Tag: Taylor Rapp

Don’t rip Jalen Ramsey for being honest about Rams’ costly blown coverage vs. 49ers

Jalen Ramsey indicated who was at fault for the Rams’ costly blown coverage. Was he pointing fingers?

On Saturday, two of the NFL’s best cornerbacks watched while their assignment made a crucial catch against a brutal blown coverage. In both cases, it wasn’t clear who made the mistake.

The first came in the afternoon during the New England Patriots’ win over the Buffalo Bills. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore watched while John Brown ran into the end zone for a 53-yard touchdown. It was Gilmore’s lone gaffe on the day — or was it? It appeared as if Gilmore was looking for safety to help with coverage over the top. Devin McCoury got sucked in as the Patriots’ pass-rush closed in on quarterback Josh Allen. Even with defenders hanging off Allen, the throw was perfect. After the game, Gilmore was pressed to share what happened. He gave nothing. After the scrum cleared, he was pressed again: What happened?

“That’s not for you to know,” Gilmore told For the Win with a smile.

While Gilmore’s non-answer is fun, snarky and in compliance with The Patriot Way, he didn’t actually provide the media or the fans with a substantial answer. That’s what made Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey’s answer so refreshing when he was asked about an even more costly blown coverage on Saturday.

In the final minute of the Los Angeles Rams’ 34-31 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Ramsey seemed to lose his mark, receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who shook free for a 46-yard reception. That play set up a game-winning field goal, which ended the Rams’ playoff hopes.

“It wasn’t me and Eric (Weddle). E-Dub was on the other side. It was me and (Taylor) Rapp,” Ramsey said after the game, via ESPN’s Linsey Thirty. “We was in a form of two-man. We had an adjustment check to it because they was condensed splits. I played my technique, trusting that he was going to be over the top. And he wasn’t. That’s just what happened.”

Is it finger pointing? Well, kind of.

Is it a matter of facts? Definitely.

Ramsey was clarifying that Rapp — and not safety Eric Weddle — was in the wrong on the play. And it sounds like they made some sort of adjust at the line of scrimmage, which Rapp didn’t hear. So, yes, Ramsey was deferring responsibility to his teammate. But perhaps that’s what Rapp needs as he develops — he’s just a rookie. Ramsey made a teaching moment for fans, media members and Rapp.

Ramsey appears to be trusting fans with candor. They shouldn’t slam a 22-year-old who was a second-round pick. Slamming Rapp for the error and Ramsey for the explanation would be a needless punishment for what NFL players so rarely share: the truth. That’s what made Deshaun Watson’s press conferences so refreshing this season. That’s what makes Ramsey such a fun player: he’s brutally honest. Let’s keep it that way.

[vertical-gallery id=879646]

Was it acceptable for Jalen Ramsey to throw Taylor Rapp under the bus?

After the Rams’ Week 16 loss to the 49ers, cornerback Jalen Ramsey specified who was responsible for a coverage bust. Was that appropriate?

With 58 seconds left in the Saturday night game between the 49ers and Rams, and the game tied at 31, San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo heaved a pass to receiver Emmanuel Sanders for a 46-yard gain that took the ball from the 49ers’ 31-yard line to the Rams’ 23. Two plays later, Robbie Gould booted a 33-yard field goal that gave his team a 34-31 win, set the 49ers up nicely for the postseason with a 12-3 record, and eliminated the Rams — the defending NFC champions — from the 2019 playoffs.

It was the second third-and-16 San Francisco converted on the drive — earlier, Garoppolo had hit receiver Kendrick Bourne for an 18-yard gain in a similarly sticky situation.

“I felt like we were [getting] pressure,” Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald said after the game. We were there but he [Garoppolo] was making some good throws. We were about to get him, if we had a second longer. He made two good passes to help his team to win.”

As it turns out, Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey was entirely willing to recall what happened.

“It wasn’t me and Eric — he played the other side. It was [safety Taylor] Rapp,” Ramsey said, when asked by ESPN reporter Lindsey Thiry what he and safety Eric Weddle saw on the Sanders play. “We were in a form of 2-Man [coverage]. We had an adjustment check to it because [the 49ers were in a] condensed split, I played my technique, trusting that he was going to be over the top… and he wasn’t. That’s what happened.”

Rapp was the Rams’ second-round pick in 2019 out of Washington. He had seen his snaps increase over the last month due to injuries in the secondary (most specifically, John Johnson III’s shoulder injury), and it’s clear that in a 2-Man responsibility, this was not the right technique. 2-Man is basically a Cover-2 safety look with man coverage underneath, and safeties must be where they’re supposed to be so that the cornerbacks can play man coverage confidently. There is also the question of how closely Ramsey should have covered Sanders through the route if 2-Man was the coverage. If you want to, you can assign all kinds of responsibilities to coverage meltdowns.

Rapp made a mistake, but was Ramsey right to call him out publicly? One could say that, given the specificity of the question, Ramsey had no choice but to point out that it wasn’t Weddle who was the problem. One might also say that this was a form of “tough love” in which Ramsey is making it clear that such coverage busts are not to be tolerated.

Ramsey is a great cornerback, and he’s a tough competitor. That competitive edge has worked both ways for him throughout his career. And while he is a fine player, he’s also not perfect — going into Saturday’s game, he’d given up 26 catches on 35 targets for 324 yards, and an opponent passer rating of 102.6 in his eight games with the Rams this season. Ramsey started his 2019 season with the Jaguars before an October trade, and in the first week of the 2019 season, he gave up two touchdown passes against the Chiefs. One can also imagine that Ramsey would not have been overly pleased if one of his teammates had given a blow-by-blow recitation of Ramsey’s coverage issues in the locker room right after the game.

Donald’s conclusion — we were close to getting Garoppolo, but he made good throws — seems like the way to go in cases like this. Ramsey wasn’t wrong in his analysis of the play, of course, but there are many different ways to bring that truth to the forefront.

Rams’ Week 16 studs and duds: Donald and Fowler shine, Rapp struggles

The best and worst performances from the Rams’ 34-31 loss.

It was a stunning and humbling loss for the Rams on Saturday night, but it wasn’t all bad for the defending NFC champions. While the 34-31 defeat hurt and eliminated them from playoff contention, quite a few players did have strong performances.

Here are our studs and duds from the Rams’ Week 16 loss to the 49ers.

Studs

Tyler Higbee and Robert Woods

Higbee and Woods remain Jared Goff’s top targets in the passing game. Higbee caught nine passes for 104 yards on 11 targets, while Woods racked up 117 yards on eight catches (11 targets). No other player had more than four catches or 39 yards, as Higbee and Woods were the ones open most often – specifically on designed rollouts for Goff. Both pass-catchers had great performances, just as they have in recent weeks.

Aaron Donald

Donald once again commanded double-teams on most of his pass-rush reps, which is nothing new. Still, he recorded 1.5 sacks, two quarterback hits, and one tackle for loss. His sacks came at clutch moments, too, both in the second half. Donald has a huge impact each week for the Rams defense, drawing attention away from the other pass rushers.

Dante Fowler Jr.

Fowler is earning a big payday this offseason with his play in 2019. He’s up to 11.5 sacks on the year after adding 2.5 more on Saturday night, consistently getting to Jimmy Garoppolo off the edge. His speed is evident every week that he’s on the field and if the Rams can’t re-sign him this offseason, he’s going to be missed at outside linebacker in 2020.

Jalen Ramsey

Ramsey left the game briefly with a knee injury and was considered doubtful to return. He only missed a series, though, and was back out there in short order. He said afterwards that he was playing through pain and will get an MRI on his knee, but he still had a great performance. He picked off one pass and broke up another that was intercepted by Darious Williams, creating two interceptions for the Rams defense.

On the 46-yard pass to Emmanuel Sanders on the final drive of the game, Ramsey indicated the blown coverage was on Taylor Rapp. It was a bad play regardless of who was at fault, and cost the Rams a win.

Darious Williams

Williams was making his first start with the Rams and the coaches couldn’t have expected him to play much better than he did. He picked off one pass, deflected another and was in coverage on a high throw to Deebo Samuel, playing great coverage on the in-breaking route. For a player with as little experience as he has, he stepped up in a big way.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Jalen Ramsey explains what happened on Emmanuel Sanders’ 46-yard catch

There was a clear mix-up between Jalen Ramsey and Taylor Rapp on the 49ers’ final drive.

There were several turning points in Saturday’s game between the Rams and 49ers. Jared Goff’s pick-six before the half comes to mind, as does the 49ers first third-and-16 conversion on their final possession.

None were bigger than the 46-yard pass to Emmanuel Sanders on third-and-16 to set up Robbie Gould’s game-winning field goal, though. It was the second time on that very drive that San Francisco converted on third-and-16, this time with Jalen Ramsey and Taylor Rapp in coverage.

It was a bizarre play by the two defensive backs, appearing to be a miscommunication. Ramsey played trail technique underneath Sanders, expecting Rapp to cover the deep half. Instead, Rapp went to the corner and left Sanders wide open down the middle.

Here’s a look at the play.

In the locker room after the game, Ramsey explained what happened.

“It wasn’t me and Eric. E-Dub was on the other side. It was me and Rapp,” Ramsey said. “We as in a form of two-man. We had an adjustment check to it because they was condensed splits. I played my technique, trusting that he was going to be over the top. And he wasn’t. That’s just what happened.”

Based on Ramsey’s reaction after the play and in the locker room, he wasn’t thrilled with the way Rapp played the route. He was expecting help over the top, which he didn’t get. It was a costly play, but it’s not the sole reason the Rams missed the playoffs.

They had several opportunities to save their season, both on Saturday night and in weeks prior. Ramsey’s frustration is understandable, though, given the way the year went for him and the Rams.

Twitter reacts to Rams’ loss, blown coverage vs. 49ers

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the Rams’ heartbreaking loss to the 49ers.

After winning the NFC West in each of the last two seasons, the Los Angeles Rams not only failed to make it three straight division titles, but they won’t even be returning to the playoffs. They were officially eliminated from contention on Saturday night at Levi’s Stadium, losing 34-31 to the 49ers.

It was as heartbreaking as a loss can come, allowing the 49ers to convert on third-and-16 twice on the final drive before Robbie Gould drilled a 33-yard field goal to win it.

The biggest play of the game was a blown coverage by Jalen Ramsey and Taylor Rapp, which resulted in a 46-yard gain by Emmanuel Sanders to set up the winning kick. Here’s how Twitter reacted to the loss and the huge play by Sanders.

 

Eric Weddle says Taylor Rapp is ‘lightyears ahead of most rookies’

Eric Weddle says Taylor Rapp has become one of the best safeties in the NFL – not just one of the best rookies.

Taylor Rapp was viewed as a first-round prospect by a lot of draft analysts and it wouldn’t have been the least bit surprising to see him go in the late 20s or early 30s back in April. The Rams got a steal by selecting him 51st overall after trading back three times, and while they already had two starting safeties, he was a long-term addition with a very high ceiling.

He turned into an almost-immediate contributor after John Johnson was placed on IR, thrusting Rapp into the starting lineup. Eric Weddle has taken him under his wing and helped him develop into one of the best safeties in the league, regardless of experience.

In the locker room Thursday, Weddle discussed how well Rapp has been playing and shared his excitement for the rookie pulling down his first career interception.

“He was lightyears ahead of most rookies. It’s tough to come in this league and he’s always put his head down, he’s always trying to learn, he’s always trying to get better and work hard and work on maybe his deficiencies in pass games or practice,” Weddle said. “Just seeing his growth, his confidence and us working well together. We sit by each other, we talk ball, we’re talking concepts, we’re just talking about what I see, what I can help him with and he’s just on the ball.”

https://www.facebook.com/Rams/videos/2305373946233264/

Weddle is like a coach on the field and playing the same position as Rapp, the two are in constant communication throughout the game. Weddle is impressed with Rapp’s ability to digest what he’s saying and use it to get better.

“Anytime I say something to him or relay something to him, even in the middle of the game, he’s on top of it the next series,” Weddle added. “He’s been not only one of the best rookies, but over the last 10 games, one of the best safeties out there. His tackling ability, he’s covering, his playmaking. Couldve had three or four picks if he could catch, but those times will come. The sky’s the limit for him, I’m just happy that I can share the field with him and help him as much as I can.”

Rapp has quickly become a top safety in the NFL, ranking fifth at his position on Pro Football Focus’ grading system since Week 7 – the week he took over as a starter. He’s arguably been the better of the two between himself and Weddle, which is saying a lot considering their gap in experience.

Needless to say, he’s been a valuable addition to the roster, and more importantly, the starting lineup this year.

5 takeaways from the Rams’ 16-point victory against Seattle

The Los Angeles Rams took care of the Seattle Seahawks in a must-win game on Sunday Night Football. Here are a few takeaways from the big win.

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Rams took care of business against the Seattle Seahawks in dominant fashion on Sunday night. It was a must-win for the Rams, who remain a game out of a playoff spot in the NFC at 8-5. Here are five takeaways from the big 28-12 win.

Goff produces another stellar performance

Jared Goff was able to get back on track last week against Arizona after a fairly rocky season so far. Arizona’s pass defense is awful, so it was hard to decipher whether or not it was a return to form for Goff or simply a result of bad defense. After tonight’s performance, it feels like the former.

Goff once again shined against Seattle on a big stage, completing 22 of his 31 passing attempts for 293 yards and two touchdowns. Goff was particularly impressive out of the pocket, completing all seven of those passes for 134 yards and a touchdown. We were reminded why the Rams gave Goff a big payday this summer tonight.

Still, there was a brief stretch in the third quarter where Goff looked rough. He threw a pick-six thanks to a miscommunication on a pass to Robert Woods. The interception wasn’t entirely Goff’s fault, but he should know where Woods is heading on that play. A few plays later, with the ball on Seattle’s 37-yard line, Goff tossed a deep ball into double coverage that was intercepted. It wasn’t a shot Goff needed to take at the time.

One major takeaway from Goff’s two interceptions isn’t the interceptions themselves, but that he was able to come back from them. Goff threw a few nice passes following the turnovers, including a dime down the sideline that was dropped by Brandin Cooks and a great play-action rollout pass to Tyler Higbee deep in Rams’ territory. If Goff can continue to play like he did tonight for the remainder of the season, the Rams might actually find themselves playing in January.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

Taylor Rapp rising the ranks as one of the NFL’s best rookies

Taylor Rapp has quickly emerged as one of the best rookies in the NFL.

After 50 picks were made in this year’s draft, the Los Angeles Rams finally joined the fun and made their first selection – after trading back three times. They wound up with Washington safety Taylor Rapp, who was viewed as one of the best prospects at his position in the class.

He wasn’t expected to be a full-time starter as a rookie with Eric Weddle and John Johnson already at safety, but with Johnson out, Rapp has become a key player on defense. He’s also turned out to be one of the top rookies in the league, regardless of position.

Pro Football Focus ranked the best rookies after 13 weeks and Rapp cracked the top 10. He was No. 8 on the list after breaking through with a huge performance against the Cardinals.

The start to his rookie campaign was a slow one, but Taylor Rapp is picking up steam as of late — his 82.5 overall grade since Week 7 is the fifth best among all qualifying safeties. In that timespan, Rapp has produced the third most defensive stops (20), fifth most combined pass breakups and interceptions (five) and has allowed just a 65.2 passer rating (seventh). Rapp has produced his best plays for the Rams when playing free safety — since Week 7, Rapp has played more snaps at that alignment then he had during the first six weeks and has had an 84.3 grade in that role, ranking behind only Tyrann Mathieu and Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Rapp has made the transition from rookie backup to full-time starter look easy, playing at a consistently high level in the secondary. He can play free and strong safety, but he’s best when lining up in the box and near the line of scrimmage.

His pick-six against Arizona showed exactly why the Rams liked him out of Washington, displaying great awareness and instincts by reading Kyler Murray’s eyes and getting in the throwing lane.

He’s only going to get better, too, which makes the idea of Rapp and Johnson starting at safety in 2020 all the more exciting.

[vertical-gallery id=626429]

Rams Film Room: Taylor Rapp breaks out with first INT, 2 close calls

Taylor Rapp had his best game of the season, nearly picking off three passes.

The Rams traded back three times in the 2019 draft before finally settling on safety Taylor Rapp out of Washington. With Eric Weddle and John Johnson already penciled in as the starters, Rapp seemed like more of a luxury pick for a team that had just made the Super Bowl.

Rapp has been anything but that, stepping in as a starter when Johnson went down with a shoulder injury that landed him on IR. He’s improved as the season has gone on, culminating in a breakout performance against the Cardinals on Sunday.

Rapp finished with two tackles, but more importantly, he picked off the first pass of his career and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown. As great as that was, his game could’ve been so much better.

Before his pick-six, he dropped what should have been an interception. Later in the game, he had an INT called back due to a defensive pass interference penalty on Nickell Robey-Coleman. Finally, he broke through with one that counted, and he was relieved to get on the board with his first INT.

“The first one, I was so mad at myself, and the game back in London (against the Bengals), too, I dropped another sure (interception), so I was super mad at myself,” Rapp said, via the team’s site. “I was thinking about that one all the way up until I got the one that actually counted, so I was happy I could get one under my belt.”

It was a bad throw by Kyler Murray, but an even better play by Rapp, who “was able to read his eyes, and able to capitalize on it,” as the safety put it.

Watching his pick-six on the coaches film really shows what a great job Rapp did of reading Murray’s eyes and breaking on the ball to make the play. He sunk down in a robber-type coverage, taking away underneath routes. The receiver got behind him, but by retreating enough into the zone, he was able to get in the passing lane.

The end zone view gives an even better look at what Rapp saw. He initially bit on the play-action fake, but he didn’t get too far out of position and was still able to come down with the pick.

As good as this play was, his near-INT earlier in the game may have been even better had he hauled it in. It was a clear pick play by the Cardinals, attempting to get Kenyan Drake open in the flat.

Rapp did a great job getting around the pick and covering his assignment (Drake) in time to break up the pass. The only thing he didn’t do was catch the ball, otherwise he would’ve been headed to the end zone again.

The interception he had called back wasn’t exactly a standout play by the rookie, but it did show off his instincts and play recognition. That’s something Sean McVay talked about on Monday in evaluating Rapp’s play, saying he continues to get better.

“I think you’re starting to see the versatility and really just the overall instincts and how that enables him to play faster in those close quarters,” McVay said. “You can see there is a comfort in the scheme, he has an ownership on what he’s being asked to do in the framework of that specific call.”

On this play, Rapp recognizes the routes are both going to the left side. He starts to leave his split-zone assignment and heads towards the middle of the field, reading Murray’s eyes once again. He found himself in the right place at the right time, picking off the pass after a deflection.

In addition to lauding his instincts, McVay also complimented Rapps’ tackling ability. He has 72 tackles on the season and has only missed one attempt – a missed-tackle rate of 1.4%. That’s the lowest in the NFL among players with at least 50 tackles. That trait of his game wasn’t highlighted much against Arizona – he only had two tackles – but he did show why he’s a reliable defender.

“When he arrives, he gets guys down quickly. He’s a great tackler. Ironically, Taylor Rapp is a great wrap tackler,” McVay said.

Here, he comes up from his deep zone and makes a sure tackle on Larry Fitzgerald after the catch over the middle. He wrapped up the future Hall of Famer low and did not allow him to gain any additional yardage.

Rapp changed directions quickly and was coming downhill before Fitzgerald even hauled it in.

On this tackle, Rapp was in man coverage on Charles Clay. It was another rub route designed to free up the underneath receiver, and although Rapp had to work around the pick, he still made a strong tackle, once again going low.

This was Rapp’s best performance of the season, and he very easily could’ve had three interceptions. He earned an overall grade of 86.4 from Pro Football Focus, which was the second-highest on the Rams defense this week.

If Weddle retires after this season, or plays elsewhere in 2020, Rapp has proved to be more than capable of being a starter at safety next to Johnson for several years to come.

Watch: Sean McVay hands out game balls after Rams’ win vs. Arizona

Four players received game balls after Sunday’s win.

The Rams put it all together against the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon in Arizona, rolling to a 34-7 victory. It was their most complete game of the season, maintaining control from start to finish with very few blemishes on the day.

It was a much-needed win after being blown out by the Ravens, especially considering how tight the NFC playoff race is.

After the game, Sean McVay handed out game balls to four players for their roles in the win. None of them are particularly surprising, given the impact they had on Sunday.

But before doing that, he gave a speech in the locker room to fire up his players.

Taylor Rapp certainly deserved a game ball for his pick-six, while Tyler Higbee’s career day warranted one, too. Robert Woods’ 172 yards were a big part of the win, as was Jared Goff’s near-perfect performance.