Here’s AvengerRam...
1. That was a big win.
2. I take no joy in seeing Drew Brees sidelined. He's a great competitor and seemingly a good guy. Looks like he's going to be out for at least 6 weeks. That will have a major impact on the Saints' season, but I wouldn't fully write them off just yet.
3. I get that Saints fans have gone through a lot lately, but they're reaction to this game was silly. No, there is no reason for animosity towards the Rams for Brees' injury. No, the missed call on the Goff fumble did not determine the outcome of the game. No, you're not the only team that is subjected to bad calls. Yes, you should give a bit more credit to the Rams.
4. Cooper Kupp's return can't be overstated. He is a HUGE mismatch for anyone drawing the assignment of covering him.
5. Aaron Donald was looking pretty dominant before jogging to the locker room. After he returned, he looked a bit tentative on a few plays. Of course, he was still drawing double and triple teams. Hopefully, it will prove to be nothing.
6. Eric Weddle and Clay Matthews are proving to be examples of high quality veteran additions at end-of-career prices.
7. Hopefully, Austin Blythe will be okay, but I'm not sure Jamil Demby is much of a dropoff. He certainly brings more size to the position. Looking down the road, if Demby is Blythe's equal or better, that's one FA the Rams may not throw money at.
8. Pass protection was very shaky yesterday. Rob Havenstein is a bit inconsistent in that department. Certain guys he is able to stonewall. Others, such as Cameron Jordan, give him fits. He definitely had a day he'd like to forget.
9. Jared Goff impressed me. In the third quarter, he threw a simple out to Cooks in which he delivered a strike despite taking a big shot. It seemed like, from that point forward, he just said, "screw it, I'm going to move around, take my shots, and complete passes." Perhaps that's the "rust" that needed to be shaken off.
10. Todd Gurley has run the ball well in the first two games. I suspect he's itching for more carries, but the Rams are smart to manage his hits at this stage of the season.
11. Malcolm Brown makes that an easy decision. He is showing great short area quickness on his runs, and always seems to finish off plays leaning forward.
12. Guess those who thought Darrell Henderson was going to replace Gurley as the primary runner look a bit silly now. Unless I missed it, he didn't see the field.
13. Tyler Higbee was hospitalized after taking a big hit to the chest (coughing up blood). Does not sound like a long term issue, but it shows how violent this game is.
14. I thought that Marcus Peters did a great job yesterday. When a CB's name isn't being called, that's a good thing.
15. Nice to see JoJo Natson get a big return.
16. Taylor Rapp hasn't made any really big splash plays, but he really looks like a veteran. Good coverage skills and a really sure tackler.
17. Looked like a good crowd and considerably louder for the home team (not always a given in L.A.).
18. A few weeks ago I declared that, if the Rams started 3-0, they'd be the #1 seed in the NFC. So far, so good!
19. FUN FACT: The Rams have not trailed for one second this season.
20. FUN FACT #2: The Rams' September record under Sean "Preseason Does Not Matter" McVay": 8-1.
