Category: Latest Rams news

Jared Goff raves about how Rams OL played vs. Bears: ‘Couldn’t be prouder’

Bobby Evans was the focus of Jared Goff’s attention on the offensive line Sunday.

Despite only scoring 17 points, and despite only gaining 283 yards of total offense, the Rams still seemed to improve on that side of the ball Sunday night against the Bears. Jared Goff’s numbers don’t tell the whole story of his performance, since a big play was dropped by Michael Thomas and a 51-yard touchdown to Josh Reynolds was called back due to penalty, but he looked more comfortable than he did against the Steelers.

That’s partly because the Rams’ new-look offensive line played well against a formidable front. Goff wasn’t sacked a single time, was only hit once and the Bears pressured him just once on 18 dropbacks. Bobby Evans more than held his own against Khalil Mack at right tackle, and Austin Corbett looked equally good at left guard.

For a quarterback who’s taken a beating this season, Goff was thrilled with the way his big men up front played. He specifically mentioned the job Evans did against Mack on the edge, which was viewed as a favorable matchup for the Bears.

“Huge. Huge. Can’t stress it enough,” Goff said of how well the offensive line played. “You think about Bobby Evans making his first start against Khalil Mack, who’s arguably the best rush-end in the league and it was a non-factor. He did his thing. He stepped up, he did his thing. We were doing different things to help them out, but not that much, to the point where he was just playing well.”

With regards to the rest of the front, Goff liked what he saw from Corbett, David Edwards, Austin Blythe at center and of course, Andrew Whitworth at left tackle.

“David Edwards continues to get better, continues to do his thing. I thought Austin Blythe directed the offense, directed the O-Line like a champ up front, and then Austin Corbett stepped in as well,” Goff continued. “Last week was his first time playing, and this week to just come in there, the way that all of them are just so non-reactive, every single play is just so dialed, so focused, so steely-eyed, and just ready to go. And obviously Whitworth is who he is and we know that, but I just thought those guys just stepped up so well and I couldn’t be prouder. Couldn’t be prouder.”

The Rams showered Evans with praise in the locker room after the game, with Sean McVay singling him out as the one to break down the huddle. For a player making his first start, it went about as well as it could’ve.

This does complicate things for the Rams, though. Rob Havenstein, who he replaced, isn’t out for the year and could be back as early as next week against the Ravens. After seeing the way Evans played – albeit, with plenty of help from the tight ends – will McVay send him to the bench and put Havenstein back in the lineup?

Havenstein has struggled this season after playing extremely well in 2018, but the Rams just gave him a contract extension last year and he’s one of the top-paid right tackles.

It was only one game, but Evans is at least making things interesting up front for a team with very little continuity on the O-line.

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Todd Gurley could be in for bigger workload after Sunday’s performance

Sean McVay suggests Todd Gurley’s workload could grow after Sunday’s performance.

Prior to Sunday’s win over the Bears, Todd Gurley hadn’t gotten more than 20 touches in a single game this season. His workload was greatly reduced in the first 10 weeks of the year, limiting his production out of the backfield.

Bu Sean McVay finally let him loose against Chicago, giving him 28 total touches, including 25 carries. He turned those opportunities into 133 yards and one touchdown, helping lift the Rams to a 17-7 win at home.

Getting Gurley the ball was a concerted effort on McVay’s part, and he was repaid by the All-Pro back putting together arguably his best performance of the year.

“That was part of the game plan tonight and I thought he did a great job,” McVay said. “What I loved the most about what Todd did, is after we put the first carry on the ground, he didn’t flinch, he came back and had some good, tough, physical runs and made some good catches out of the backfield and he was a big-time contributor tonight.”

Gurley was running the ball well last week against the Steelers, picking up 73 yards on 12 carries, but he didn’t get a single touch in the fourth quarter and was barely on the field. McVay didn’t want to make that mistake again, so he fed the running back from start to finish.

“Like we talked about, I didn’t think I did a good enough job against the Steelers of kind of recognizing the way that he was running and you don’t want to make the same mistake twice,” he said.

So where does that leave the Rams offense heading into Week 12? There are still questions to be answered, specifically with the passing game. However, the balance they displayed offensively was encouraging, to say the least.

As a result of Sunday’s performance, Gurley could be in for a larger workload moving forward.

“I think so. That’s an ideal situation, but we’ll continue to look at this film and we’ll see how we want to put together our next game plan. Anytime you get Todd involved like that, it’s usually always a good thing for our offense.”

Keeping the Ravens offense off the field next week should be a priority, and one way to do that is by running the ball and controlling the clock. Don’t be surprised if Gurley gets another 20-plus carries against Baltimore on Monday.

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Watch: Sean McVay gives victory speech, gets game ball from Rams

Sean McVay got a game ball from the team for carrying them through adversity.

The Los Angeles Rams have faced a great deal of adversity this season, more so on Sunday night than ever before in 2019. They faced the Bears without two starting wide receivers, two starting offensive linemen and had three tight ends who were banged up throughout the week of practice.

Yet, despite missing several key players, the Rams pulled out a 17-7 win at home to improve to 6-4 on the year. Sean McVay couldn’t have been more pleased with the way his team responded to the challenges they faced, specifically losing Robert Woods to a personal issue just hours before the game.

After the victory, McVay gave a great speech in the locker room, specifically pointing to the job the offensive line and defense did in the game. He had rookie Bobby Evans break down the team, and afterwards, special teams coach John Fassel announced to the locker room that McVay would be getting a game ball.

“We just decided as a coaching staff and as players that when you talk about adversity, we’ve got a leader who always carries through the highs and the lows. And he does a lot of stuff behind the scenes, and when it’s time to work, he keeps us focused on the mission. The game ball is for you, man,” Fassel said to McVay.

https://www.facebook.com/Rams/videos/469119213719464/

Next up, the Rams will face the Ravens on Monday night in Week 12. The team rallied around Evans, David Edwards and the new-look offensive line, and they hope to keep it going against a good defensive front.

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Rams showed a different side of their offense in win over Bears

The Rams went run-heavy on Sunday night, which is different than what we’ve seen all year.

From their very first play on offense, the Rams set out to prove they could win a game on the back of their rushing attack. Granted, Todd Gurley lost a fumble on Los Angeles’ first play from scrimmage, but Sean McVay didn’t abandon the run or put Gurley in the proverbial doghouse.

Instead, he called another 24 running plays for Gurley and five more for Malcolm Brown, too. In total, the Rams finished with 34 rushing attempts, 30 of which were by running backs. It was the second-most times they’ve handed the ball off to running backs all season, doing a great job to ride Gurley to victory.

Sean McVay said afterwards that it was all part of the game plan, giving the ball to Gurley as much as they did. And it truly showed a new side of the offense that we hadn’t yet seen this season. This was the second time all year the Rams had more rushes (34) than pass attempts (18), with the other game being almost an even split (30 rushes, 28 passes vs. New Orleans).

But the changes offensively go deeper than just running the ball more often. It all started with their personnel adjustment. The Rams utilized 12 personnel (one running back, two receivers, two tight ends) on 34 plays Sunday night, which is their most in a game all year. On those plays, Gurley rushed for 92 yards on 22 carries.

It was by far the Rams’ most effective personnel grouping when it came to running the ball.

What was really good to see was Sean McVay’s ability to adapt. Just hours before the game, the Rams found out that Robert Woods wouldn’t play as he tended to a family matter. For a team that’s so reliant on having three receivers on the field at a time, this was a big problem for the Rams.

Rather than simply replacing Woods with Mike Thomas or JoJo Natson in the starting lineup and continuing to roll with three receivers on the field at almost all times, McVay adapted. He had tight ends Tyler Higbee and Johnny Mundt out there together often, with a mix of Gerald Everett, too.

The Rams even used an I-formation with Mundt as a fullback, which isn’t something often seen in McVay’s offense. Higbee and Mundt were non-factors in the passing game as receivers – neither was targeted even once – but they were great as blockers and opened holes for Gurley.

Instead of relying on Jared Goff to sling the ball around the field as he often does, the Rams only had him throw the ball 18 times behind their new-look offensive line – his fewest in a game all year. The result was a low pressure rate and a safe game by Goff.

The question now is whether the Rams will continue to utilize this new run-first approach in the future. When Woods and Brandin Cooks return, expect to see them assume their usual roles on offense. Cooper Kupp should play the majority of the snaps, too.

But if the Rams truly want to run the ball more often, 12 personnel might be the answers – which will cost a wide receiver playing time.

NFC playoff picture: Rams gain ground on Seahawks, remain behind Vikings

The Rams are still 1.5 games back in the wild-card race, trailing the Vikings and Seahawks.

The Rams got back on track Sunday night, beating the Chicago Bears 17-7at home. The win moved their record to 6-4 and kept their playoff hopes alive, though they still remain out of the postseason picture at the moment.

It was a much-needed win considering the Vikings beat the Broncos and improved to 8-3, while the Seahawks were off in Week 11. A loss would’ve put the Rams 2.5 games behind Minnesota for a wild-card spot, which would’ve been disastrous.

Here’s how the NFC playoff picture looks right now after 11 weeks.

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

In the hunt

Rams (6-4)
Eagles (5-5)
Panthers (5-5)

The Rams nearly got a lot of help on Sunday, in addition to picking up a half-game on the idle Seahawks.

The Broncos blew a 20-point lead against the Vikings, and the Cardinals were outscored 19-7 in the fourth quarter to lose 36-26 to the 49ers. Had the Broncos and Cardinals pulled off those upsets, it would’ve helped the Rams immensely in the NFC playoff race.

But, they took care of their own business, which is most important. It’s possible the Rams will need to win out to make the playoffs, though it’s unlikely that’ll be the requirement. The 49ers have a daunting schedule coming up against the Packers, Ravens and Saints in the next three weeks, while Minnesota has to face the Seahawks, Chargers and Packers before the season ends.

The Rams will need to finish at least 10-6 to have a chance, which means they have to finish 4-2 in the last six weeks.

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Rams Week 11 snap counts: Why did Gerald Everett barely play vs. Bears?

Gerald Everett played his fewest snaps of the season, but what caused his reduced playing time?

In the official starting lineup on Sunday night against the Bears, the Rams listed two tight ends. You’d think it was Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett, right? Higbee was on the field for the first snap, but Everett was not. Johnny Mundt got the start in his place, and it was an indication of Everett’s role the rest of the night.

Looking at the snap counts, Everett hardly played. Mundt out-snapped him in the Rams’ win, getting more playing time than the guy who’s viewed as the team’s best tight end? There are a couple possible explanations, but first, take a look at how the snaps broke down on offense.

Offense

Everett only played 25% of the snaps and didn’t see a single pass come his way until the fourth quarter – a 20-yard completion along the sideline. He was limited in practice all week with a wrist injury and listed as questionable going into the game, with Sean McVay saying he was sore coming out of the Rams’ loss to the Steelers. Could that injury have played a role in his limited snaps? Absolutely, and it probably did. With as much as the Rams ran the ball, McVay may have tried to protect Everett’s wrist by not asking him to run block much.

The Rams set out to run the ball straight at the Bears on Sunday night, giving Todd Gurley 25 carries. Everett is a capable blocker, but Mundt and Higbee are above him in that regard. The Rams utilized 12 personnel on 34 plays, which is their most of the season, and tried to establish the run. Getting two good blocking tight ends on the field was a priority for Los Angeles, and Everett simply didn’t get the call.

As for the rest of the offense, Cooper Kupp and Josh Reynolds played nearly every snap with Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods unavailable. Mike Thomas chipped in 20 snaps, but he didn’t have a single catch and dropped one pass.

Gurley once again carried the load out of the backfield, getting 75% of the snaps. Malcolm Brown played 11 snaps and got five carries on those plays. Darrell Henderson’s role was limited to three snaps.

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Jared Goff explains why Sunday was one of his favorite wins as a Ram

Jared Goff loved the way his team overcame adversity on Sunday night.

Jared Goff had one of the worst performances of his career last season against the Bears, throwing four interceptions and fumbling it once in the Rams’ 15-6 loss. In Sunday’s rematch, Goff once again had his share of struggles, but his overall feeling after the game was much different than it was last year.

Despite only throwing 18 passes, gaining 173 yards and posting a passer rating of 69.9, Goff was thrilled with his team’s ability to get the win under difficult circumstances. With Robert Woods, Brandin Cooks, Brian Allen and Rob Havenstein all out, the Rams pulled through to win 17-7.

Goff called it one of his favorite wins in the NFL, explaining why in his press conference.

“It’s one of my favorite wins as a Ram, no doubt,” he said. “I think with all the circumstances, being at home in front of our home fans and the way that the game was going, I don’t care how many times I throw the ball, how many times we run the ball, how many completions, attempts, yards, touchdowns, interceptions. The way that game went, and the way that we fought, and the way that we continued to fight all the way until the end in that last drive, the way that that exemplifies that, I think it’s up there in the top of my head as one of my favorite wins as a Ram, and again I couldn’t be prouder with the guys on this team.”

Against the Bears, the Rams went with a run-heavy approach for the first time all year. Goff handed it off to Todd Gurley 25 times, and he picked up 97 yards rushing with one touchdown. Malcolm Brown had 15 yards and a touchdown, too, carrying it five times.

Sean McVay made a concerted effort to get the running game going, which helped the Rams’ makeshift offensive line adapt to the situation. It worked, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Gurley featured more often in the coming weeks, but Goff will need to step up at some point, too.

For now, he’s just thrilled to get the win and move to 6-4, keeping the Rams’ playoff hopes alive.

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Watch highlights from Rams’ Week 11 win over Bears

The Rams held the Bears in check on Sunday night, winning 17-7.

The Rams were completely shut down by the Bears last season in their 15-6 loss in Chicago, but they turned the tables on Matt Nagy’s squad Sunday. They held the Bears in check at the Coliseum en route to a 17-7 win, limiting Chicago to just 267 yards on 74 offensive plays.

It wasn’t the prettiest win, but it was one the Rams desperately needed. They’re now 6-4 and still in contention in the NFC, though their work is hardly done yet. Next up, they’ll face the Ravens at home on Monday Night Football.

But before we get to Week 12, take a look at the highlights from Sunday’s game, which included a 50-yard reception by Cooper Kupp, an interception by Troy Hill and a huge hit by Jalen Ramsey.

Rams’ Week 11 studs and duds: Ramsey rises up, Goff and Kupp falter

The best and worst performances by the Rams from Sunday night’s win.

It took another dominant performance by the defense on Sunday night for the Rams to get a win, holding off the Bears 17-7 at home. The defense shut down Mitchell Trubisky and Chicago’s offense, while the Rams did just enough to win this one.

There are certainly some concerns coming out of this game, such as Jared Goff’s continued struggles, but there are also signs of encouragement. Jalen Ramsey was a star again, Aaron Donald shined as he always does and Todd Gurley got a healthy dosage of touches.

Here are our studs and duds from Sunday’s win.

Studs

Jalen Ramsey

Ramsey looked exactly like the lockdown cornerback the Rams paid up to get on Sunday night. He more or less took away Allen Robinson, holding him to just 15 yards on four catches (six targets). Ramsey also showed what makes him an elite defender, breaking up one pass, hitting the tight end on another to jar the pass loose and slamming Robinson on his back with a huge hit on the sideline. He’s completely changed the look of this defense.

Offensive line

It’s hard to overstate just how well the offensive line played. Jared Goff was only pressured on one of his 18 dropbacks, which is the lowest rate (6%) he’s ever faced in his career. This was with rookies Bobby Evans and David Edwards on the right side, and newcomer Austin Corbett at left guard. Austin Blythe was an upgrade over Brian Allen at center, too, though the Bears were without Akiem Hicks, which hurt.

Regardless, it was a great performance by the offensive line, aside from the holding penalty on Andrew Whitworth to take away an 18-yard play.

Troy Hill

Hill isn’t exactly a model of consistency, but he played well on Sunday night. In his stat-stuffing performance, he had six tackles, one sack, an interception and three passes defensed. He was called for defensive holding on a key third-down stop, but it was a questionable call so it’s hard to fault him. The Bears only had 193 net passing yards and Hill’s play is one of the many reasons why. He had a nice performance.

Todd Gurley

Gurley answered the call against the Bears, carrying the ball 25 times for 97 yards and a touchdown, adding 36 yards receiving on three catches. Without him, the Rams probably would not have won this game. He looked like his old self, taking back the workhorse role that he’s had for several years. Gurley was a huge factor in this win.

Josh Reynolds

Reynolds came up big for the Rams down the stretch. He finished the game with three catches for 55 yards, but it should’ve been much more than that. He had a 51-yard touchdown catch taken away by an illegal formation penalty on Andrew Whitworth, and on that drive alone, he had 44 yards receiving. Without that touchdown drive, Los Angeles would’ve been in serious danger of losing.

Aaron Donald

Donald had four tackles, two sacks, four quarterback hits, two tackles for loss and a batted pass, once again filling the box score with a dominant performance. The Bears tried to double- and triple-team him, which came as no surprise, but he proved to once again be nearly impossible to block.

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Gurley says he ‘felt like the old Todd’ in best game of season vs. Bears

Sean McVay said it was part of the game plan to get Todd Gurley the ball on Sunday night.

Sean McVay hasn’t made it a point to feature Todd Gurley much on offense this season. Coming into Week 11, Gurley didn’t have a single game with at least 20 touches and only topped 100 total yards once (Week 1) this season.

That changed on Sunday night against the Bears.

McVay called Gurley’s number throughout the game, getting him a season-high 28 touches. He turned those opportunities into 97 yards rushing on 25 carries and 36 yards on three receptions, looking like his old self under the bright lights of the Coliseum.

After the game, he seemed pleased with his performance. He told reporters that he “felt good” and felt like his old self.

 

The Rams hadn’t seen that version of Gurley at all this season, but clearly he can still be an effective running back when given the chance. He had a long run of 13 yards and a 23-yard reception, showing the usual burst and cutting Rams fans have gotten used to seeing.

After the game, McVay evaluated Gurley’s performance and said getting him the ball was part of the game plan.

“That was part of the game plan tonight,” McVay said. “I thought he did a great job. What I loved the most about what Todd did was after we put the first carry on the ground, he didn’t flinch. He came back, had some good tough, physical runs, made some good catches out of the backfield and he was a big-time contributor tonight.”

About 10 minutes before kickoff, McVay told Gurley that the Rams were going to “pound the rock” and for him to get ready. Needless to say, he was.

As McVay mentioned, Gurley did fumble the ball on his first carry, but it was uphill from there. He never had another miscue and helped carry the offense to victory. It wasn’t the vintage 150-yard, two-touchdown performance we’ve seen in the past, but he was productive and looked like a workhorse again.

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