Tag: Greg Gaines

Greg Gaines active, Cam Akers and Terrell Lewis out vs. Vikings

Greg Gaines is officially active against the Vikings, but Cam Akers and Terrell Lewis are not.

The Rams designated Cam Akers to return from the non-football injury list this past week, and then proceeded to activate him on Saturday. He won’t be playing against the Vikings on Sunday afternoon, but the fact that he’s even on the active roster five months after tearing his Achilles is incredible.

He’s officially inactive for Week 16, along with Terrell Lewis once again. Greg Gaines, who was listed as questionable – the only Rams player with an injury designation – is active and will play today.

The other three inactive players – Bryce Perkins, JuJu Hughes and Chris Garrett – are all healthy scratches like Lewis. This list doesn’t include players who are out due to COVID-19, which include Andrew Whitworth and Joe Noteboom.

The Rams will be on their third-string tackle against Minnesota with Whitworth and Noteboom out. Bobby Evans could get a chance to replace them, as he did last week at right tackle when Rob Havenstein and Noteboom were out, but David Edwards is also an option.

For the Vikings, they have just one inactive player: Ihmir Smith-Marsette. Adam Thielen is active after missing two games with an ankle injury.

Rams injury report: Greg Gaines, A’Shawn Robinson limited

The Rams didn’t practice Wednesday but Greg Gaines and A’Shawn Robinson were estimated as limited participants.

The Rams had their Week 15 contest against the Seahawks delayed from Sunday to Tuesday due to COVID-19, which makes their upcoming game against the Vikings right around the corner.

As a result of the condensed schedule, the Rams didn’t practice on Wednesday like they normally would, but they still released an injury report with estimated participation for three players.

Greg Gaines, A’Shawn Robinson and Jamir Jones were all listed as limited participants to start the week. Gaines has an ankle injury, Robinson is nursing a bicep injury and Jones has an ankle issue.

Below is the full injury report, which includes the Vikings’ side. They also did not practice after playing on Monday night.

Von Miller loves playing alongside Greg Gaines: ‘He’s a great player’

Von Miller said Greg Gaines is on a similar trajectory as Aaron Donald when it comes to proving doubters wrong.

There are a lot of big names on the Rams’ defensive front. Aaron Donald and Von Miller are future Hall of Famers, while Leonard Floyd is a former first-round pick who has stepped up with the Rams the last two seasons.

But Greg Gaines is a player who has really stepped up in the middle of the defensive line, playing nearly every snap each week. He’s become more than just a squatty run defender who doesn’t contribute much as a pass rusher, proving his pre-draft scouting report wrong.

Gaines recorded another two tackles and two more quarterback hits on Tuesday against the Seahawks, once again catching the eye of Von Miller. Miller even said Gaines is on a similar trajectory as Aaron Donald in terms of proving his doubters wrong.

“He can play some football, for sure,” Miller said. “You can say what you want about him. This, that, he’s not tall enough. But this guy, he can play. And they said some of the same things about 99 and he’s been proving guys wrong for years and I think Greg Gaines is on that same trajectory. He’s a great player and whenever you put the pads on, he can play. He can do anything you want him to do. I like working with Greg Gaines.”

Gaines became a starter in Week 8 when Sebastian Joseph-Day went down, recording three sacks and eight quarterback hits in his last seven games. Those are impressive numbers for a nose tackle, and he’s showing why he deserves to be in the mix as the best player at his position this season.

Miller and Donald can both see it, and it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the world does, too.

Run defense comes up big in Rams’ win over Cardinals on MNF

The Rams’ run defense accepted the challenge of slowing down the Cardinals’ rushing attack, and they succeeded in a big way.

The Los Angeles Rams came away with a much-needed win over the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football in Week 14, inching them closer in the divisional race. Matthew Stafford was nearly flawless under center and the defense created multiple turnovers against Kyler Murray and Arizona’s offense.

Among the groups of players that deserve credit for Monday’s impressive win, the Rams’ run defense was crucial in pulling off the upset over their NFC West rivals despite being shorthanded due to injuries and COVID-19 issues.

The Cardinals own the No. 12-ranked rushing attack in the NFL, averaging a solid 122.5 rushing yards per game. Despite James Conner scoring two touchdowns on the ground — and being nearly unstoppable as a receiver — the Rams limited Conner to a mere 31 yards on 13 attempts, his lowest output as a starter for the Cardinals.

Besides logging a season-high three sacks, Aaron Donald was living in the backfield and allowing other guys to win their matchups in run situations. Greg Gaines had another stellar outing for the Rams, recording five tackles, one sack, and a couple of critical tackles on a scrambling Murray.

We’ve seen multiple teams have no issue gashing Los Angeles on the ground this season. But with the playoffs steadily approaching, the Rams showed signs of major improvement in their run defense during Monday night’s showdown with the Cardinals.

Given the Rams’ remaining schedule that features the Seahawks, Vikings, Ravens and 49ers, they will need their run defense to remain strong if they want to position themselves better in the NFC playoff picture.

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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 A’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, he’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, he’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 – 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 PFF’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 he’s played the last two years, he’s going to command a hefty contract. The Rams shouldn’t rule out re-signing him, but with only $2.5 million in projected cap space, they don’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, they’ll have Gaines to remain a starter at nose tackle.

There’s also the possibility of cutting A’Shawn Robinson, who has been a disappointment since signing with the Rams in 2020. If they cut him after June 1, they’d save $7 million – or $5.5 million if he’s cut before June 1. That’s a significant savings for a player who hasn’t lived up to expectations.

It’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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4 Rams players to watch vs. Jaguars on Sunday

Here are four players to watch for the Rams as they host the Jaguars in a must-win game in Week 13.

It has been nothing but disappointment for the Los Angeles Rams over the past month as they’ve lost three consecutive games. Their recent losses to the Tennessee Titans, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Green Bay Packers have people jumping ship, prompting them to question whether or not the Rams are legitimate contenders in the NFC.

While things have been dire for Los Angeles in recent weeks, they’ll have a perfect get-right opportunity in Week 13 when they host the 2-9 Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. The Jaguars have lost four out of their past five games, with their lone win shockingly coming against the Buffalo Bills back in Week 9.

The clock hasn’t run out on the Rams being able to turn things around, but another loss on Sunday would put them in jeopardy of missing the postseason. Ahead of a must-win game against the Jaguars, here are four players on the Rams that should have our attention on Sunday.

Which colleges are the Rams’ 2021 snap leaders from?

These are the five colleges that hold the highest snap percentage on the Los Angeles Rams this season.

Across the NFL, there is an endless number of players from different colleges and backgrounds. Some colleges have proven to be better at producing NFL talent than others, but there are still small-college players that overcome the odds and achieve their dream of playing professional football.

For the Los Angeles Rams, there are a couple of colleges that are obvious when it comes to leading the team in snaps this season. But through the first 12 weeks of the regular season, here are the colleges that are in the top five for the percentage of snaps played for the Rams.

It shouldn’t shock anyone that Georgia comes in at No. 1 for the Rams this season. Matthew Stafford is a Georgia alum and is fifth on offense with 685 snaps, putting him behind only four of his offensive linemen.

The other Georgia players on the Rams are Leonard Floyd and Sony Michel, who have combined for 694 total snaps. Floyd has seen the fifth-most snaps on defense this season, only behind Taylor Rapp, Jalen Ramsey, Aaron Donald, and Jordan Fuller.

Wisconsin is the college with the second-highest snap share on the Rams with David Edwards and Rob Havenstein leading the way. Edwards and Havenstein have been on the field for nearly every snap on offense as they have both accumulated 1,399 offensive snaps together.

After Georgia and Wisconsin, Washington comes in as the college with the third-highest snap share. Rapp leads the entire team with 733 snaps this season, while Greg Gaines (421 snaps) and Coleman Shelton (9 snaps) are the other Washington products on the Rams.

Ramsey is the sole reason why Florida State cracks the top five as the Seminoles would be higher on the list if Cam Akers wasn’t sidelined with an Achilles injury. The All-Pro cornerback is second on the roster with 722 snaps through the first 12 weeks.

Similar to Ramsey, Austin Corbett is single-handedly helping Nevada make the top five as he’s the lone Nevada alum on the roster. The former second-round pick of the Cleveland Browns is tied for second on the offense with 695 snaps.

Even though this doesn’t tell us much about the makeup of the roster, it’s interesting to see where some of the Rams’ key contributors played in college.

Watch: Greg Gaines had the best postgame moment with Aaron Rodgers after sacking him

Greg Gaines had a priceless reaction when Aaron Rodgers told him his sack was official after Sunday’s game against the Packers.

The Rams have Aaron Donald, Leonard Floyd and Von Miller on defense, but none of the three sacked Aaron Rodgers a single time in Sunday’s loss to the Packers. The lone sack of the game for Los Angeles went to Greg Gaines, who chased down Rodgers for a short loss after the quarterback tried to scramble out of the pocket.

After the game, Rodgers found Gaines and told him the news that his sack was official after Gaines thought Rodgers picked up a yard. It was a priceless moment for the Rams nose tackle, and he couldn’t have been more excited about sacking Rodgers.

“Greg! You’re welcome for the sack, my friend,” Rodgers said.

“I don’t think I got it. I think you got a yard,” Gaines replied.

“No, no. Zero-yard gain,” Rodgers said.

“It’s a sack?! Yes!” Gaines said with a huge smile on his face.

Rodgers told Gaines it was the only sack of the game and congratulated him on the performance, calling him “a really good player.” Gaines wishes he could’ve gotten Rodgers down a couple more times, but the future Hall of Famer was getting the ball out so quickly.

Watch the full video below because seeing Gaines’ reaction is awesome.

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Greg Gaines continues to be a bright spot on the Rams’ defense

Greg Gaines continues to shine on defense for the Los Angeles Rams amid their rollercoaster season.

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The Los Angeles Rams defense has been under much criticism throughout the season. Whether it’s the utilization of Jalen Ramsey or the performance of Troy Reeder, there are a few constant complaints from fans when it comes to the defense of the Rams.

One player that shouldn’t have many complaints from fans is Greg Gaines. Gaines has been simply fantastic for the Rams this season, proving to be a tough task for offensive linemen to block.

According to Seth Walder of ESPN, Gaines had the best run-stop win rate of any interior defender in Week 12.

While watching the game on Sunday, it didn’t appear that the Rams did a great job at slowing down the rushing attack of the Green Bay Packers. However, they did limit the Packers to only 92 rushing yards on 32 attempts (2.9 yards per attempt).

Gaines had himself quite the performance with a season-high seven combined tackles and a sack versus the Packers. Through the first 12 weeks of the season, the third-year interior defender is having a career year with 35 total tackles and 2.5 sacks.

With Sebastian Joseph-Day potentially out for the season, Gaines has been asked to take on a larger role on defense. It’s safe to say he hasn’t disappointed yet as he’s become a key cog in the trenches in recent weeks.

Given the fact that the Rams have built their team around multiple star players, they need contributions from some of the role players. Even though some of the role players have taken a step backward as the season has progressed, Gaines continues to evolve into a mainstay in Los Angeles.

4 players to watch in Rams vs. 49ers on Monday

Here are four players to watch on the Rams when they take on the 49ers on Monday Night Football.

What a wild couple of weeks it has been for the Los Angeles Rams. Ahead of the trade deadline, the Rams acquired Von Miller from the Denver Broncos, and they now have signed Odell Beckham Jr. following his release from the Cleveland Browns.

In the middle of those two moves, though, Los Angeles suffered a disappointing loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday Night Football in Week 9. With the Arizona Cardinals still surging, that makes the Rams’ upcoming meeting with the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football even more vital in the grand scheme of things.

Despite San Francisco not being an immediate threat to Los Angeles at 3-5, any divisional game should be viewed as a must-win for the Rams if they want to catch the Cardinals. And after getting punched in the mouth on primetime television by Tennessee in Week 9, Los Angeles has an opportunity to set the record straight in Week 10.

There are plenty of storylines surrounding Sean McVay’s squad, with the additions of Miller and Beckham drawing a ton of buzz. While we will have to wait until Monday night to watch Los Angeles play, here are four players on the Rams to pay attention to in their impending matchup versus the 49ers.