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The Los Angeles Rams suffered their first defeat of the season 27-20 at home against the Washington Redskins on Sunday, September 17. Losing happens, but the Rams had every opportunity to win this game. Simple mistakes ruined their chances, but the team remains young and inexperienced. Unfortunately, we’re going to suffer through quite a few growing pains again in 2017.
Here are five thoughts from Sunday’s loss:
1. Goff was off
The easiest moment to criticize Goff was the game-ending interception, and for good reason since he stared down wide receiver Cooper Kupp for the entire play. However, he struggled throughout the game, especially in the first half. Goff let loose plent of under and overthrown passes, and he just appeared off his game overall. Partial responsibility goes to the offensive line, due to several blown blocks. Still, Goff must adjust in those situations; he must learn to feel the pressure of incoming defenders. That will come with time, but Goff is still developing. Expect head coach Sean McVay to continue working with Goff on these issues as the season moves forward.
2. Offense slept through first half
Some fans will place the blame only on Goff, but the entire offense struggled in the first half. Even veterans like Andrew Whitworth didn’t play as well as he usually does. His missed block allowed a defender to strip the ball away from Goff early for example. Running back Todd Gurley also took some time to establish a rhythm. He didn’t get going until the second half. Overall, the offense just has to play better for the Rams to be considered a dangerous football team.
3. Practice does matter Aaron Donald
Contract issues aside, football is a physical sport and any length of time away from it can lead to rust. Donald didn’t really make an impact until the latter part of the game. A few days of practice is simply not enough, and it showed. Donald even acknowledged in a postgame interview that he needs to play better. This is true is he really wants to be paid like the best defensive lineman in the league. That said, Donald should return to form soon, and I believe we’ll see him make a big impact Thursday night against the San Francisco 49ers.
4. The secondary was exposed
In all fairness, the Rams were without the services of Kayvon Webster, but the secondary still remains an issue. Trumaine Johnson was a little banged up too, and the cornerback depth was (is) shaky at best. It wasn’t just coverage that was an issue either. The Rams secondary disappointed in its pursuit all day. Safeties must be reliable as the last level of defense, otherwise plays like the 61-yard touchdown run by Chris Thompson will be more common. Don’t get me wrong, that play was a complete meltdown by the defense as a whole, but the secondary needed to step up and make a play. Stronger offenses are coming, and these mistakes must stop before it’s too late.
5. Johnny Hekker is more than a punter
There aren’t enough positive things to say about Hekker. He is “Mr. Consistent” when it comes to punting, and he proved that he earned every penny of his contract extension with that fake punt. Hekker connected with rookie wide receiver Josh Reynolds on a 28-yard pass that set up the game-tying field goal in the fourth quarter. There is a reason Hekker is a team leader, and I think we can expect more trick plays like that as the season goes on. Hekker certainly provided one of the better highlights of the game.
Source: ESPN.com
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
2017, Aaron Donald, Andrew Whitworth, Chris Thompson, Cooper Kupp, featured, Jared Goff, Johnny Hekker, Josh Reynolds, Kayvon Webster, la rams, Los Angeles Rams, NFL, rams, Redskins, sean mcvay, Todd Gurley, Trumaine Johnson, Washington Redskins, Week 2
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The Los Angeles Rams suffered their first defeat of the season 27-20 at home against the Washington Redskins on Sunday, September 17. Losing happens, but the Rams had every opportunity to win this game. Simple mistakes ruined their chances, but the team remains young and inexperienced. Unfortunately, we’re going to suffer through quite a few growing pains again in 2017.
Here are five thoughts from Sunday’s loss:
1. Goff was off
The easiest moment to criticize Goff was the game-ending interception, and for good reason since he stared down wide receiver Cooper Kupp for the entire play. However, he struggled throughout the game, especially in the first half. Goff let loose plent of under and overthrown passes, and he just appeared off his game overall. Partial responsibility goes to the offensive line, due to several blown blocks. Still, Goff must adjust in those situations; he must learn to feel the pressure of incoming defenders. That will come with time, but Goff is still developing. Expect head coach Sean McVay to continue working with Goff on these issues as the season moves forward.
2. Offense slept through first half
Some fans will place the blame only on Goff, but the entire offense struggled in the first half. Even veterans like Andrew Whitworth didn’t play as well as he usually does. His missed block allowed a defender to strip the ball away from Goff early for example. Running back Todd Gurley also took some time to establish a rhythm. He didn’t get going until the second half. Overall, the offense just has to play better for the Rams to be considered a dangerous football team.
3. Practice does matter Aaron Donald
Contract issues aside, football is a physical sport and any length of time away from it can lead to rust. Donald didn’t really make an impact until the latter part of the game. A few days of practice is simply not enough, and it showed. Donald even acknowledged in a postgame interview that he needs to play better. This is true is he really wants to be paid like the best defensive lineman in the league. That said, Donald should return to form soon, and I believe we’ll see him make a big impact Thursday night against the San Francisco 49ers.
4. The secondary was exposed
In all fairness, the Rams were without the services of Kayvon Webster, but the secondary still remains an issue. Trumaine Johnson was a little banged up too, and the cornerback depth was (is) shaky at best. It wasn’t just coverage that was an issue either. The Rams secondary disappointed in its pursuit all day. Safeties must be reliable as the last level of defense, otherwise plays like the 61-yard touchdown run by Chris Thompson will be more common. Don’t get me wrong, that play was a complete meltdown by the defense as a whole, but the secondary needed to step up and make a play. Stronger offenses are coming, and these mistakes must stop before it’s too late.
5. Johnny Hekker is more than a punter
There aren’t enough positive things to say about Hekker. He is “Mr. Consistent” when it comes to punting, and he proved that he earned every penny of his contract extension with that fake punt. Hekker connected with rookie wide receiver Josh Reynolds on a 28-yard pass that set up the game-tying field goal in the fourth quarter. There is a reason Hekker is a team leader, and I think we can expect more trick plays like that as the season goes on. Hekker certainly provided one of the better highlights of the game.
Source: ESPN.com
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
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