Category: Latest Rams news

Rams vs. Bears: Final score prediction for Week 11

It’s been a season of streaks for the Rams, but can they avoid a two-game losing skid on Sunday?

Following an ugly loss to Mason Rudolph and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10, the Los Angeles Rams are trying to avoid their second losing streak of the season. They’ll host the Chicago Bears on Sunday night at the Coliseum, the first of two consecutive prime-time games in Los Angeles.

The Bears have had a dismal season, largely due to the struggles of Mitchell Trubisky and the offense, but the Rams have had their share of issues, too. The offense failed to score a touchdown against the Steelers and barely had more than 300 yards of total offense.

As the favorites, this is certainly a game the Rams should win. However, the same was said about their matchups with the Bucs and Steelers, too, and they lost both.

So will the Rams take care of business and win their sixth game of the season? After seeing how they played against Pittsburgh, it’s hard to be convinced they will.

The biggest issue is the offensive line, which doesn’t bode well against Chicago’s defensive front. Khalil Mack was a nightmare for the Rams in last season’s loss to the Bears, and he’ll likely be facing rookie Bobby Evans on Sunday night. The Rams will need to send plenty of help Evans’ way on the right side of the line, given how easy it is for Mack to completely wreck the game plan for an offense.

On the inside, Brian Allen is out and Austin Blythe is battling a stomach bug, though he’s expected to play. Cooper Kupp has the same ailment, and while he should be fine for the game, it’s possible he won’t be feeling 100% healthy.

The Bears defense shut down the Rams last season, keeping Los Angeles out of the end zone and holding Todd Gurley to just 28 carries on 11 attempts. Jared Goff’s four interceptions and one fumble were absolutely devastating for the offense, and he’s fortunate Los Angeles was able to recover the ball when he coughed it up.

With the Rams starting two new players on the offensive line, both tight ends banged up and Brandin Cooks still out, they’ll have trouble offensively. This is going to be a hard-fought game that should be relatively low-scoring, and I think the Bears will pull off the upset.

Final score prediction: Bears 20, Rams 17

Brandin Cooks is selling his L.A. home for $5.8M: Nothing or something?

Brandin Cooks has listed his home for $5.8 million. Does it mean anything?

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks is listing his recently purchased Hidden Hills house on the market, according to an article from the Los Angeles Times.

Cooks’ 2.3-acre estate rests at the top of a cul-de-sac. He bought the modern style home a few months after being traded from the Patriots to the Rams, but the official listing on RedFin shows he is selling the home for $5.8 million.

PHOTOS: Brandin Cooks lists home for $5.8 million

But as the sixth-year wideout begins listening to offers for his house, it isn’t far-fetched to assume that the Rams are preparing to listen to offers for Brandin Cooks himself.

According to Spotrac, the Rams will enter the 2020 season with 41 players under contract and roughly $26 million in cap space. Cooks’ salary alone amounts to 8.1 percent of the team’s salary cap, with $21.8 million in dead cap.

Looking ahead to next season, Cooks could be a cap casualty for a team that is in win-now mode with very little draft capital and is heavily-invested in franchise quarterback Jared Goff, who has struggled behind a porous offensive line decimated by injuries.

Les Snead has become increasingly aggressive during his tenure as general manager of the Rams since the team moved to Los Angeles. With Cooks, the Rams have a dependable deep threat who has finished above 1,000 yards receiving with 16 starts in four of his six seasons in the league, with the only other two seasons being this year and a rookie season cut short by a fractured thumb.

But an unfortunate slew of recent head injuries has kept Cooks from maximizing his full potential and could also diminish his trade value. The former Oregon State All-American suffered his fourth concussion in less than two years in the Rams’ 24-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in London and is officially listed as out for the team’s Sunday night tilt against the Bears.

And as Cooks’ contract stipulates, he has $50 million guaranteed for injury. It also wouldn’t be far-fetched to think that he could walk away from the game with well-deserved wealth for the sake of his own health.

This is not to speculate that Cooks has considered retirement, but there’s a growing trend across the NFL where star players retire during the prime of their careers. Andrew Luck is the most recent example, following the footsteps of perennial All-Pro players like Patrick Willis, Calvin Johnson, and Rob Gronkowski.

But the trade deadline has since passed, and Cooks is seeking to get back on the field as soon as possible. Rams head coach Sean McVay is optimistic that his deep threat wideout will return for the team’s Monday night date with Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in Week 12.

“He’s out there. He’s got great energy like he always does. He’s moving around,” McVay said. “I think it’s one of those things sitting down with Brandin, really getting a chance to talk to our doctors and then making that decision that we feel like is right. I think he’s feeling good and I think he’s excited about the opportunity to come back and play.”

Cooks’ decision to sell his Los Angeles home doesn’t necessarily mean his days as a Ram are numbered. One only needs to look at NBA superstar Kawhi Leonard, who in June reportedly bought property in Toronto ahead of his decision to spurn the Toronto Raptors for the Los Angeles Clippers in early July.

But all things considered, Cooks’ status with the team is certainly something worth monitoring as the Rams continue to play the game of salary cap gymnastics that they started, which won’t end anytime soon.

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Sean McVay would take a win however the Rams can get one Sunday

Sean McVay won’t mind “winning ugly” if that’s what it takes on Sunday.

At 5-4, the Los Angeles Rams need wins any way they can get them. A third straight NFC West title is rapidly slipping away, and in the wild-card race, they’re also falling behind teams like the Seahawks and Vikings.

With just seven weeks remaining, the Rams can’t waste any more time. Each mounting loss pushes them further back and hurts their playoff chances – which currently sit at 16.5% through 10 weeks.

Sean McVay isn’t panicking, but he’ll take a win any way he can.

“I think we’re comfortable with whatever we feel like we need to do to win the football game,” McVay said when asked if he’d be OK winning an ugly game against the Bears. “That’s one of the things that you continue to learn is, ‘All right, with this specific approach it’s about putting all three phases together and it’s about winning as a team.’ That’s the most important thing. We do have an approach that we’d like to see how the game plays out. You know in an ideal setting for us, things always don’t go according to plan but if that’s the case and we end up coming away with the win, we would take it however we end up getting that.”

The Rams are favored by 6.5 points over the Bears, but this is hardly an easy game for them. Chicago was the first team to truly shut down McVay’s offense, holding the Rams to just six points at Soldier Field last season.

The warmer weather and friendly confines of the Coliseum should help the Rams in this one, but Chicago is still a tough opponent. The Bears defense remains one of the more talented units in the league, especially up front.

Khalil Mack will have a very favorable matchup against rookie Bobby Evans, who’s expected to make his first career start at right tackle on Sunday. On the interior, the Bears have Eddie Goldman, too, who will face the Rams’ makeshift guard combo of Austin Corbett and David Edwards.

Getting the running game going in this one would certainly help Los Angeles move the ball offensively, and McVay knows sometimes you have to continually run it even if it struggles initially.

“I think in some instances, I think you do,” he said. “You have an appreciation that each play is so important throughout the course of the game. You don’t ever want to just really feel like you’re wasting plays. But I would say that based on the flow of the game and in some instances based on what you’re trying to get done, there might be some opportunities where you feel like, ‘all right let’s get a good tough physical downhill run and try to get some efficient yards.’ Even if it might not be that premier look that you’re looking for.”

Rams add Nsimba Webster to 53-man roster, waive RB John Kelly

The Rams have added Nsimba Webster to the 53-man roster after another team tried to sign him.

Nsimba Webster burst onto the scene for the Rams as an undrafted free agent this summer, making the 53-man roster out of the gates. He was waived in October but signed to the practice squad, sticking around in Los Angeles.

The Rams like his skill set as a receiver and return specialist, and they showed it on Saturday by promoting him from the practice squad to the active roster.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, they made the move partly because Brandin Cooks remains out, but also because another team tried to sign him to their roster.

To make room for Webster, the Rams waived running back John Kelly.

Webster probably won’t be active on Sunday against the Bears, even with Cooks out, but he does have a chance to make an impact at some point for the Rams down the line. He’s a speedy receiver out of the slot and dynamic return man with pro potential.

In the preseason, he had 15 catches for 150 yards and a touchdown in four games.

NFL Week 11 picks: Who are the experts taking in Rams vs. Bears?

The Rams need a win on Sunday night and the experts believe they’ll get one.

If the Los Angeles Rams are going to make the playoffs – which at the moment seems like a long shot – they desperately need a win on Sunday night against the Bears. Dropping further back in the NFC West and wild-card race would be very costly, as the Rams would potentially need to win out to make the postseason.

They’re not in “must-win” territory just yet, but every loss becomes increasingly impactful on their playoff odds. The experts believe they’ll get a win this weekend with the majority of them picking the Rams.

According to NFL Pick Watch, 86% of experts are taking Los Angeles to win at home against the Bears. Among the experts taking Chicago to pull off the upset are Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News, Will Brinson of CBS Sports and Dan Graziano of ESPN.

There are only two games in Week 11 where the split between experts is smaller than this matchup. In Colts-Jaguars, 57% are picking Indianapolis, and in Jets-Redskins, 73% are taking New York.

The Rams are 6.5-point favorites at BetMGM, and the over/under is 41.5.

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Watch: Rams troll Tarik Cohen with top-shelf towel joke

The Rams poked fun at Tarik Cohen’s height during Jalen Ramsey’s locker room media session.

Despite his smaller stature, Tarik Cohen is a dangerous playmaker for the Bears. The Rams will get a taste of that on Sunday night when they host the Bears at the Coliseum.

Many have poked fun at Cohen for his height, and it seems even his teammates are pranking him for being just 5-feet-6 by putting towels in the locker room on the top shelf.

The hilarious video was shared by the Bears on Twitter, and you can hear Cohen complaining in the background.

The Rams trolled Cohen in the locker room during Jalen Ramsey’s media session this week with one player yelling, “Hey, who keeps putting the towels on the top shelf?! You know I can’t reach them up here!”

Based on the reporter’s next question, it would seem recently promoted cornerback Donte Deayon was the player who cracked the joke.

 

In the last meeting between the Bears and Rams, Tarik Cohen carried the ball nine times for 69 yards and caught four passes for another 20 yards. The Bears, of course, won that game 15-6, being the first team to truly shut down Sean McVay’s offense.

The Rams should be careful about poking the bear ahead of Sunday’s game.

Rams’ 3 biggest causes for concern vs. Bears in Week 11

The Rams are favored over the Bears, but this is hardly an easy matchup.

(Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Rams are back home for the first time since Week 6 as they’ll host the Chicago Bears on Sunday night. A loss for either team will almost put them completely out of contention for a playoff berth, while a win by the Rams will keep their slim hopes alive.

Los Angeles is predictably a home favorite over the Bears, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be an easy win for the Rams. There are plenty of reasons for concern coming off that ugly loss to the Steelers, and these are the three biggest.

Depleted offensive line

(Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

The Rams’ offensive line has been absolutely decimated by injuries recently. They will be without Brian Allen and Rob Havenstein on Sunday night, thrusting Bobby Evans and Austin Corbett into the starting lineup.

It’s hard to imagine this matchup going well for the Rams’ young offensive line, specifically at outside linebacker where Khalil Mack will be matched up against Evans and his three career NFL snaps.

Don’t be surprised to see several pre-snap infractions by the Rams as their makeshift line tries to get in a rhythm together. The offensive line has been the biggest problem for the Rams this season and it’s not going to get any better on Sunday with only one Week 1 starter remaining.

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Rams Week 11 preview: 5 questions with Bears Wire

Breaking down Sunday night’s matchup between the Bears and Rams at the Coliseum.

Sunday night’s matchup between the Rams and Bears features two teams that have fallen well short of expectations after putting together strong 2018 seasons. Both teams have regressed this year, specifically with the quarterback play from Jared Goff and Mitchell Trubisky declining.

To preview the game, we talked to Bears Wire managing editor Alyssa Barbieri about what’s gone wrong with Chicago and how this matchup will go.

Is Mitchell Trubisky the biggest reason for the Bears’ struggles?

There’s plenty of blame to go around when it comes to Chicago’s disappointing season. Whether it’s play-calling on Matt Nagy’s front, poor offensive line play or Bears leading the league in drops, it’s more than just Trubisky. But with that said, Trubisky is the biggest part of why this Bears offense is struggling. Despite showing flashes this season, Trubisky has failed to take a step forward, instead regressing drastically. Nagy isn’t doing him any favors shying away from what made Trubisky successful last season — utilizing his mobility. As a result, his confidence has taken a hit. The Lions game was the first time Trubisky looked confident back there, as Nagy scaled back the playbook. Surely they’ll look to continue the trend and try to build off last week’s encouraging performance.

Besides Khalil Mack, who is the Bears’ best player?

Two of my answers fall on guys currently on or headed to injured reserve in defensive tackle Akiem Hicks and linebacker Danny Trevathan. But what that said, receiver Allen Robinson has proven himself to be a special talent that is being wasted by mediocre quarterbacks. Robinson is easily the most productive player on Chicago’s struggling offense, and he’s managed to be productive with opposing teams knowing that Trubisky will be looking for him every time. Robinson’s fast approaching his season totals from a season ago — on a worse offense — and with still seven games left to go. Although he’ll face a tough challenge against [his] former Jaguars teammate, cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

What can the Rams do to have success against Chicago’s defense?

While Khalil Mack has been hailed as the player that makes the Bears’ defense go, Chicago is learning the hard life is without Akiem Hicks, who has been the anchor on that line. The Bears defensive line has been gashed since they lost Hicks to injured reserve after Week 5. While they certainly have talent up front in Eddie Goldman, Bilal Nichols and Nick Williams, who leads the team in sacks, they’ve struggled to find stability in the middle of the line, where without Hicks teams have been able to attack with success.

What’s been the biggest difference for the Bears from last season to this year?

Last season, everything seemed to go right for the Bears. They caught every break, whether it was with injuries or the schedule, they didn’t have to really face much adversity. This season is a completely different story. They’re feeling the effects of significant injuries and they’re struggling with living up to expectations following last season’s success. Their flaws are multiplied as the heat is turned up on a 4-5 team that was supposed to be Super Bowl contenders.

What’s your prediction for this game?

While I expect the Bears’ defense to take advantage of the Rams’ offensive struggles, ultimately it’s going to come down to which offense struggles more. With that said, it’ll likely be Chicago’s. Rams 17, Bears 13

 

Sean McVay calls Steelers-Browns brawl tough to watch: ‘Unfortunate to see’

Sean McVay shared his thoughts on the brawl between the Steelers and Browns on Thursday night.

Thursday night’s Browns-Steelers game ended with a brawl between both teams after Myles Garrett took Mason Rudolph to the ground late after the ball was released. They wrestled on the ground for a moment before things escalated.

Garrett ripped off Rudolph’s helmet and struck him in the head with it, leading to immediate ejection. Maurkice Pouncey punched and kicked Garrett in defense of his quarterback, while Browns DT Larry Ogunjobi knocked Rudolph to the ground unnecessarily.

During his press conference on Friday, Sean McVay was asked about the incident and he shared his thoughts on what he saw.

“You don’t ever like to see anything like that for our game,” he said. “That was another situation right there, I think for what we want for just the overall NFL approach, things like that and the brand and what I know we want to epitomize, those are tough things to be able to watch and I don’t think anyone would disagree that that’s not something we want to see.

“I was kind of sitting there watching it as we were wrapping up the night last night and when it occurred, it kind of catches you off guard and it was unfortunate to see.”

Garrett was suspended for the rest of the season and will need to apply for reinstatement in 2020, while Ogunjobi was banned one game and Pouncey three. Both teams were fined $250,000 for their players’ actions.

Stomach bug is latest ailment impacting depleted Rams offense

Cooper Kupp and Austin Blythe both missed practice with an illness, but the Rams hope they can play Sunday.

As if injuries weren’t bad enough, now a stomach bug is taking a toll on the Los Angeles Rams offense. Cooper Kupp and Austin Blythe were both absent from practice on Friday due to an illness, raising some concern about their availability for Sunday night.

Sean McVay doesn’t seem too worried about it, though, saying he expects both of them to play against the Bears this weekend.

“With Austin and Cooper, they just both got the little stomach bug,” McVay said Friday. “It is contagious, so kept those guys at home. But we’re hopeful that it’ll just be a 24-hour thing and we’ll get them up to speed tomorrow.”

It may not seem like a big deal, but two starters missing practice on Friday is certainly not ideal for a team that’s already struggling on offense – especially on the offensive line. With Brian Allen out for the year and Rob Havenstein sidelined, the Rams have had to mix up their offensive line.

Blythe will be the starting center, but since he missed practice, the Rams had to change things up on the fly.

“Even today with Austin being out, you shuffle some guys around,” McVay said. “So I think those are things that are kind of settling in. Like I said, we’re hopeful that Austin’s going to be able to go and that it is just a 24-hour bug, but there are things that have come up before that you can never truly anticipate and that’s why you have to have all parties on deck ready to go.”

As for the rest of the team, Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett are both “making good progress” and were just banged up coming out of Sunday’s loss. McVay said the team is optimistic that they’ll be able to play against the Bears if they continue to progress the way they have.

On the Bears’ side, David Montgomery will be a game-time decision, while tight ends Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen have been ruled out.

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