Vinny B: Assessing Goff and Gurley, and encouraging injury news
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[theathletic.com]
Assessing Goff and Gurley, and encouraging injury news after the Rams grab early power in NFC
By Vincent Bonsignore Sep 16, 2019
Much more than a football game was won when the Rams beat the Saints 27-9 on Sunday at the Coliseum in a rematch of last season’s NFC Championship Game. The entire power balance of the conference shifted when Drew Brees completed his follow-through on a pass attempt and his right hand crashed into the arm of Aaron Donald, who came barreling in on the rush.
Brees left the game with what turned out to be a torn ligament in his throwing hand, and he will undergo surgery and be sidelined approximately six weeks. That means Teddy Bridgewater, who replaced Brees early in the first quarter Sunday, will be the Saints’ quarterback for a while, and that changes the top of the conference hierarchy.
Bridgewater is a capable quarterback and one of the most liked and appreciated players in the NFL. But to be perfectly frank, he is nowhere near the player Brees is. Few quarterbacks are, which is why Brees one day will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He has the ability to throw the ball as accurately as any quarterback in NFL history and decisively control and manage the Saints’ high-octane offense.
In a near-perfect world, Bridgewater helps the Saints to a .500 record in relief of Brees. If Brees missed the next six games that would give the Saints a 4-4 record upon his return. That leaves them plenty of time to make a playoff run, but it likely would leave them almost no margin for error when it comes to a division title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Play that out a little bit further, and it greatly reduces by one the number of teams the Rams figure to be battling at the end of the season, in terms of what city the NFC runs through on the way to the Super Bowl.
With 14 games remaining, it might seem a bit early to begin thinking along those lines. And maybe it is. But life moves fast in the NFL, and given the Rams’ lofty aspirations, the big picture is always in focus.
That’s another reason to underscore the importance of the Rams’ win Sunday. Remember, last year the Saints got the upper hand on the Rams in the race for home-field advantage in the playoffs by beating them in early November. The teams finished with identical 13-3 records but the tiebreaker went to the Saints based on that win.
The Rams gaining that advantage — for now, anyway — is just one of the many takeaways from Sunday’s game.
Here are my top five others.
Goff gets on track, but must be better
At first glance, Jared Goff played perfectly fine on Sunday while completing 19 of 28 attempts for 283 yards and one touchdown for a quarterback rating of 112.6. And while he might have been guilty of hanging onto the ball a little too long on what turned out to be a red-zone fumble in the second quarter, that’s probably splitting hairs a bit considering the protection in front of him certainly wasn’t pristine.
That said, given the expectations after his last two seasons and the record-breaking contract extension he recently signed, it certainly appears Goff is capable of much more.
The same can be said for the Rams’ offense as a whole. But Goff is the face of that operation and its success is tied directly into his play.
Goff and the offense have struggled to get on track in the first two games. That’s partially the result of unexpected defensive looks they’ve faced, and also a general lack of sharpness. The slow starts haven’t cost them (yet), and as they showed Sunday and last week against Carolina, they’ve been able to rebound enough to total 57 points in two games.
That is a bottom line they will gladly take. Who wouldn’t, right?
But again, we are talking about the two-time defending NFC West champions and the defending NFC champions. So while bottom-line results might be acceptable at times, by no means do they represent what is possible. The Rams’ offense, and Goff in particular, is capable of more.
“It sometimes takes time,” Goff said. And he is right, of course. It’s two games into the season. There is plenty of time to get things straightened out.
“Again, we scored six (points) in the first half and were able to come away with a 27-9 win, and you’re happy about it no matter what,” he continued. “I think every game is different and this game, (it) took us a little while to find it. Frankly, I don’t think it really matters. We win, we win. If we find it early, you’d obviously love that, but any way it happens, we are happy with it.”
Perhaps.
But on a different day against a different opponent, another slow start certainly might cost them. It’s imperative, then, that the Rams figure out a way to get on track earlier.
That eluded them again on Sunday, especially in relation to crossing the goal line after moving into the red zone. The Rams were turned away from the end zone three times in the first half after driving into scoring position, as they settled for two field goals and squandered another chance with the Goff fumble. For a team accustomed to precision and efficiency and maximizing red-zone opportunities, that was cause for some annoyance.
“We have to be better and more efficient down in the red zone,” said left tackle Andrew Whitworth. “We were getting a little frustrated because we were moving the ball. We just weren’t figuring out ways to get in the end zone.”
Said coach Sean McVay: “(We) had some good drives towards the end of the first half, but to only come away with three points on those two drives, we have to be better there.”
That changed in the second half when the Rams scored three touchdowns to blow the game open.
“Really we didn’t do anything different. We were just more efficient,” Whitworth said.
It was a positive step forward, and one the Rams hope to build on.
Good news for Blythe
The second-quarter ankle injury suffered by right guard Austin Blythe initially appeared to be serious. As Blythe lay on the ground in obvious pain upon getting rolled up, one could almost feel the Rams’ inexperienced offensive line growing even more untested.
But Monday’s MRI results revealed that the Rams and Blythe likely dodged a major bullet. Blythe suffered a low ankle sprain that might sideline him for weeks, rather than months.
“No breaks, no real tears or anything like that,” Blythe said.
And that was cause for major relief.
“It’s good news,” Blythe said. “I’m feeling good. I’m just going to listen to the trainers and do what they tell me and I’ll get back when I’m back.”
Jamil Demby filled in admirably for Blythe, and barring any outside additions Demby will get the starting nod during Blythe’s recovery. Based on Demby’s performance against the Saints, there seems to be a comfort level that will prevent the Rams from perhaps feeling pressured to Blythe back before he’s completely ready.
‘New normal’ for Gurley?
Per the Rams’ unofficial/official plan to help preserve Todd Gurley’s health, Gurley once again split series with backup Malcolm Brown on Sunday. Gurley finished with 63 yards on 16 carries and caught three passes for four yards. His longest run was for 20 yards and he scored a touchdown.
And while Gurley has not publicly stated any dissatisfaction with his new usage pattern, he hasn’t fully endorsed it either. Gurley has been a bit of an enigma this year when dealing with the media, especially as it relates to his health, as he typically responds with very short answers with little depth or perspective.
And after his short postgame media session Sunday, it seems warranted to wonder just how happy he is with the way he’s being used.
Asked about his understanding of the new way he’s being used and whether his role has changed much, Gurley said, “Ask Sean. I’m not the head coach. I’m good.”
When asked if it was difficult getting into a flow with the number of carries he’s getting, Gurley only said, “No. I’m good.”
McVay wasn’t all that clear either when asked if Gurley’s usage through two games is the blueprint for what is to come.
“It’s hard to say right now,” McVay said. “Through two games, I think (Gurley and Brown) both have done a nice job. As the season continues to progress, I think we’ll really find out. Like we’ve said, each game kind of represents a different approach, but I thought both those guys did a nice job making some timely runs in times we had to have it.”
Maybe Gurley is completely fine. Maybe he’s just sick and tired of talking about his knee, which is understandable.
But it’s worth keeping an eye on moving forward, in terms of how happy and content he really is.
Secondary doesn’t disappoint
It’s early, but the Rams’ defense ranks fifth in the NFL in yards allowed per game (293.5), and the average of 18 points per game allowed ranks 10th overall. They rank ninth against the run (92 yards per game) and sixth in pass defense (202 yards per game).
Those stats represents a positive trend for a defense that, during the offseason, believed fixing its issues against the run would help propel it into being an upper-echelon unit.
Aaron Donald and fellow linemen, and Cory Littleton and fellow linebackers, have been critical in suppressing opponents, and the Rams’ secondary, a perceived strength throughout the offseason and training camp, has lived up to its billing.
Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib have gone all but unnoticed at cornerback thus far — that’s usually a good sign for players operating on high-leverage islands — and reserves Nickell Robey-Coleman and Troy Hill have been solid.
Meanwhile, safeties Eric Weddle, John Johnson, Taylor Rapp and Marqui Christian have cleaned things up in pass coverage and run defense. Their play on the back end — and sometimes at the first and second levels — combined with their communication skills have helped lift the Rams’ defense.
“When you have versatile safeties that have the ability to play coverage,” McVay said, “to be able to play in the box and be able to activate them as blitzes, they’re really those joker type players for the defense. And really when you’re looking at our guys that are playing safety, with Eric, John Johnson and Taylor Rapp, all three of those guys have a very similar skill set, they’re all very smart, cerebral players, and those are things that enable us to be a little more multiple than what you would otherwise. So it’s a huge deal to have those guys,”
Higbee OK after scare
The Rams lost two players on the same play Sunday. Tight end Tyler Higbee suffered a lung contusion at nearly the exact time Blythe went down with the ankle injury.
Although Higbee came back to play another down — he got hurt while going up for a Goff throw that was contested by Saints cornerback Eli Apple — he went to the hospital Sunday night after coughing up blood. Higbee got cleared after an evaluation and went home. He is listed as day to day.
“Everything’s checked out, he’s feeling good, he’s asymptomatic with that in terms of the nuances and those things,” a relieved McVay said. “But he’s feeling good.”
Higbee’s status for Sunday night’s game against the Cleveland Browns remains uncertain.
“What we always want to do is what’s best for the player,” McVay said. “I’ll get the medical report in terms of — we’re never going to put our players in harm’s way and whatever the doctor’s orders are, in the best interests of Tyler, that’s what we’ll follow. What that means as far as this week, the following week, we’ll have more updates as we go.”
The Rams dressed only two tight ends Sunday, and when Higbee went down, rookie offensive tackle David Edwards, who played tight end for one college season at Wisconsin, became the de facto second tight end. Although its doubtful Edwards would have been put in position to catch a ball, if the Rams had needed to go to a jumbo short-yardage set with two tight ends, Edwards would have been called upon.
“We were talking about the possibility on the sideline, so I was ready just in case,” Edwards said.
[theathletic.com]
Assessing Goff and Gurley, and encouraging injury news after the Rams grab early power in NFC
By Vincent Bonsignore Sep 16, 2019
Much more than a football game was won when the Rams beat the Saints 27-9 on Sunday at the Coliseum in a rematch of last season’s NFC Championship Game. The entire power balance of the conference shifted when Drew Brees completed his follow-through on a pass attempt and his right hand crashed into the arm of Aaron Donald, who came barreling in on the rush.
Brees left the game with what turned out to be a torn ligament in his throwing hand, and he will undergo surgery and be sidelined approximately six weeks. That means Teddy Bridgewater, who replaced Brees early in the first quarter Sunday, will be the Saints’ quarterback for a while, and that changes the top of the conference hierarchy.
Bridgewater is a capable quarterback and one of the most liked and appreciated players in the NFL. But to be perfectly frank, he is nowhere near the player Brees is. Few quarterbacks are, which is why Brees one day will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He has the ability to throw the ball as accurately as any quarterback in NFL history and decisively control and manage the Saints’ high-octane offense.
In a near-perfect world, Bridgewater helps the Saints to a .500 record in relief of Brees. If Brees missed the next six games that would give the Saints a 4-4 record upon his return. That leaves them plenty of time to make a playoff run, but it likely would leave them almost no margin for error when it comes to a division title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Play that out a little bit further, and it greatly reduces by one the number of teams the Rams figure to be battling at the end of the season, in terms of what city the NFC runs through on the way to the Super Bowl.
With 14 games remaining, it might seem a bit early to begin thinking along those lines. And maybe it is. But life moves fast in the NFL, and given the Rams’ lofty aspirations, the big picture is always in focus.
That’s another reason to underscore the importance of the Rams’ win Sunday. Remember, last year the Saints got the upper hand on the Rams in the race for home-field advantage in the playoffs by beating them in early November. The teams finished with identical 13-3 records but the tiebreaker went to the Saints based on that win.
The Rams gaining that advantage — for now, anyway — is just one of the many takeaways from Sunday’s game.
Here are my top five others.
Goff gets on track, but must be better
At first glance, Jared Goff played perfectly fine on Sunday while completing 19 of 28 attempts for 283 yards and one touchdown for a quarterback rating of 112.6. And while he might have been guilty of hanging onto the ball a little too long on what turned out to be a red-zone fumble in the second quarter, that’s probably splitting hairs a bit considering the protection in front of him certainly wasn’t pristine.
That said, given the expectations after his last two seasons and the record-breaking contract extension he recently signed, it certainly appears Goff is capable of much more.
The same can be said for the Rams’ offense as a whole. But Goff is the face of that operation and its success is tied directly into his play.
Goff and the offense have struggled to get on track in the first two games. That’s partially the result of unexpected defensive looks they’ve faced, and also a general lack of sharpness. The slow starts haven’t cost them (yet), and as they showed Sunday and last week against Carolina, they’ve been able to rebound enough to total 57 points in two games.
That is a bottom line they will gladly take. Who wouldn’t, right?
But again, we are talking about the two-time defending NFC West champions and the defending NFC champions. So while bottom-line results might be acceptable at times, by no means do they represent what is possible. The Rams’ offense, and Goff in particular, is capable of more.
“It sometimes takes time,” Goff said. And he is right, of course. It’s two games into the season. There is plenty of time to get things straightened out.
“Again, we scored six (points) in the first half and were able to come away with a 27-9 win, and you’re happy about it no matter what,” he continued. “I think every game is different and this game, (it) took us a little while to find it. Frankly, I don’t think it really matters. We win, we win. If we find it early, you’d obviously love that, but any way it happens, we are happy with it.”
Perhaps.
But on a different day against a different opponent, another slow start certainly might cost them. It’s imperative, then, that the Rams figure out a way to get on track earlier.
That eluded them again on Sunday, especially in relation to crossing the goal line after moving into the red zone. The Rams were turned away from the end zone three times in the first half after driving into scoring position, as they settled for two field goals and squandered another chance with the Goff fumble. For a team accustomed to precision and efficiency and maximizing red-zone opportunities, that was cause for some annoyance.
“We have to be better and more efficient down in the red zone,” said left tackle Andrew Whitworth. “We were getting a little frustrated because we were moving the ball. We just weren’t figuring out ways to get in the end zone.”
Said coach Sean McVay: “(We) had some good drives towards the end of the first half, but to only come away with three points on those two drives, we have to be better there.”
That changed in the second half when the Rams scored three touchdowns to blow the game open.
“Really we didn’t do anything different. We were just more efficient,” Whitworth said.
It was a positive step forward, and one the Rams hope to build on.
Good news for Blythe
The second-quarter ankle injury suffered by right guard Austin Blythe initially appeared to be serious. As Blythe lay on the ground in obvious pain upon getting rolled up, one could almost feel the Rams’ inexperienced offensive line growing even more untested.
But Monday’s MRI results revealed that the Rams and Blythe likely dodged a major bullet. Blythe suffered a low ankle sprain that might sideline him for weeks, rather than months.
“No breaks, no real tears or anything like that,” Blythe said.
And that was cause for major relief.
“It’s good news,” Blythe said. “I’m feeling good. I’m just going to listen to the trainers and do what they tell me and I’ll get back when I’m back.”
Jamil Demby filled in admirably for Blythe, and barring any outside additions Demby will get the starting nod during Blythe’s recovery. Based on Demby’s performance against the Saints, there seems to be a comfort level that will prevent the Rams from perhaps feeling pressured to Blythe back before he’s completely ready.
‘New normal’ for Gurley?
Per the Rams’ unofficial/official plan to help preserve Todd Gurley’s health, Gurley once again split series with backup Malcolm Brown on Sunday. Gurley finished with 63 yards on 16 carries and caught three passes for four yards. His longest run was for 20 yards and he scored a touchdown.
And while Gurley has not publicly stated any dissatisfaction with his new usage pattern, he hasn’t fully endorsed it either. Gurley has been a bit of an enigma this year when dealing with the media, especially as it relates to his health, as he typically responds with very short answers with little depth or perspective.
And after his short postgame media session Sunday, it seems warranted to wonder just how happy he is with the way he’s being used.
Asked about his understanding of the new way he’s being used and whether his role has changed much, Gurley said, “Ask Sean. I’m not the head coach. I’m good.”
When asked if it was difficult getting into a flow with the number of carries he’s getting, Gurley only said, “No. I’m good.”
McVay wasn’t all that clear either when asked if Gurley’s usage through two games is the blueprint for what is to come.
“It’s hard to say right now,” McVay said. “Through two games, I think (Gurley and Brown) both have done a nice job. As the season continues to progress, I think we’ll really find out. Like we’ve said, each game kind of represents a different approach, but I thought both those guys did a nice job making some timely runs in times we had to have it.”
Maybe Gurley is completely fine. Maybe he’s just sick and tired of talking about his knee, which is understandable.
But it’s worth keeping an eye on moving forward, in terms of how happy and content he really is.
Secondary doesn’t disappoint
It’s early, but the Rams’ defense ranks fifth in the NFL in yards allowed per game (293.5), and the average of 18 points per game allowed ranks 10th overall. They rank ninth against the run (92 yards per game) and sixth in pass defense (202 yards per game).
Those stats represents a positive trend for a defense that, during the offseason, believed fixing its issues against the run would help propel it into being an upper-echelon unit.
Aaron Donald and fellow linemen, and Cory Littleton and fellow linebackers, have been critical in suppressing opponents, and the Rams’ secondary, a perceived strength throughout the offseason and training camp, has lived up to its billing.
Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib have gone all but unnoticed at cornerback thus far — that’s usually a good sign for players operating on high-leverage islands — and reserves Nickell Robey-Coleman and Troy Hill have been solid.
Meanwhile, safeties Eric Weddle, John Johnson, Taylor Rapp and Marqui Christian have cleaned things up in pass coverage and run defense. Their play on the back end — and sometimes at the first and second levels — combined with their communication skills have helped lift the Rams’ defense.
“When you have versatile safeties that have the ability to play coverage,” McVay said, “to be able to play in the box and be able to activate them as blitzes, they’re really those joker type players for the defense. And really when you’re looking at our guys that are playing safety, with Eric, John Johnson and Taylor Rapp, all three of those guys have a very similar skill set, they’re all very smart, cerebral players, and those are things that enable us to be a little more multiple than what you would otherwise. So it’s a huge deal to have those guys,”
Higbee OK after scare
The Rams lost two players on the same play Sunday. Tight end Tyler Higbee suffered a lung contusion at nearly the exact time Blythe went down with the ankle injury.
Although Higbee came back to play another down — he got hurt while going up for a Goff throw that was contested by Saints cornerback Eli Apple — he went to the hospital Sunday night after coughing up blood. Higbee got cleared after an evaluation and went home. He is listed as day to day.
“Everything’s checked out, he’s feeling good, he’s asymptomatic with that in terms of the nuances and those things,” a relieved McVay said. “But he’s feeling good.”
Higbee’s status for Sunday night’s game against the Cleveland Browns remains uncertain.
“What we always want to do is what’s best for the player,” McVay said. “I’ll get the medical report in terms of — we’re never going to put our players in harm’s way and whatever the doctor’s orders are, in the best interests of Tyler, that’s what we’ll follow. What that means as far as this week, the following week, we’ll have more updates as we go.”
The Rams dressed only two tight ends Sunday, and when Higbee went down, rookie offensive tackle David Edwards, who played tight end for one college season at Wisconsin, became the de facto second tight end. Although its doubtful Edwards would have been put in position to catch a ball, if the Rams had needed to go to a jumbo short-yardage set with two tight ends, Edwards would have been called upon.
“We were talking about the possibility on the sideline, so I was ready just in case,” Edwards said.
