Category: Latest Rams news

Watch: Van Jefferson and Sean McVay share awesome moment on sideline after WR’s TD

Van Jefferson and Sean McVay shared an awesome moment on the sideline after Jefferson scored during Sunday’s win over the Jaguars.

Sean McVay has always been an animated coach for the Los Angeles Rams when his players are performing well. We’ve all seen him running up and down the sidelines to congratulate players after a play, whether it be a touchdown or a fantastic play in general.

During Sunday’s 37-7 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, McVay was seen sharing a special moment with Van Jefferson following a touchdown reception from the second-year wideout.

With a few minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Rams had third-and-goal from the 2-yard line following a 22-yard completion to Tyler Higbee that set them up at the one. Stafford didn’t have his first read available, but Jefferson was able to get himself open in the back of the end zone to extend the lead to 30-7.

Just earlier in the game, Jefferson had dropped a third-down pass that caused the drive to stall for the Rams. That is likely why Jefferson expressed to McVay that he appreciates the coach sticking with him to help him gain his confidence back.

Jefferson has been fantastic for the Rams this season in his second year in the NFL. The Florida product has hauled in 39 receptions for 621 yards and five touchdowns, with touchdowns in each of the last two games.

Given the injury to Robert Woods, Jefferson has taken on a larger role in the offense than expected. And even when Jefferson makes a mistake here or there, it’s clear that McVay has all of the trust in the world in the young wideout moving forward.

Andrew Whitworth still not ruling out a return for 17th season in 2022

Andrew Whitworth sounds like someone who wants to return for his 17th NFL season in 2022.

After Andrew Whitworthā€™s initial contract with the Rams expired following the 2019 season, the two sides decided it would be best to extend their partnership. Whitworth was still playing at a high level and the Rams had a need at left tackle with now clear options that would be better than the veteran Whitworth.

What came as a surprise was the fact that the Rams gave him a three-year extension at the age of 38, giving him a chance to play until heā€™s 40. Well, on Sunday, heā€™ll turn 40 and become the first left tackle to start a game at that age when the Rams play the Cardinals on Monday night.

He hinted at potentially retiring after this season when asked about his future this offseason but he changed his tune a bit this week. Heā€™s not ruling out a return for his 17th season in 2022, the final year of his contract.

ā€œIf I let the guys on the team decide, Iā€™m gonna be playing for a lot longer, so I canā€™t listen to anybody in the locker room,ā€ he told reporters this week. ā€œTheyā€™d try to sign me up for more years than I plan on doing, but I love playing and I said before the year that the goal was to get to 40, and I think that was definitely something that meant a lot to me. But now itā€™s really, I still love playing this game and regardless of anything else, if it works out, hopefully Iā€™ll have a chance to continue my career and continue playing and weā€™ll make that final decision when the seasonā€™s over when I sit down with the Rams and the management and Coach Sean and all those kind of things. But for now, I feel good, I feel great body-wise. I donā€™t see any reason to stop unless it just doesnā€™t work out for both sides and so weā€™ll see when the time comes for all that.ā€

Whitworth was asked whether itā€™ll take someone ripping the jersey off his back, which stems from advice Wayne Gretzky gave him recently. Gretzky told Whitworth to ā€œmake sure people tear that jersey off of you and donā€™t walk away until youā€™re ready.ā€

Thatā€™s good advice and while Whitworth still wonā€™t give a definitive answer, he doesnā€™t sound like someone whoā€™s ready to call it quits.

ā€œYouā€™re never going to get a solid answer,ā€ he said. ā€œI like to play ā€˜this is the end yearā€™ as many times as I can. Itā€™s going on about nine now, so maybe when we get in the teens weā€™ll figure out when the real last year is. Probably when I tell you I’m gonna keep playing at the beginning of one of these seasons, that means thatā€™s it.ā€

Whitworth told ESPN that the only way heā€™d retire is if the Rams canā€™t afford him financially or ā€œthereā€™s just some way where it doesnā€™t work out for the both of us for me to be back.ā€ Thatā€™s his most definitive statement to date, which is good news for the Rams.

If Whitworth does return next season, heā€™ll carry a cap hit of $14.7 million. Thatā€™s a hefty price tag for a 40-year-old tackle, but not one the Rams couldnā€™t afford. Joe Noteboom, his most viable replacement, will be a free agent in March so the Rams will have a big decision to make on him, as well.

Whitworth can very clearly still play at a high level, leading the NFL with a pass-blocking grade of 90.0, per Pro Football Focus. Heā€™s allowed just 10 pressures on 429 opportunities, a stellar rate for any player ā€“ let alone someone whoā€™s about to turn 40.

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Rams FS Jordan Fuller nominated for 2021 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award

Jordan Fuller is the Rams’ nominee for the NFL’s Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award this year.

Jordan Fullerā€™s rise in the NFL has been remarkable to watch. He went from being a sixth-round pick in 2020 to starting immediately as a rookie to becoming a captain for the Rams this season, emerging as a true leader not only in the secondary but on defense overall.

Now, heā€™s being nominated for league-wide awards. The NFL announced the 32 nominees for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award and Fuller was the Ramsā€™ selection. The award recognizes players who display great sportsmanship on the field, which Fuller certainly does.

Fuller is somewhat soft-spoken in interviews and media appearances, but as the Rams’ defensive signal caller, he’s an important voice on that side of the ball. Sean McVay and Raheem Morris have raved about his leadership and intelligence on the field, which is why they entrusted him with the critical job of relaying play calls to his teammates.

He’s following in the footsteps of John Johnson III, who was the Rams’ signal caller last year and was also their 2020 nominee for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.

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Rams sign RB Mekhi Sargent to active roster, add WR J.J. Koski to practice squad

The Rams made a couple of roster moves, signing RB Mekhi Sargent to the 53-man roster and bringing back WR J.J. Koski on the practice squad.

The Rams have watched their running back depth dwindle as the season has gone on, forcing them to make frequent moves at the position. They made yet another on Wednesday, signing Mekhi Sargent to the 53-man roster from the practice squad.

He takes the spot of J.J. Koski, who was just waived by the Rams on Tuesday. He was promptly re-signed to the practice squad Wednesday after clearing waivers.

Sargent originally signed to the Ramsā€™ practice squad in early November and was promoted to the game-day roster for Week 13 after the team placed Buddy Howell on injured reserve. Sargent was the backup to Sony Michel, even though Darrell Henderson Jr. was also active.

Sargent carried it twice for a total of 5 yards in garbage time, his first offensive snaps with the Rams.

Integrating Joe Noteboom into Rams offense was a smart move by Sean McVay

When the Rams used Joe Noteboom as a sixth lineman, they averaged about 9 yards per play on Sunday

Joseph Noteboom has started 16 games in his career and played 1,192 snaps on offense since being a third-round pick in 2018. Heā€™s played left tackle and guard, but on Sunday against the Jaguars, he took on a new role for the Rams: a sixth offensive lineman.

Noteboom reported in as an eligible receiver nine times over the course of the game, coming onto the field as an extra blocker along the offensive line. It was a new wrinkle in the Rams offense, something we hadnā€™t seen much of ā€“Ā if at all ā€“ from Sean McVay in the past.

Needless to say, it was a brilliant addition to the playbook.

When the Rams ran the ball with Noteboom on the field as a sixth offensive lineman, Sony Michel broke off three 6-yard runs, a rush of 7 yards, a 9-yard carry and a run that went for 25 yards. Thatā€™s an average of 9.8 yards per carry on those six runs, accounting for 59 of Michelā€™s 121 yards rushing on just six plays.

Hereā€™s a look at Michelā€™s 25-yard run, and you can clearly see Noteboom win his matchup to open up the hole on the right side. Ben Skowronek and Kendall Blanton did a great job, too.

The heavy package worked when the Rams threw the ball, too, with the exception of one play. When Noteboom reported eligible on passing plays, Matthew Stafford hit Michel for a 4-yard gain and Tyler Higbee for a 22-yard pass down to the Jaguarsā€™ 1-yard line. He was also sacked for a 5-yard loss, which was the only negative play with six linemen on the field.

So if you add up all nine of Noteboomā€™s plays as an eligible receiver, the Rams gained 80 yards, which works out to an average of about 9 yards per play. On their other 57 plays, they averaged about 6 yards per play.

Obviously, itā€™s a small sample size, but thereā€™s no doubt this new package with Noteboom as the sixth offensive lineman worked in the Ramsā€™ favor and itā€™s something they should continue to use, especially when running the ball.

McVay spoke highly of Noteboom on the ā€œCoach McVay Showā€ this week, showing regret for not incorporating the fourth-year player more often in the past.

ā€œI think it was an opportunity to get some really good football players on the field. You can’t tell me Joe Noteboomā€™s not one of our best 11 football players,ā€ McVay said. ā€œTo not find ways to get him involved in some form or fashion, I think shame on us. Really great job by ā€˜Carbsā€™ (OL coach Kevin Carberry) and his group being able to get those guys ready to go. I thought he did an outstanding job.ā€

Donā€™t expect the Rams to use this heavy package 15-20 times a game, but as an offensive wrinkle in certain situations, it can keep the defense off balance. And it only works when you have a lineman who can climb to the second level and seal off edge defenders the way Noteboom did.

As McVay said, he was excellent against Jacksonville, and it was reflected in his 92.2 overall grade at Pro Football Focus.

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Sean McVay believes Ernest Jones will be ‘a cornerstone’ for the Rams

Sean McVay has high expectations for Ernest Jones, calling him a “very impressive player” and a future cornerstone.

For a team that hasnā€™t put much value in the linebacker position over the last four or five years, the Los Angeles Rams spent one of their top draft picks on Ernest Jones in April. He was selected in the third round at No. 103 overall, joining a Rams defense that desperately needed help at inside linebacker.

Though he got off to a slow start with only 19 snaps played in his first five games and 45 total through Week 7, heā€™s taken on a bigger role as a starter in four of the last five games after the team traded Kenny Young to the Broncos.

He shined in Week 13 against the Jaguars, playing all but three snaps and leading the Rams with nine tackles. He also broke up a pass and split a sack with Leonard Floyd, with his performance as a whole catching the eye of Sean McVay.

The coach loves what heā€™s seen from Jones, saying on the “Coach McVay Showā€ that he thinks the rookie will be ā€œa cornerstoneā€ for the Rams at linebacker.

ā€œHeā€™s a stud. ā€¦ Ernest is a special player. Heā€™s a quick study. He learns from his mistakes so quickly,ā€ McVay said. ā€œI thought you felt his range and his length yesterday. He had some great ability to diagnose some things early on in the downs where heā€™s playing sideline to sideline. I thought he really did a great job using his hands in the run fits and then he ends up with a sack.

ā€œHeā€™s an impressive young player thatā€™s only going to get better. I think heā€™s going to be a cornerstone for our team.ā€

Jones took over for Troy Reeder as the three-down linebacker for the Rams on Sunday, rarely coming off the field. That should continue the rest of the season because heā€™s been the better player than Reeder, and the Rams donā€™t have any other viable replacements on the roster.

Jones is still in the very early stages of his career and heā€™ll probably always be limited in coverage due to his lack of range and speed, but heā€™s steadily improved as the season has gone on ā€“ a positive sign for his development.

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Rams at Cardinals: 6 stats and facts to know for Week 14 matchup

The Rams and Cardinals will square off in a highly anticipated rematch on Monday night. Here are 6 stats and facts to know.

The Rams and Cardinals were both undefeated the first time they met this season, which came all the way back in Week 4. Since then, the Rams have lost three more games, while the Cardinals have dropped two.

They’ve remained the top two teams in the NFC West, with Arizona leading the way at 10-2 and the Rams two games behind at 8-4. On Monday night, they’ll square off for the second time in what’s unquestionably a pivotal matchup with massive playoff implications.

Here are six things to know for Rams-Cardinals in Week 14.

Zach Cunningham could help fix Rams’ LB woes at a very low cost

The Texans surprisingly cut Zach Cunningham, who could help solve the Rams’ problems at linebacker.

The Rams have struggled to find any sort of consistency at linebacker this season, a problem that dates back to last season. Trading Kenny Young to the Broncos didnā€™t help, thrusting Troy Reeder and Ernest Jones into larger roles.

Jones has played relatively well since being promoted, but Reeder has been a weak link for most of the year. Itā€™s rare for a starting-caliber linebacker to become available this late in the season but the Rams have an opportunity to add one after Zach Cunningham was shockingly cut by the Texans on Wednesday.

Cunningham will be subject to waivers and the Rams are low in the order due to their 8-4 record, so they may not land Cunningham even if they put in a claim. But thereā€™s no reason for them to pass on this 26-year-old linebacker. Theyā€™d be crazy not to claim him.

For a player who just signed a four-year, $58 million extension in 2020, youā€™d probably figure Cunninghamā€™s cap hit would be too high for the Rams. Thatā€™s not the case because for the rest of the season, Cunningham will cost the team that claims him only $275,000. Thatā€™s a bargain, to say the least.

Furthermore, he has no guarantees in 2022, according to Field Yates of ESPN, so he can be cut at any time in the offseason without taking on any dead money. For those reasons alone, Cunningham is likely to be claimed by someone ā€“ and that team is probably going to be ahead of the Rams in the waiver order.

But given Los Angelesā€™ issues at linebacker, Cunningham would certainly provide some help. His best asset is stopping the run. Though his run defense grade is a career-low 64.3 this season, according to Pro Football Focus, his grade in that area ranged from 72.7-84.8 in the previous four years.

Itā€™s his lack of instincts and ability in coverage. His 40.4 coverage grade is a career-low this season, and itā€™s been on the decline every year since he came into the NFL in 2017. Heā€™s allowed 289 yards on 34 catches in coverage this season, struggling mightily in that department. In Week 11 alone, he gave up 11 catches on 14 targets, so teams know to target him in the passing game.

If the Rams somehow land Cunningham, he should be limited to a first- and second-down role, similar to how they used Reeder in Week 13. Jones can handle third-down duties in sub-packages when the Rams bring an extra safety and cornerback on the field.

Cunningham would be an upgrade over Reeder at this moment, while also providing depth in case of injury. Right now, Jones, Reeder and Rozeboom are the only inside linebackers on the active roster.

The Rams have been good against the run this season but they could get even better by swapping Reeder out for Cunningham on early downs. Itā€™s a low-risk move that comes with some real benefit, so long as the Rams understand heā€™s not going to help much in coverage.

For the minimal cost it would take to add Cunningham, itā€™s a no-brainer for Los Angeles.

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What routes is Cooper Kupp running the most for the Rams?

Cooper Kupp has been fantastic this season for the Rams and this graphic shows what routes the former third-round pick runs the most.

Cooper Kupp has been historically great for the Los Angeles Rams this season, posting 100 receptions, 1,366 yards, and 11 touchdowns through the first 12 games. The Eastern Washington product finished this past week’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with eight receptions for 129 yards and a touchdown, marking his eighth straight game of hauling in seven-plus receptions, a new franchise record.

Considering guys like Henry Ellard, Isaac Bruce, and Torry Holt have all suited up for the Rams over the years, it’s impressive that Kupp was able to secure any franchise record at the wide receiver position. If Kupp hadn’t have been limited to only five receptions in Week 4 against the Arizona Cardinals ā€” the team that Los Angeles faces again in Week 14 ā€” he would have 12 games and counting with seven-plus catches.

When the Rams are on offense, it’s worth paying attention to Kupp and seeing what route he runs. While Kupp doesn’t run a ton of go routes or other deep patterns, he’s still been highly effective.

Check out the chart below, which shows his route frequency relative to other receivers.

For those that have watched the Rams, it shouldn’t come as much of a shocker that Kupp’s most common route is a hitch. Kupp is always coming up with creative ways to run the hitch route, finding the hole in the defense and making himself open for Matthew Stafford to deliver the ball.

Flats and slot-outs are also common for Kupp this season, which are routes that allow him to use his pristine route-running to get open. Whenever the Rams need a few yards or a play to get the offense into a rhythm, they typically hit Kupp on a flat or slot-out.

Some people may not be avid fans of Kupp because he’s not the most exciting wide receiver to watch due to his lack of jump-ball receptions. Even with Kupp having a limited number of routes he runs, he’s nearly perfected all of them, allowing him to lead the league in multiple categories at the wide receiver position.

Greg Gaines’ emergence gives Rams options on defensive line in offseason

Greg Gaines’ emergence gives the Rams much-needed flexibility with Sebastian Joseph-Day and A’Shawn Robinson in the offseason.

After trading Michael Brockers to the Lions, the Rams turned to Sebastian Joseph-Day and Aā€™Shawn Robinson as players who needed to step up on the defensive line next to Aaron Donald. Greg Gaines was always going to be part of the rotation up front, but he was seen as more of a backup than a key piece on defense.

In the first seven weeks of the season, he played more than 40% of the defensive snaps just once. But in the last five games, heā€™s emerged as one of the most important players on that side of the ball.

Since Joseph-Day went down with a pectoral injury, Gaines has recorded two sacks, five quarterback hits and 23 tackles. For a player who was seen as a two-down run stopper when the Rams drafted him in 2019, heā€™s completely disproved his pre-draft critics by becoming a great pass rusher.

According to Seth Walder of ESPN, Gaines ranks fifth in pass-rush win rate and fourth in run-stop win rate among all defensive tackles ā€“Ā and that includes 3-techniques like Donald, not just nose tackles.

Pro Football Focus has credited him with 27 total pressures on only 277 pass-rush opportunities, ranking 24th among all interior defenders in that category. He has a 70.5 pass-rush grade (35th among interior defenders), largely thanks to his 17 pressures since Week 8. Those 17 pressures are tied for 11th among interior defenders and his three sacks, per PFFā€™s measures, are tied for ninth since Week 8.

Heading into 2022, the Rams now know they have a proven starter at nose tackle to contribute alongside Donald. That gives them some much-needed financial flexibility on the defensive line in the offseason.

Sebastian Joseph-Day will be a free agent in March and given the way heā€™s played the last two years, heā€™s going to command a hefty contract. The Rams shouldnā€™t rule out re-signing him, but with only $2.5 million in projected cap space, they donā€™t have much money to spend.

And they still have several other important players set to hit free agency who warrant re-signing consideration: Von Miller, Darious Williams, Austin Corbett, Odell Beckham Jr., Brian Allen and Matt Gay.

Fortunately, Gaines is still under contract for one more year, so even if the Rams are unable to re-sign Joseph-Day due to his high asking price, theyā€™ll have Gaines to remain a starter at nose tackle.

Thereā€™s also the possibility of cutting Aā€™Shawn Robinson, who has been a disappointment since signing with the Rams in 2020. If they cut him after June 1, theyā€™d save $7 million ā€“ or $5.5 million if heā€™s cut before June 1. Thatā€™s a significant savings for a player who hasnā€™t lived up to expectations.

Itā€™s possible the Rams will cut Robinson and use that money to re-sign Joseph-Day, potentially moving him to defensive end with Gaines starting at nose tackle. That might not be their best option, but the important thing is that they have several possibilities now with Gaines stepping up.

He’s been a huge part of the Rams’ success stopping the run and rushing the passer this season, which is great to see after he was previously seen as a limited, two-down nose tackle.

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