Tag: michael brockers

Michael Brockers gets good news on injured ankle heading into free agency

Michael Brockers only has a sprained ankle and won’t need surgery.

Michael Brockers very quietly had a good season for the Rams in 2019. He had a career-high 63 tackles, nine QB hits (second-most in career), three tackles for loss and three sacks, helping the run defense improve dramatically over the 2018 season.

His campaign ended on a sour note, though, when he was carted off the field in the second half of Sunday’s game against the Cardinals with an ankle injury. He couldn’t put any pressure on his left leg and was in obvious pain, which isn’t a sight any Rams fan wanted to see in the season finale.

Fortunately, the Rams shared some good news on the injury Tuesday after getting the results of his MRI. Brockers has a high ankle sprain and will not need surgery, which is a huge plus with him entering free agency this offseason.

Brockers is one of the longest-tenured players in Los Angeles and a fan favorite. The Rams don’t have a surefire replacement at defensive end for him if he leaves, so they’d probably like to bring him back in 2020. With limited cap space and other players still to pay, the Rams may not be able to afford the veteran defensive lineman.

Brockers just turned 29 in December so he still has plenty of good football left in him.

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Michael Brockers carted off with apparent left leg injury

Brockers is in the final year of his contract with the Rams.

Michael Brockers is in his eighth and possibly last season with the Rams, and this isn’t the way he’s hoping to end the 2019 campaign. He suffered a left leg injury in the fourth quarter and appeared to be badly hurt.

He couldn’t put any pressure on his leg and needed to be carted off the field.

Brockers has been the Rams’ starting defensive end the last three years after moving from defensive tackle. He’s been a key cog on the left side of the defensive line, stuffing the run consistently.

Instant analysis of Rams’ 44-21 loss to the Cowboys

The Rams’ season is likely over after a devastating blowout loss in Dallas.

The Los Angeles Rams traveled to Dallas riding a two-game win streak after thrashing the Seattle Seahawks last week. They faced a Cowboys team that had lost four of their last five games and hadn’t beaten a team with a winning record all season. It seemed like we were trending towards an easy victory for the Rams.

Quite the opposite happened. The Rams were lifeless on both sides of the ball and Dallas cruised to an easy 44-21 victory. Dallas totaled nearly 500 total yards on offense and made Jared Goff’s as difficult as possible on defense. The loss makes it nearly impossible for the Rams to make the playoffs and doesn’t mean much for the Cowboys’ playoff implications.

The Rams lost control of the football game in the second quarter and failed to get back into it. They didn’t look like they belonged in the same league as the Cowboys. It was the second time in the Rams’ last four games that they were dismantled on both sides of the ball.

Here’s our analysis of the likely season-ending loss.

Player of the game: Johnny Hekker

It says a lot about a blowout loss when the punter is the player of the game. Hekker felt like the only Ram who was trying on Sunday. Hekker punted five times and averaged over 55 yards per punt. One punt went for 67 yards and another pinned the Cowboys at their own three yard line. He even completed a pass for a first down. Hekker gave both the offense and the defense chances to succeed on Sunday.

Stat of the game: 143

143 was the difference in offensive yards between the Rams and Cowboys in the second quarter. The Cowboys scored a touchdown on all three of their possessions in the quarter. The Rams were lifeless on both sides of the ball after a touchdown early in the quarter, and Goff threw a brutal interception that set the Cowboys up for a touchdown late in the quarter. The game, and the season as a result, fell apart in that second quarter.

Game Notes

  • This has to be the ugliest performance by the Rams all season. The Ravens are the best team in the NFL, and getting manhandled by them could be more of a result of them just being that good. The Cowboys have been lifeless over the past few weeks. it’s embarrassing that the Rams were the ones who looked lifeless in this game.
  • Jared Goff failed to receive much protection from his offensive line and played horrible as a result. Goff has proven that he can play at a high level in this league, but it feels like he needs a perfect offense around him to do so. It is worth noting that Goff suffered a hand injury late in the second quarter and looked visibly affected by it. That being said, he wasn’t playing great before the injury, and he was able to make some solid throws in garbage time.
  • Tyler Higbee’s hot streak continued this week. Higbee set a career high in receptions with 12 and had over 100/yards for the third straight week. If Higbee plays like this for the duration of his recent contract extension, he’ll be worth the money.
  • Former Ram Tavon Austin’s 59 yard touchdown early in the second quarter was a direct result of two mistakes by the Rams. Early in the play, Dante Fowler had a chance to sack Dak Prescott and failed. Down the field, Taylor Rapp collided with Darious Williams and left Austin wide open as a result.
  • The Rams also had a chance to hold the Cowboys to three points after Goff’s second quarter interception, but Michael Brockers was called for illegal use of the hands after a third down stop and the Cowboys scored a touchdown on the next play. The Rams never recovered.
  • Starting cornerback Troy Hill left the game in the first quarter with a thumb injury. Darious Williams stepped in as a result, and didn’t do much to impress at all. It was a disastrous performance by the Rams on defense. Hill’s absence was felt, but it seems unlikely the Rams win this game with him.
  • The stats will look a little deceiving today, as many of the Rams padded their stats in garbage time. The Rams had 135 yards and two touchdowns on their last two drives of the game. They were empty numbers.
  • To make the playoffs, the Rams need to win their remaining games against San Francisco and Arizona while the Minnesota Vikings have to lose their last two games against Green Bay and Chicago. Neither scenario is likely. Barring a miracle, the Rams won’t be playing in January.

 

Watch: Michael Brockers was mic’d up and dying for a sack vs. Cards

Michael Brockers wanted a sack so badly – and he got one … sort of.

Michael Brockers is more of a run defender than a pass rusher for the Rams, playing the defensive end position in their 3-4 scheme. Still, he has three sacks and nine quarterback hits this season, which are both more than double his totals in 2018.

He had a half-sack against the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon, a game in which he was mic’d up. In the second half, after the Rams had already sacked Kyler Murray five times, Brockers was desperate to get one of his own.

He nearly did, splitting a sack with Aaron Donald in the third quarter. It all unfolded on the video below and it’s hilarious.

Brockers is a leader in the locker room and on the sidelines, and it’s easy to see why in the above video. He’s the longest-tenured player on the team and has been through all the ups and downs in St. Louis and Los Angeles, culminating in a Super Bowl appearance last season.

he’s as entertaining as he is productive, recording 23 career sacks and 334 tackles.

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