The Rams know they can’t emulate Lamar Jackson, but they’re going to try.
There isn’t a quarterback in the NFL right now who can do what Lamar Jackson does. His combination of speed and vision as a runner, as well as his accuracy and decision-making as a passer make him one of the most dangerous players in football – regardless of position.
His unique skill set makes him far more difficult to prepare for than a traditional pocket quarterback, which teams have learned all year long. The Rams will do their best to simulate him in practice, but not with Jared Goff or Blake Bortles.
Instead, it’ll be quarterback John Wolford, who’s currently on the practice squad.
“John Wolford’s going to do a great job for us. We’ll see if he found some extra speed this week, too,” McVay said. “You can’t ever really, truly emulate this guy, what he’s done and what they’ve done as a team. As a team, but then when you’re individually talking about their offense and Lamar Jackson, it’s been impressive. It’s fun to watch, it’s exciting, it’s going to be a great challenge and I know our defensive guys are excited about that challenge.”
Wolford is an athletic quarterback, as we saw in the preseason. He’s quicker than fast, though, as he ran a 4.77 40-yard dash at his pro day. His 4.18-second short shuttle time would’ve been the third-best at the combine in 2018, and his 6.78-second three-cone would’ve been the fastest at his position.
Obviously, Jackson is on another level, but Wolford is a better scout team quarterback before facing the Ravens than Andy Dalton is. He has a good combination of mobility and arm strength, as he showed on this play in the preseason.
As McVay said, you can’t truly emulate Jackson in practice, but the Rams are going to do their best with Wolford. Monday night’s matchup will come down to slowing Jackson as a runner because that’s where he and the Ravens offense are most dangerous.
And it makes sense, because Jackson is a special talent who has been dominant in just about every game he’s played this season. The QB’s play has the Ravens as one of the favorites to contend for a Super Bowl title this season.
It turns out that Ingram didn’t wait until his press conference to sing the praises of Jackson. That started during the blowout when they shared this great moment one the sideline:
My favorite part is Jackson’s “Hell nah” response to being told he’s unbelievable. This kid is such a competitor who only cares about his teammates and his team winning games. He doesn’t seem all that interested in being told that he’s great.
This moment between John Harbaugh and Jackson from a few weeks ago is pretty great, too:
“You changed the game…You know how many little kids in this country are gonna be wearing No. 8 playing QB for the next 20 years?"
If the Rams are going to make the playoffs, they’re going to earn it by facing three MVP frontrunners.
There’s no denying how well the Los Angeles Rams defense has played in the last four games. Defensively, they rank first in points allowed (44), first in rushing yards allowed (644) seventh in passer rating against (78.9), fifth in sacks (16) and seventh in third-down conversion percentage (31.7%).
Yet, it’d be unfair to mention those numbers without saying which quarterbacks they’ve faced in that span. The last four quarterbacks to take the field against the Rams are Matt Ryan, Andy Dalton, Mason Rudolph and Mitchell Trubisky. Of those four, only Matt Ryan is having a decent season, and Dalton has since been benched.
Things are about to change dramatically in the next four weeks, though. The Rams’ new-look defense with Jalen Ramsey and Troy Hill as the starting cornerbacks will be tested by three MVP candidates and another dynamic quarterback in the next month.
It all begins with Lamar Jackson on Monday night, followed by matchups with Kyler Murray, Russell Wilson and Dak Prescott. Jackson, Wilson and Prescott are considered the front-runners to win NFL MVP, and while Murray isn’t in the running, he’s one of the more difficult quarterbacks to defend because of his mobility and speed.
The combined numbers of those four quarterbacks are absolutely outstanding this season, especially compared to those of the previous four quarterbacks the Rams have faced. Jackson, Murray, Wilson and Prescott have combined for 77 touchdown passes and only 21 interceptions, with each completing at least 64.6% of their passes. Wilson and Prescott are Nos. 1 and 2 in touchdown passes, while Jackson and Murray have more rushing yards than any other quarterbacks in the league. Jackson is 10th among all players, and Murray is 26th.
From the previous group of Ryan, Rudolph, Dalton and Trubisky, only Ryan ranks in the top 20 in passing yards. Together, the four have combined for 48 touchdown passes and 30 interceptions, and only Ryan has completed more than 62.4% of his passes.
The Rams defense has deservingly received a lot of praise for the way it has played since acquiring Ramsey, but there hasn’t exactly been a quarterback to challenge the Rams much lately.
Now, the Rams will have to face three teams that rank in the top six in yards, and four teams that are in the top 10 in scoring. For comparison, the Steelers, Bears, Bengals and Falcons all rank 20th or lower in scoring.
If the Rams are going to make the postseason and potentially contend for a title, they’re going to have to earn it in the next four weeks.
Debates are raging on who should be the NFL’s Most Valuable Player but Chad Ochocinco says New Orleans Saints WR Michael Thomas has his vote
[jwplayer WU2Y8Ngc-ThvAeFxT]
It’s tough to decide who deserves recognition as the NFL’s Most Valuable Player this year. Second-year Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been sensational, giving the AFC another young passer to challenge the New England Patriots hegemony (Tom Brady’s team has represented the AFC in 4 of the last 5 Super Bowl matchups). But he’s hardly without competition, with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson expanding his highlight reel every week in an offense built to minimize his impact.
However, former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson, also known as “Ochocinco,” wants to remind everyone that the award goes to the league’s Most Valuable Player, not just the best quarterback. And in his eyes, only one player is worth considering: New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas. Johnson advocated for Thomas on his official Twitter account, praising the Saints’ centerpiece for his consistency in spite of defenses scheming to stop him each and every week:
His past antics aside (like that time Johnson awarded himself his own Pro Football Hall of Fame jacket), Johnson has a point. Thomas is on pace to shatter the record for single-season receptions set by Marvin Harrison, and he’s put up rare efficiency for any receiver, much less someone who sees as high a volume of targets.
There have been games where Thomas was the only Saints player open or able to make a play, and the ball has found him whether Drew Brees, Teddy Bridgewater, or Taysom Hill were at quarterback. He’s certainly the Saints’ team MVP; the question, then, is whether the NFL’s voters will give him the respect he’s earned.
Touchdown Wire ranks the 32 NFL teams in terms of stability and potential at the game’s most important position over the next 3-4 seasons.
Tom Brady might be the best quarterback ever, but he’s not the best in the NFL right now. He certainly won’t be the best in 2022.
He’s human, after all, and at age 42, regression is inevitable even for someone with six Super Bowl rings. That puts the New England Patriots in an uncertain situation at quarterback two or three years down the road. The New Orleans Saints, with 40-year-old Drew Brees under center, find themselves in a similar scenario.
Other teams, such as the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers, likely will face difficult personnel decisions at the quarterback position much sooner than that. Only a handful of teams, notably the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks, appear secure in their quarterback situation for years to come.
All this got us thinking about the quarterback situations of the future — and where each of the NFL’s 32 teams ranks in terms of preparedness at the game’s most crucial position.
By quarterback situations, we mean the full overview of each team’s quarterbacks group, including backups and a potential succession plan, if necessary. For this exercise, we will define the future as three to four years down the road.
To help form these opinions, we consulted with a blue-ribbon panel of one former head coach, two former general managers and one current general manager. They were asked for their thoughts on each team’s quarterback situation. They provided insight to inform our rankings.
With that in mind, we present Touchdown Wire’s future quarterback rankings for every NFL team, from worst to first:
32. Miami Dolphins
Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Earlier this season, many observers accused the Dolphins of tanking to earn the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and presumably select a quarterback. Since then, Miami (2-8) has been eclipsed by the ineptitude of Cincinnati (0-10) and Washington (1-9), so the Dolphins might not get the first QB off the board. Currently, the Dolphins have Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen on their roster. Rosen has failed in his playing time. There’s no way he’ll be back next year. The Dolphins have the option to hang onto Fitzpatrick, 36, who’s currently under contract next season at $5.5 million. It makes sense to keep Fitzpatrick around for one more year to help groom a young quarterback. That could be LSU’s Joe Burrow, Alabama’s Tua Tagavailoa (although his recent hip injury now complicates his draft status), Oregon’s Justin Herbert or Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts. Two members of my panel said they like Burrow better than Tagovailoa. Either way, it’s going to take some time to develop a young quarterback.
31. Chicago Bears
Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
For the moment, Mitchell Trubisky is Chicago’s starting quarterback. But it doesn’t appear that he will be in that role next year — although he remains under contract and the team holds a fifth-year option on the No. 2 overall pick from 2017. Given his level of play this season, it’s highly unlikely he will receive the option year, and he might not even see 2020 with the Bears — although the cap hit for cutting him would be slightly more than $9 million. The Bears are 4-6 after going 12-4 last year. There’s one main reason for the decline. That’s Trubisky. My panelists say he’s holding the offense back and could end up keeping a good team out of the playoffs. All four panelists agree Trubisky should be nothing more than a backup. Current backup Chase Daniel’s contract expires after this season. So there’s no telling who will be Chicago’s quarterback next year. Maybe the Bears will draft a quarterback. But with a talented roster already in place, the Bears should be first in line to sign New Orleans backup Teddy Bridgewater as a free agent.
30. Cincinnati Bengals
David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
Veteran Andy Dalton has been benched, and the Bengals are giving rookie fourth-rounder Ryan Finley a shot. There should be no turning back to Dalton, even though he remains under contract for 2020 with a $17.5 million scheduled salary. The Bengals can cut Dalton after the season without any salary cap ramifications. It’s too early to judge Finley. Cincinnati is going to end up with an early draft pick and could have a shot at Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert or Jalen Hurts. The Bengals will be starting over. But, given their current state, that’s not a bad thing. “Dalton had more than enough time and couldn’t win consistently,” one panelist said. “I have no idea what they have in Finley. But they have to draft a quarterback if they’re sitting there at No. 1 or 2.”
29. Washington Redskins
Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
The current situation is a mess. Veterans Colt McCoy and Case Keenum, who clearly aren’t the answer, each is in the last year of their contract. The Redskins have little choice but to play rookie Dwayne Haskins, who has five interceptions and two touchdown passes, the rest of this season. Call it an audition for Haskins. But this situation is complicated because the Redskins currently have interim coach Bill Callahan, who took over when Jay Gruden was fired. There will be a new coach next year, and he might not like Haskins. With an early draft pick likely, the new coach might want his own guy. Give up on Haskins after only one season? Arizona did it with 2018 first-round pick Josh Rosen after drafting Kyler Murray. All four of our panelists said Haskins was overrated when he was drafted.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers third-year receiver Chris Godwin has landed on ESPN’s list of the top 25 players under 25 for 2019.
Entering the 2019 season, Bucs wide receiver Chris Godwin was viewed by many as a player ready for a breakout season. Bruce Arians even said the third-year receiver out of Penn State could be close to a 100-catch guy this year.
Through the first 11 weeks of the season, Godwin has already exceeded expectations, setting a career-high in both receptions (63) and receiving yards (887) and tying his career-high with seven touchdown receptions.
Few people probably predicted Godwin turning into the star player he has, but now that he’s arrived on the scene, it doesn’t look like he’ll be going anywhere anytime soon. Which might explain why ESPN selected Godwin to their list of the top 25 players under 25 for 2019.
Godwin — who won’t turn 25 until February of 2021 — landed at No. 22.
Here’s part of the explanation for his inclusion on the list:
“Godwin was a relatively unheralded third-round pick in 2017, but he has emerged as a force. The restraints are off in 2019. New coach Bruce Arians converted Godwin to a slot receiver and has had him on the field for 96% of the team’s offensive snaps. The Penn State product has run a league-high 368 pass routes and has already put up a 60/840/6 receiving line, ranking no lower than sixth among receivers in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns… He and superstar Mike Evans certainly combine to form arguably the league’s best duo at the position.”
Godwin had a fast start to the season, catching six touchdowns in the team’s first five games. He had one touchdown reception in last Sunday’s loss to the New Orleans Saints. It was Godwin’s first touchdown since he caught two against the Saints back in Week 5’s loss.
Godwin will look to keep his scoring ways going next Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons on the road.
The Rams know just how tough this matchup with the Ravens will be.
[jwplayer sBxIfxtt-ThvAeFxT]
Having played four teams at or below .500 in their last four games, the Los Angeles Rams haven’t exactly been tested in recent weeks. They’ve gone 3-1 in that stretch, but the last playoff contender they faced was the 49ers in Week 6.
If they’re looking for a test – a measuring-stick game, if you will – they’ll get one on Monday night at the Coliseum. The Ravens are coming to town, being viewed by many as the best team in the league. They’ve won each of their last four games by at least 14 points, including victories over the Seahawks, Patriots and Texans.
The Rams know their next game is going to be a challenge, saying as much after their win over the Bears on Sunday. Eric Weddle tweeted his excitement over their Week 11 win, while simultaneously calling the Ravens the best team in the league.
Nothing better than celebrating with my teammates. Great team win. Got a huge one with the best team in the league up next. Will be ready!!! Yeeeeeeeeee. Ice cream finally. pic.twitter.com/TZVg3DtzFx
Todd Gurley didn’t praise the Ravens to the extent that Weddle did – he did say “they’re looking like one of the best teams in the league – but he did throw a huge compliment Lamar Jackson’s way. He called the second-year quarterback the best player in the NFL right now and compared him to Michael Vick, who was at the Coliseum on Sunday.
“Best player in the league right now,” he told reporters. “He’s killing it. We had Vick here today and he’s the next thing closest to him. I mean, he’s amazing. Super proud of him.”
Clay Matthews was asked in the locker room if he’s excited to face Jackson on Monday night. His sarcastic response says everything you need to know about how he feels.
“Am I excited?” he said with a smile. “Any time you get to face an elite opponent, it’s not fun when they’re making plays against you, but it’s fun to have that opportunity to go against them, test your prowess and see who comes out on top. They’re playing very well, he’s playing outstanding and you’re right, obviously a front-runner in the MVP race.”
This will undoubtedly be the Rams’ toughest test yet, and they’re well aware of just how difficult an opponent the Ravens will be.
The Ravens enter as 3.5-point road favorites, having won each of their last four games by at least 14 points.
[jwplayer sBxIfxtt-ThvAeFxT]
For just the second time all year, the Los Angeles Rams won’t be the betting favorites over their opponent. And for the first time since Week 17 of the 2017 season when the Rams rested their starters, they’re home underdogs.
That’s what happens when Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens come to town. According to BetMGM, the Ravens are 3.5-point road favorites over the Rams in Week 12, which is a Monday night matchup on Nov. 25.
This comes as no surprise, given the way each team’s season has gone. Yes, they’re only separated by two games in the overall standings, but the Ravens are second in the NFL in scoring margin (plus-14.5), while the Rams are seventh (plus-4.5).
Baltimore also ranks first in points scored, second in yards and first in rushing across the board. The defense is playing extremely well, too, ranking sixth in points against and 14th in yards. The Rams are 10th in points and yards allowed.
Baltimore has been absolutely dominant in its last four games, too. The Ravens have scored at least 30 points in each game, beating the Seahawks by 14 points, the Patriots by 17, the Bengals by 36 and Houston by 34.
The Rams have a fighting chance with the league’s fifth-ranked rush defense, also ranking second in yards per carry allowed. However, they haven’t faced a quarterback with the skill set that Jackson has, which makes this a daunting matchup for the Rams.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
With four more TD throws in Week 11 against the Houston Texans, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is the NFL MVP favorite at one sportsbook.
[jwplayer 6Q40ShvH-ThvAeFxT]
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has done special things this season. It’s earned him MVP chants that continue to grow with each week. Now, after throwing for four touchdowns against the Houston Texans in Week 11, Jackson is getting the same type of love from at least one oddsmaker.
According to ESPN’s Ben Fawkes, Caesars Sportsbook now has Jackson as its front-runner for the 2019 NFL MVP award. He’s ahead of other candidates like Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes — and for good reason.
Through 10 games, Jackson has completed 66.3% of his passes for 2,258 yards, 19 touchdowns and just five interceptions. His 106.3 passer rating ranks fourth in the league behind Wilson, Kirk Cousins and Mahomes. Jackson holds the second-highest TD%, throwing for a score on 6.8% of his attempts. He has two games with a perfect 158.3 passer rating this season alone.
But Jackson is not a traditional quarterback. He has rushed for 788 yards and six touchdowns so far this season. His 78.8 yards-per-game and six rushing touchdowns rank 10th in the entire NFL, and he holds the highest rushing yards per attempt in the league.
While the stats are certainly there for Jackson to claim the NFL’s MVP award, quite a lot of the award also goes with publicity. Jackson doesn’t disappoint in that regard either, having left a lot of former opponents in awe this season after he was done with them. His latest, Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson — an MVP candidate himself — gave the Ravens quarterback some MVP love following the game.
But seriously, Jackson has earned the right to be considered the front-runner for the MVP award in 2019. If he keeps up this pace for the final six games, he seems destined to win it.
