Tag: la rams

Sean McVay: Aaron Donald’s stats are misleading but he can still improve

Aaron Donald certainly has things he can improve on, according to Sean McVay.

Aaron Donald has been one of the best overall players in the NFL the last few years, winning back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards. He led the league in sacks with 20.5 last season, which set an NFL record for a defensive tackle, but his numbers don’t look as impressive in 2019.

He has eight sacks in 11 games, which is still impressive for a DT but it isn’t what fans are used to after seeing him stuff the stat sheet last season.

Donald was shut out by the Ravens in Week 12, being held to just a tackle assist on the night. He didn’t get a single hit on Lamar Jackson, nor did he do much in the way of pressure. Sean McVay said Donald’s stats are misleading because of how much attention he draws.

Still, McVay believes Donald has room for improvement.

“Sometimes the stats can be misleading. I don’t think anybody on our team, really as a whole, played good enough to feel good about what occurred last week,” he said. “He certainly has things he can improve on. Then, sometimes there is an element of, all right, if they are paying a lot of attention and he’s dictating double teams, then it does free other guys up. Sometimes it’s about the play-ops that present themselves. More than anything, you look at your factor-ops from a defensive standpoint. He consistently grades extremely high on that, but that was a game our team as a whole, and I don’t think anybody can say that they were good enough last week.”

Donald remains one of the best players in the league and someone every offense has to be aware of. He can wreck a game with his ability to generate pressure and create negative plays, which is what makes him so good.

He’s still in contention for Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, which says everything you need to know about how well-respected and viewed he is by everyone.

Rams’ 3 biggest causes for concern against the Cardinals

The Rams are trying to avoid a second-straight loss.

The Rams are trying to avoid a two-game losing streak, which would effectively end any playoff hopes they still have. Coming off an embarrassing 45-6 loss to the Ravens, Los Angeles will face Kyler Murray and the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon on the road.

This is a winnable game for the Rams, but their offense has been abysmal lately and Arizona is better than it’s 3-7-1 record indicates. Here are the three biggest concerns for the Rams in Week 13.

Kyler Murray’s mobility

(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Lamar Jackson gave the Rams fits last week and Murray is equally athletic and can turn broken plays into big ones for the Cardinals. That’s something Los Angeles has to be very wary of because Murray is playing extremely well right now and can beat a defense in several ways. The Cardinals don’t use nearly as much read-option as the Ravens do, but he’s always a threat to pull down the ball and run, and there will be several designed plays where Murray can use his legs.

If the Rams can’t find an answer for him like they couldn’t against Baltimore, the defense is going to be winded and struggle in a big way.

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Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen named to NFL100 All-Time Team

Two more Rams were added to the NFL100 All-Time Team.

Some of the best players in NFL history have worn the horns and played for the Rams, and that’s becoming evident with the league celebrating its 100th season. To commemorate 100 years of football, the NFL is creating an All-Time Team for 2019.

Eric Dickerson made the team at running back, this week, two other Rams were added to the list. Merlin Olsen and Deacon Jones were both named to the NFL100 All-Time Team as two of the best defensive tackles in league history.

Olsen and Jones both played before sacks were an official stat, but they were each incredibly disruptive during their playing days. Jones only missed three games in his career with the Rams, while Olsen started all 208 games he played.

Olsen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982, while Jones made it two years prior in 1980.

Jared Goff not feeling added pressure from $134 million contract

Jared Goff wants to continue to be himself despite getting a hefty new contract.

Jared Goff made great progress in each of the last two years for the Rams. After a disastrous rookie season in 2016, Goff went on to make the Pro Bowl the last two seasons and looked poised for an even better 2019 campaign.

As everyone has seen, though, Goff has regressed instead of continuing to get better. There have been several contributing factors, primarily the poor offensive line play, but Goff has made his share of mistakes, too. He has 12 interceptions in 11 games, which matches his total from 2018 with 21 fewer touchdowns than he had last season.

All of this has come after he signed a four-year, $134 million contract with an NFL-record $110 million guaranteed. He wouldn’t be the first player in league history to have a down year after signing a massive extension, but he’s certain the contract hasn’t had any effect on his game or added extra pressure.

“No, I don’t. I need to make sure that is never the case,” he said this week. “I always want to play like I’ve always had since I was a little kid. Always having fun – enjoying it. Never let the business side of it creep in as far as the way you approach every day or every game. I think I’ve done a pretty good job of that. But there are times where you do think of it. But no, I don’t feel any differently.”

Goff has always had an even-keeled personality, never getting too high or low. It’s an important attribute for a quarterback, and that aspect of his game hasn’t changed since inking that massive extension.

“I think through the ups and the downs I’ve always been myself,” Goff said. “I don’t think anything like that will ever change the way I approach every day the way I approach every game. Obviously, there is a little bit more responsibility, I think. But I don’t think it’s more pressure.”

Goff has been fortunate enough to work with Sean McVay since 2017, which really helped his development. It’s a big reason he turned into a Pro Bowler so quickly, improving in each of the last two years.

McVay isn’t having his best season, either, struggling with his decision-making at times, as well as play calling. He said this week that he and Goff are still growing together and continuing to learn as time goes on.

“I think as we’ve now gone into working through our third year together, there’s a lot of things that both he and I, and really a lot of our team in general, can continue to learn from and make sure that we use those as things to improve upon or the things that you did do right,” McVay said. “Let’s continue to do that when those things or when those defensive structures, or when that play is being run versus a certain look ends up coming up in the future. The accumulation of the experience, and we always talk about that repetition is the mother of learning. Those will kind of go hand in hand.”

The Rams hope both Goff and McVay can turn things around soon, because their 2019 season is quickly getting away from them. One more loss on Sunday could be the final straw for their playoff hopes.

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Rams at Cardinals: 5 key matchups to watch on Sunday

Aaron Donald hopes to have another huge game against the Cardinals.

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Cardinals may only be 3-7-1, but they’re a far better team than their record indicates. They nearly upset the 10-1 49ers twice in the last month and Kyler Murray is finding his footing under center.

Sunday’s game won’t be an easy one for the Los Angeles Rams, especially when analyzing the individual matchups that are set to take place on the field.

Here are the five most important matchups for the Rams against the Cardinals.

Bobby Evans vs. Chandler Jones

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Evans was protected by the Rams against the Bears with a lot of help from the tight ends, but he was left alone more often against Baltimore. He held his own, but none of the Ravens’ pass rushers are as good as Chandler Jones. In fact, very few edge rushers in the NFL are. He’ll have his work cut out for him against Jones, who has 12.5 sacks this season and is someone the Rams have to account for on every snap.

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Rams Week 13 preview: 5 questions with Cardinals Wire

We gained some insight on the Cardinals ahead of Sunday’s NFC West matchup.

The Rams are back on the road this week after two straight prime-time games at home. They’ll visit the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon, and ahead of this NFC West clash, we talked to Jess Root of Cardinals Wire.

We discussed several topics ranging from Kyler Murray’s play as a rookie to Kliff Kingsbury’s work thus far as a first-year head coach.

How has Kyler Murray looked this season?

Goodness, he has been good. He is on pace for nearly 4,000 passing yards. He only has five interceptions all season and has not lost a fumble this year. His current pace of a little more than 3,900 passing yards would be the sixth-highest total by any player in team history, bested only by Neil Lomax, Kurt Warner and Carson Palmer. He is on pace to throw 20 touchdown passes and fewer than 10 interceptions. That has happened only once team history. He is on pace to set a franchise record for quarterback rushing yards.

He looks every bit the franchise quarterback he was believed to be. He is making plays, making good decisions and taking care of the football. Rookie or not, it is exactly what you want from a starting quarterback.

What is the Cardinals’ biggest weakness?

It is clearly how they defend the pass. They are the league’s worst passing defense, allowing nearly 300 yards per game. They have surrendered a league-high 29 touchdown passes and an opponent passer rating of 113.0. Essentially, they are allowing all quarterback to play at a Hall of Fame level every week.

That is the biggest issue. They can’t stop opposing tight ends and allow opponents to convert on third down 46 percent of the time, the worst rate in the league.

Which player should the Rams worry about most on Sunday?

Chandler Jones is the guy to watch and pay attention to with his 12.5 sacks. He is the Cardinals’ lone consistent playmaker.

Offensively, Kenyan Drake has overtaken David Johnson as the main running back and he can make plays in both the passing game and running game.

Has Kliff Kingsbury been as good as expected or have there been bumps in the road?

There have been a couple of bumps in the road but he has been what he has needed to be. The offense has been turned around. He is developing Kyler Murray. He is making aggressive decisions. The team is playing hard for him and buys into the program. The question moving forward is whether he can help build a capable NFL defense.

What’s your prediction for Sunday’s game?

I think the game is close. The Cardinals, though, will take advantage of the extra rest and time to prepare, as well as the short week for the Rams. The Cardinals will continue to score points and will give up points, but this time they get the one stop they need. They pull off the win at home 31-28.

Will the Rams-Cardinals Week 13 game be on TV in your area?

Rams-Cardinals won’t be broadcast to a large part of the country on Sunday.

After five straight games against non-divisional foes, the Los Angeles Rams are back in action against an NFC West rival in Week 13. They’ll be on the road for the first time since Week 10, too, visiting the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon.

This game won’t be on national television like the last two Rams games were, which means the audience watching at home will be significantly smaller. It’ll be televised for those in Arizona and Los Angeles, but beyond that, not many areas will get the game.

Check the 506 Sports map below to see if Rams-Cardinals will be on TV near you.

Most of the country won’t get a late-afternoon game on FOX with 49ers-Ravens being on the network at 1 p.m. ET, which is why the Rams-Cardinals game won’t be on TV in very many locations.

Raiders-Chiefs will be the late-afternoon game most fans get on CBS, with part of the country getting Chargers-Broncos instead.

Throwback Thursday: Flipper Anderson set all-time NFL receiving record 30 years ago

30 years ago, Flipper Anderson set the all-time single-game receiving record with 336 yards.

Only six players in NFL history have eclipsed the 300-yard receiving mark in a single game, with just two of those instances coming this century. Julio Jones and Calvin Johnson had two of the best receiving performances in recent memory, but neither player was able to match Flipper Anderson’s game in 1989.

Against the Saints 30 years ago on November 26, Anderson went off for 336 yards receiving – an NFL record that still stands today. He caught 15 passes that day with his longest reception going for 50 yards, though he only scored one touchdown in the Rams’ 20-17 win.

As favorable as the rules are for passing attacks today, no receiver has been able to break Anderson’s record – though Johnson’s 329 yards against the Cowboys in 2013 came close.

Check out highlights from his performance below.

Anderson finished that season with 44 catches for 1,146 yards and five touchdowns, leading the league in yards per reception (26). He topped the NFL in that same category the following year, averaging 21.5 yards per catch.

Although he never made the Pro Bowl, Anderson’s career will always be remembered for that 336-yard performance against the Saints.

Sean McVay breaks down similarities of Kyler Murray and Lamar Jackson

The Rams will once again face an elite dual-threat quarterback on Sunday after getting torched by Lamar Jackson.

The Rams defense did almost nothing right against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens on Monday night, getting blown out 45-6 on their home field. It was their ugliest performance under Sean McVay, setting them back significantly in the playoff race.

They won’t get a break from facing dynamic quarterbacks anytime soon, either, with Kyler Murray next on their schedule, followed by meetings with Russell Wilson and Dak Prescott.

Murray is an outstanding athlete and has done an excellent job as the Cardinals’ starter this season, making a huge impact as a rookie. He has 14 touchdown passes and only five interceptions, taking great care of the football while also making big plays.

Sean McVay gave the rookie quarterback a lot of credit during Wednesday’s press conference, explaining the similarities and differences between Murray and Jackson.

“There is a similarity in terms of these are elite athletes that are playing the quarterback position that are legitimate threats as runners when they do decide to tuck it,” McVay said. “There’s a little bit different approach schematically that these guys take, but I mean you look at some of the instances when they have utilized Kyler as a runner, it’s been impressive. He gets around the corner quickly, he’s got great acceleration, he’s got great feel for how to manipulate and maneuver through traffic while avoiding taking those hits. And then some of the things you see with his ability to change the launch point, his ability to speed it up, make all those different types of throws – in the pocket, out of the pocket. It’s been really impressive and how good a job he’s done in taking care of the football.

“They’ve truly improved throughout the year on offense and they’ve had some really impressive performances as of late against some top-tier defenses.”

In two games against the 49ers in the last three weeks, Murray had four touchdown passes and zero interceptions with another 101 rushing yards and one touchdown. That was against one of the best defenses in football, making them look very beatable – something few players have been able to do this year.

The Rams will need to be much better on Sunday afternoon against Murray than they were against Jackson, but that’s easier said than done. Both players can make a defense pay with their legs, and Murray has done plenty of that this season.

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Samson Ebukam making push for more snaps with strong Week 12

Samson Ebukam was arguably the Rams’ best defender in Week 12.

Samson Ebukam was somewhat of an afterthought for the Rams early in the season, getting replaced by Clay Matthews as the starting outside linebacker. His role grew after Matthews broke his jaw in Week 5, but he didn’t have much an impact.

On Monday night against the Ravens, though, he was clearly the Rams’ best defender on the field – which admittedly isn’t saying much, since they allowed 45 points and 285 yards rushing. He had 1.5 sacks and a tackle for loss, making seven total tackles. He also hit the quarterback three times, which is the same number he had on the year entering Week 13.

Ebukam played 44 snaps, which was just six fewer than Dante Fowler Jr. and 10 fewer than Matthews. He’s making a push for more playing time as the Rams continue to rotate their edge rushers, putting together one of the better performances in the NFL this past week.

The Rams’ next opponent has a quarterback with similar speed and agility as Lamar Jackson, and on Monday night, Ebukam’s athleticism was apparent against Baltimore’s offense. He’s always been explosive, but that really stood out in Week 12.

The Rams could use that speed on the edge against Kyler Murray, so don’t be surprised if Ebukam gets more playing time after his standout performance in Week 13. He can have an impact on this game, even without playing every snap.

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