Tag: Los Angeles Rams

NFL Week 11 power rankings: Rams continue to fall after 4th loss

The Rams dropped out of the top half of Doug Farrar’s power rankings this week.

The Los Angeles Rams dropped their fourth game of the season on Sunday, falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-12 at Heinz Field. This week’s loss continued a troubling trend of inconsistency on offense, despite getting – and wasting – outstanding performances from their core group of defenders.

They seemed to be making progress against the Falcons and Bengals, but this weekend against a tougher opponent proved the Rams have not improved much at all. They dropped further down this week’s power rankings as Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire doesn’t see them as one of the 16 best teams in the NFL.

They’re No. 18 in his Week 11 power rankings after losing to the Steelers on Sunday afternoon.

After the Rams went 13-3 and reached the Super Bowl last season, head coach Sean McVay was the toast of the league. What a difference a year can make, and not in a good way. In a 17-12 loss to the Steelers on Sunday, McVay’s offense converted just one of its 14 third-down attempts. The Rams’ drives: Punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, fumble, punt, missed field goal, interception, interception, field goal, punt, punt, downs, interception. At one point, McVay pulled Jared Goff from the game, installed backup quarterback Blake Bortles, and then tried a fourth-down pass from punter Johnny Hekker, which was intercepted by safety Terrell Edmunds. Goff completed 22 of 41 passes for 243 yards, no touchdowns, and two picks of his own. Goff has a completion rate below 60% in each of his last five games, nobody seems to know why Todd Gurley isn’t getting the ball, and Cooper Kupp didn’t catch a single pass on a season-low four targets. The league may have figured out McVay and Goff, but McVay and Goff are helping their opponents with some truly ugly football.

Right ahead of the Rams are the Steelers, who are also 5-4. Behind Los Angeles are the Cardinals, who are better than their 3-6-1 record indicates. Now, it’s not as if the Rams have fallen below .500 or have become one of the worst teams in football, but given their talent level and expectations, 18th is certainly disappointing.

Even the Titans (No. 16) have moved ahead of the Rams and they have far fewer star players than Los Angeles. It’s just that they’ve gotten better play from their quarterback Ryan Tannehill, and more importantly, their offensive line.

The Seahawks are No. 6 after beating the 49ers on Monday night, while San Francisco ranks second.

[vertical-gallery id=625270]

Ranking the 11 most disappointing NFL teams of 2019

The Rams, Chargers, Bears and Browns are among the biggest disappointments.

What teams have failed to deliver in the biggest manners in 2019? The expectations for each of these 11 were not the same. Still, they have all come up short in different ways.

11. Cincinnati Bengals

 Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports

Zac Taylor has taken a team that went 6-10 in 2018 and turned it into a laughingstock that is 0-9. Sure, there is no A.J. Green and that is an enormous loss. However, it feels more like a blessing for the talented wideout. Also, don’t think about throwing the loss of John Ross into the equation. He was trending as a bust and had a few good games before being injured, again. Benching Andy Dalton on his birthday was a gift as much as an insult. And throwing Ryan Finley to the Ravens was almost criminal. Could they go winless? It feels more probable than impossible.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10, Page 11

Rams Wire discussion forum: How concerning is Jared Goff’s play in 2019?

Are you worried about Jared Goff’s struggles this year?

Two years before his contract was set to expire, Jared Goff signed a massive extension with the Los Angeles Rams. It was worth $134 million for four years, including $110 million in guaranteed money.

He’ll have the highest cap hit in the NFL next season at $36 million, which is $2.5 million more than any other player. His play this year has done nothing to suggest the Rams were wise to pay Goff when they did, but how concerning has his performance been?

Put simply, it has raised some red flags, but there are also other factors to consider – like the offensive line being decimated and struggling mightily, and Todd Gurley’s lack of involvement.

We pose the question to you: How worried about Goff are you after seeing how he’s played this year? Share your thoughts and join the discussion at the Rams Wire forum.

POLL: Who wins Week 11 contest between Bears and Rams?

The Bears and Rams will meet in a rematch of last year’s defensive battle on Sunday Night Football. Will the Bears emerge victorious again?

The Chicago Bears (4-5) will hit the road to take on the Los Angeles Rams (5-4) on the primetime stage.

The Bears are coming off a 20-13 win over the Detroit Lions, which snapped a four-game losing streak. Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky had his best game of the season against Detroit, and he and the Bears offense will be looking to build on that success.

The Rams are coming off a 17-12 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, where Los Angeles’ offense struggled mightily and their defense wasn’t able to come up with a critical stop on fourth-and-1. But the Rams defense certainly impressed, and they’ll be looking to do the same against Chicago.

Chicago and Los Angeles met last year on Sunday Night Football in what was a defensive battle. The Bears emerged victorious with a 15-6 victory over the Rams, after making quarterback Jared Goff’s night a long one.

Will the Bears repeat their defensive dominance against the Rams on Sunday? Will Chicago extend their winning streak to two games? Or will the Bears fall victim to the issues that affected them during their four-game losing streak?

Who wins on Sunday?

VOTE!

[polldaddy poll=10455802]

NFC West standings: Seahawks take down 49ers, still in 2nd place

The division went 1-3 in Week 10.

The NFC West did not have a great week in Week 10. They did, though, have one great game on national television. The division went 1-3 on the weekend but the Monday night game between the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers was fantastic. The 49ers lost and no longer are undefeated.

Here is what the standings look like in the division now.

  1. San Francisco 49ers, 8-1
  2. Seattle Seahawks, 8-2
  3. Los Angeles Rams, 5-4
  4. Arizona Cardinals, 3-6-1

Seattle and San Francisco battled Monday night. It took all 10 minutes of overtime, but the Seahawks beat them 27-24 on a field goal as time expired in the extra period. Both teams had defensive touchdowns. Both Jimmy Garoppolo and Russell Wilson threw interceptions. Both had their No. 1 receiver get hurt in the game.

The Rams continued to underwhelm. They lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-12 and now have more injuries to worry about. Center Brian Allen is out for the rest of the season and tackle Rob Havenstein and receiver Brandin Cooks are hurt.

The Cardinals lost 30-27 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, their third loss in a row. They scored at least 25 points for the fifth time in the last six games but the defense failed to stop the Bucs.

In Week 11, the Cardinals will travel to Santa Clara to take on the 49ers for the second time in three weeks. The Rams will host the equally disappointing Chicago Bears and play in the Sunday night game.

Seattle enters its bye week.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

[protected-iframe id=”a204a11f801568b3e0792ce96f9d7e48-112738498-106269283″ info=”https://api.spreaker.com/v2/episodes/19884698/download.mp3″ ]

Two Rams make PFF’s Team of the Week despite ugly loss to Steelers

Aaron Donald and Cory Littleton stood out as two of the best players in Week 10.

As poorly as the Los Angeles Rams played against the Steelers, there were a few standouts on the defensive side of the ball. Aaron Donald played particularly well, as did Cory Littleton, Clay Matthews and Taylor Rapp.

Donald had five tackles, a half-sack, three QB hits, two tackles for loss and a safety forced, helping limit the Steelers offense to just 273 yards. Littleton led all players with 14 tackles, also forcing and recovering a fumble, and making one tackle for loss.

He and Donald made Pro Football Focus’ Team of the Week for Week 10, despite the Rams losing in ugly fashion.

Donald earned an overall grade of 92.0, which was the best of any interior defender in Week 10, also generating five pressures and three defensive stops. Littleton was even better in PFF’s eyes, receiving a grade of 92.3, second-best among all inside linebackers.

Littleton continues to fly under the radar as one of the NFL’s best coverage linebackers. He recorded five defensive stops, a forced fumble and allowed just three receptions for 16 yards.

Donald and Littleton have been studs for the Rams all season and are a big reason the defense has played as well as it has. The offense simply hasn’t done its part in many of the Rams’ other losses, which is a big reason they’re just 5-4 after nine games.

Los Angeles needs better play from Jared Goff and the offensive line if a playoff push is going to be made.

Who has bigger quarterback issues, Bears or Rams?

Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky’s struggles are no secret to Chicago. But what about his friend Rams QB Jared Goff, who’s also struggling?

[jwplayer rzKgNnfu-ThvAeFxT]

The Chicago Bears’ quarterback struggles are no secret this season in the NFL. Mitchell Trubisky has been scrutinized on a weekly basis — everything from his play to his weekly press conferences. That’s what happens when you’re struggling on a bad team that was supposed to be a Super Bowl contender.

Some Bears fans are already clamoring for the offseason, where they hope Trubisky’s replacement awaits. But Chicago still has another seven games left to evaluate the former No. 2 overall pick to see if he’s worth sticking with.

Trubisky’s off to a good start to the second half of the season after a three-touchdown effort and a 131.0 passer rating in a 20-13 win over the Detroit Lions last Sunday.

Another team that knows something about a struggling young quarterback is the Bears’ Week 11 opponent, the Los Angeles Rams.

Jared Goff, who struggled in his first season under defensive-minded Jeff Fisher, thrived in the next two seasons with offensive guru Sean McVay. He quarterbacked a Rams team that went to the Super Bowl last season — and he was paid handsomely for it, nabbing a four-year deal worth $134 million with $110 million guaranteed.

But lately, Goff has been struggling worse than his friend Trubisky. Goff, the former No. 1 overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, has had five straight games with a completion rate below 60 percent, according to NBC Sports Chicago. Trubisky has managed a passer rating above 60 percent in four of his last five games.

While Trubisky has an 85.2 passer rating this season, Goff’s is lower at 82.7. Trubisky has thrown eight touchdowns and three interceptions this season to Goff’s 11 touchdowns versus nine interceptions.

Goff has a slightly higher QBR of 39.4 (which ranks 28th) while Trubisky has a QBR of 35.9 (which ranks 31st).

You could say that the Bears are better off than the Rams, who have already paid Goff a massive extension. At least the Bears haven’t paid Trubisky yet.

[lawrence-related id=430635,430631,430602,430534]

7 free-agent offensive linemen Rams should consider signing

There are options available if the Rams want to sign a free agent to bolster the offensive line.

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Rams have taken a few big hits to their offensive line recently, losing Brian Allen for the season and Rob Havenstein for at least one week, but possibly more. There will be a lot of shuffling up front, which already began on Sunday.

As it stands right now, Austin Blythe will move from guard to center, while Austin Corbett will likely take over at left guard. David Edwards should remain at right guard with Bobby Evans taking over for Havenstein. No matter how it shakes out, the Rams are in trouble.

Sean McVay said the Rams will look at free agents this week, so here are seven potential options for Los Angeles.

C John Sullivan

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

A familiar face for the Rams, Sullivan should at least be in consideration. The team moved on from him this offseason by declining his 2019 option, which was an understandable move after he struggled last season.

However, his veteran leadership would at least bring some stability to the line, and he’s obviously familiar with the blocking scheme.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7

Sean McVay lays out plan for offensive line, says Rams will look at free agents

The Rams will likely thrust rookie Bobby Evans into the starting lineup at right tackle.

Sean McVay shared some bad news about the Rams’ offensive line on Monday, announcing that Brian Allen is out for the year and Rob Havenstein might miss a few weeks. It’s two more blows to an offensive line that’s been one of the worst in the NFL, if not the very worst.

As much as Allen and Havenstein have struggled this season, replacing isn’t something the Rams want to do. It’s forcing them to dig into their depth up front, which is already thin at the moment.

McVay explained how the Rams will handle the recent injuries and shift the offensive line, but there are still moves that could be made.

“We’re working through some of those things. I think you got a chance to evaluate some guys yesterday, just based on the way the nature of the game went,” McVay said. “I thought Austin Blythe did a nice job at center – he’ll step into that position. Austin Corbett did some really good things at that left guard spot. Then I thought – before he ended up having to transition out to the tackle spot – David Edwards did a nice job at right guard. As far as the tackle position – exactly how we fill that void from Rob – you could look at Bobby Evans, some other options. We’re working through those things right now as all that information just within the last few hours – we’re working through that.”

To summarize, this is how the offensive line could look in Week 11 with Havenstein and Allen out:

  • LT Andrew Whitworth
  • LG Austin Corbett
  • C Austin Blythe
  • RG David Edwards
  • RT Bobby Evans

McVay said he feels good about Edwards staying at guard instead of moving him outside to right tackle – a position he played throughout his college career. He’d also prefer not to “feel like you’re falling off at two spots” by having to slide in a replacement at right guard where the Rams are getting solid play from Edwards.

The Rams could also look to the pool of free agents that are available, though McVay didn’t specify any names. Waivers are another option, if a player gets waived by a team in the near future.

“There’s certainly some names,” McVay said. “There’s some potential guys that you look to put a claim in and maybe other teams end up getting on that guy first. Those are things that we’re working through in the meantime.”

Perhaps the Rams tried to claim guard Aaron Stinnie off waivers from the Titans. The Bucs won that claim, and maybe that’s what McVay is referring to by saying “maybe other teams end up getting on that guy first.”

No other linemen have been claimed in the past few weeks, so if McVay is indicating the Rams tried to claim someone, Stinnie would make sense.

At the very least, Los Angeles needs to add some depth up front in case another injury occurs. Right now, Jamil Demby and Coleman Shelton are the only remaining offensive linemen on the 53-man roster as backups, with Chandler Brewer and Jeremiah Kolone on the practice squad.

What are the Bears’ odds of making the playoffs after Week 10 win?

The Chicago Bears defeated the Detroit Lions 20-13 to advance to 4-5 on the season. What are their current playoff odds?

[jwplayer rzKgNnfu-ThvAeFxT]

The Chicago Bears had legitimate Super Bowl aspirations heading into the 2019 season, but those expectations became more of a long-shot after a four-game losing streak sent them spiraling near the bottom of a competitive NFC.

After notching a 20-13 win over NFC North rivals the Detroit Lions on Sunday, the Bears got their first win in over a month and improved their playoff odds — just a tad.

Chicago, who sits at 4-5 heading into Week 11, increased their playoff odds from 2.7 percent to 4.4 percent.

And they can increase them more if they upset the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday, as well as the remainder of what’s shaping up to be a tough schedule to close out the season.

The Bears currently sit behind the Seattle Seahawks (8-2), Minnesota Vikings (7-3), Rams (5-4), Philadelphia Eagles (5-4) and Carolina Panthers (5-4) in the NFC Wild Card race.

Here’s a look at the remainder of the Bears’ 2019 schedule as they enter Week 11:

[vertical-gallery id=430641]