Tag: Los Angeles Rams

Updated NFC West standings headed into Week 14: Seahawks remain in 1st

Updated NFC West standings headed into Week 14: Seahawks remain in 1st

It cannot be overstated how big of a seized opportunity it was for the Seattle Seahawks for winning on Sunday. The Seahawks survived a sloppy and bizarre game against the New York Jets, ultimately prevailing with a 26-21 victory on the road. As I say often, style points do not matter in this league, only wins count.

And count they do, as Seattle created a little distance between themselves and the rest of the division. The Seahawks won, but the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers did not. Arizona lost a narrow battle to the Minnesota Vikings 23-22 with Kyler Murray throwing a game-losing interception in the final minute of the game.

Meanwhile the 49ers suffered their second-straight blowout loss. One week after being dog walked by the Packers to the tune of 38-10, they endured an almost identical fate by losing 35-10 to the Buffalo Bills.

Unfortunately, the Los Angeles Rams are still somehow alive, being the only other NFC West team to prevail in Week 13. They also won on the road, taking down the New Orleans Saints 21-14. Below are the current divisional standings:

  • Seattle Seahawks 7-5
  • Arizona Cardinals 6-6
  • Los Angeles Rams 6-6
  • San Francisco 49ers 5-7

Arizona edges out Los Angeles for now due to a direct head-to-head tiebreaker over the Rams. The Cards obliterated them 41-10 in Week 2 of this season.

Speaking of the Red Birds, they are Seattle’s next opponent. The rematch of the season is already upon the Hawks, and the stakes are just as high. Should Arizona beat Seattle in Week 14, they will reclaim first place in the NFC West due to a better division record tiebreaker. Currently, the Seahawks are 2-2 in the division, while the Cardinals are 2-1.

Seattle did themselves a favor by winning, but that’s officially in the past. What matters now is finding a way to win in Week 14 to stave off Arizona, and a Los Angeles team that simply will not quit.

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NFC playoff picture: Where the Rams stand after Week 13 win

The Rams are currently 10th in the NFC and their playoff odds sit at 20% through Week 13

The Los Angeles Rams got a much-needed win against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon, bouncing back from a 37-20 loss in Week 12. They overcame a 6-0 halftime deficit and scored 21 points in the second half to steal a win from the Saints, improving their record to 6-6 on the year.

With five games remaining, the Rams are still alive in the playoff race and sit just one game back of the division lead, currently held by the 7-5 Seahawks.

The Rams face a huge test against the Bills in Week 14, going up against a 10-2 team that has won seven in a row and scored at least 30 points in six straight. If they can somehow take down the Bills, the Rams will be in even better shape heading into the final stretch.

Below is a look at the current standings in the NFC.

  1. Lions: 11-1
  2. Eagles: 10-2
  3. Seahawks: 7-5
  4. Falcons: 6-6
  5. Vikings: 10-2
  6. Packers: 9-3
  7. Commanders: 8-5
  8. Buccaneers: 6-6
  9. Cardinals: 6-6
  10. Rams: 6-6
  11. 49ers: 5-7
  12. Cowboys: 5-7

Through Week 13, the Rams are 10th in the conference. NFL.com estimates that their playoff odds sit at 20% entering the final five games, so they’re not close to assured a spot in the postseason just yet.

What’s keeping their odds lower is the fact that their clearest path to the playoffs is with a division title because they’re two games back of the Commanders for the final wild-card spot, with the Bucs and Cardinals also ahead of LA in the standings.

The Seahawks and Cardinals play each other in Week 14 so in a best-case scenario, Arizona and the Rams both win, creating a three-way tie for first in the NFC West at 7-6.

However, if the Seahawks and Rams both win, Seattle will remain one game ahead. The Rams have already beaten the Seahawks once, which means their Week 18 showdown could end up being for the division title.

Rams made big improvements in two key areas vs. Saints

The Rams finally made some strides in two critical areas, which was the difference in the game against the Saints

A lot of things have gone wrong for the Los Angeles Rams on offense this season. Between injuries, inefficient running and penalties, it’s been a struggle to get going on that side of the ball – a surprising development when you consider how much talent the Rams have on offense.

But two things have been the root issue for Los Angeles’ inability to put up points consistently: third down and red zone efficiency. Entering Week 13, the Rams ranked 25th in red zone touchdown percentage and 31st in third-down conversion rate.

On Sunday against the Saints, the Rams made huge strides in both areas. After going 0-for-8 on third down last week and starting Sunday’s game 0-for-2, the Rams moved the chains on four of their final seven third-down attempts to finish the game 4-for-9 – a respectable rate, one that allowed them to sustain drives and put up points in the second half.

In the red zone, the Rams had really struggled in their first 11 games of the season, settling for field goal after field goal. That was particularly troublesome given Joshua Karty’s inaccuracy, missing one field goal in each of his previous three games.

Against the Saints, the Rams were 3-for-3 when reaching the red zone, scoring touchdowns all three times. In a game they won 21-14, that was the difference. Rather than kicking three field goals and only coming away with nine points, they scored three touchdowns. One was a rushing score by Kyren Williams from 4 yards out and the other two were short touchdown receptions by Demarcus Robinson and Puka Nacua.

In a game where the Rams only ran 55 offensive plays and attempted just 24 passes, they needed to be as efficient as possible when given scoring opportunities. And they were.

If the Rams can continue to move the chains on third down and score touchdowns in the red area, they can be competitive against any team. That’s just a big “if” at this point in the year because as we’ve seen week in and week out, the offense is wildly inconsistent.

Sunday’s game was a step in the right direction and could lead to improvements from the offense as a whole. They’ll be tested in a big way against the 10-2 Bills, who are eighth in red zone defense but only 20th in third-down conversion rate allowed.

The Rams must score touchdowns instead of field goals this Sunday, given the fact that the Bills have scored at least 30 points in six straight games and boast one of the best offenses in the league.

Why NFL Week 13 results were so damaging for 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers’ playoff hopes are fading fast.

The San Francisco 49ers‘ playoff hopes are fading fast.

With its 35-10 loss at Buffalo on Sunday night, the 49ers have now dropped three straight to sink to 5-7 on the season.

The blowout loss also marked the first time since 2015 and just the fourth time in franchise history that San Francisco has lost back-to-back games by 25 points or more.

San Francisco entered Week 13 just a game outside first place in the NFC West, but the 49ers exit the week in the division’s cellar.

The Seattle Seahawks used a 92-yard pick-six from defensive end Leonard Williams to flip an early 21-7 deficit into an eventual 26-21 win at the New York Jets. The Seahawks improved to 7-5 with the win.

Seattle has now won three straight dating back to its 20-17 Week 11 win at San Francisco.

Thanks to Minnesota‘s rally over Arizona, Seattle now owns sole possession of first place in the NFC West.

Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold connected with running back Aaron Jones for a 5-yard score with 1:13 left to play. Then, Vikings cornerback Shaquill Griffin sealed the 23-22 victory with his interception of Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray on the ensuing possession.

The loss drops Arizona to 6-6 on the season and one game out of first place.

The Los Angeles Rams stayed within striking distance thanks to a 21-14 win at the New Orleans Saints. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford tossed a pair of touchdown passes to Demarcus Robinson and Puka Nacua in the fourth quarter to help Los Angeles improve to 6-6.

Sitting in the cellar and now two games out of first place, San Francisco will close its 2024 season with games versus Chicago, versus the Los Angeles Rams, at Miami, versus Detroit and at Arizona.

Watch highlights from Rams’ comeback win over Saints in Week 13

If you missed the Rams’ win over the Saints, here are highlights from the game at the Superdome

Plenty of things went wrong for the Los Angeles Rams against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. They started the game 0-for-2 on third down, had just 4 total yards in the first quarter, failed on fourth down and were gashed on the ground by Alvin Kamara.

Despite all that, they still found a way to win, coming back to beat the Saints, 21-14. They scored 14 straight points to take a 14-6 lead in the second half before adding the go-ahead score with 8:54 left, a 7-yard touchdown catch by Puka Nacua to cap off a 56-yard drive.

Though they would’ve liked to win by a more comfortable margin, the Rams will take any victories they can get. They showed resilience and made plays when it mattered most, including Nacua’s touchdown, Jared Verse’s fourth-down pressure and Kyren Williams’ game-sealing 11-yard run in the final minute.

If you missed the game, check out the highlights below.

Rams finally got a taste of how good their one-two punch at RB can be

Blake Corum finally got a real opportunity on offense and he delivered with his best game of the season, creating a one-two punch with Kyren Williams

It took 13 games but the Los Angeles Rams finally realized a running back tandem of Kyren Williams and Blake Corum can be highly productive when used properly.

Williams has been dominating the workload in the backfield with 207 carries compared to 29 for Corum, but the split was closer on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. Not only that, but it was Corum who got the first carry for the Rams, not Williams.

Williams still led the team in carries with 15 and he rushed for 104 yards, so there’s no question he’s still Sean McVay’s preferred runner. However, Corum showed he has a ton of potential with his eight carries for 42 yards. He did a great job spelling Williams, breaking off runs of 9 yards, 10 yards, 5 yards and 6 yards on the Rams’ second drive of the game.

He looked fast and agile when carrying the ball, too, showing the juice you’d expect to see from a rookie who’s barely been used up to this point.

He has fresh legs and runs hard, making him the perfect guy to give Williams a breather when needed. And as the season wears on, now is the perfect time to lighten Williams’ workload with the playoffs approaching.

Not to mention, Corum’s usage seemed to provide a spark for a highly motivated Williams. After Corum racked up 32 yards before Williams even got a carry, it was Williams who had a fire lit under him – particularly after fumbling twice a week ago.

To open the Rams’ third drive of the game, Williams carried it five straight times for 39 yards. On the next drive, he had 37 yards and a touchdown. McVay rode the hot hand, which helped keep the offense rolling in the second half.

It’s not completely unreasonable to think Sunday’s win could be a sign of things to come at running back. Giving Williams 15 carries and Corum eight instead of running Williams into the ground with 23 carries a game seems like a wise decision and Sunday was the first glimpse of how good that tandem can be.

When the Rams reached the Super Bowl in 2018, it was in part thanks to the combination of Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson in the backfield. An offense doesn’t always need a workhorse back to take 95% of the carries. Sometimes, keeping your starter fresh by giving the backup opportunities is the best thing to do, as we saw in the Rams’ 21-14 win over the Saints.

Corum has done nothing but rise to the occasion when called upon as a rookie and the Rams should keep this train rolling next week against the Bills.

Cooper Kupp quietly broke an NFL record Sunday that Sean McVay didn’t even know about

No player in the NFL has more catches in his first 100 games than Cooper Kupp – a record Sean McVay didn’t even know his receiver broke Sunday

Cooper Kupp is as modest as they come at wide receiver. He doesn’t do flashy touchdown celebrations or talk trash on the field, and he sure doesn’t make a big deal about his own personal accomplishments.

In Sunday’s win against the Saints, he quietly broke a pretty impressive NFL record, even in a game where he had just three catches for 17 yards.

With those three receptions, Kupp now has 625 in his career. That’s the most by any player in his first 100 games in league history. Kupp now stands above everyone else, edging out Keenan Allen by one reception for the top spot. Antonio Brown (622) and Julio Jones (619) sit in third and fourth place.

The record flew so far under the radar that not even Sean McVay knew Kupp took the top spot. During his postgame press conference, McVay was made aware of Kupp etching his name in the record books (again) and he jokingly called out Rams VP of communications Artis Twyman for not telling him about that feat.

“What the hell, Artis? Why wouldn’t you tell me that? Another time that I ended up not recognizing Cooper Kupp,” McVay joked.

He then looked into the camera at his press conference and congratulated Kupp on his accomplishment. McVay mistakenly didn’t give Kupp a game ball in the locker room because he didn’t know about his accomplishment, but he’ll be sure to give him one on Monday.

“Congratulations, Cooper. You’ll get a game ball tomorrow, buddy,” he said.

McVay then got serious about the impact Kupp has had on the team as a player and leader over his first 100 games.

“That’s cool. … He’s a special player, he’s a more special person. His work ethic, everything he’s about, is the right kind of stuff and really happy for him,” McVay said.

Watch Sean McVay’s fiery locker room speech after Rams’ win over Saints

Sean McVay was fired up after the Rams’ comeback win over the Saints, handing out game balls to Kyren Williams and two others

Sean McVay always brings the energy in the locker room after Rams wins, applauding his players for getting the job done – whether it’s a one-point win or 30-point blowout. Sunday’s game against the Saints was a close one, but the Rams pulled out the victory with a second-half comeback after getting shut out in the first 30 minutes.

McVay was fired up in the locker room, giving a passionate speech to the team at the Superdome. He also handed out three game balls, recognizing Kevin Dotson, assistant defensive line coach AC Carter and Kyren Williams for their efforts on Sunday.

He was particularly excited to give Williams his game ball, praising the running back for bouncing back after fumbling twice last week against the Eagles.

“I think it’s fitting that he (expletive) closes the game out, you see the way he (expletive) approached the week,” McVay said. “You talk about a guy that is all about the right kind of (expletive). He did something today that nobody is surprised about. We all knew, he knew. What a (expletive) G. Kyren Williams.”

Williams broke down the huddle in the locker room with a fiery speech of his own.

“Don’t forget this (expletive) feeling we got right now. We’re going to carry this (expletive) on for the rest of the season. Ain’t nobody (expletive) stopping us, man. I ain’t hearing (expletive).”

It was great to see Williams rebound from a tough game last week, and even better for McVay to recognize him. In the win on Sunday, Williams rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown.

Jared Verse was the closer the Rams needed against the Saints

Jared Verse delivered with the game on the line against the Saints, coming up with a key stop on fourth down

Jared Verse didn’t have a sack in the Los Angeles Rams’ win over the New Orleans Saints. He didn’t have a single tackle for a loss and finished with five total tackles. It wasn’t his best game by any means, but when the Rams needed him most, he delivered in the clutch.

It shows the impact a pass rusher can have on a game even when he isn’t sacking the quarterback and Verse has quickly become one of the best young edge defenders in the NFL.

With the Rams leading 21-14 and just over a minute remaining, the Saints were threatening to tie the game from Los Angeles’ 9-yard line. It was fourth-and-3 after three straight runs by Alvin Kamara, which is when Verse made his presence felt.

Foolishly, the Saints tried to block him one-on-one with tight end Foster Moreau and it went about as poorly as you’d expect. Verse beat Moreau rather easily, turned the corner and hit Derek Carr’s arm to force the incompletion. It didn’t go down as a turnover forced by Verse, but it was a turnover on downs and got the ball back for the Rams, allowing them to ice the game one play later thanks to an 11-yard run by Kyren Williams.

Verse ended the game with six pressures and three stops, a fantastic performance once again by the rookie out of Florida State. He was constantly in the backfield pressuring Carr, dominating on the right side of the defense.

Just as Aaron Donald did in the Super Bowl, Verse closed out the game in dominant fashion by forcing an incompletion on fourth down to all but end it.

 

WATCH: Saints tie the game on huge two-point conversion catch by Dante Pettis

WATCH: Saints wideout Dante Pettis makes a spectacular grab to tie the game with a two-point conversion against the Rams

The New Orleans Saints were able to tie their matchup with the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth quarter on the back of a Marquez Valdes-Scantling touchdown, and then a Dante Pettis two-point conversion catch. The play by Dante Pettis was pretty spectacular, as Derek Carr had to throw off his back foot which caused the pass to be underthrown, and Pettis was able to come back to the ball and snag it over the top of Darious Williams. This tied the game at 14 points a piece, and brought the Saints back into contention as they were previously down 14 to 6.

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