Tag: Ronnie Rivers

Watch: Rams fool 49ers with fake punt to pick up first down

The Rams were desperate for a first down and a fake punt with Ronnie Rivers is just what they needed

Fake punts have mostly been taken out of the Rams’ playbook since John Fassel left the special teams staff but Sean McVay still has some tricks up his sleeve as the head coach. Desperate for a first down, McVay gambled on fourth-and-6 in the second quarter against the 49ers and called a fake punt that worked perfectly.

Ronnie Rivers took the direct snap and ran 7 yards for the first down, moving the chains from the Rams’ 43-yard line to midfield. It’s not the way the Rams want to pick up first downs but it worked when Los Angeles badly needed to keep the drive alive.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1837966290360635776

Even the cameraman was fooled by the Rams’ trickery.

https://twitter.com/RamsNFL/status/1837966291992564128

Sean McVay explains why Blake Corum played zero snaps vs. Lions

Blake Corum played zero snaps in his first NFL game and Sean McVay says the Rams’ OL injuries were the reason for that

One of the biggest surprises from Week 1 for the Los Angeles Rams was Blake Corum’s lack of involvement on offense. He was healthy coming into the season and played on special teams, but he didn’t step foot on the field one time with the Rams offense.

Despite all the hype he generated this offseason, looking like the No. 2 back behind Kyren Williams, Corum was third on the depth chart in the opener. It was Rivers who came in for Williams on seven plays, not Corum.

Sean McVay was asked about the bizarre running back rotation – if you can even call it that – on Monday afternoon and he explained why Williams played 71 of the 78 snaps and Corum played zero.

“I think each game is going to be its own entity,” he said. “It was a very unique circumstance because when we got so many of our linemen banged up, it limited some of the different – basically, we didn’t operate off anything that our game plan was. We had to truly just change in the middle of that game plan. When there are some things that are unforeseen, you’re going to go with guys that you trust and that you know. I think the way that some of the drives unfolded where there were long breaks in between… I think that’s why you saw our running back and tight end rotation reflected as such. Colby Parkinson played 69 snaps. I believe Kyren played 71 when you look at it. I want to get Ronnie a little bit more involved. I want to be able to get Blake involved as well. Davis [Allen] and Hunter [Long] got a few snaps, but based on how the game unfolded, it was very unique for a lot of different reasons, none of which probably suit what you guys are really looking for but that was not how we anticipated the rotation to go.”

The Rams knew they would be without Alaric Jackson and Rob Havenstein going into the game. What they didn’t know was that Joe Noteboom and Steve Avila would both get hurt. However, it’s not as if they both got hurt on the first or second series. Avila played nearly half the snaps (47%) and Noteboom played 35%.

There was time for McVay to get Corum some opportunities before the line crumbled, but he trusted Williams and Rivers more than the rookie running back. While he didn’t mention pass protection, that was likely a big reason for Corum’s lack of playing time, too.

The Rams were in a pass-heavy script against the Lions and they needed someone they could trust in blitz pickup, an area where Williams is one of the best in the NFL. Corum, being a rookie, is probably a bit worse in pass protection.

It’s still not a great excuse for giving Corum zero carries in a game where Williams didn’t exactly shine (18 carries, 50 yards), but McVay felt most comfortable with the veteran back there over a rookie.

Previewing Rams’ RB room for 2024 season

With less than a week to go before their game in Detroit, here’s a look into the players toting the rock for the Rams this season.

The Rams made several offseason moves that reaffirmed their commitment to establishing a consistent rushing attack. Kyren Williams returns as the team’s RB1 but the lack of preseason playtime from Blake Corum, combined with Williams’ new responsibilities on special teams, paint a clear picture that the discrepancy of carries between the two may be virtually non-existent.

Backing up Williams and Corum are Ronnie Rivers, a 2022 UDFA from Fresno State who enters his third year with the team, and recently acquired Cody Schrader, a 2024 UDFA from Missouri who spent this preseason with the 49ers.

Williams enters his third year with the Rams following a phenomenal sophomore campaign in the NFL. The Notre Dame graduate ran for 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, finishing as the third-best rusher in the NFL. He also played in only 12 games. Williams ran for over 100 yards on six occasions, including a combined 301 yards in his two games against Arizona and a 152-yard performance against Washington.

Corum, a third-round pick out of the University of Michigan, ran his team to a National Championship last season. A shifty running back who is an excellent north-south runner, Corum rushed for 2,708 yards during his final two years in college. Corum has also been listed as the team’s kickoff returner.

Rivers suffered from a lack of opportunities and a subsequent knee sprain last season that really derailed his 2023 season. However, Rivers did enough to stave off Zach Evans and Boston Scott from taking a roster spot away from him. Do not let his 2023 numbers fool you; Rivers has legit abilities and a fearlessness about him with the ball in his hands. He did average 4 yards on 32 carries so do not be surprised to see Rivers involved more this season.

Schrader is another downhill runner, hitting home the fact that the Rams want to run the ball inside. One of the pillars of a legendary season for the Missouri Tigers last season, Schrader ran for 1,627 yards and 14 touchdowns. Schrader then led the Tigers to an upset win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl with 128 yards and one touchdown. Expect Schrader to be seldom used but if an injury occurs, he will be a reliable option for the team.

The Rams’ running backs are built to play a certain style of football. Zone blocking, inside runs that set up third and manageable. With these four players, expect a high amount of carries to start the season.

Rams tender Ronnie Rivers as ERFA, keeping him for 2024

The Rams tendered Ronnie Rivers as an exclusive rights free agent, keeping him in the mix for 2024

Ronnie Rivers will be back with the Rams in 2024. The team announced on Friday that Rivers has been tendered as an exclusive rights free agent, keeping him in the mix for next season.

As an ERFA, Rivers will get a one-year deal worth the minimum salary, so it essentially works out to being a futures contract like the one many practice squad players signed this winter.

Rivers cannot negotiate with other teams now that he’s been tendered, though it is possible for him to sign a new contract with the Rams.

Last season, Rivers carried the ball 32 times for 129 yards and also caught five passes for 22 yards. He became an exclusive rights free agent this offseason because he has fewer than three accrued seasons in the NFL.

Rams designate RB Ronnie Rivers to return from IR

The Rams are getting some additional running back depth with Ronnie Rivers designated to return from IR

Kyren Williams and Royce Freeman have combined to give the Rams a great tandem at running back, but there could be another player in the mix soon. The team announced on Tuesday that Ronnie Rivers has been designated to return from injured reserve, making him eligible to return in the next 21 days.

He can be activated at any time in the next three weeks and can begin practicing immediately.

Rivers had been Williams’ backup before Freeman’s emergence, but he got hurt in the same week that Williams did. He suffered a PCL injury in Week 6 and has been sidelined since.

In six games this season, he’s rushed for 57 yards on 13 carries, while also catching four passes for 18 yards. His best performance came in Week 4 when he rushed for 47 yards on only nine carries.

Freeman will likely remain the backup even when Rivers returns, but the Rams now have three capable running backs on offense.

Sean McVay non-committal on Zach Evans starting at RB for Rams in Week 7

Sean McVay won’t name a starting RB for the Rams yet in Week 7 despite Zach Evans being No. 3 on the depth chart.

The Los Angeles Rams will be without Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers for multiple weeks, so Sean McVay will have to figure out how the backfield shakes out until they can return. Ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, McVay was non-committal on naming Zach Evans the starting running back for the Rams.

“I wouldn’t say that,” McVay said. “We’ve got the week to be able to evaluate and I would say all four of those guys are possibilities and we’re truly navigating through that. But I was pleased with what Zach did towards the latter part of the game.”

Both Williams and Rivers suffered injuries in the Week 6 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Evans would finish the game by receiving his first four rushing attempts in the NFL, turning them into 10 yards.

The rookie sixth-round pick was the only running back left on the active roster at the beginning of the week. But since then, the Rams have activated Royce Freeman from their practice squad, signed Darrell Henderson off of the street, and signed Myles Gaskin off of the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad.

Given that Evans and Freeman have been with the team the longest this season, they could share touches in Sunday’s game. There’s a chance Henderson or Gaskin are involved in the game plan, but it’s tough to expect much from them on short notice.

McVay is going to use this week of practice to determine how the backfield workload will be divvied up. While Evans seems like the obvious choice to see the majority of the touches, his ability to understand the offense and be trusted in pass protection is crucial.

With all of the moving parts, we may not know who will draw the start at running back for the Rams until Sunday’s showdown with the Steelers kicks off.

Rams place Ronnie Rivers on IR, unsure if Kyren Williams will join him

The Rams placed Ronnie Rivers on IR and are deciding whether they will do the same with Kyren Williams

The Los Angeles Rams made an expected move on Wednesday by placing running back Ronnie Rivers on injured reserve. He sprained his PCL on Sunday in the team’s win over the Arizona Cardinals and is expected to be out 4-5 weeks.

By being placed on IR he’s required to miss at least four games. With the Rams having their bye in Week 10, the earliest he could return is Week 12.

As for Kyren Williams, Sean McVay said the team is still deciding whether to put him on IR, too. At the very least, he’s been ruled out for this week against the Steelers and it remains to be seen how long he’ll be sidelined.

Williams sprained his ankle in the fourth quarter and is expected to miss multiple weeks, but it sounds like IR is still a possibility.

Sean McVay: Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers will ‘be out for a little bit’ with injuries

Sean McVay said Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers will both be out “for a little bit” with their respective injuries suffered on Sunday

The Rams’ backfield took a significant hit on Sunday in what was the team’s best rushing performance of the season. Ronnie Rivers suffered a knee injury that will sideline him for 4-5 weeks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, and Kyren Williams sprained his ankle.

Williams is expected to miss Week 7 against the Steelers, according to reports, but Sean McVay provided an update on both players Monday afternoon.

He said they’ll each be “out for a little bit” due to their knee and ankle injuries, which raises some concerns about Williams potentially missing more time than just Week 7. With Williams and Rivers both out, it’s assumed that rookie Zach Evans will take the lead role in the backfield, with Royce Freeman also contributing.

Williams rushed for 158 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries Sunday, but it was his final carry of the day that will cause him to miss at least a week. The Rams were already leading 23-9 at the time so it’s unfortunate that the injury occurred with the game all but out of reach.

Rams rookie Zach Evans is next in line at RB for Week 7 vs. Steelers

With injuries to Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers, rookie Zach Evans could draw the start at RB for the Rams in Week 7 vs. Steelers.

The Los Angeles Rams had their best game running the ball in their win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, but they’ll be shorthanded at running back entering Week 7. With injuries to Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers, rookie Zach Evans is likely to start at running back for the Rams in Week 7 versus the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Williams recorded a season-high 158 rushing yards and a touchdown on 20 attempts against the Cardinals on Sunday. The second-year back would suffer an ankle injury in the fourth quarter and he’s since been diagnosed with an ankle sprain that is expected to sideline him for at least one week.

Rivers was operating as the backup to Williams and he carried it three times for 9 yards before exiting with a knee injury. He has been diagnosed with a PCL sprain and is expected to miss multiple weeks for the Rams.

Evans received his first touches of the season versus the Cardinals, logging 10 yards on four rush attempts. The rookie sixth-round pick was active for just the second time this season, and he has more special team snaps (9) than offensive snaps (6) so far.

After transferring from TCU to Ole Miss in 2022, Evans rushed for 936 yards and nine touchdowns on 144 attempts in his final collegiate season. The first-year back also caught 30 passes for 325 yards and two touchdowns in his three years in college, proving he can be a capable option in the passing game.

The size of Evans’ role could be determined by how he performs in pass protection as veteran Royce Freeman will likely rotate in with Evans. Ahead of a home showdown with the Steelers, Evans is poised for an expanded role with the Rams now shorthanded at running back.

Kyren Williams getting MRI on ankle, Ronnie Rivers could miss a few weeks with knee injury

A couple of updates on the Rams’ top two running backs, who exited Sunday’s game early with injuries

The Rams had their best rushing game of the season on Sunday, gaining 179 yards on the ground in a 26-9 win over the Cardinals. Unfortunately, they also suffered a pair of injuries in the backfield.

Ronnie Rivers exited the game with a knee injury that he suffered in the third quarter, and he was unable to return. Later on, Kyren Williams left with an ankle injury and though Sean McVay said after the game that he expects Williams to be OK, the running back is going to get an MRI on his ankle, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Rapoport also reported that Rivers is believed to have suffered a PCL sprain that could cause him to miss a few weeks. He’s also getting an MRI on his knee.

McVay will meet with reporters on Monday afternoon, so he could have updates on both running backs by then.

Assuming Rivers misses some time, rookie Zach Evans would be next in line at the position. He played six snaps and had four carries for 10 yards in the win on Sunday.