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Chandler Jones should be NFL Defensive Player of the Year

While the Cardinals’ season has gone quite as they had hoped, one of their best in Chandler Jones should be given a great honor for his stellar play in every game.

The Arizona Cardinals have had a very up-and-down season so far. There have been moments of great promise for the future paired with equally concerning ones. Nevertheless, one constant has remained through all 12 games — the play of outside linebacker Chandler Jones.

Since Jones’ first season with the Arizona Cardinals in 2016, no player has had more sacks. Honestly, it really isn’t close. Jones has registered 52.5 QB takedowns, the next closest being Aaron Donald with 45. Previous Defensive Player of the Year winners in Donald and Bears edge rusher Khalil Mack just don’t have the stats that Chandler Jones has.

With that said, the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year is for 2019 only. So for this award, previous stats don’t matter (although it gives a perspective on the kind of player Jones has been for years).

Let’s take a look at 2019, then. Oh, Chandler Jones is leading the league in sacks again.

Jones sits atop the quarterback takedown throne with 12.5 sacks registered on the year. Beneath him is Tampa Bay Buccaneers edge rusher Shaquil Barrett, who started off the year red-hot with nine sacks in four games. Since then, he’s cooled down a good amount. Jones looks like he’s headed for another season sack crown.

So, who else is in contention for the league’s best defender? Patriots corner Stephon Gilmore is having another stellar year and could take home the award. However, there’s another ballhawk defensive back that has been incredible down the stretch. Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick seemingly won games for Pittsburgh on his own. Since being dealt from Miami to the Black and Gold, Fitzpatrick has five interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and one touchdown. He would certainly be another great choice for defensive player of the year.

In the past few years, it seems like the league’s best defender has been either Aaron Donald or Khalil Mack. While both have been very good for their respective teams, neither has had their typical best-defensive-player caliber season. Donald has been great, but hasn’t quite been the force he was last year. On the other hand, Mack only has 5.5 sacks on the year. Both of these players are still great, but their stats just don’t give way to another DPOY award.

Cardinals DC Vance Joseph’s defense includes a lot of soft zone coverage that allows for quick ball release by opposing quarterbacks, targeting the short and intermediate passing game. This obviously makes it more difficult for edge rushers to reach the quarterback, yet it hasn’t slowed down Jones one bit. As the young Cardinals secondary gets more playing time together, Jones’ numbers will only go up.

If Chandler Jones registers one sack in each of his last five games, he will finish the 2019 season with 17.5 sacks. If he has multiple sacks in at least two of those games, he would be close to 20 sacks. That is absolutely absurd.  Jones has to be excited for this opportunity, especially considering the struggling Browns offensive line and the Rams(2x) coming up on the schedule.

Jones’s statistics certainly warrant the Defensive Player of the Year title, but the award has typically gone to a member of a playoff team. The Cardinals(3-7-1) have made great progress towards 2020 and beyond, but they won’t be in the postseason this year. Still, Chandler’s numbers should outweigh the record of the team.

As of November 24th, 2019, there has not been a better defensive player in the NFL than Chandler Jones of the Arizona Cardinals.

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

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Rams Week 12 rooting guide: Who should L.A. pull for on Sunday?

There are four big games in the NFC playoff race on Sunday.

The Rams will take the field on Monday night having seen the result of every Week 12 game. As a result, the playoff picture will be that much clearer to them before taking on the Ravens.

They shouldn’t be paying much attention to it, needing to take care of their own business, but there are plenty of games on Sunday afternoon that will have playoff implications in the NFC.

Here’s what the postseason picture looks like right now”

  1. West: 49ers (9-1)
  2. North: Packers (8-2)
  3. South: Saints (8-2)
  4. East: Cowboys (6-4)
  5. Wild card: Seahawks (8-2)
  6. Wild card: Vikings (8-3)

In the hunt

Rams (6-4)
Eagles (5-5)
Panthers (5-5)

Here are the four games that are relevant to the Rams’ playoff hopes as all of them will have an impact on the postseason picture in the NFC.

Seahawks (8-2) vs. Eagles (5-5)

This one is obvious. The Eagles are still in the playoff hunt at 5-5, but the Seahawks are more direct competition for the Rams. Any and every loss suffered by other NFC West opponents will help Los Angeles, even if the Rams are still a long shot to win the division.

The Rams should hope the Eagles win this one to drop the Seahawks back a game. If Los Angeles can beat the Ravens, it’ll be just one game back of Seattle with one more matchup with the Seahawks still to come.

Root for: Eagles

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Rams injury report: Brandin Cooks good to go, Natrez Patrick questionable

The Rams released their final injury report for Week 12 on Saturday.

The Rams are heading into Monday night’s matchup in pretty good health despite being without Rob Havenstein still. He’s been ruled out with a knee injury, as has Darious Williams with his ankle issue, but the Rams are getting Brandin Cooks back.

He’s fully recovered from his concussion and is ready to roll against the Ravens. He was a full participant in practice all week and doesn’t carry an injury designation into the game. Johnny Hekker and Josh Reynolds are also over their illnesses, it appears, and there’s no concern about them for Monday night.

Natrez Patrick misses Saturday’s practice with an illness and is listed as questionable for Monday’s game against the Ravens.

Here’s the Rams’ full injury report for Week 12 after practicing on Saturday.

 https://twitter.com/camdasilva/status/1198379659181854721?s=21

Michael Pierce is doubtful for the game due to an ankle injury, which is a significant loss for the Ravens if he can’t play.

Tackle Ronnie Stanley is also questionable with an ankle issue, but other than that, Baltimore is relatively healthy.

Rams’ 3 biggest causes for concern vs. Ravens

The Rams have to be worried about containing Lamar Jackson on Monday night.

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Rams will face their toughest test yet on Monday night when the Baltimore Ravens come to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It’s a prime-time matchup between two teams that are at very different points in their season.

The Ravens are trying to lock up an AFC North title in the next few weeks, while the Rams are simply trying to survive in the NFC playoff race. They need this win more than Baltimore, but the Ravens are rolling and have won six straight.

Here are the Rams’ three biggest causes for concern against a red-hot Ravens squad.

Containing Lamar Jackson

Jackson is a headache for every opposing defense and coaching staff. Wade Phillips said it himself, adding that he’d have white hair from preparing to face the Ravens if he didn’t already. Jackson is the cog that makes this engine go, and he’s truly one of the most dangerous players in the NFL right now.

Commit to stopping the run and he’ll throw accurately all over the field. Drop back and play extra defenders in coverage and he’ll dominate as a runner. With Jackson, it’s about picking your poison, and neither is a good choice.

The Rams have to be worried about keeping him at bay because so few teams have been able to do that. They do have good athleticism and speed all over the defense, but Jackson is a different player than the quarterback they face twice a year in Russell Wilson.

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Who has been the Rams’ most underrated player this season?

Troy Hill has played extremely well since taking over as a starter.

The Rams have gotten more contributions out of their backups this season than in the past couple of years. Injuries have certainly played a part in that, but so has the front office’s willingness to make trades.

As a result, a number of lesser-known players have stepped up and had solid seasons. Josh Reynolds has filled in nicely for Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks, David Edwards looks good at guard and Taylor Rapp has played well in place of John Johnson.

But who has been the most underrated player for the Rams this season? That’s a question Pro Football Focus answered, pegging Troy Hill as the top choice. He’s certainly deserving of the honor, too.

Since taking over for Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib as a starting cornerback opposite Jalen Ramsey, Hill has put together a great stretch of play. While he’s being picked on by opposing quarterbacks, he’s holding his own in coverage.

Here’s what PFF wrote about Hill being the Rams’ most underrated player.

One may think Jalen Ramsey is the best cornerback on the Rams, but really, the best performing corner on the roster has been Troy Hill, who is currently eighth in PFF grade at 79.9. Hill has been the secret superstar of the Los Angeles Rams, as he is locking down his opponent in coverage, allowing a catch rate of just 47.1% (sixth-lowest). Hill was given starting duties back in Week 6, and since that week, he is PFF’s highest-graded cornerback.

Hill has been targeted 39 times this season but only allowed 20 completions, a rate of 51.3%. He’s given up just one touchdown and has one interception, allowing a passer rating of 66.8. Very quietly, he’s been one of the better corners in the league this season.

Rapp, Edwards and Reynolds are also good picks as the Rams’ most underrated player of the season, as is Cory Littleton, who’s been a star at inside linebacker, but Hill’s high level of play has made Los Angeles look wise for trading Peters and Talib when it did.

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NFL Week 12 picks: Who the experts are taking in Rams vs. Ravens

The experts are heavily favoring the Ravens on Monday night.

For just the second time all season, the Rams are underdogs. And for the first time since 2017, they’re home underdogs. That’s the sort of threat the Ravens pose in Week 12, playing like the best team in the league over the last month.

The Ravens are the favorites in the eyes of the oddsmakers, but do NFL experts see it the same way? In short, yes.

According to NFL Pick Watch, a whopping 86% of experts this week are taking the Ravens to beat the Rams straight-up; this isn’t against the spread. That’s the third-highest number for a road team in Week 12, with 99% picking the Steelers to beat the Bengals and 93% picking the Lions over the Redskins.

The Rams have won three of their last four games, but they haven’t played any teams that pose much of a threat. They beat the Falcons, Bengals and Bears, and lost to the Steelers two weeks ago.

The Ravens have won four in a row, averaging 39 points per game in that stretch. They lead the league in scoring and are on pace to set NFL records in both points per drive (3.03) and total punts in a season (34).

The Rams have been searching for a signature win – besides the one over the Saints earlier this season – and this would certainly be one on Monday night.

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Marcus Peters hasn’t been telling Ravens much about Rams

Marcus Peters hasn’t disclosed many of the Rams’ secrets, according to Matt Judon of the Ravens.

Much has been made about Eric Weddle’s refusal to share any inside information on the Ravens with the Rams. He feels as though he’d be betraying his former teammates and coaches by disclosing intel to his new team.

Marcus Peters probably doesn’t feel the same way about sharing Rams secrets with the Ravens. Though he said he doesn’t have a chip on his shoulder in advance of Monday’s game against the team that traded him midseason, he is telling his current team some information.

According to Matt Judon of the Ravens, though, it isn’t much. Steve Wyche of NFL Network shared what Judon told him about Peters’ intel.

“He also said Peters has not been telling a whole lot on the Rams. He said just a little bit, but not that much. He said, ‘Ain’t no snitching here. This is gonna be a straight-up game,’” Wyche said.

Also in Wyche’s report is Judon’s response to Weddle keeping his lips sealed ahead of this marquee matchup.

“He said, ‘That’s who Weddle is. And he’s also the type of guy who would go to the Rams’ coaches and say, if you have not seen any of their tendencies on film, go watch more film.’”

Peters will definitely have an advantage, since he was traded about a month ago, whereas Weddle hasn’t been in Baltimore since last season. The Ravens’ calls have undoubtedly changed since then, whereas the Rams will have trouble switching things up too much with Peters on the other side.

That being said, Sean McVay acknowledged that the team will “be careful” with its gameplan.

Michael Vick responds to Jalen Ramsey’s question on defending Lamar Jackson

Jalen Ramsey asked Michael Vick how he would stop Lamar Jackson, and he doesn’t know what he would do.

When the Los Angeles Rams take the field on defense Monday night, they’ll have one of the most dynamic playmakers in the league staring them down. Lamar Jackson has been the best player in the league this season, as declared by the Rams themselves, and has looked particularly unstoppable in the last four games.

He’s not your typical quarterback to defend, and devising a game plan to stop him is a great challenge. Jalen Ramsey resorted to asking a quarterback who played similarly to the way Jackson does, requesting some help from Michael Vick.

Vick was in attendance for the Rams’ win over the Bears on Sunday night, and in Ramsey’s caption on Instagram, he asked the former Falcons star for assistance.

Vick actually responded to Ramsey’s request, saying he’s not sure how he would defend Jackson, either. He called Jackson the 2019 version of himself, which is essentially the same thing Wade Phillips said on Thursday.

“Tough question bruh… see the reality is this… Lamar is Mike Vick 2019, but with an offense built around his skill, which makes it hard to say. I wouldn’t know what to do against a guy kinda like myself. 😂 #giveiteverytingyougot”

The Rams will have their hands full with Jackson and the Ravens offense, which is averaging 39 points per game in the last four weeks.

Key to slowing Lamar Jackson down is something Rams are best at

The Rams pressure QBs without blitzing at a higher rate than any other team in the NFL.

Slowing down Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense is as difficult a task as any in the NFL right now. They’ve scored a league-high 157 points in their last four games, winning by an average of more than 25 points per game.

In that span, Jackson has thrown for 751 yards and eight touchdown passes with zero interceptions, and also rushed for 321 yards and four touchdowns on 47 carries. He’s very clearly emerged as one of the favorites to win NFL MVP this season, proving to be one of the most dynamic players in the league.

The Rams defense has played extremely well in the last four games, allowing a league-low 44 points and ranking first in rushing yards allowed. Granted, their competition in that span has been unimpressive, but the defense is hitting its stride at the right time with the Ravens coming to town.

Neutralizing Jackson and slowing Baltimore’s offense is nearly impossible, but the team that’s come closest to doing that is Pittsburgh. In Week 5, the Steelers held Jackson to 161 yards passing and 70 yards rushing with one total touchdown and three interceptions.

They have one of the best pass rushes in the NFL and against the Ravens, they didn’t blitz as much as they normally do. Why? Because blitzing Jackson is a recipe for disaster.

This season, Jackson has been unbelievably good when facing five or more rushers. Against the blitz, he’s completed 54 of 90 passes (60%) for 757 yards with 15 touchdowns and only one interception. He’s been sacked eight times on such plays, but he’s averaging 8.4 yards per attempt against the blitz (7.9 against a normal rush). Additionally, he’s rushed for 112 yards on only six carries, an average of 18.7 yards per rush.

For comparison, he’s thrown just four touchdown passes and four interceptions against a normal rush this year, with a passer rating of 91.2 (122.1 vs. blitz).

This is good news for the Rams, who are better at getting pressure on the quarterback without blitzing than any other team in the league.

This season, the Rams have only blitzed 104 times, or at a rate of 25%. That’s the 11th-lowest rate in the NFL, but they’ve also hurried quarterbacks on 68 of their dropbacks – the most in football.

If the Rams can pressure Jackson with only four rushers, the second-year quarterback is going to have far more trouble than he would against the blitz. Take a look at this play where the Steelers are able to pressure Jackson with only four defenders, getting quick penetration up the middle while T.J. Watt gets wide outside.

The only thing that went wrong on this play was Stephon Tuitt failing to wrap up Jackson, which is understandable.

The Steelers got pressure on Jackson here, as well, by only rushing four. Watt gets deep upfield and forces Jackson to step up in the pocket, which lands him in the arms of Javon Hargrave.

It was good discipline by the Steelers’ defenders to maintain their gaps and keep their eyes on the quarterback. That’s something the Rams will need to do, specifically Aaron Donald and Sebastian Joseph-Day in the middle.

Another aspect of this game that favors the Rams defense is limiting explosive plays. No team in the NFL has allowed fewer explosive plays (15-yard rush, 20-yard pass) than the Rams this season.

It’s a staple of their scheme, which employs a bend-don’t-break mentality. They force teams to inch their way down the field, taking away deep passes and long runs. Offenses have to earn their yardage against the Rams.

It’s why they only rank 17th in plays per drive by their opponents, but they’re sixth in yards and fifth in points per possession. The Ravens, on the other hand, have the third-highest explosive play rate in the league, consistently creating big plays on offense.

This isn’t to say the Rams will have an easy time against the Ravens. No defense does. But the Rams are the best team in the league at generating pressure with only four rushers and limiting explosive plays.

Los Angeles will still need to contain Jackson as a runner and avoid making colossal mistakes when the Ravens utilize zone reads and RPOs. A defensive end or outside linebacker crashing down when he should key on the quarterback can be the difference in a tackle for loss or a 30-yard run.

This will be a monumental test for the Rams, who have faced a very low level of competition in the last four games.

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Brandin Cooks says retirement ‘never went through my mind’ after concussion

Brandin Cooks never considered retirement after suffering his second concussion of the season.

Brandin Cooks is back with the Rams after missing the last two games due to a concussion. It was his second concussion of the season and his fourth in the last two years, raising some concern about his health.

Cooks went to see concussion specialists in Pittsburgh during the Rams’ bye week, trying to get to the root of his frequent head injuries. The Rams understandably wanted to play it safe with their wide receiver, as evidenced by Sean McVay saying Cooks has been “ready to roll for a couple weeks now,” but he’s fully healthy and will play against the Ravens on Monday night.

On Friday, Cooks spoke to the media for the first time since suffering the concussion in Week 8. During his press conference, he was asked whether he ever considered retirement or stepping away from the game. His answer was pretty definitive.

“Absolutely not. No doubt about it,” Cooks said. “When it happened that never went through my mind. Even now it’s not going through my mind. I’m just thankful for a great team around me for me to be able to comfortable coming out here to play.”

Cooks got a new helmet that he’ll wear against Baltimore, which will hopefully help prevent some of the head injuries he’s suffered throughout his career. “Other than that, everything else is the same,” he said.

Given how often he’s suffered concussions in his career, it’s easy to be concerned about the possibility of him getting another one. Cooks isn’t worried about it, though, and he doesn’t think anyone else should be, either.

“To be very honest with you, not really concerning at all. I understand that it’s one of the things that’s part of the game. At the end of the day, what’s going through my mind is like, ‘OK, let’s get some answers.’ Then figuring out what’s going on,” he said. “It’s a blessing that I don’t have ever have symptoms after. But at the end of the day, once again, I think it’s one of those things that’s a case-by-case thing. Mine was very unique and just thankful once again to be able to go and get answers and the team helping me out with that.”

Going to the specialists helped, Cooks said, gaining some information about concussions that he found “extremely helpful.” Finding answers for why he’s had four concussions in two years is difficult, but he doesn’t seem to think there’s any rhyme or reason behind it.

“You think about it from a standpoint that there’s so many systems that’s going on throughout the body,” he explained. “Some of those, the better that you can train and stay on top of. It’s just like any muscle the more that you train it the stronger that it can become. Other than that, I just think it’s an anomaly. It’s part of the game and you just never know, right?”

Cooks seems to be in a good place and ready to roll for Week 12, but there’s no doubt fans and likely the coaches will be watching closely when he takes his first big hit on the field. Just don’t be surprised when he bounces back up as he often does.

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