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Fuller for MVP!!!

Les Snead’s offseason looking even more impressive as former Rams struggle

Not that we are rooting against anyone, but it is clear that LA’s evaluations of their own players were on point

By Kenneth Arthur
As former Rams continue to struggle, Les Snead’s offseason looks better - Turf Show Times


The LA Rams had several difficult decisions to make in the offseason, in addition to a few that either weren’t difficult or that were basically made for them. Perhaps the hardest to accept was letting go of Todd Gurley, even if it sadly made the most sense. Through 10 games with the Atlanta Falcons, Gurley has only made the move that much more justifiable.

Since rushing for 121 yards against the Carolina Panthers in Week 5, Gurley has struggled to make plays as either a runner or a receiver. In his last five games, he’s had 88 rushing attempts for 235 yards (2.6 yards per carry) and caught eight of 11 targets for 44 yards and no touchdowns. He’s rushed for four touchdowns but also had a fumble during that stretch, his second on the season.

Gurley’s overall YPC average of 3.7 is even lower than the 3.8 he posted in his final season with the Rams.

At this point it would seem that Sean McVay and Les Snead were correct in their evaluation of Gurley that presumed he would not regain the form he had as a first team all-pro in 2017 and 2018. Gurley was a premier weapon in the passing game in 2017, averaging 9.1 yards per target that year. But in 2020, that number is 3.4 yards per target and he hasn’t caught a touchdown yet.

Gurley has nine rushing touchdowns thanks to a nose for the goal line that has not disappeared since his time as one of the NFL’s most dangerous players with the ball in his hands, but if you had concerns that LA cut ties with him too soon, it would be fair to say at this point that those worries were overblown.

I believe the same would go for Brandin Cooks, even if he does finish with more volume stats this season than he had in 2019.

The Texans traded a second round pick for Cooks and he’s caught 47 of 73 targets for 634 yards and three touchdowns. That gives him more receptions, yards and touchdowns than he had last season but his overall stat line with Houston is almost the same as what he did with Los Angeles in 2019:

He caught 42 of 72 targets for 583 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games.

Cooks’ 13.5 yards per catch is close to the 13.9 he had with the Rams last season. His 8.7 yards per target is not significantly higher than his 8.1 last season. If anything, I think Cooks is showing why LA traded him despite taking a financial loss in 2020 on the deal and that he would not have been able to help them significantly on offense anymore. At least Van Jefferson is a cheaper player to place your bets on from 2021-2023.

Another key player that the Rams had to watch leave this year was inside linebacker Cory Littelton. He signed a lucrative free agent contract with the Las Vegas Raiders but he only has 48 tackles, no sacks, no interceptions, no passes defensed, no forced fumbles, no QB hits and three tackles for a loss in eight games. He has missed the last two games while sitting on the COVID-19 reserve list.

Coincidentally, Dante Fowler has also missed the last two games while on the COVID-19 list for the Falcons. Fowler had 11.5 sacks and 16 tackles for a loss with the Rams last year. He has two sacks and three tackles for a loss in eight games with Atlanta this season. Fowler is also on pace for fewer tackles and he has no batted passes after getting six last season.

Given some of Snead’s other offseason moves, like grabbing Leonard Floyd for one year and deciding to rebuild the offensive line with internal options, plus hiring Brandon Staley as the defensive coordinator to replace Wade Phillips, it’s worth taking into him into consideration as Executive of the Year. Not only for what the Rams did, but what they didn’t do.

I've got chili on the menu. It's a recipe I trust as a go to chili recipe.

My wife would never eat chili I said please let me try this recipe. Now she'll actually request it.

I think the secret ingredient is adding a couple pasilla peppers.

What do you all have for tonight?

I didn't see this thread, so here's what I found (please merge if I missed the thread).

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On Gay kicking for the Rams:
I used to be mad at the missed kicks against the giants and falcons but if he made those there’s a good chance Jameis Winston is the starting QB In 2020.
Sometimes it’s better to lose in the short term to win in the long term
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So what your saying is that Matt Gay is the real MVP?
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If he nails a game winner against us I'm gonna jump in front of a truck.
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Kickers don't miss FGs on us. They hit their career longs.
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He’ll miss a PAT and a chip shot FG but then make from 54 and nail a game winner from 57
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On Rams new uniforms:
Confession: I love their new color scheme and I don’t hate the helmet. I dislike the logos but the colors really pop.
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Blue and yellow will always pop. Doesn’t mean the uniforms aren’t trash which they are.
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It's funny coming from a Bucs fan because of how stupid our last jerseys were, but it's the horrible numbers that kill them for me. Terrible font and the glossy plastic looking border, just terrible.
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I always like games with good uniform color contrasts, and this will be one of them, but their new uniforms are objectively terrible. I thought that the Falcons had the worst re-design, but on TV they haven't been as bad. Rams are atrocious.
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On Goff:
goff is not accurate at all. let him throw deep.
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play Goff like Bill did ... disguise blitzes and defensive schemes until 15 seconds left on the play clock when McVay can't tell him exactly what to do and then switch it up to confuse him.
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Keep in mind though we don’t have Miami’s corners. We have probably a better front 7 but the main reason they can run so much cover 0 is they have two really expensive elite corners back there.
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Send the pressure and play press man
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We had some of the best blocking of the season last year vs the Rams. Our offense looked great.
Our pass rush also destroyed Goff.
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Jared Goff has apparently been one of the worst QBs against pressure this year as well and they just lost the best player on their line.
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They need to make Goff beat them.
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On AD:
Brady After Seeing Those Pressure Rates With and Without Marpet and Knowing We Have Aaron Donald This Week:

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Aaron Donald lines up against Alex Cappa.
And when the teams met last year Aaron Donald had zero sacks.
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Aaron Donald? No marpet? Oh god oh fuck
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Aaron Donald lines up wherever he wants, he will never stick in the same spot all game.
Quote from Duane Brown of Seahawks:
"The thing with him [Donald], he'll line up everywhere. He's lined up on the edge more this year, I think, than in years past. They're just trying to do whatever they can to get him different one-on-ones"
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We're in danger
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let's triple team him just to be safe
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Is Aaron Donald the undertaker!?
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We're fucked. Donald will win the game by himself
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Top 5 DPOY candidates?

1. Aaron Donald
2. Aaron Donald
3. Aaron Donald
4. Aaron Donald
5. Aaron Donald

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On Rams fans (us):
I got hit by a car, smash my head, it didn't take long before my personality (the one I was born with) was completely gone. Close to 2 decades later, and I'm still not myself.
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If its any consolation, from what I can tell most Rams fans seem to have suffered a similar injury. you're not alone
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On Rams Special Teams:
Rams special teams are terrible and hopefully we can take advantage.

'We don't eat with cats': How 'Dawgwork' has taken Rams' D-line to greater heights https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30355842/how-dawgwork-taken-rams-d-line-greater-heights
via @ESPN App http://espn.com/app

Game Day Thread

The GDT is a live thread tradition here at ROD.

While we all get fired up watching the game, please remember our core principles;we always show respect for our team and each other.

Despite the emotional highs and lows watching a game, we will moderate this thread with that in mind, however please refrain from name calling. This applies to players, the Rams organization, and others.

This is the core rule of the GDT. Moderators are tasked to issue thread bans, at a minimum, to maintain this standard.

This is our team. Win or lose. Good days and bad. We are here for FUN, not to be dragged down.

A more loosely moderated atmosphere can be found in the chat room.

Go Rams!

———

ROD Chat Room;

Game Day Room

.

Just a few thoughts.

Cheaters are 4/6 lmmfao.

And your thoughts are ,???

What most folks like when I cook is my sweet tater pie.

I can cook a bird, ham etc and I can make a homemade dressing with sage and thyme off the Charts, but I get most the comments about my S Carolina Sweet Tater pie.

When I was younger ,I use to fish like a MoFo on Snake Creek, it was in my backyard. Man I was so glad we got out the the hood. I use to take my Schinno 1500 reel or however it's spelled and fish like crazy with my pink 6lb Ande line.

I use to catch bass like crazy and since none of the family liked bass,I'd take all of them to my neighbor 2 houses down.

Now my Mother was adamant No Bias prediduce,Ever. Treat everyone with respect to your elders no matter what race colour, it's yes ma'am, yes sir.

So Mister James and His Wife Ms Anna got along with my family very very well. She baked us a sweet tater pie for Thanksgiving and I loved it.

Now me being the kid/teen I was,I brought over some bass I just had caught, like 20lbs worth,it had been a Very Good day.

Ms Anna said thanks and Mr James would be home soon.I asked/Told her Ms Anna you're the 1 I would like to talk too and she looked at me kinda dazed and said why ?

And I replied Ms Anna I would like that Sweet Tater pie recipe, please please please please Ms Anna. Lol

She said sure, take 6 8 sweet taters cook em.Then peel them,add 1 cup Brown sugar, 2 cans of Borden sweet condensed milk 14oz size.Then add about a 1/4 cup Allspice and Half a cup Nutmeg with a Couple Eggs.

She told me it should make 2 pies, best pieshell was the Gram Cracker 1 she said, And boy was she right.


So there's my secret recipe from the Late Great Ms Anna, Enjoy.


BTW want to see my fishing grounds back in the day.

Google 3951 207 Dr Carol City Fl.cant remember if it was 33054 or 33055.

For fans of the Showtime hit "Dexter". We are getting a season 9. Taking place 10 years after the conclusion in 2013. I for one was a HUGE fan of this show and can't fuckin wait!

I look at the suggested cap for next year and see how we are over it by well over 20m.

How do we overcome that?

I know there are some guys here that are terrific with the cap numbers. Can one of you ease my mind? I dont see a way out. Sure, if 77 retires, we will save so much. But how do we keep Darious Williams? We will have to let Johnson and Floyd walk.

PRE-GAME THREAD

• Tweets about the game, leading up to the game, players, writers, etc.
• Stats, tidbits
• Weather conditions
• Pregame stuff, quips, articles, previews, prediction stuff (some times there seems more than normal of this type of stuff)
• “Things on the web” that don’t feel they stand alone, but maybe fit here
• Excited about something with the game, maybe you want to shout it here
• Trash talking, general smack
• Unsure where to put something game related, maybe try here
• Going to the game? Tell us! (at least in the future)

ROD Sportsbook

Sunday Night Football: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Las Vegas Raiders

The defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs have lost just once in 2020. That means an opportunity for revenge is at hand with this weekend's "Sunday Night Football" matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

It's a game that comes with a postseason feel even though we're still in mid-November. A victory in this matchup would give the Chiefs a chance to lock up the AFC West before Thanksgiving, turning their attention toward the No. 1 seed and that all-important first-round bye.

For the Raiders, it's a last-gasp effort to keep their division within reach. At 6-3, they're already two games behind the 8-1 Chiefs with seven games left to play. A season sweep pulls them back to within striking distance while holding the all-important division tiebreaker. A loss, meanwhile, leaves Las Vegas 6-4 in a conference where 10 wins are almost certainly needed to make the playoffs.

The Chiefs come in rested off a bye but still shaking their head at a four-game win streak nearly snuffed out by the lowly Carolina Panthers. They escaped with a 33-31 victory two weeks ago only because a last-ditch, 67-yard field goal attempt by Panthers kicker Joey Slye fell short in the final seconds. The Panthers put together a formula the Raiders know all too well from their 40-32 victory last month, finding their way through a porous defense that allowed 300 passing yards, over 100 rushing, and scores on almost every possession.

Can the Chiefs' defense buckle down a second time against these Raiders? Or will a Raiders defense saddled with issues of its own end a chance at a season sweep before it begins?

Sunday Night Football: Kansas City at Las Vegas

Kickoff: Sunday, Nov. 22 at 8:20 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Spread: Chiefs -8.5

Three Things to Watch

1. How will the Raiders' defense respond to the challenges of COVID-19?

On paper, this game was all about the Chiefs and their ability to bounce back from adversity. But that's before the Raiders had a bout with COVID-19 that leaves their defense struggling to simply field a unit for Sunday night's game.

No less than 10 defensive players, including eight starters, are in isolation after a positive test from defensive end Clelin Ferrell. Ferrell is not expected to play, along with linebacker Corey Littleton, although there's hope eight others will be cleared after contact tracing protocols took them off the practice field.

"I don't know how we can beat these guys with a full lineup at practice, let alone with three-quarters of your lineup not being here all week," Las Vegas defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said Thursday. "We're playing the world champs. They've got a great quarterback, great receivers, a great tight end. The line's physical, and they're coming off a bye. So it's a daunting task."

When your team's own defensive coordinator is questioning if they can win? That's a problem. Keep in mind quarterback Patrick Mahomes was already motivated after throwing the lone interception of his year against the Raiders. Putting up the junior varsity squad isn't exactly the recipe to beat him twice.

Unfortunately, the Raiders have been through this before... with terrible results. The team's entire offensive line was out all week due to COVID-19 protocols before an Oct. 25 game against Tampa Bay. While most of the unit eventually was cleared on game day, the team struggled, losing 45-20 while posting a season-low 76 rushing yards.

You shudder to think where a decimated defense might leave them Sunday night. So, keep an eye on who's cleared and who's not, especially for betting purposes as a "next man up" mentality only does so much when you're competing against the best offense in the AFC.

2. Can the Chiefs' defense recover?

Kansas City's defense nearly collapsed against Carolina, giving up 14 points in the fourth quarter while allowing them to go 3-for-3 on fourth-down conversions. The final totals (31 points, 435 yards) were the worst since, you guessed it, that Oct. 11 loss to the Raiders.

In that game, the Chiefs gave up 40 points, their most since November 2018. The Raiders scored on three of their final four possessions, converted both of their fourth-down attempts, and produced 490 yards of total offense while wearing down their rivals. It was a strategy that worked behind a solid run game, exceptional quarterback play by Derek Carr and an offensive line that negated the Chiefs' pass rush (one sack).

The Chiefs are now ranked just 14th in total defense and 29th against the run. Especially with a decimated defense themselves, expect the Raiders to produce the same type of game plan. Running back Josh Jacobs has only gotten better since his two-touchdown performance last month; he's got 100-yard efforts in two of the last three weeks. Only Derrick Henry has more rushing yards in the AFC than Jacobs' 700.

What's new in their plan of attack is Devontae Booker. Booker has three touchdowns in the last two games against division rivals Los Angeles and Denver, proving to a good change-of-pace back before cleaning up in garbage time. His emergence has allowed the Raiders to go over 200 rushing yards in two of their last three games, all wins. Their 139.2 rushing yards per game places them seventh in the league.

3. Can Derek Carr outplay Patrick Mahomes?

Of course, the Raiders can only go so far in this matchup as their quarterback takes them. After an early interception, Carr had his best game of the year -- 347 passing yards, a dazzling 11.2 yards per attempt -- against the Chiefs to pull off the upset. The deep ball paid off with two touchdown catches that went for 50-plus yards, one for Nelson Agholor (59) and the other Henry Ruggs III (72).

Can lightning strike twice for Carr? He'll need to keep from turning the ball over and be a true game manager. Aggressive plays need to be mixed in with long drives to keep the Chiefs' offense off the field.

Mahomes had an off day the last time out, his lone interception combining with a season-high three sacks. His 340 passing yards proved deceiving as 7.91 yards per attempt was one of his lowest outputs all season.

But that's been the lone blip on the radar for him. A 106.3 career passer rating against the Raiders is the best for Mahomes against any AFC West division rival. Twice, he's torched them with four TDs or more in a game and is motivated to put October's misstep behind him.

"They came out and won the football game," Mahomes said about the Raiders this week. "So we'll have to do a better job this time, know that we're playing against a good opponent, and know that we're going to have to give our best shot if we want to come out with a win."

Final Analysis

The Raiders are actually one of the league's pleasant surprises in 2020. Head coach Jon Gruden has built the foundation of a young team in position to succeed long-term out in Vegas.

But the Chiefs know the value of this game when it comes to putting the division away. Add in the COVID-19 uncertainty of the Raiders' defense and it seems any chance of an upset disappeared the second they all got put in quarantine. It's not a question of if the Raiders can win on Sunday night; it's now a question of whether they can keep it close.

Prediction: Chiefs 41, Raiders 20

Sunday, November 22

Miami Dolphins at Denver Broncos , 4:05 p.m. on CBS

Green Bay Packers at Indianapolis Colts, 4:25 p.m. on Fox

Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings, 4:25 p.m. on Fox

.

Sunday, November 22

Cincinnati Bengals at The Washington Football Team, 1:00 p.m. on CBS

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints, 1:00 p.m. on Fox

Pittsburgh Steelers at Jacksonville Jaguars , 1:00 p.m. on CBS

New England Patriots at Houston Texans, 1:00 p.m. on Fox

Philadelphia Eagles at Cleveland Browns 1:00 p.m. on Fox

Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers, 1:00 p.m. on Fox

Tennessee Titans at Baltimore Ravens , 1:00 p.m. on CBS

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While the Rams And Branden Staley are putting on a clinic, on how a sound,stingy,in your face defense should be played.
And a long list of players that are making this defense a special one in Ram fans hearts everywhere.
With players like AD, Ramsey, Williams, Floyd putting fear into QB's across the league,
There is a name that should be mentioned in the same breath with the King Nasty's
mentioned above.

While doing some research on our future at OLB should Floyd not be retained, I stumbled across
some numbers of a interior player who, I knew I had heard his name called quite a bit in the play by play.
But did not realize that he was actually the leading tackler on the entire Rams Defensive Line.


Sebastian Joseph-Day leads our Dline with 20 (espn stats) or 23 (pff stats)solo tackles with AD coming in second with 15.
it also puts him tied at 6th place for all Dlineman in the NFL.



He also boasts a PFF 73.4 overall rating up from 63.0 grade from last year. Not too shabby for a kid who played
his college ball for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and was one of four 6th round picks taken by Mr Snead in the 2018 draft

Let's give a ROD shout out to another Rams late round draft pick who has, by far, exceeded expectations
bestowed upon a 3rd year, 6th round pick.


Give'em Hell SJD!! Thank You for helping make this the best Damned DLine in the League!!

Courtesy of -X- for shrunken Murray image, and comments from some others...

Good stuff from Rich as always
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Rams-Bucs Preview: All Eyes on Playoff-Caliber MNF Matchup

This is the type of game that dictates what you're playing for the rest of the way.

Win? You're a legitimate threat to make a run at the top of the NFC, and with it, the coveted bye. Depending on what happens to Green Bay in Indianapolis and to New Orleans without Drew Brees this weekend, a 7-3 mark could even launch the Rams into the No. 1 seed as soon as Monday night.

Lose? Then you're back home next week to face the 49ers with designs on the division, and realistically, not much else until further notice. Still not a bad place to be, but expectations would once again be tempered.

Said another way, the Rams chances of getting back to Raymond James Stadium in February would be bolstered considerably by taking care of Tampa before Thanksgiving.

Kickoff is at 5:15pm/pt on Monday night and you can catch the game locally on ABC7 or on ESPN. And, as always, the radio broadcast on 710 ESPN LA and 93.1 JACK FM.

If You're Not First, You're … Gonna Want to Be Fifth

November is no time to be settling for the fifth seed, so please don't misinterpret what I'm about to write.

There's an even more subtle value to winning on Monday night, though. It's an insurance policy, of sorts.

Let's say L.A. earns the head-to-head over Tampa Bay in Week 11, but both teams finish runner-up in their respective divisions and end up tied in the wild card standings at year's end at 11-5.

The Rams would be "The Five," traveling to face "The Four" in the NFC playoffs.

Well, guess what?

It's not even Thanksgiving and we all know the four-seed is going to be the East champion. So if you have to hit the road in January for a wild card game, going to Philadelphia (or New York) to face an opponent with a losing record is about the best case scenario. Just ask last year's Seahawks.

Time Versus Tom

Who knows how much longer Tom Brady will play?

The Buccaneers are not on next year's schedule (though they could end up coming to SoFi Stadium as a like-place finisher), so there's a chance this could be the last time the Rams face the quarterback who has tormented this franchise.

Brady is 5-1 against the Rams, with his lone defeat coming in Week 10, 2001 – his first year as a starter. As we know, he'd avenge that loss later that season in Super Bowl XXXVI and never look back. He also set the NFL wins record against the Rams in 2016 and denied them another ring in Super Bowl LIII.

All of those meetings were with the New England Patriots, of course. Let's see if Brady's change of franchise changes the Rams' fortunes.

Deep Tracks

Last week, we wrote about Russell Wilson and the Seahawks' uncanny ability to get over the top of defenses versus the Rams' ability to completely eliminate downfield explosives

Well this week, it's the opposite.

Despite having an absolute arsenal at his disposal, Brady is 3-for-his-last-30 on passes beyond 20 yards (all three of those came against the Raiders in Week 7, per NFL Research).

Are they due to hit one? Certainly.

Can the Rams' elite rush and cover combination keep Brady off track for another week? We'll see. L.A. continues to surrender the fewest such receptions in the NFL and zero deep touchdowns on the season.

To-Do List

Brady is the only quarterback Aaron Donald has faced multiple times without registering a sack or coming away with a win (and more often than not, he gets both).

Tampa Bay is where Sean McVay got his start, as an offensive assistant to Jon Gruden in 2008. Now, the Bucs are the only NFC Team he's yet to beat in his tenure with the Rams. He ticked off Washington – another of his former organizations – back in Week 5.

Just a couple potential check marks to monitor on Monday evening.

McVay's Message

There remains a sizable discrepancy between the Rams' offensive efficiency (fifth in NFL) and point production (18th). Only Philadelphia (22.6) has averaged fewer points than Los Angeles (24.0) among teams currently in the NFC playoff framework.

It's been more than a month since the Rams reached 30 points in a game, and they're averaging just 20 over their last four outings. Often times, they've lacked the killer instinct to put an opponent away, having mustered only seven points in the fourth quarter of their last three games, combined.

"I'm not going to apologize for having high standards," the head coach said this week. "I expect us to play better. And I refuse to believe that we won't as we move forward."

Losing Left Tackles

The degree of difficulty goes up a notch this week, however. Not only are the Bucs the best defense Los Angeles will face all season – and potentially the best in the NFL – but now the Rams are without their cornerstone, Andrew Whitworth.

And there are two recent examples of what's happened to teams who've lost their left tackles.

The Titans were 4-0 and averaging 30.5 points per game before Taylor Lewan tore his ACL. They're 2-3 and putting up only 25.4 since.

As for the Ravens, they were cruising at 5-1 and scoring 29.8 points per contest when they inked Ronnie Stanley to a mega extension. In the first quarter of their next game, he broke an ankle and Baltimore hasn't been the same since: 1-2 and plummeting to 21.7 scoring average.

That's a fate McVay and the Rams hope to avoid, if not flip.

Here Comes the Boom

"He's probably the best mentor I possibly could have had," Joe Noteboom said of Whitworth on this week's Rams Revealed podcast, as he prepares to fill the massive void on Goff's blind side.

On the short list of players the Rams could ill-afford to lose, Whitworth ranked at-or-near the top. He hadn't missed a game due to injury since 2013, well before he came to Los Angeles.

If there's a silver lining to this setback, and believe me we're really digging deep here, it's that the Rams get to find out whether Noteboom is the left tackle of the future they envisioned in 2018 when he was selected in the third round out of TCU.

"I think that's a glass half-full, very positive way of looking at it," McVay told me earlier this week.

Bucs Blitz

By the way, Tampa Bay loves to blitz. Like, more than Miami.

Only Baltimore sends extra rushers at opposing quarterbacks more often than the Bucs.

Kicking to the Curb

Here's hoping the third time's the charm for the L.A. kicking game.

If nothing else, Matt Gay should be familiar with his surroundings, having kicked for the Bucs last year at Raymond James Stadium.

He also was perfect against the Rams at the Coliseum, connecting on both field goal attempts, including a career-best 58-yarder, and drilling all seven of his extra points.

What remains to be seen is what he might give the Rams on kickoffs, after L.A. once again gave up returns to the 32, 33, and 47-yard lines last week against Seattle.

Gay didn't kick off as a rookie, as Tampa Bay has punter Bradley Pinion, who thrives in that role.

Don't Go Anywhere

Whatever the score at halftime, don't stray from your television (or radio) this Monday night.

The Rams (+70 scoring margin) and Bucs (+67) are the two best second half teams in the NFL.

This figures to be a playoff-caliber collision and a fight to the finish.

Looking Ahead

Just a reminder that the next opponent, San Francisco, has a bye this weekend.

So the Rams will get home from Tampa early Tuesday morning to begin a short week against a well-rested rival. Tough break from the schedule-makers, and they'll get no sympathy from the injury-depleted 49ers. But the Rams can't change it; let's see if they can overcome it.

Out of curiosity, was Marc Bulger a good QB or did he benefit from having Bruce and Holt as his targets? The running game featured Faulk in for a bit then SJax afterwards. Just thought I’d ask the question...

Rams on pace to have one of the best 2nd-half defenses in NFL history

Cameron DaSilva

November 18, 2020 2:18 pm
To find the last time the Rams defense gave up a second-half touchdown, you’d have to go all the way back to Week 3 against the Buffalo Bills. The Bears scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter in Week 7, but that was on a Robert Woods fumble, which was returned for six.
By every single measure, the Rams defense has been the best in the league and is a big reason the team is 6-3. Brandon Staley’s halftime adjustments have been remarkably impressive, making the necessary changes to get the defense on track in the final 30 minutes.

Through nine games so far, the Rams have allowed just 36 points. That’s 34 points fewer than the next-closest team (Washington) and 131 points better than the worst second-half defense in the league, the Bills.
The defense has allowed only two second-half touchdowns – both against the Bills – and five field goals. Here’s how many points the defense has allowed in each of the last six games.

• Week 4: 3 points
• Week 5: 0 points
• Week 6: 3 points
• Week 7: 0 points (Bears defense scored a TD)
• Week 8: 0 points
• Week 9: 3 points

Unsurprisingly, the Rams rank among the best second-half defenses in NFL history through nine games. Only three teams since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger have allowed fewer than the Rams’ 36 points in the second half through nine games: The 1977 Broncos (30 points), the 1990 Dolphins (33 points) and the 1977 Falcons (34 points).
The Rams are tied for the fourth-fewest second-half points allowed through nine games, right there with the 1970, 1971 and 1973 Vikings. Only one other team since 2000 has allowed fewer than 40 points in the second half after nine games, which was the 2000 Steelers.
The fewest second-half points allowed in a 16-game season was the 1996 Panthers, who allowed just 56 points in the second half. At the Rams’ current rate of allowing only 4.0 second-half points per game, they’re on pace to allow just 64 second-half points this season. That would be the second-fewest total ever in a 16-game season, ahead of the historic 1985 Bears team that allowed 71 points in the second half of their games during a 15-1 season.
It’ll be difficult for the Rams to keep up their current pace of allowing 4.0 second-half points per game, especially given the level of competition they’ll face down the stretch against the Bucs, Cardinals and Seahawks. But even if they average seven points per game in their final seven weeks, that’ll put them at 85 second-half points allowed this year. That would be the ninth-best ever for a 16-game season, which is still impressive.
Barring a collapse in the final seven weeks, the Rams’ second-half defense is destined to finish as one of the best ever.

Aaron Donald has watched Darious Williams make plays in practice for years

Cameron DaSilva

November 20, 2020 4:03 pm
Darious Williams has burst onto the scene as a key player for the Rams this season, going from reserve corner last year to ranking third in the NFL with four interceptions in 2020. His rise has been fun to watch, making a huge impact defensively opposite Jalen Ramsey at cornerback.
To many, this was an unexpected emergence. But for those inside the Rams’ facility, he’s been impressing the coaching staff and his teammates for a while.

In speaking to the media Friday, Aaron Donald said he’s watched Williams make plays consistently in practice for years. It was just that he didn’t get the chance to start because of the players who were ahead of him on the depth chart – guys like Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib, Nickell Robey-Coleman and even Troy Hill.

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Williams originally joined the Rams as a waiver claim by the team back in 2018 after the Ravens waived him. It seemed like an inconsequential move at the time, with the team just churning the roster and seeking depth at cornerback.

They obviously recognized his potential and saw the type of player he could become, but even the coaching staff probably didn’t expect him to become a Pro Bowl-caliber corner in his first season as a starter.

First off Congrats to @OC_Ram for winning last weeks contest and 15k Rod Sportsbook credits, brought to you by @CGI_Ram


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Now on to this weeks contest. The Rams fly in to Tompa Brady to take on the Buccaneers ( how much does corn cost theses days anyway?) with 1st place in the NFCW on the line. Does the Rams defense have enough to stop TB12, Gronk, and company. Can Jared Goff finally get a W against the deflatinator?


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get to guessing

Big opportunity ahead for Joe Noteboom

With starting left tackle Andrew Whitworth out 6-8 weeks with a knee injury, the Rams will turn to third-year pro Joe Noteboom as his replacement for the time being, beginning with Monday night's game in Tampa Bay against the Buccaneers (5:15 p.m. PT, ABC7/ESPN).

Noteboom embraces the opportunity, one he feels confidently prepared for.

"(He's) definitely an irreplaceable guy, being a 14-,15-year veteran," Noteboom said during a video conference after Thursday's practice. "But I feel the coaching staff, everyone here, they have a good gameplan for this game. Watching him for three years, I definitely feel prepared to go in there and do as well as he did."

For Noteboom, this marks his first NFL start at his projected position.

Rams head coach Sean McVay said this week that when the team selected the former TCU standout in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, it did so with the intention to eventually play him at left tackle. GM Les Snead also alluded to those plans nine months earlier in his end-of-2019-season news conference when asked about the future of the position as Whitworth was headed for unrestricted free agency.

Whitworth, of course, re-signed with Los Angeles in early April, which led to Noteboom returning to left guard, where he started in each of the Rams' first two games this season before a calf injury landed him on injured reserve. Initially, his return to the 53-man roster was in a reserve role since his replacement at left guard – David Edwards – played well enough to keep the starting job, but Whitworth's injury called him into action against the Seahawks and re-opened the door to being a starter again.

Despite that calf injury – and the season-ending knee injury in Week 6 last season – Noteboom still offers plenty of experience. He appeared in every game during his 2018 rookie season, including the Rams' three playoff games, and also has eight starts at left guard. Noteboom also credits cross-training along the offensive line – standard protocol for young players in run game coordinator and offensive line coach Aaron Kromer's group – for making this transition smooth.

"It's always hard to replace somebody like that – he's obviously an integral part of our offense and our team," Goff said during a video conference Thursday. "It'll be hard, but Joe (Noteboom) is ready. Joe has been doing this, you know, we've had him play in meaningful snaps for a few years now and he's going to be ready. I've got a lot of faith in Joe and I know he feels comfortable out there at tackle and he'll do a good job for us."

McVay didn't want to say whether this was an audition for Noteboom to be Whitworth's heir apparent. Noteboom, when asked whether he prefers to play tackle or guard, said he would play either.

However, with it being the first chance for the team to thoroughly evaluate him at left tackle in a live game setting, it does mark a significant 6-8 weeks for both Noteboom and the Rams.

"I think what it is, is it's an opportunity for him to play right now and we're going to be present in the moment," McVay said during a video conference Monday. "Joe is a guy that we've always anticipated in projected as somebody that we do feel like as a starting caliber left tackle in this league. He's got the length. He's got the athleticism. I think he's doing a great job of continuing to grow his repertoire in terms of understanding the techniques, the fundamentals that we want to implement and utilize in the run game and protection. I was pleased with him yesterday, but it's going to be something that you'll certainly miss Andrew and everything that he means to us. But, whether you look at it as an audition, I think it's an opportunity for Joe to step up and I expect him to play."

Andrew Whitworth's mindset motivating teammates to finish season strong

Rams offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth fortunately avoided a season-ending knee injury in Week 10, but the setback will still sideline him for the next 6-8 weeks.

In glimpses shown via social media, Whitworth is doing everything he can to return to action as soon as possible. His Los Angeles teammates are equally motivated to finish the season strong so that whenever he returns, L.A. is in a position to keep playing.

"I think it's very motivating, absolutely," Goff said during a video conference Thursday. "I think when you initially see the injury you go, 'that could be it for him.' You think the worst right away. But seeing the way he's attacked this already in the first handful of days here is super exciting, and I would expect nothing less. I mean, all of us wouldn't."

Based on that estimated timeline, the soonest Whitworth could potentially return would be Week 17 – the Rams' regular season finale against the Cardinals. While there's no doubting Whitworth has the ability to hit that target, should he need another week to fully heal before Los Angeles is comfortable returning him to game action, remaining in the playoff picture becomes the safest way to allow him to play again this season.

As it currently stands, the Rams are in good shape. They're currently the No. 6 seed in NFC and sit second in their division heading into Monday night's game against the 7-3 Buccaneers in Tampa Bay (5:15 p.m. PT, ABC7/ESPN). Take care of business in Weeks 11-16, and the postseason outlook becomes a lot brighter, Whitworth's potential Week 17 return more impactful.

"Knowing he's grinding so hard to get back, it motivates us to do a good job when he's gone, so when he does come back, he'll have a good spot, we'll have a won a lot of games," said offensive lineman Joe Noteboom, who will start in place of Whitworth at left tackle while Whitworth is on injured reserve. "Just matching his intensity with how he's approaching rehab."

Whitworth is determined to return after six weeks, and his teammates are determined to have the Rams in the best possible position by then and reward him for his efforts. Though injured, he'll also expound as much energy as he can to help them accomplish that from the sidelines.

"I know he's going to attack every opportunity to give himself a chance to play, whether it's at the end of the regular season, or if we get a chance to play afterwards," Rams head coach Sean McVay said during a video conference on Monday. "We've got a lot of stuff that we've got to do in the meantime to even be talking about that. But I know he's going to influence this team the right way."