Tag: Kevin Dotson

Kevin Dotson sends strong message to critics after Rams’ loss to Eagles

Kevin Dotson posted a powerful message on social media after the Rams’ disappointing loss to the Eagles.

Kevin Dotson was one of the Los Angeles Rams’ most valuable players all year, playing and starting every game except the finale when the starters were resting. He played through injury and continuously played at a high level at right guard, showing why the Rams wisely re-signed him last offseason.

Things weren’t perfect on Sunday in the Rams’ loss to the Eagles and his false start penalty on the final drive cost the offense 5 yards, but Dotson was a stud all year. He sent a powerful message to his critics who may have been unhappy with his performance in the playoff loss, losing no sleep over anyone who is no longer a fan of his because of this one game.

Dotson was deserving of Pro Bowl consideration this season for his play at right guard and he’s going to remain a big part of the offensive line moving forward – into 2025 and beyond.

Eagles to host Commanders in NFC Championship game after 28-22 win over Rams

Eagles to host Commanders in NFC Championship game after 28-22 win over Rams in the NFC Divisional Round

The Eagles are headed to the NFC title game and host their division rival, the Washington Commanders. After holding on for a 28-22 win over the Rams in the NFC divisional round, the Eagles will play the Washington Commanders.

In what can only be described as a barn burner, Philadelphia looked like they put the game away after going up 28-15, but the Rams scored a late fourth-quarter touchdown to pull within seven. After the Eagles could not maximize their final offensive drive, the Rams had one final shot on a ten-play, 60-yard drive that fell short with an incomplete pass to Puka Nucau at the Philadelphia 22-yard line.

The No. 2 seed Eagles will host the No. 6 seed Washington Commanders (12-5), who defeated the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions (15-2) 45-31 at Ford Field on Saturday night.

Washington’s 45 points were the most in a playoff game in franchise history.

Detroit quarterback Jared Goff threw three interceptions and was uneven all night. He went 23-40 passing for 313 yards (7.8 avg), one touchdown, and a 59.7 quarterback rating. The Lions’ running game was dynamic but underused, as Jahmyr Gibbs had 14 carries for 105 yards (7.5 avg) and two rushing touchdowns.

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For Washington, Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite and Pro Bowler, Jayden Daniels was 22-31 passing for 299 yards (9.6 avg), two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 122.9 quarterback rating.

In an offensive shootout, the two teams combined for over 1,000 yards of offense and 57 first downs.

Philadelphia and Washington split the season series, with the Commanders pulling off a 36-33 home win in Week 16 after Jalen Hurts was ruled out with a concussion.

Sights and sounds from first half as Eagles holds a 13-10 lead over Rams in divisional round

Sights and sounds from first half as Eagles holds a 13-10 lead over Rams in divisional round

The weather came as expected, but there were plenty of big plays in the first half as the Eagles hold a 13-10 lead over the Rams at home in the divisional round game on Sunday. A Philadelphia win and Nick Sirianni would host the Washington Commanders in the NFC title game next week. The Eagles lost rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell in the first half with a shoulder injury, and Isaiah Rodgers matched up with Rams wide receivers on the outside, which will be something to watch. With the second half quickly approaching, here sights and sounds from the first 30 minutes. ***

Eagles vs. Rams: Pregame sights and sounds from NFC Divisional Round game

We’re looking at pregame sights and sounds from the Philadelphia Eagles matchup against the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round

We’re now minutes away from the Eagles, and Rams kicking off their divisional-round matchup at Lincoln Financial Field.

Philadelphia is look to reach 7-0 in the Divisional Round at home in their franchise history and advance to another NFC Championship Game. With kickoff moments away, here are the pregame sights and sounds from a gigantic matchup.

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Rams have no 2024 All-Pros but these 5 players received votes

The Rams didn’t have any All-Pro selections this season but 5 players did receive consideration from voters

The Associated Press revealed its first- and second-team All-Pro selections for the 2024 season on Friday and the Los Angeles Rams were absent from both lists. They had no first-team All-Pro selections, which is just the second time that’s happened since 2015 (thanks to Aaron Donald).

As disappointing as it is for the Rams to have no All-Pros, five players did receive votes from the panel. They were at least in the conversation for being All-Pros, but they didn’t get enough votes to earn a spot.

  • WR Puka Nacua: 9 votes (1 first place)
  • RG Kevin Dotson: 1 vote
  • DT Kobie Turner: 3 votes
  • P Ethan Evans: 6 votes (2 first place)
  • ST Michael Hoecht: 3 votes

Puka Nacua led the way for the Rams with nine total votes, including one first-place vote. He was 10th among all wide receivers in voting. Kevin Dotson received one vote at right guard, putting him eighth at his position.

On defense, the Rams had just one player in consideration: Kobie Turner. The standout defensive tackle received three votes, which was 11th-best in that group.

On special teams, Ethan Evans didn’t quite make the cut but he received six votes, two of which were first-place votes. Only five punters received more votes than Evans. Michael Hoecht received three votes as a special teams player, eighth at that position. He blocked three kicks this season.

Rams’ 3 biggest Pro Bowl snubs this season

Kyren Williams didn’t make the Pro Bowl despite ranking 3rd in the NFL in rushing yards and 2nd in touchdowns

The NFL announced its AFC and NFC rosters for the 2025 Pro Bowl Games this week and the Los Angeles Rams only had one selection: Jared Verse. While it’s hardly surprising that the Rams didn’t have many Pro Bowlers this year, they had a few other players who were deserving in addition to Verse.

They just didn’t get the necessary votes from fans, players and coaches.

Here are the Rams’ three biggest Pro Bowl snubs, as well as one honorable mention who made a strong case but has missed too much time this season.

RB Kyren Williams

Williams ranks third in the NFL in rushing with 1,299 yards and he’s tied for second with 14 rushing touchdowns. The only players ahead of him in rushing yards are Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry. Yet, Williams was somehow left off the NFC’s roster.

There’s no denying Barkley, Jahmyr Gibbs and Josh Jacobs – who were selected over Williams – are all having terrific seasons, but there was a case for Williams making it instead of Jacobs. He has more yards (1,299 vs. 1,285) and the same number of rushing touchdowns, while also playing the most snaps (140) in pass protection of any running back.

RG Kevin Dotson

Dotson was deserving of Pro Bowl consideration last year and didn’t get it, but he’s been even better this season. Yet again, he was left off the NFC roster. According to Pro Football Focus, Dotson has an 81.3 overall grade this season, which is sixth among all guards in the NFL.

His 83.0 run-blocking grade is also fifth among guards and 12th among all offensive linemen. He’s an absolute road-grader in the run game and holds up well in pass protection, making him one of the best guards in the league.

DT Kobie Turner

Turner is only in his second season but he’s quickly become one of the best defensive tackles in football. While his 75.4 overall grade at PFF may not open any eyes, his 53 total pressures are tied for the fifth-most at his position and his eight sacks are tied for sixth.

His impact is felt play in and play out, too, even when he’s not the one taking down the quarterback. According to Next Gen Stats, Turner’s 42 pressures (as of Dec. 12) against double teams are the most of any player in the NFL since the start of the 2023 season.

So not only is he drawing extra attention from linemen, but he’s beating those double teams and still generating pressure.

Honorable mention: Puka Nacua

There’s no question Nacua would be a Pro Bowler if not for the five games he missed. In only 11 games this season, Nacua has 990 yards and 79 receptions, which rank 19th and 16th in the NFL, respectively. Every player with more receiving yards than him has played at least 13 games.

In terms of yards per game, he’s averaging 90 per week, which is the third-most in the NFL behind only Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. And that’s with missing the second half in two games. So really, he’s only played nine full games.

With Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Terry McLaurin and Amon-Ra St. Brown all in the NFC, it’s hard to put Nacua ahead of them but he’s still been one of the five best receivers in football.

These 5 Rams players are getting snubbed in Pro Bowl fan voting

None of these five Rams players are in the top 10 at their positions in Pro Bowl fan voting, but they definitely should be

The Los Angeles Rams have generated some buzz in the NFC thanks to their three-game winning streak and 7-2 record since Week 7, but that hasn’t translated to their players earning recognition as potential Pro Bowlers.

After three weeks of Pro Bowl fan voting being open, only one Rams player ranks in the top 10 at his position in total votes received: Braden Fiske, who’s No. 4 among all defensive tackles. Not a single other Rams player is in the top 10 at his position, which is shocking to see.

They have plenty of deserving candidates for the Pro Bowl, too. Matthew Stafford is playing well, Byron Young is applying consistent pressure on the quarterback and Alaric Jackson has been an underrated stud at left tackle.

These five players have especially strong cases for the Pro Bowl, yet they’re not in the top 10 at their positions.

RB Kyren Williams

Williams may not be putting up eye-popping numbers or leading the NFL in rushing yards per game like he was last season, but he’s still been one of the more productive players in football from a yardage and touchdown perspective.

He currently ranks fourth in rushing yards with 1,121, fourth in rushing touchdowns with 12 and his 14 total touchdowns are tied for third in the NFL. Najee Harris, who’s ninth in Pro Bowl voting among running backs, ranks 14th with 891 rushing yards and only has five total touchdowns.

WR Puka Nacua

Nacua may have missed five games with a knee injury but he’s been incredibly productive in the games he has played. He has 805 yards and three touchdowns this season, ranking third in receiving yards per game (89.4). That includes two games where he suffered a knee injury and was ejected.

Somehow, Jayden Reed of the Packers is 10th among wide receivers despite only having 727 yards in 14 games.

DT Kobie Turner

Turner is perhaps the biggest snub of them all. He has seven sacks this season, which is fifth among all defensive tackles. He also has nine tackles for a loss, 11 quarterback hits and 60 total tackles, stuffing the stat sheet as one of the Rams’ best defensive players.

According to Pro Football Focus, Turner has 49 total pressures, which is the sixth-most among interior defenders. No player in the NFL has more pressures against double teams since 2023 than Turner, which shows how dominant he is even when getting extra attention.

He absolutely deserves to be a Pro Bowler, but fans aren’t giving him his due.

OLB Jared Verse

Verse has been outstanding as a rookie, even if he has slowed down a little bit in the last few games. There are only three edge rushers in the NFL with more pressures than him (64), according to PFF, and he’s been credited with six sacks by the analytics site.

There aren’t many edge rushers with his combination of power and speed, and he’s only a rookie. With the overall talent at edge rusher in the NFL right now, he probably won’t get in as a rookie, but he’s a future star.

RG Kevin Dotson

There are only five guards in the league with a higher overall PFF grade than Dotson this season, who’s earned an 81.1 mark thus far in 2024. He’s allowed 22 pressures, which isn’t an impressively low number, but his 84.1 run-blocking grade shows where his greatest impact is.

The Pro Bowl is often a popularity contest, and that’s even more evident on the offensive line. Four teams have two guards in the top 10 of vote-getters so far this year (Lions, Chiefs, Eagles and Steelers), with the Packers and Browns having one guard each in the top 10.

Sean McVay got a lot of texts about this viral clip of Kevin Dotson steamrolling two 49ers defenders

Sean McVay got a lot of texts about this viral clip of Kevin Dotson destroying 49ers defenders with two huge blocks

Kevin Dotson has become one of the NFL’s best guards since being traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2023 and it’s plays like this one that made him a top player at his position this offseason.

During Thursday night’s win over the San Francisco 49ers, the Rams ran a tunnel screen to Puka Nacua. Steve Avila and Dotson were two of the lead blockers on the play, which is a sight no defender wants to see in the open field.

Dotson threw two punishing blocks on linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles and safety Talanoa Hufunga, paving the way for Nacua like the road grader that he is.

Sean McVay was asked about that play on Friday and he says he got a lot of texts about it and had the clip sent to him a bunch.

“I loved it,” he said. “I received a bunch of good texts, but probably got that clip sent to me more than anything. ‘K-Dot’ did his thing right there. It was excellent. We had put that screen in, stole that from somebody else, those guys made it their own and ‘K-Dot’ certainly did a great job on that play right there.”

After battling through injury early in the year, Dotson has really hit his stride and is playing like the dominant guard he was last year. He’s an integral part of the offensive line and helps the Rams run the ball as consistently as they do.

Saquon Barkley runs the Rams out of SoFi Stadium, carrying the Eagles to their 7th straight win

A sea of Eagles fans took over SoFi Stadium, carrying Philadelphia to its 7th straight win on Sunday night as Saquon Barkley rushed for 255 yards on the night

The Eagles are 9-2 and have won seven straight games after Saquon Barkley exploded in the running game, and A.J. Brown was dominant in the passing game. Philadelphia put the league on notice with a 37-20 win at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.

If not for a late Matthew Stafford touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp, Philadelphia would have exited Los Angeles with a 37-14 road win just seven days before a monster matchup with the Baltimore Ravens in Week 13.

Barkley rushed for 255 yards on the night and had 302 total yards of offense in a game that saw A.J. Brown log 109 yards receiving and a touchdown on seven targets.

Watch: Kevin Dotson was highly entertaining while mic’d up vs. Patriots

Kevin Dotson was on the mic for Week 11 and his personality was on full display against the Patriots

Being an offensive lineman, Kevin Dotson isn’t in the spotlight very much for the Los Angeles Rams. He doesn’t do weekly press conferences like Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp, nor does he have his own YouTube series like those two stars.

But the Rams’ starting right guard is highly entertaining and one of the glue guys in the locker room. He’s become a fan favorite for his stellar play on the field, becoming one of the Rams’ most important players on offense.

During Sunday’s win over the Patriots, Dotson was mic’d up by the team and his personality really stood out. As intense and physical as he is after the snap, he’s also charismatic and quite funny when he’s not blocking defensive linemen.

His energy level is always high, too.

Check out the mic’d-up video below, highlighted by Dotson cheering and yelling on the sideline while the defense was on the field.