worldwide ramsEd "PiDouble I" Henderson  Johnny Hekker, the punter for the Los Angeles Rams, was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. On Monday night, Hekker had a game for the ages as he punted the ball five times, landing the ball inside the 20-yard line.
If that was not good enough for you, he was even better playing the ball the four times inside the ten-yard line. Hekker punts were pivotal for the Rams defense to unhinge different schemes at the Chicago Bears offense and not allow their returner to rip off significant returns. In described as the watermelon punt, Hekker was able to place the ball at the Bears one-yard line. Hekker boomed a 63-yard punt in the game that changed the game's onset after the Bears scored a touchdown on a Rams turnover and forced the Rams to punt on the next possession. Hekker's fifth and final punt of the night even had the announcer from last night game applauded his efforts and lobbied for him to win this award. Tyler Bass of the Buffalo Bills kicked six field goals Sunday against the New York Jets that were good enough for a victory and missed three field goals. The three misses more than likely helped Hekker to edge him out. Being named for the fourth time in his career as the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week, Hekker now matches his NFC Pro Bowl total selections after this week's naming.
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worldwide ramsDoug Nelson  Overview: This is a somewhat important game for both teams in terms of establishing credibility. The Bears are 5-1, but aside from a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that they easily could have lost, they haven't exactly played a "murderers row" of NFL contenders. Suggest the same for the Rams, who are 4-0 against the worst division in football [the NFC East], 0-2 otherwise. The Rams are also coming off a subpar performance against a banged-up San Francisco 49ers team who they frankly should have beaten. The Rams even can't afford to lose many more games if they are to have any chance of catching the Seattle Seahawks for the division title. However, they conceivably can get closer as the Seahawks were upset last night against the Arizona Cardinals 37-34 in overtime. Both teams need and want to make a "statement game" on Monday night. The contest isn't a 'must-win" for either team to make the playoffs, but whoever loses will face questions about their contender status in the NFC. Coaching: Sean McVay has a well-deserved reputation as an offensive genius. Every so often, as in last week's game against the 49ers, he seems to have an off week. That probably won't happen two weeks in a row. His counterpart, Bears head man Matt Nagy, is likewise an innovative offensive mind, but he doesn't have the tools to work with on that side of the ball that McVay does. On defense, the Bears have the edge in experience, with longtime NFL coach Chuck Pagano as their DC versus the Rams newbie Brandon Staley, who as the Bears outside linebacker coach in 2018. But Staley has done an excellent job so far and still has an element of surprise in his corner due to having a poor track record. EDGE: Rams  Rams Offense vs. Bears Defense: Some things never seem to change in the NFL. For example, when the Chicago Bears are good, they feature a nasty defense. It was right in the days of Dick Butkus, it was right in 1985, and it's true today. If there is anyone in the NFL who may be as good as Aaron Donald as a defensive player (and we don't think there is), it's Khalil Mack. Mack is to edge rushers what Donald is to inside pass rushers—a disruptive playmaker you always have to account for, a guy who can take over a game and wreck an offense. The task of containing Mack will mostly fall to Rams tackle Rob Havenstein, who needs to bring his A-game on Monday night. Havenstein was injured last season when the Rams defeated the Bears, but Los Angeles gave his replacement, Bobby Evans, plenty of help, and Mack didn't do much. The Rams' problem is that the Bears have since added sack master Robert Quinn (the former Ram) to their defensive arsenal. Defensive tackle Akeem Hicks, who was out last year with an injury, will (probably) be back for the Bears. That means the Rams will have less flexibility in double-teaming Mack, which could be a problem if Havenstein can't at least hold his own. Mack did miss practice on Friday with what the Bears say was a back issue, and Hicks missed practice time with a "non-COVID-19 illness". Both Hicks and Mack will play on Monday night, but that could be a big deal if either or both doesn't. Speaking of injuries, three Rams offensive players missed practice this past week. But Coach Sean McVay seemed confident that all three—receiver Robert Woods, running back Darrell Henderson, and tight-end Tyler Higbee—would be ready for Monday night. If you are a Rams fan, let's hope so. Woods will likely see much of Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller in one of the more significant matchups on this side of the ball. Meanwhile, the Rams Cooper Kupp, who did not play well against the Niners, will be trying to bounce back to his usual playmaking self. The Bears secondary is pretty good, and when you team that up with Mack and company upfront, you can see why this defense presents challenges. Expect the Rams to counter with a run-heavy offense, their MO this season, and a key to their success. Henderson was one of the few Rams to play well against the Niners on Sunday, rushing for 81 yards and hitting his stride in the second half. But running back Cam Akers mysteriously disappeared, logging only one snap and no carries. The third running back in the Rams' three-headed monster, Malcolm Brown, really didn't do much on Sunday either, although he did get a few touches. Henderson seems to be emerging as the Rams feature back, but either Brown and Akers' immense contribution would be helpful. One way or another, the Rams need to run the ball effectively. When they go into "Mike Martz" mode and become a one-dimensional passing offense, it almost always does not end well. EDGE: Even  Rams Defense vs. Bears Offense: The Bears have made the switch from Mitch Trubisky to Nick Foles at quarterback, and it seems to have changed the nature of their offense. With Trubisky, this was a run-heavy wannabe smash-mouth attack, though it was not always effective in that effort. With Foles, who is the better NFL quarterback…they have morphed into a heavy pass offense, more like what Head Coach Matt Nagy had with Kansas City Chiefs. Fortunately for the Rams, there is no concern about defending against Patrick Mahomes or Tyreek Hill on the Bears roster. The Bears are also without running back Tarik Cohen, their designated "big play" gadget type player. However, they do have one of the league's under-appreciated wideouts in Allen Robinson, who comes into this game with over 400 yards in receiving yards. He will likely see a lot of Jalen Ramsey on Monday night. If Ramsey can hold his own in this matchup, the Rams should have a good chance of winning. The Rams need to do a better job of tackling on Monday night than they did against the 49ers in their last outing. Chicago's David Montgomery is a decent NFL running back, and the Rams inside linebackers need to step it up a notch in dealing with both Montgomery and tight-end Jimmy Graham. Both Rams starting linebackers, Micah Kiser and Kenny Young and top reserve Troy Reeder have had their moments this season (Kiser was NFC Defensive Player of the week at one point), but they didn't play well at all against San Francisco. They made the Niners Raheem Mostert, a somewhat above average NFL running back, look like Earl Campbell. That needs to change if the Rams see themselves as a Super Bowl contender. The Rams reportedly will have D-lineman A'Shawn Robinson, a mountain of a man (6'4, 320 pounds) who fits the prototype of a valid 3-4 nose tackle, available on Monday night the first time this season. Robinson was one of the Rams' high-profile free-agent signings in the off-season. Maybe he can help shore up a run defense that has so far been average on its best days. But after only having returned to practice a few days ago, he probably won't start or see a considerable number of snaps. Foles has been something of a pick-machine so far this season, throwing interceptions in five straight games. Meanwhile, Rams D-lineman Aaron Donald, who looked like a mere mortal last week against the 49ers, will be out to erase the memory of a rare bad game. He was a non-factor on Sunday for the first time this season. EDGE: Rams  Special Teams: Let's get one piece of bad news for the Rams out of the way up-front. Despite the signing of veteran kicker Kai Forbath, Sam Sloman slated to handle the placekicking duties for Los Angeles this week as Forbath has not cleared the COVID-19 protocol. We had to bash any Rams player, and Sloman is probably a wonderful young man. Sadly he has been less than outstanding as a kicker this season. He added to the damage last week with a missed extra point. He's missed three extra points and two field goals this season. In fairness, one of the missed field goals was a 53-yard attempt into the wind, and two missed field goals in six games is not all that bad. But the first problem is that no NFL placekicker should miss three extra points in six games. Problem number two is that if you watch the game instead of just looking at the stats, he hasn't looked good in general. He tends to have a low trajectory on his kicks, and we are concerned about any game that comes down to his kicking ability. Let's hope that isn't the case on Monday night. There is a reason the Rams signed Forbath, even if he isn't ready to play yet.
The Rams special teams, in general, have not been perfect this year (aside from punter Johnny Hekker). The Bears have injury issues of their own on special teams. Placekicker Cairo Santos has matched Sloman by missing two field goals, but he is perfect so far on extra points. The loss above Tarik Cohen ribs Chicago of a potential weapon on punt returns, and special teams captain Sherrick McManis is out with a hamstring injury for Chicago. They do have a good kick-returner in Cordarelle Patterson, who can break one at any time. This area remains a concern for the Rams. Hopefully, they can get through one more week of the Sloman era without losing a game because of a missed kick, but he's not the only issue. EDGE: Bears Prediction: This game may tell us a lot. Can either of them beat an actual good team? Indeed, figures to be a statement game for both teams, and it could go either way. The oddsmakers have the Rams favored by six. We think it could be closer than that, but we still give them a slight edge. Rams 24, Bears 21 worldwide ramsDoug Nelson  Overview: At a glance, this seems like a favorable matchup for the Los Angeles Rams. The San Francisco 49ers are coming off of a dreadful performance at home in a 43-17 loss to a mediocre Dolphins team. It got so bad that quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was benched after the first half by head coach Kyle Shanahan, supposedly to protect Jimmy G from injury. The Niner's offensive line has been foul, injuries to the starting cornerbacks ravage the secondary. The defense is also missing several key pieces, including its best pass rusher, Nick Bosa, and long time stalwart DeForest Bruckner, who was traded to Indianapolis Colt in the offseason, a move that seems “less than brilliant” at this point. D-lineman Solomon Thomas is out for the year with an injury, and several other players are at less than 100 percent healthy. That includes Jimmy G, generally expected to play on Sunday night, but who may not recovered fully from a high ankle sprain. But for all of that, the 49ers are still defending NFC champs. They have the best tight end in the game in George Kittle and a brilliant coach in Kyle Shanahan. They also will be playing for their season, as a loss to drop them to 2-4 would likely crush any lingering hopes of winning the NFC West (they are a longshot even with a win). And put their playoff hopes on life support. They are also coming off a bad loss at home and will be out to redeem themselves, and division games in the NFL are rarely easy. Coaching: A couple of the game’s brightest offensive minds will match wits on Sunday night. Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay are good friends who worked together with the Washington Redksins and knew each other well, making this matchup even more enjoyable. The 49ers may have a slight edge at defensive coordinator, where Robert Saleh is undoubtedly the more established versus the Rams’ Brandon Staley. But Staley has done a great job so far this year, particularly in disguising his schemes and keeping opponents off balance. Staley has something of the surprise element in his favor because he is so new that opponents don’t know him yet. Saleh is widely considered a head coach in waiting, and Staley may not be far behind based on what he has done so far. So, we are going to rate this as a tossup. EDGE: Even  Rams Offense vs. 49er Defense: Once again, the war in the trenches could be critical on this side of the ball as well. The 49ers dominated the Rams offensive line last season first meeting between these teams in 2019, the balance of power seems to have shifted radically over the past year. As mentioned earlier, San Francisco will be without pass-rushing demon Nick Bosa, who is out for the season with an injury. They traded star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner on of the best tackles not named Aaron Donald. The plan was to replace Bruckner with the first-round pick Javon Kinlaw. Kinlaw certainly is not a bad player, which may work out for the 49ers over the long term. But Kinlaw has yet to record his first NFL sack, and as of right now, they miss Buckner. Also missing from the D-line is Solomon Thomas, a somewhat underachieving but talented player. That leaves Arik Armstead as the 49er's main pass-rushing threat. His battle against Rams tackles Rob Havenstein could be critical on Sunday night. The Rams rejuvenated running game has been a key to their offensive success so far. One offensive lapse in the teams—the run game a rather "ugly" 17-9 win over the Giants a couple of weeks ago- That's no accident, as the Rams explosive passing game features much play-action and generally is not as effective when the running game is a non-factor. With the Cardinals' 180-yard performance in an opening day loss, the Niners have mostly been solid against the run. The Rams feature a three-headed running game of steady Malcolm Brown and the more explosive Darrell Henderson and Cam Akers. Akers broke off a 46-yard run against Washington last week that showed a bit of what the Rams were hoping for when they took him in the second round of the 2020 draft, but Rams coach Sean McVay seems to go with whoever the hot hand is at running back. That can be any of the trios on a given day, and each can catch the ball as well. The 49ers are missing starting corners Richard Sherman and K'Waun Willaims, and that could be a problem. They made Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick look like Dan Marino last week, like Fitzpatrick, will all due respect, is no Jared Goff. The Niners need to pressure Goff, or the Rams wide receivers could have a field day against this secondary. Don't forget about tight ends Gerald Everett and Tyler Higbee, either. As with the Rams running backs, you never know who the hot hand will be at tight end, and either can be deadly on a given day. The bottom line here is that the 49ers need to win upfront because this secondary is overmatched if Goff gets time to throw the ball. The Dolphins receivers killed them last week on crossing patterns in particular, and Miami's receivers, with the possible exception of tight end Mike Gesicki, and not nearly as good as the Rams. EDGE: Rams  Rams Defense vs. Niners Offense: San Francisco problems start up front with an offensive line that has not been very good this season. The 49ers thought they were upgrading at left tackle when they replaced the retired Joe Staley with former Washington Football Team star Trent Williams. Considered Williams the best- offensive left tackle in the game going into this season, but so far, that hasn't been the case in 2020. Whether it's rust from sitting out the entire 2019 season with Washington (he had a cancerous growth on his head), a matter of a player in decline, or just taking a while to hit his stride with a new team—or some combination of all three—Williams has not been good this season. Last week against the Dolphins, Two words: Aaron Donald. Donald has been a holy terror this season, notching four sacks last week against the Washington Team. San Francisco had better have their act together this week, or Jimmy G may relegate back to the bench. Maybe the witness protection program would be an even better idea. However, the Niner's troubles don't end on the left side. Right tackle Mike McGlinchey has been even worse than Williams so far. The Rams will line up Donald just about anywhere to take advantage of favorable matchups. That could mean McGlinchey sees much of AD this week. It's a given that Donald will be double-teamed, of course, but so far, that hasn't slowed him down much. The Rams will be without a couple of key defenders. Linebacker Obo Okoronkwo, who had been coming on as a pass rusher, is on injured reserve. The Rams hope linebacker Terrell Lewis, a rookie who made his debut last week, can pick up some of the slack. Lewis is a third-round draft selection out of Alabama who expected to help take some of the pressure off Aaron Donald in the pass rush. He came into the league with a label of '" talented but injury-prone." The other Rams injury looms even more extensive. Starting rookie Safety Jordan Fuller, who has been a critical player in the Rams secondary, is out for at least three weeks with a shoulder injury. Former starter Taylor Rapp'll replace him in the lineup. While Rapp would probably start for many NFL teams, he's been somewhat disappointing so far this season. He needs to step it up on Sunday night and redeem himself from a blown coverage against the Niners last season, leading to a game-winning field goal by kicker Robbie Gould. Safety John Johnson will likely see a lot of George Kittle in what could be a key matchup. There is even some discussion that the Rams may put their best cornerback, Jalen Ramsey, on Kittle. You don't often see lockdown corners assigned to cover tight ends. Then again, you don't often see tight ends like George Kittle, who is an absolute monster and easily the 49er's best offensive weapon. The Rams will likely see Micah Kiser back in action at inside linebacker. That's good news if the Rams hope to contain running back Raheem Mostert and the 49er running game. Shanahan has always favored a "run first' offensive philosophy, but he needs better blocking than San Francisco has featured so far this season to make that work. EDGE: Rams  Special Teams: The Rams Sam Sloman missed an extra point last week. That's never a good sign. The Rams special teams, aside from punter Johnny Hekker, remains a concern. As good as Cooper Kupp may be as a receiver, he doesn't seem to do much as a punt returner other than many fair catches. The Rams had Nsimba Webster, who has been returning kickoffs, run back a couple of punts last week, and McVay seemed to indicate we would see more of that in the future. Webster probably offers a more explosive option, but he doesn't necessarily strike fear into the hearts of opponents either.
If the Rams have an Achilles heel, this is it. EDGE: 49ers PREDICTION: The Rams are favored by 3.5 on the road. Keep in mind that the 49ers are a wounded, angry team and are playing for their season, so an upset would not be a huge shock here. But on paper, you have to like the Rams chances. Rams 24 - 49ers 21 worldwide rams
 The Los Angeles Rams lose their rookie starting safety Jordan Fuller to the injured reserve list. Fuller re-injured the same shoulder he injured against the Buffalo Bills two weeks ago. Fuller missed the next game against the New York Giants before returning to the field Sunday against the Washington Football Team.
Late in the fourth quarter, Fuller closed in fast on a short pass to J.D. McKissick and leveled him as the ball was arriving. Fuller appeared to get up slowly and linger over to favor his shoulder as he went to the sideline. The Rams medical staff initially felt Fuller had a stinger but ended up being more severe than expected. Fuller will have to remain on IR for a minimum of three weeks and will be eligible to return in Week Nine, one week after their bye against the red hot Seattle Seahawks, who currently holds first place in the division. The bye week allows Fuller to have one extra week to recover and be fully ready against the Seahawks. In a corresponding move, the Rams promote rookie safety Juju Hughes to the active roster two weeks after being promoted to Fuller's first injury. worldwide ramsEd "Pi Double I" Henderson  The Los Angeles Rams have resigned rookie safety Juju Hughes back to their active roster. Hughes, widely known for his toothpick from "Hard Knocks," did not survive the final 53-man roster cuts; however, he added to the priority practice squad.
Two weeks ago, the Ram's added Hughes to the active roster after starting safety Jordan Fuller injured his shoulder against the Buffalo Bills early in the first half. Fuller missed the next game against the New York Giants before playing Sunday against the Washington Football Team. Fuller injured re-injured his shoulder late in the game and placed on the injured reserve list. In Hughes's first NFL game, he played sparingly against the Giants and recorded one tackle in his debut. Hughes has an excellent opportunity of gaining much playing time behind Taylor Rapp, who replaces Fuller in the starting lineup. In a corresponding move the Rams added defensive lineman Eric Banks to their practice squad. Rams released Banks last weekend after activating rooking EDGE rusher Terrel Lewis. worldwide ramsEd "Pi Double I" Henderson  Today, Aaron Donald, defensive lineman for the Los Angeles Rams, was named NFC Week #5 Defensive Player of the Week. The former 2017 and 2018 NFL DEfensive Player of the Year won this award after posting four sacks on the Washington Football Team last Sunday at Fed Ex Stadium.
On Sunday, Donald's performance was unbelievable after applying continuous pressure on the offensive line until receiving his first sack early in the second quarter on quarterback Kyle Allen. After a scramble and run late in the second quarter, Allen was injured by a hit from cornerback Jalen Ramsey and was replaced by veteran Alex Smith. Smith playing in his first game in nearly two years after a gruesome career and life-ending injury, remarkably rehabilitated himself back into the game he loves so much. Truly an inspirational moment for Smith as he completed his first pass to former Rams tight end Temarrick Hemingway. However, Smith was not so fortunate on his next attempt as he received his first contact since the 2018 football season. Smith received intense pressure from outside and tried to step up into the pocket where Donald would jump on his back from behind, collecting his second sack of the game. Donald would get to Smith one more time in the second half and was given credit for another sack after Smith fumbled a snap and tackled for a loss on the play. Donald four sacks were the second time in career after sacking C.J. Beathard of San Francisco 49ers quarterback four times in 2018. Donald will be licking his chops again this weekend against a depleted offensive front of the 49ers, this upcoming Sunday Night Football Live at Levi Stadium. The 49ers offensive line allowed five sacks on their quarterback last Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, and it does not get any easier on Sunday against Donald and the Rams. Troy Reeder, Ram's second-year reserve linebacker, replaced an injured Mica Kaiser, collected his first NFL sack, and added two additional sacks in the game. If the Rams defensive front can continue applying extra pressure, potentially, Player of the Week nominations shall follow for Donald again. Donald's named for his seventh Player of the Week and also named NFC Defensive Player of the Week twice in his career. worldwide ramsDoug Nelson  Overview: Seven points favor the Los Angeles Rams in this game after a somewhat underwhelming win against the New York Giants last Sunday at So-Fi Stadium. A win is a win, and the Rams defense played well despite their offense seemed a little off. However, they will be looking to ride the ship against a Washington Football Team, believe it or not, is a contender (at least for now) in the weakest division in football, The NFC East. Coaching: This game does provide an interesting contrast in the matchup of the Head Coaches, with the offensive wizard of Sean McVay matching wits with Washington's Ron Rivera, a highly-respected defensive mastermind. You can certainly argue this one either way, but Sean McVay has been on a roll in 2020, with the possible exception of the Giants game. He also has more flexibility by having a more talented roster. EDGE: Rams  Rams Offense vs. Washington Defense: The Football Team has some talent on defense, mostly if their second overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft rookie defensive end Chase Young plays, battling a groin injury. Young did practice on Thursday and Friday and appears more likely than not to play. If he does, it will set up a fascinating matchup between Young and the oldest lineman in the league; Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth. Whitworth seems to discover a fountain of youth and is playing well as any offensive tackle in the league, making for an exciting battle. When Washington's defensive line is at full strength, it can be a challenge. Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan has been quiet since a week one sack-fest against the Philadelphia Eagles in which the Football Team got to Carson Wentz eight times, but he's a heady veteran who is always a threat to disrupt the opposing offense. The Rams may want to get back to running the football and rolling out quarterback Jared Goff to counter the pass rush, things we saw a little less of in last week's win over the Giants. The Rams will have rookie running back Cam Akers back for the first time since he suffered a rib injury against the Eagles. So far, Rams Coach Sean McVay has gone with the hot hand getting most of the touches at running back. That has translated into grinder Malcolm Brown being the feature back against the Dallas Cowboys and Giants, with the more-explosive Darrell Henderson having big games against the Eagles and the Buffalo Bills. Akers was getting into the action against Philly before being injured. Will this be his week to play the role of Rams "bell-cow" back? It wouldn't be a big shock. The Rams may look for tight end Tyler Higbee in the passing game. He'll probably get matched up with Washington's safety Landon Collins, a battle that, on paper at least, favors the Rams. In general, Washington's secondary is not "all that," so they need to generate a steady pass rush. If they can't do that, the Rams talented and deep receiving corps could have a big day. EDGE: Rams The Rams may look for tight end Tyler Higbee in the passing game. He'll probably get matched up with Washington's safety Landon Collins, a battle that, on paper at least, favors the Rams. In general, Washington's secondary is not "all that," so they need to generate a steady pass rush. If they can't do that, the Rams talented and deep receiving corps could have a big day. EDGE: Rams  Football Team Offense vs. Rams Defense: The Football Team has made a quarterback change this week, replacing former Ohio State star Dwayne Haskins with Kyle Allen, who head coach Ron Rivera used as his starter last season with the Panthers. Allen has less raw talent than Haskins, but he knows the offense, is relatively mobile, and has a strong, if not accurate, arm. The word out of Washington is that Rivera feels that Allen gives the team the best chance to win over the short term, and with the division up for grabs, they decided to go into "win now" mode. Allen threw 17 touchdowns, and 16 picks last season, and you can never be sure exactly what you will get when he takes the field. Former starter Alex Smith, still working his way back from a gruesome leg injury that many thought would end his career, will be the backup. The Redskins have one big-time weapon in wide-receiver Terry McLaurin, who has three times as many receiving yards as any other Washington player. Look for Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey to lock in on McLaurin for much of the day. If Ramsey can justify his big contract and reputation as an actual "lockdown" corner, you have to like the Rams chances on this side of the ball. The Rams expected to unveil rookie linebacker Terrell Lewis in this game, although it's uncertain how many snaps he will see in his NFL debut. The Rams need to find someone to apply some pressure from the edge consistently, which is supposed to be Lewis's calling card. The Los Angeles outside linebacking crew was better last week against the Giants in applying some pressure, but they need someone to do it every week, whether it's Lewis or Samson Ebukam or Leonard Floyd. Of course, you can't talk about the Rams defense without mentioning the best defensive player in the game, Aaron Donald. No doubt, the Football Team has something cooked up for Donald. But in the immortal words of Mike Tyson, "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face." Nobody is better at punching offenses in the face than AD. The Football Team has not performed well in the running game, but Los Angeles will need to keep an eye on rookie running back Antonio Gibson. Don't be surprised if they try to use Gibson as a receiver. The Rams may be without inside linebacker Micah Kiser, the teams leading tackler and a key element in the team's run defense in particular. Cornerback Troy Hill's status is "questionable' for this game. Hill's good news is that Washington's receiving corps doesn't seem to have much depth after McLaurin. EDGE: Rams  Special Teams: This area remains a concern for the Rams after being a strength for the last few years. Sam Sloman has not been statistically terrible, but the low trajectory on some of his field-goal attempts still makes many Rams fans nervous. There are also worries about his ability to make long field goals.
We're still not completely sold on Cooper Kupp as a punt returner either. That's partly because of concerns about losing one of our best receivers due to injury on punt returns, but he hasn't done anything special as a returner so far either. Johnny Hekker remains the best punter on planet earth, but this is still a general area of concern. We keep having nightmares about games—or even the season-coming down to a 55-yard field goal attempt by Sloman. He's no Greg Zuerlein, in our opinion. We hope he proves us wrong. EDGE: Football Team Final Prediction: The Rams should win this game. They are favored by roughly a touchdown, down from 9 points before the Football Team announced the quarterback change. But this is the NFL, and while Washington may not be a Super Bowl contender, they do have some talent on the defensive line. There could also be some concerns about the Rams looking ahead to San Francisco next week. Hopefully, they learned something from last week's battle with the Giants. Rams 27 Football Team 17 worldwide ramsDoug Nelson  Overview: On paper, this is a mismatch as much as two touchdowns favor the Los Angeles Rams. At the risk of bringing up painful memories, that is roughly the same margin as the Rams were favored by in Super Bowl XVI…and we know how THAT turned out. OK, some rather "unique" interpretations of the rules in that game favored the New England Patriots, which hopefully won't be the case on Sunday. I also don't see a Tom Brady or Bill Belichick on the New York Giants sidelines. But the point is, this is the NFL, and you never want to take anyone lightly. Upsets happen every weekend on "Any Given Sunday!" Coaching: Rams Head Coach Sean McVay has been on a roll this season. The Giants head coach is Joe Judge, and their OC is former Cowboys Coach Jason Garrett. Need I say more? EDGE: Rams  Rams Offense vs. Giants Defense: The Rams have been clicking on this side of the ball, thanks in large part to a resurgent running game. Rookie running back Cam Akers will miss another game because of a rib injury, but second-year running back Darrell Henderson is an emerging star. He's coming off a 114-yard rushing performance against an outstanding Bills defense. The Giants rushing defense is 20th in the league, giving up an average of 123 yards per game on the ground. The Rams are averaging 170 yards per game on the ground, good for fourth in the NFL. If Henderson and Malcolm Brown can run for that or more on Sunday, the Rams should win this game, barring a barrage of turnovers or a total collapse of the Rams defense. A climactic battle up front features Rams center Austin Blythe against Giants d-lineman Dalvan Tomlinson, who most often lines up as a nose tackle. Tomlinson is easily the Giant's best run defender, and if he can get the better of Blythe, the Giants could have a chance to muzzle the Rams running game. But Blythe has played well so far this season and hopefully should be up to the task on Sunday. In general, the Rams offensive line has vastly improved over the lackluster unit that we saw in 2019. That's a little surprising considering we are talking about the same group of guys, but if they can play OK again on Sunday, the Rams will presumably win this game. The Giant's defense won't be helped by the absence of safety Jabrill Peppers, arguably their best player on defense. If the Rams can run the ball and use the play-action pass, they could score many points. The Giants linebacking unit, led by former Packer Blake Martinez at middle linebacker, needs to step up if the Giants have any chance in this game. If the Rams offense can play to form and avoid turnovers, you have to like their chances. EDGE: Rams  Rams Defense vs. Giants Offense: The Rams defense is coming off their most ineffective performance. They surrendered 35 points last week, failed to stop the Bills on two critical third plays of 22-yards 17-yards, and flagged for pass interference on a fourth down and eight, that could have sealed the victory. While the PI call was dicey at best, they need to be better. The good news for the Rams is that Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is no Josh Allen, and the Giants are missing easily their best offensive player in running back Saquon Barkley, who lost for the season with a knee injury. Many people think Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald will have a field day against Giants O-linemen guard Will Hernandez and center Nick Gates. This year, Gates has been so awful that some think the Rams may try to line AD up at nose tackle to take advantage of him. None of the Giants linemen has been exactly playing like an All-Pro this year, but AD can expect to see double and even triple teams all day long. Of course, he's accustomed to that, and it rarely works. Perhaps the Ram's most significant defense problem was finding someone besides Aaron Donald that can consistently rush the passer. Outside linebacker Leonard Floyd has a couple of sacks, and Micheal Brockers has one, but Floyd has been inconsistent, as Brocker is primarily a runs-stopper. The Rams have gotten minimal pass rush from the other outside linebacker position, mostly manned by Samson Ebukam and Ogo Okoronkwo. Ebukam is a freakish athlete who timed at 4.45 in the 40-yard dash (faster than many wide receivers), and Okoronkwo was considered a pass-rushing specialist in college the University of Oklahoma, but frankly, neither one has been outstanding this season. The Rams are hoping to get a boost from the return of rookie outside linebacker Terrell Lewis, but that is probably at least a week away. They need someone to step up as a pass rusher to create more outside pressure. The Giants do have an immense potential weapon in tight end Evan Engram, a gifted athlete who hasn't done much this season. Rams Safety John Johnson may see a lot of Engram on Sunday. The Giants probably hope to attack Rams slot corner Troy Hill with veteran receiver Golden Tate. Hill has had some struggles this season after a stellar 2019, and while Tate is getting a little long in the tooth, he is a crafty receiver who can still make some plays. Veteran Devonta Freeman is expected to start in place of Barkley. He's not Barkley by a long shot, but he is a competent NFL running back. Perhaps he can renew his acquaintance with Aaron Donald in this game. The two exchanged some (un) pleasantries last season when Freeman was a member of the Falcons. Who picks a fight with Aaron Donald? Seriously? EDGE: Rams  Special Teams: After being a team strength for years, this remains an area of concern for the Rams. Kicker Sam Sloman missed another field goal last week (albeit it a 53 yarder into the wind), and the Rams special teams, in general, have just not been excellent, except for punter Johnny Hekker. Let's hope the Rams don't have to count on Sloman's long field goal attempt to win this game.
EDGE: Giants Final Prediction: On paper, this is a mismatch, and the Rams should be in an angry mood after blowing what would have been an epic comeback last week in Buffalo. But the Rams need to avoid coming out flat, as they did a week ago in the first half. The Giants could win against that team instead of the much better second-half Rams team from last week. The other x-factor, as always, is turnovers. The Rams should keep the Giants offense under control unless they gift them with a short field and generally don't play well. Rams 30 Giants 17 worldwide ramsEd "Pi Double I" Henderson  The Los Angeles Rams reportedly have promoted rookie cornerback Juju Hughes from the on their practice squad. Hughes, better known for his epic toothpick, joins the Rams defensive backfield more than likely as a precaution to the safety Jordan Fuller.
Fuller injured his shoulder early in the first quarter last Sunday against the Buffalo Bills and listed as questionable for tomorrow's game against the New York Giants. Hughes went undrafted from the 2020 NFL Draft from Fresno State but was one of the Rams priority UDFA signings immediately after the draft. Hughes also was prominently featured in this summer Hard Knocks which aired on HBO before the start of the season. |
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