Tag: Andrew Whitworth

Andrew Whitworth got more blocking help than any LT this season

Andrew Whitworth’s double-team rate was higher than any other LT in the NFL.

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Andrew Whitworth got off to a shaky start this season, just as the entire Rams offensive line did. He struggled out of the gates, not only committing several penalties, but failing to keep pass rushers away from Jared Goff.

He turned it around as the year went on, but part of the reason for that was the help he received on the left side of the line. Whitworth only allowed one sack all season, which is an impressive feat for any left tackle, let alone a 38-year-old.

He also got more help than any other left tackle in the league in 2019, which is a surprising revelation. It wasn’t particularly close, either.

As you can see on the following chart from Seth Walder, Whitworth is all by himself on the top right. Being high on the graph is a good thing – it indicates a high strong pass-rush win rate – but appearing on the right side of the axis also means he and another player doubled a pass rusher more than anyone else.

There’s no doubt the Rams used their tight ends and backs to chip pass rushers often this season. However, most of the help went to the right side with Bobby Evans. The Rams used a lot of two-tight end sets down the stretch, which had Johnny Mundt lining up next to Whitworth, but it’s surprising how high the double-team rate was.

Los Angeles would also use the left guard sometimes to help out Whitworth, rather than keeping the veteran on an island by himself. Perhaps the Rams no longer feel comfortable leaving Whitworth on his own, which could impact whether he’s back in uniform next season.

Even still, Whitworth finished the season with the second-highest pass-block win rate of any offensive tackle in football

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Andrew Whitworth: Returning to Rams is top choice ‘without question’

Andrew Whitworth has no doubt in his mind that staying with the Rams is his top option.

Andrew Whitworth is one of 10 Rams who are set to become unrestricted free agents in a couple of months as his three-year contract with Los Angeles comes to an end. It’s been a very successful tenure for Whitworth, who made his first career postseason appearance, was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro and even reached the Super Bowl.

Being 38 years old, retirement is certainly on the horizon for Whitworth. But he wants to continue playing in 2020, saying as much after the Rams’ Week 16 loss to the 49ers.

“My intention is to play football. We’ll see if it works out,” he said.

With the 2019 season in the books, Whitworth has some time to reflect on his future in the NFL and with the Rams. If he does return for another season in 2020, it’s clear which team he wants to play for.

“Hopefully, the opportunity will be here,” Whitworth told Gary Klein of the L.A. Times on Monday. “Obviously, anytime you’re a free agent, you’ve got to listen to everything and figure out what’s best for you.

“But of course, for me and my family, being a Ram would be No. 1, without question.”

That’s a pretty strong statement from the veteran left tackle. Even at his age, Whitworth is playing at a high level and remains an above-average player at a premier position.

The Rams don’t have a clear-cut replacement for him, either, which would make his return to Los Angeles that much better for both sides. Money will of course be a factor with the Rams not exactly flush with cap space, but they can create $16.8 million by simply restructuring Jared Goff’s deal.

When asked if he would take a pay cut to stay with the Rams, Whitworth wouldn’t give a firm answer.

“You let all that play out and just figure out where everything is,” he said. “For everyone else you have to speculate. For me, I know the product. I know what I bring and they do, too, so it’s just us finding common ground.”

Free agency will begin in March, so the Rams have some time to work things out with their veteran left tackle. Keeping Whitworth for one more year at a reasonable price would be Option A for the team, giving them another year to find an heir to his throne at left tackle.

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Despite early struggles, Rams allowed fewest sacks in NFL this season

The Los Angeles Rams’ offensive line has been criticized all season long. Despite that, they gave up the fewest sacks in the NFL.

The Los Angeles Rams’ offensive line has received plenty of criticism over the course of the 2019 season. Many have pointed the finger at the line being a major reason why both Jared Goff and Todd Gurley regressed this year.

Much of the criticism was warranted. But here’s a truly surprising stat about the 2019 Rams: They finished the season giving up the fewest number of sacks in the NFL. The Rams gave up just 22 sacks on the season, narrowly beating out the Dallas Cowboys, who gave up 23.

This was the second-lowest total for the Rams in a full 16-game season, only trailing the 2015 unit that gave up just 18 sacks on the year. Goff was sacked only 10 times over the team’s final 10 games, and four of those sacks came against Pittsburgh.

Veteran tackle Andrew Whitworth was asked how it was possible that the Rams gave up the fewest sacks in the NFL. “I don’t know,” Whitworth joked. “Sure doesn’t fit the narrative though.”

The aforementioned Pittsburgh game was a disastrous performance for the Rams’ offensive line, and the team lost starters Brian Allen and Rob Havenstein in the process. They rolled out a new-look offensive line the following week, with Austin Blythe sliding from guard to center, David Edwards sliding from left guard to right guard, rookie Bobby Evans stepping in at right tackle, and mid-season acquisition Austin Corbett stepped in at left guard. Whitworth was the only constant on the offensive line this season.

The new-look group deserves plenty of praise for this number, as they gave up just six sacks in the seven games they started together. Goff was much more comfortable behind this group, completing 6% more of his passes in the final seven games than he did in the previous nine. Most importantly, Goff fumbled just one time and the Rams were able to recover it. He fumbled nine times in the previous nine games, and the Rams lost five of them.

Leading the league in fewest sacks allowed should give Rams fans a sense of optimism about the offensive line moving forward. They were far from perfect, particularly in the running game. But this unit was able to bounce back after a disastrous start to the season, and both Goff and Gurley played better in the second half of the year. The rookie duo on the right side of the line played far better than the veteran combination of Rob Havenstein and Austin Blythe, and Blythe played far better at center than he did at guard.

The Rams will have some decisions to make on the line heading into 2019. Blythe and Whitworth are free agents, with the latter mulling over retirement. Rob Havenstein, Joseph Noteboom, and Brian Allen will be returning from injury. All three of them were outplayed by their replacements, and all three are under contract in 2020.

Regardless, both Rams fans and the Rams staff have to feel better about this unit heading into the offseason than they did after the Pittsburgh game. Things are looking up in Los Angeles, at least when it comes to the front five.

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How Andrew Whitworth, Clay Matthews can earn bonuses in Week 17

Andrew Whitworth and Clay Matthews have a lot to play for on Sunday.

The Rams are trying to finish the 2019 season with a winning record by beating the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon, and doing so will earn Andrew Whitworth a nice check. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Whitworth will earn an additional $500,000 if the Rams beat the Cardinals in Week 17, finishing the year with nine wins.

It’d be a good bonus for Whitworth in an otherwise disappointing season for the Rams. He started the year off slow, but he’s turned things around and returned to his usual level of play as an above-average left tackle.

He’s not the only player who can earn a bonus on Sunday, either. Clay Matthews needs only a half-sack to reach 8.5 on the year, which will trigger an additional incentive. He’s already earned $750,000 for recording eight sacks, and one more will give him another $250,000.

Matthews has had a renaissance season in 2019, playing well for the Rams despite missing three games with a broken jaw. He’s recorded eight sacks after putting up only 3.5 last season with the Packers, his most sacks in a year since he had 11 in 2014.

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Sean McVay opens up about relationship with Andrew Whitworth

Sean McVay praised Andrew Whitworth for being a “special individual” and a great player.

Andrew Whitworth helped usher in a new era of Rams football in 2017 when he signed as a free agent, coming over from the Bengals where he spent the first decade of his career. Still playing at a high level, he joined Los Angeles and solved one of the team’s biggest problems at left tackle.

He did so with a new coach in Sean McVay, who was at the forefront of the Rams’ rebuild. Whitworth and McVay spent the last three years together in L.A., giving the Rams a unique relationship between a player who was older than his coach.

Whitworth, 38, is in the final year of his contract with the Rams and with the season coming to a close, McVay opened up about how much Whitworth means to him not just as a player, but as a person on and off the field.

“He’s meant a lot. He’s a special individual. Like I’ve said before, one of the most empathetic individuals I’ve ever met in my life. I think that’s a rare quality, I think it’s a great quality for any leader to possess,” McVay said, before getting a jab in at the veteran. “He’s got a great wisdom – he has been playing for 40 years, so he’s got a lot of experiences to draw on. It’s a relationship that I certainly cherish. He’s helped me a lot as your still getting familiar with how to best handle this role and navigate through the things that occur on a daily basis. Somebody like him has been instrumental and I think when you look at when we first got here as a staff, working with Les and his group, for him to represent – he and Robert Woods, really – your first two free agent signings, it’s hard to find two better representatives of what it looks like to go find the right kinds of guys that are wired in all the right ways and are also great competitors.”

Whitworth said he intends to play another season in 2020, but it remains to be seen if that will be with the Rams or another team. Los Angeles doesn’t have much money to spend this offseason and it has a lot of players to pay, so Whitworth might be out of the front office’s price range.

One thing’s for sure, though: Whitworth will be missed if he doesn’t return to the Rams next season, in the locker room, in the community and on the field.

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Andrew Whitworth intends to play in 2020: ‘We’ll see if it works out’

Andrew Whitworth intends to return to the field next season, though his contract is set to expire.

Andrew Whitworth is the oldest offensive lineman in the NFL, and if all goes according to plan, he’ll keep that title in 2020. He’s in the final year of his contract with the Rams but he wants to continue playing next season.

Whether that’s with the Rams or not remains to be seen, but his intention is to return to the field next season.

Whitworth, 38, has spent the last three seasons with the Rams after beginning his career with the Bengals. Although he struggled to begin this season, he’s turned it around and played at a high level recently.

He made the Pro Bowl in 2017 with the Rams and was a first-team All-Pro that year, but he hasn’t made either squad since. If Whitworth retires or doesn’t return to Los Angeles in 2020, it’ll leave a gaping hole at left tackle for the Rams, which Joseph Noteboom will have a chance to fill.

Watch: Mic’d-up Andrew Whitworth helps direct offense vs. Cowboys

Andrew Whitworth wore a mic for Sunday’s game against the Cowboys.

Andrew Whitworth has been a leader for the Rams the last three years after holding a similar role with the Bengals for a decade. In the locker room and on the field, Whitworth helps guide his teammates and acclimate young players to the speed of the NFL.

He’s particularly valuable at the line of scrimmage, calling out things he sees with the opposing defense and coaching up his fellow linemen up front. He was mic’d up against the Cowboys in the Rams’ 44-21 loss on Sunday, and it shows just how much he provides from a leadership standpoint.

Whitworth can be heard making calls, helping Austin Corbett with his blocking assignments and communicating with players such as Jared Goff and Cooper Kupp.

Unfortunately, it didn’t do enough to help the Rams get the win as they were dominated by the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, all but ending Los Angeles’ chances of making the playoffs.

Five takeaways from the Rams’ 44-21 loss in Dallas

The Rams suffered a brutal defeat at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys this week. Here’s a few takeaways from the loss.

The Rams failed to show up in Week 15 in a must-win game against the Dallas Cowboys. They were dominated on both sides of the ball in a 44-21 rout by the Cowboys. Here’s a few takeaways from the Rams’ likely season-ending loss in Dallas.

Rams never recovered from disastrous second quarter

The Rams might as well have just stayed in Los Angeles this week. It didn’t look like they had any desire to try and beat the Cowboys this week.

The Rams scored a touchdown early in the quarter. That was the extent of positive things to happen to the Rams in said quarter. Former Ram Tavon Austin scored a 59 yard touchdown the following drive on a play where Dante Fowler could have had a sack and Taylor Rapp leveled the man defending Austin.

Next, the Rams went three-and-out, but Hekker was able to pin the Cowboys at their own three yard line. That didn’t matter. Dallas embarked on an eight minute, 14 play drive that resulted in a touchdown. The Rams got the ball back right after the two minute warning, and Goff tossed a brutal interception on the second play of the drive.

Then came the icing on the cake. After stopping Dallas on third down following the interception, Michael Brockers was called for illegal use of hands and the Cowboys scored a touchdown on the next play.

Neither side of the ball picked it up in the second half until the Rams had two garbage-time touchdown drives. It was a quarter that basically ended the Rams’ season. The Rams never recovered from a 59 yard touchdown by Tavon Austin. 

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Former Bengals OT Andrew Whitworth comments on Patriots videotaping scandal

Former Bengals OT Andrew Whitworth has some thoughts on the Pats taping incident.

Everyone has an opinion on the New England Patriots taping incident involving the Cincinnati Bengals, which is now under investigation by the NFL.

Commissioner Roger Goodell and Bengals owner Mike Brown have offered comments. So has a Pittsburgh Steelers player.

Feel free to toss in former Bengals and current Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth too. He recently appeared on the “Rich Eisen Show” and noted that Patriots week always felt different in Cincinnati.

“I think it creates a lot of skepticism,” he said. “It’s like, hey, why does it always seem to be that they’re involved in something? But at the end of the day, it sounds like it’s something that’s pretty harmless. But it’s also very strange that you’re just filming the Bengals sideline.”

Whitworth seems to be right in line with the general theme surrounding the ordeal — this might’ve been an innocent mistake, but the organization in question doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt.

Whether the vibes surrounding the situation amount to anything when the NFL concludes its investigation remains to be seen. But it’s nice to have the perspective of a player as well-respected as Whitworth.

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Andrew Whitworth nominated for Walter Payton Man of the Year

Andrew Whitworth of the Rams has been nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

For the second year in a row, Andrew Whitworth has been nominated for the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. He didn’t wind up winning last year as a member of the Rams, but simply being nominated is an honor in itself.

The award is given to the player who displays leadership and strong character both in the community and on the field. Whitworth is an active member of the Los Angeles community, as evidenced by his work last season in wake of the tragic shooting in Thousand Oaks and the wildfires that impacted the area around the Rams’ facility.

“Every day, in cities and towns across America, NFL players give of themselves to make our communities better,” Roger Goodell said in a press release. “The 32 nominees for this year’s award are the best of the best and truly embody the spirit of Walter and his legacy of leaving the world better than he found it.”

Whitworth is in his 14th NFL season and is undoubtedly a leader in the Rams locker room. As the eldest player on the team, he’s taken younger teammates under his wing – especially the rookie offensive linemen.

The winner of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award will be announced on Feb. 1 at the NFL Honors show, one night before the Super Bowl. He will receive a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice, while each player nominated will receive a $50,000 donation to charity, as well.

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