, while Baltimore is trying to move closer to securing an AFC North crown.

This is a rare matchup between these two teams, but it’s sure to be an exciting one. There are ties all over the place, with Marcus Peters being traded by the Rams to the Ravens this year, Eric Weddle facing his former team, and Kenny Young playing against the team that traded him last month.

Here are five things to know for Monday’s showdown in Los Angeles.

Both defenses dominating since Ramsey, Peters trades

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Rams sent Marcus Peters to the Ravens before the trade deadline, acquiring Jalen Ramsey later on that day. They were both stunning moves, but the Rams and Ravens have each benefitted from the trades. Since Peters and Ramsey made their debuts in Week 7, the Rams and Ravens have elevated their play on defense significantly.

The Rams are first in points allowed (44) in their last four games, while the Ravens are second (56). The Rams’ point differential in that span is only plus-46, and Baltimore’s is plus-101 – 47 points better than the next-closest team.

The Ravens have allowed a passer rating of just 69.6 in their last four games, second-best in the NFL, and the Rams are seventh at 78.9.

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