Tag: nfl news

Rams to start rookie Bobby Evans at RT vs. Khalil Mack, Bears

The Rams are gambling by putting rookie Bobby Evans at RT against the Bears.

Rob Havenstein’s knee injury could not have come at a worse time for the Los Angeles Rams, and it’s going to be very easy to see why on Sunday night. With Havenstein out at a couple weeks, the Rams will be forced to replace him with an unproven player at right tackle.

That player will apparently be rookie Bobby Evans, who told Vincent Bonsignore of The Athletic that he’ll be the starter on Sunday against the Chicago Bears.

The Bears have one of the best defensive players in the NFL with Khalil Mack, and it just so happens that Mack typically lines up across from the right tackle. With Evans making his first career start, you can bet Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano will be putting him across from Evans as much as possible.

That’s not exactly a recipe for success for the Rams. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. This has a chance to be a disaster for the Rams and Jared Goff. Mack is one of the best edge rushers in the league and makes even the best offensive tackles look foolish on a weekly basis.

It’s scary to think what he’s going to do against a rookie like Evans, who has played just three snaps in his NFL career. It doesn’t help that Evans looked terrible in the preseason lining up at everywhere from guard to tackle – and that was against second- and third-stringers.

The Rams could have opted to go with David Edwards at right tackle and plug Evans in at right guard. Or put Coleman Shelton at center and Austin Blythe back at right guard. None of the solutions to replacing Havenstein are good ones, but Edwards was exclusively a right tackle in college and has looked good in three starts this season at guard.

It’s understandable that the Rams would prefer not to move him from guard, but he’s a more experienced player and likely a better fit at right tackle than Evans is. Again, there’s no easy way to replace someone like Havenstein, but Evans could be in for a long night on Sunday.

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Rams injury report: Everett, Higbee both dealing with injuries

The Rams continue to get bad news on the injury front.

As if losing a starting wide receiver, center and right tackle wasn’t enough, the Los Angeles Rams are also dealing with injuries at tight end. They released their first injury report of Week 11 and both Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett were listed.

Higbee was held out with a knee injury, which Sean McVay didn’t mention coming out of Sunday’s loss. Everett has a wrist injury that limited him in practice to begin the week.

Brandin Cooks was limited, which is a good sign, but he’s already been ruled out for Sunday. The Rams hope he can return in Week 12. Rob Havenstein and Darious Williams are also out for Sunday and were non-participants in practice Wednesday.

The Rams host the Bears on Sunday night at 8:20 p.m. ET in what’s a crucial game for both teams. They’re quickly falling out of playoff contention, and with all the injuries Los Angeles has suffered, it will be a tough game to win.

Rams won’t say whether they will attend Colin Kaepernick’s workout

The Rams declined to comment when asked if they will attend Colin Kaepernick’s workout on Saturday.

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The NFL invited all 32 NFL teams to attend a workout session for Colin Kaepernick this upcoming Saturday in Georgia as the former 49ers quarterback tries to make his way back into the league. Several teams have already confirmed that they will be in attendance, but the Rams declined to disclose their plans.

During Sean McVay’s press conference on Wednesday, the coach said the Rams “feel good” about their quarterback situation at the moment and that he hasn’t “had a chance to really go into a deep dialogue” with general manager Les Snead. He wouldn’t say whether or not the team will attend the workout, deferring to Snead on the subject.

After McVay’s presser, a team spokesperson declined to comment when asked whether the Rams will be in Georgia for the workout.

Kaepernick hasn’t played in the NFL since 2016, which is when he began protesting social injustice by kneeling during the national anthem before games. In his last season with the 49ers, he threw 16 touchdown passes and four interceptions in 12 games.

The Rams have Jared Goff as their starter and Blake Bortles backing him up, so quarterback isn’t a pressing need for them right now. They signed Goff to a four-year, $134 million extension this offseason.

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Rams film room: How Jared Goff has become one of NFL’s worst play-action QBs

Jared Goff has been a mess on play-action passes, and while it’s not all his fault, he deserves plenty of blame.

A staple of the Rams offense the last two years was play-action passes. They were one of the best teams in the NFL in that department in Sean McVay’s first two seasons, but things have changed dramatically this year.

The Rams have tried to utilize play action this season, but Jared Goff has suddenly turned into one of the worst quarterbacks in the league after play fakes. According to ESPN, Goff has a passer rating of 71.0 on play-action passes – the worst mark in the NFL.

For most of the 2018 season, Goff was among the top quarterbacks on play action, posting a passer rating well above 100. That’s a troubling trend and it’s a huge reason Los Angeles’ offense has taken a monumental step backward from last year.

The reasoning is fairly simple, too. It’s not that wide receivers are dropping passes or their routes aren’t good enough. It primarily falls on the shoulders of Goff and the offensive line – with a dash of an ineffective running game mixed in.

Because the Rams aren’t running the ball well right now, defenses aren’t biting on play fakes. They don’t buy the fact that Los Angeles is going to hand the ball off and aren’t exactly threatened by Todd Gurley or the other tailbacks. When you’re 19th in rush attempts and 20th in rushing yards, teams aren’t going to pay much attention to the ground game.

That’s a small part of the problem, but the primary issues are with the offensive line.

Even the most casual football fans know play action doesn’t work without the quarterback getting time in the pocket. If working under center, Goff has to turn his back to the defense to fake the handoff to the running back. The offensive line has to give Goff time to execute the fake and allow the routes to develop down the field.

Currently, the O-line is not getting the job done. To make matters worse, neither is Goff.

Even when he does get time in the pocket, he can’t hit open receivers downfield. His accuracy has regressed this season at every level of the field, which is why his completion percentage is down from 65% in 2018 to 60.3% this season.

Let’s take a look at a few examples of Goff simply making bad decisions and throws.

This was ruled defensive pass interference, but Cooper Kupp was open and Goff underthrew him – badly. If Goff throws the ball when Kupp comes free initially, it has a chance to go for a big gain.

He waits too long and the defender closes the gap with the ball coming up well short.

On this play-action pass, he wisely avoids throwing into double-coverage and decides to check down to Josh Reynolds in the flat. But he throws an embarrassingly bad pass that went backwards for a fumble; if he hits Reynolds, it likely goes for a big play.

Finally, here’s another example of Goff getting enough time after a play-action fake to find someone open. Instead of seeing Cooper Kupp release off his block and come wide open on the weakside, Goff stares down his primary target (Tyler Higbee) and forces the ball into double-coverage.

It was easily intercepted by Joe Haden, ending what could have been a fairly promising drive.

Without the benefit of play action working, the Rams offense is stalling like crazy. Some of it falls on the offensive line playing as poorly as any in the NFL right now, but Goff isn’t doing anything to make up for it – which is something the better QBs in the league can do.

This regression is alarming, and it has to change if the Rams are going to get things back on track. It starts with running the ball consistently, getting better play from the offensive line – which is decimated right now – and finally, some improvement from Goff.

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Rams promote OL Chandler Brewer and CB Donte Deayon from practice squad

The Rams added two players to the 53-man roster, while signing another to the practice squad.

Sean McVay hinted that the Los Angeles Rams might fill the voids left by Brian Allen and Bryce Hager by calling players up from the practice squad, and on Wednesday, they made two moves official. They promoted offensive lineman Chandler Brewer and defensive back Donte Deayon from the practice squad, taking the spots of Allen and Hager on the 53-man roster.

Additionally, the Rams signed center Nate Trewyn to the practice squad.

With all the injuries the Rams have suffered lately, from Brian Allen to Rob Havenstein to Brandin Cooks, roster moves were bound to be on the horizon. There were two openings on the active roster and not enough depth on the offensive line.

McVay said the Rams would look into claiming someone off waivers if that opportunity arose, but they clearly feel more confident in Brewer than any outside free agents currently available.

As for Deayon’s promotion, it comes on the heels of Darious Williams being out at least one week with an ankle injury. He was the No. 4 cornerback behind Jalen Ramsey, Troy Hill and Nickell Robey-Coleman.

With Williams out and Deayon promoted, it’s likely the team will elevate David Long Jr. to the No. 4 CB role. He’s been a healthy scratch for some of the season and played very sparingly, but he was a third-round pick with good potential.

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Kurt Warner explains why he sees himself more as a Cardinal than Ram

Kurt Warner won a Super Bowl with the Rams, but he associates himself more with the Cardinals.

Kurt Warner helped deliver the Rams their most recent Super Bowl while the team was still in St. Louis. He was a cog in turning the offense into the “Greatest Show on Turf,” teaming with Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt and Marshall Faulk on offense.

As good as he was with the Rams for those three years as the starting quarterback, he identifies himself more as a member of the Cardinals. He led Arizona to Super Bowl XLIII and was a Pro Bowler in 2008, playing at a very high level late in his career.

He was asked by Dan Patrick this week whether he sees himself as more of a Cardinal or Ram, and his reasoning for picking the Cardinals makes sense.

“I would probably say a Cardinal. As strange as that is with as much success and maybe the best years of my career being with the Rams, but I think a lot of it has to do with just where I ended,” he said. “The fact that I ended with the Cardinals, I’m still more connected with the team and the front office and stuff there. I still live in Arizona. Hard to say because I love both organizations and both of them were about equal for my career. I would probably say a little bit more with the Cardinals.”

Warner is a Hall of Famer, but he likely wouldn’t have made it to Canton if not for his Super Bowl with the Rams. Considering he lives in Arizona and still has ties to the Cardinals, though, it’s easy to understand why he associates himself with the last team he played for.

With the Rams, he threw 102 touchdown passes and only 65 interceptions, going 35-15 in 50 games as the starter.

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Robert Woods knows a big raise is in his future: ‘It’s coming’

Robert Woods commented on his contract situation, having two-plus years left on his deal.

In terms of annual salary, Robert Woods is 37th among all wide receivers in the NFL. He’s currently making $6.8 million per year and his contract runs through 2021. His five-year, $34 million deal signed back in 2017 now looks like a bargain after he posted 1,219 yards and six touchdowns last season.

The Rams technically don’t have to re-sign him until after the 2021 season, but as we’ve seen throughout the history of the NFL, contracts are often ripped up and players are given raises before their deals expire. That could be what happens with Woods, given how much he’s outplayed his current contract.

He brought up his deal and future payday when talking to TMZ, saying he sees a raise on the horizon if he keeps up his steady play.

“What do you think about my contract?” he asked the cameraman, flashing a big smile. After being told “I think you need a raise, you’ve been killing it,” Woods agreed.

“Oh yeah, it’s coming. The work will take care of itself. I’ve been grinding, been trying to let it pay off. The money will be there when its time,” he said.

The timing of it all remains a huge mystery. The Rams already have Brandin Cooks on a big contract, which will carry a cap hit of $16.8 million in 2020. Cooper Kupp will need an extension after next season, too, with his contract expiring.

Woods could be the odd man out if the Rams don’t move on from Cooks in the coming years, which would be a huge disappointment. He’s been their most reliable receiver the last three years and can do it all at wideout – from running good routes to blocking.

If it’s not Los Angeles that pays him, someone certainly will.

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Mic’d up Aaron Donald called safety vs. Steelers: ‘Watch this’

Aaron Donald was mic’d up for Sunday’s game and provided some fun moments on camera.

Aaron Donald put on a show in his hometown on Sunday, recording five tackles, a half-sack, a safety and three quarterback hits against the Steelers. It was his first NFL game ever in Pittsburgh and he certainly didn’t disappoint his friends and family who were in attendance to watch the two-time Defensive Player of the Year.

He was mic’d up for the game, which only makes watching him work that much better. He loves hyping himself up, as well as his teammates, even chirping at the opponent after the whistle.

One of the many highlights of the video came at the 3:21 mark when someone told Donald, “We can score right here” after the Rams backed the Steelers deep into their own zone.

Donald’s response? “Yes we can. Watch this,” essentially calling his shot before the ball was snapped.

A little bit later in the clip, at the 3:44 mark, Donald made a stop in the backfield on Tony Brooks-James. Donald picked the running back up and went to slam him to the ground, but Samson Ebukam helped break the fall.

After asking the official if the play was OK, the referee told Ebukam “thank goodness you were there.”

Donald: “Why, you would’ve flagged me?”

Official: “Yeah! He stopped you from slamming him.”

Donald: “He’s so little though!”

The whole video is entertaining, and he shared a fun moment with Clay Matthews after Matthews recorded a sack. Donald jokingly told Matthews “I hate you” for getting the sack.

The Rams unfortunately spoiled Donald’s homecoming, losing 17-12 to the Steelers.

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Rams had never lost a game with a safety and defensive TD until Sunday

Sunday was the first time ever that the Rams lost after recording a safety and defensive touchdown.

The Los Angeles Rams got a standout performance from their defense on Sunday, which was not matched by Jared Goff and the offense. They held the Steelers to just 17 points, but seven of those were scored by Pittsburgh’s defense on a fumble return.

The Steelers finished the game with only 273 yards of offense and 15 first downs, getting the benefit of short fields as the Rams turned the ball over four times. Los Angeles’ defense did everything it could to win the game, but the offense simply didn’t pull its weight.

This was a rare type of loss for the Rams, too. It’s just the first time in franchise history that they didn’t win a game in which they had a safety and defensive touchdown. The stat was uncovered by Pro Football Journal on Twitter.

Looking at Pro Football Reference, this loss becomes even more startling. The Rams were 13-0 in such games prior to Sunday, the best record in league history. Overall, teams with a safety and defensive touchdown in the same game were 144-47, good for a winning percentage of .754.

The last time the Rams had a safety and defensive score in the same game was in 2017 against the Colts, a blowout 46-9 win. They also did it in an overtime win over the 49ers in 2012, and again in a 36-0 win in 2003.

Prior to Sunday, only three such games resulted in wins of seven or fewer points. The Rams won every other game by at least 15 points.

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Rams’ postseason push made much tougher by brutal schedule

The Rams have the fifth-toughest remaining schedule in the NFL.

If the Los Angeles Rams are going to make the playoffs, they’ll have to earn it. With only seven games remaining and 1.5 games separating them from the sixth wild-card spot, the Rams have a lot of work to do.

It doesn’t help that their schedule is one of the toughest the rest of the way. They still have to face the Ravens (7-2), Seahawks (8-2), Cowboys (5-4) and 49ers (8-1), as well as the Cardinals (3-6-1) twice. The Bears (4-5) this weekend will be no cakewalk, either, with the defense that Chicago boasts.

According to NFL Research, the Rams have the fifth-toughest remaining schedule in the NFL with their opponents boasting a 38-26-2 record the rest of the way.

You might have noticed something about the five teams with the hardest remaining schedules. Four of them are in the NFC West, which is undoubtedly the best division in football this season.

The Rams got their favorable matchups out of the way earlier in the season when they faced the Falcons and Bengals, as well as the Buccaneers (and even the Browns). They went 3-1 in those games, but the Buccaneers were a team they should’ve beaten.

Now, it’ll be tough sledding the rest of the way – and America will get a good look at the Rams, too, with four of their last seven games coming in prime time.

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