Tag: rams cardinals

Kyler Murray’s status for Week 17 vs. Rams is also uncertain

Could the Rams and Cardinals both start backup quarterbacks in the season finale?

The Los Angeles Rams may not be the only ones starting a backup quarterback in the season finale against the Arizona Cardinals next week. Their opponent could be, too.

Kliff Kingsbury said on Monday that he’s unsure whether Kyler Murray will be able to play in Week 17 against the Rams due to a lower leg injury. The severity is not yet known and Kingsbury didn’t give any further details, but this is certainly a situation to monitor as the game approaches.

Kingsbury is often vague with his injury updates, not revealing much about a player’s status. So there’s a chance he’s just being cautious by not making too much of Murray’s injury. But if Murray can’t play, it’ll likely be Chris Streveler taking over at quarterback against the Rams.

Jared Goff’s status, of course, is also uncertain after the quarterback broke his right thumb during the third quarter of Sunday’s game. He didn’t miss a snap, but if he can’t grip the football and throw it properly, the Rams may turn to John Wolford.

NFL keeps Rams-Cardinals in afternoon window, puts NFC East in prime time

The NFL can flex one game to Sunday Night Football, but it wasn’t Rams-Cardinals.

With the Week 17 schedule subject to change, the NFL had the opportunity to shift the slate of games around based on playoff positioning and how meaningful each contest is. There are still a bunch of playoff spots up for grabs in both conferences, so there were plenty of options for the Sunday Night Football spot.

However, with only one game being flexed, the league opted for the NFC East over the NFC West and others. The Eagles game against Washington has been flexed to prime time on Sunday night, while Rams-Cardinals remains in the 4:25 p.m. ET slot on CBS.

It’s understandable, too. If the NFL put Rams-Cardinals in the Sunday night spot, L.A. would’ve had a chance to rest its starters. If the Bears lost earlier in the day, the Rams would’ve clinched a playoff berth and had nothing to play for, thus making it likely that they’d keep their starters on the sidelines to get some rest and heal up.

With the way the schedule is constructed now, Packers-Bears and Rams-Cardinals are both at 4:25 p.m. ET, giving neither team a competitive advantage when it comes to resting players. The Rams will do everything they can to win that game instead of leaving it up to an NFC North showdown to get them into the postseason.

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Jared Goff could put off surgery on thumb, adamant about playing vs. Cardinals

There’s a chance Jared Goff could still play in the season finale against the Cardinals.

As their season crumbles before their eyes, the Rams may have to play their final game against the Cardinals without Jared Goff. He suffered a broken thumb in Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks, according to multiple reports, and will require surgery to repair the issue.

But Ian Rapoport of NFL Network is reporting that Goff could put off the procedure in an attempt to play through the injury, just as he did on Sunday. It all comes down to pain management and his ability to grip and throw the football, which could be difficult.

Goff will undergo more testing once the swelling goes down, but his status in practice will be closely monitored leading up to the season finale.

After the loss to Seattle, Goff said he’s “uncertain” about whether he’ll be able to play in Week 17. He said his thumb didn’t hurt while playing through the injury and that it felt OK after the game ended.

Sean McVay also wouldn’t speculate on his quarterback’s health, saying they’ll “see what the final verdict is on that.”

If Goff can’t play, John Wolford and his zero career snaps will take over as the starting quarterback in the Rams’ biggest game of the season. Fortunately, they can still get into the playoffs with a loss if the Bears also lose, but they’d prefer not to enter the postseason on a three-game losing streak.

The Rams made shutting down these 6 elite WRs in the last 4 weeks look easy

From DK Metcalf to DeAndre Hopkins, the Rams shut down these 6 WRs the last 4 weeks.

Coming out of their Week 9 bye, the Los Angeles Rams knew they would be tested immediately. Three of their first opponents were teams with records above .500, featuring not only great quarterbacks, but also dynamic receiving groups.

The Seahawks, Buccaneers and Cardinals all have true No. 1 receivers on their rosters, and in the case of the Seahawks and Bucs, they have multiple players who would be considered No. 1 wideouts on most teams.

DK Metcalf.
Tyler Lockett.
Antonio Brown.
Mike Evans.
Chris Godwin.
DeAndre Hopkins.

All six of those receivers have one thing in common: Each one was kept in check by the Rams in the last four weeks. Not a single one of those players eclipsed 70 yards receiving. Only one of them (Lockett) averaged more than 10 yards per catch. Combined, they scored three touchdowns and averaged less than six catches each against L.A.

The only receiver to have success against the Rams since their Week 9 bye was Deebo Samuel, who caught 11 passes for 133 yards in San Francisco’s Week 12 win – most of which came after the catch.

What the Rams did to this group of six receivers, however, was remarkable. Most importantly, L.A. won all three games against their respective teams. But it’s impossible to ignore the fact that none of them had a significant impact on the game.

Take a look at their stat lines from Weeks 10, 11 and 13.

Targets Receptions Yards Touchdowns
Tyler Lockett 9 5 66 0
DK Metcalf 4 2 28 0
Antonio Brown 13 8 57 0
Chris Godwin 10 7 53 1
Mike Evans 9 5 49 1
DeAndre Hopkins 13 8 52 1
TOTAL 58 35 305 3

Jalen Ramsey played a big part in shutting down Metcalf, Evans and Hopkins, who he was essentially asked to shadow. None of them did much of anything, with Evans’ touchdown coming on the opposite side of the field as Ramsey, and Hopkins’ coming on a pick play where Ramsey was essentially blocked by a tight end.

But Ramsey isn’t the only one who deserves credit for this stellar performance. Darious Williams and Troy Hill also stepped up in a big way against the No. 2 and 3 receivers. The only time before Week 10 that Metcalf was shut down – Week 7 against the Cardinals – Lockett went off for 15 catches, 200 yards and three touchdowns. Against the Rams, when Metcalf was also neutralized, Lockett was held to five catches for 66 yards.

Ramsey did a good job on Evans, but Williams and Hill held their own against Brown and Godwin, both of whom are Pro Bowl receivers. They limited big plays and were there to wrap up after the catch.

Against the Cardinals, the jobs of Williams and Hill were much easier. Larry Fitzgerald wasn’t available, leaving Christian Kirk and Andy Isabella as the second and third options. They combined for three catches and 9 yards on eight targets. Again, non-factors.

This secondary was tested by a group of extremely talented receivers and passed with flying colors. In those three games, the Rams didn’t allow more than 220 yards to a single quarterback – and those quarterbacks are no slouches, either: Russell Wilson, Tom Brady and Kyler Murray.

Yes, a good pass rush helps, but it’s a testament to the talent in L.A.’s defensive backfield. If it’s not already considered the best in the NFL, it’s deserving of that title.

Rams Film Room: Who won Ramsey vs. Hopkins in Week 13?

Jalen Ramsey did an excellent job on DeAndre Hopkins, helping the Rams slow down Arizona’s offense.

The marquee matchup in Week 13 was the battle between Jalen Ramsey and DeAndre Hopkins in Arizona. It was the eighth time these two stars have matched up on the field, but just the first since they were both traded to the NFC West by their former AFC South squads.

Ramsey didn’t line up exclusively across from Hopkins in this game, which the Rams won 38-28, but he did get the chance to cover the All-Pro receiver a lot. Kyler Murray struggled throughout the afternoon, mostly settling for short, underneath throws rather than pushing the ball downfield against the vaunted Rams defense.

In total, Hopkins was targeted 13 times by Murray, with eight of those passes coming while Ramsey was covering him. Hopkins finished the afternoon with a total of eight catches, but only gained 52 yards with a long reception of 10 yards.

We broke down every target for Hopkins while Ramsey was in coverage and showed how the Rams cornerback all but erased the man they call Nuk. It’s clear Ramsey won Round 8 against his rival receiver.

What Jared Goff’s passing chart and Next Gen Stats say about his Week 13 performance

For the third week in a row, there was no semblance of a deep passing game.

Jared Goff played well in Week 13, throwing for 351 yards and scoring two touchdowns with a season-high 78.7% completion rate. Jared Goff also didn’t take many chances against the Cardinals and more or less took what the defense gave him.

Both things can be true. And as impressive as Goff’s numbers were this Sunday – especially after his unsightly stat line against the 49ers – he didn’t exactly push the ball downfield or make big plays throwing deep.

A quick glance at his passing chart from Next Gen Stats shows a continued absence of deep shots down the field. Not only is there a glaring void of green dots (completions) 20-plus yards downfield, but there was only one white dot (attempt) 20 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.

It’s hard to ignore the cluster of completions within 10 yards of the line. In fact, only three of his 37 completed passes were at least 10 yards downfield, going 3-for-6 on such throws. Sure, it’s great that he went 34-for-41 on throws under 10 yards downfield, but that’s also not a recipe for creating big plays – even if the Rams do have two of the NFL’s best receivers after the catch.

Looking at the advanced statistics courtesy of Next Gen Stats, Goff’s performance becomes even less impressive. On average, he had 2.6 completed air yards with an average intended air yards of 3.5.

Both numbers are the lowest in the NFL so far in Week 13, with every other quarterback in the league averaging at least 5.2 intended air yards. Goff’s aggressiveness rate, or how often he threw into tight windows, was also the lowest of any quarterback this week at 4.3%.

This has been a trend all season, with Goff taking what the defense gives him by throwing short, easy passes underneath. But in Week 13, throws down the field all but disappeared, which is why his intended air yards dropped precipitously; his season average is 6.6 IAY, fifth-lowest in the NFL.

Goff has the ability to make tight-window throws, and at times, has done just that when necessary. This was arguably his best pass of the game against Arizona, fitting the ball into a very small window to Cooper Kupp.

Here’s another angle of the throw, showing that it was put in a perfect spot where Patrick Peterson couldn’t get to it, even with his great closing speed.

Goff still played well. He didn’t turn the ball over, did a nice job navigating the pocket and hit receivers when he had to. But with a clear absence of deep throws down the field, teams will begin to dare Goff to beat them over the top.

And unless he proves he can do that, the Rams will have to rely on these short passes and yards after the catch to move the ball up and down the field.

Rams Week 13 snap counts: Akers, Jefferson get most work all year

The Rams gave their rookies a big opportunity in Week 13 against the Cardinals and they delivered.

The Rams’ depth across the roster has allowed them to use a number of different personnel groupings, both on offense and defense this season. The key starters are still rarely coming off the field, but against the Cardinals on Sunday, the Rams mixed things up more than usual – particularly on the offensive side of the ball.

They gave their top two draft picks, Cam Akers and Van Jefferson, their most playing time of the season. Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and Darrell Henderson all still played significant snaps, but it was an encouraging sign for the rookies that Sean McVay finally felt comfortable with unleashing them.

On defense, it was much of the same, though Ogbonnia Okoronkwo did make his long-awaited return after coming off IR. Derek Rivers also made his debut, playing sparingly against Arizona.

Here’s a look at the complete snap counts from Week 13, with notes on each position group.

Rams players celebrate Week 13 win on Twitter: ‘Big division dub!’

Cooper Kupp and Justin Hollins were among Rams players to celebrate their win over the Cardinals on Sunday.

The Cardinals are by no means an easy opponent, having Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins, as well as Patrick Peterson and Budda Baker on the defensive side of the ball. But the Rams went into the Cardinals’ place on Sunday and dominated them, winning the game 38-28 on the road.

It wasn’t even as close as the score indicates, either, as Arizona scored a touchdown in garbage time to draw within 10 points. For the most part, the Rams controlled this Week 13 matchup from the second quarter on.

Afterwards, Rams players took to Twitter to celebrate the victory. Cooper Kupp and Jalen Ramsey were among those to share their thoughts, while Nick Scott shared some words of encouragement for Matt Gay after his 37-yard miss.

Former Rams great Torry Holt pointed out that Jared Goff now has 41 wins in four seasons, too, which is quite impressive.

Rams’ Week 13 studs and duds: Goff, Hollins stand out for L.A.

Jared Goff and the Rams’ running backs were among L.A.’s studs against Arizona.

After mostly being carried by the defense in recent weeks, the Rams offense stepped up to the occasion against the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon. They helped lift the team to a 38-28 victory, gaining 463 total yards and converting on nine of their 15 third-down attempts.

Jared Goff led the way on offense with a terrific bounce-back effort, putting together one of his best games of the year. The defense had some great performances, too, namely by Justin Hollins and Aaron Donald.

Here are our studs and duds from Week 13.

Matt Gay vows to be better after 37-yard miss vs. Arizona

It was Gay’s second missed field goal of the season.

Matt Gay has undoubtedly been the most consistent and impressive kicker for the Rams this season since taking over for Samuel Sloman and Kai Forbath at the all-important position on special teams. However, even despite that fact, he’s not satisfied with the way he’s performed.

On Sunday against the Cardinals, he clanked a 37-yard field goal attempt off the left upright. It didn’t cost the Rams a win as they went on to beat Arizona 38-28, but it was still a kick he wanted to make.

After the game, Gay tweeted that he knows he must be better and vowed to improve. He’s just happy his team got the win.

It’s just Gay’s second miss of the season for L.A., and his first since Week 11. He’s now 5-for-7 on field goal attempts and a perfect 10-for-10 on extra point tries.

Sean McVay indicated last week that Gay has the makings of a long-term solution at kicker, but he’ll have to earn that title in the final four weeks. At least his misses have been narrow and his made kicks have more or less been right down the middle.