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Amid talk of playoffs and division title, Rams insist their focus remains narrow
The Rams’ Mark Barron (26) is congratulated after intercepting a Texans pass during Sunday’s 33-7 victory at the Coliseum. The Rams play in Minnesota this week – the site of this season’s Super Bowl – but don’t expect them to be looking nealy that far ahead. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
By RICH HAMMOND | rhammond@scng.com | Orange County Register
PUBLISHED: November 13, 2017 at 7:09 pm | UPDATED: November 13, 2017 at 7:11 pm
THOUSAND OAKS — Rams quarterback Jared Goff majored in sociology at Cal, and apparently the football schedule didn’t allow for any theater classes. Goff’s dramatic straight face needs a bit of work.
“We’ve got Minnesota next week, right?” Goff said. “I don’t know who we have after that.”
Well, after the Rams play the Vikings (7-2) on Sunday, they face New Orleans (7-2). Then it’s Philadelphia (8-1) two weeks later. They face another current division leader, Tennessee, on Christmas Eve.
“Do we?” Goff said, before he finally cracked and acknowledged that, yes, he is aware of the schedule. These are fun times for the Rams, who are 7-2, atop the NFC West and on a four-game winning streak, but now they enter the meat of their schedule with a chance to define how they will be remembered.
“It’s a good challenge for us to see where we are as a team,” running back Todd Gurley said after the Rams beat Houston on Sunday. “We want to be in the playoffs and right now, if we keep doing what we’re doing, we will. These teams are going to be in the playoffs as well, so it’s a great challenge for us.”
The simple math looks good for the Rams. Arizona (4-5) and San Francisco (1-9) also are on the December schedule, so victories in those games, and one win in a quintet of games against Minnesota, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Seattle and Tennessee would get the Rams to 10-6.
In the past six seasons, 63 of 67 teams that finished with a 10-6 record or better have made the playoffs. No 11-5 team has missed the playoffs since New England in 2008, through a tiebreaker.
So even if the Rams go 4-4 the rest of the way, they’re seemingly in line for their first playoff appearance since 2004. The more relevant question, at least at this point, might be whether the Rams will limp into the playoffs or whether they will finish strong and stamp themselves as Super Bowl contenders.
Good luck getting any comment on that. Rams coach Sean McVay barely flinched Monday when reminded that the Rams will play Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, the site of this season’s Super Bowl.
“If we don’t get to our eighth win, then nothing else matters,” McVay said in his news conference at Cal Lutheran. “You kind of speak something into existence when you talk about it so often. You almost really do put blinders on, because of what a competitive, tough league this is, and how humbling.
“Certainly you have an awareness of what is going on. That’s not to say you don’t know and pay attention to the other teams in this league, but all that really matters to us is, we’re focused on Minnesota and how, against a really good football team, how we can find a way to get to 8-2.”
That won’t be easy. Improbably, the Vikings are atop the NFC North, even though they’ve suffered season-ending injuries to quarterback Sam Bradford and highly touted rookie running back Dalvin Cook.
A stifling defense has carried Minnesota to five consecutive victories. The Vikings allow 3.4 yards per rushing attempt (tied for second-fewest in the NFL this season) and 6.5 yards per pass attempt (tied for fourth-fewest). Minnesota has yet to allow more than 30 points in a game this season,
Former Rams quarterback Case Keenum has guided a steady Vikings offense, and last week against Washington, Keenum threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns.
In a bit of understandable gamesmanship, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer has yet to announce whether he will start Keenum or Teddy Bridgewater, who hasn’t appeared in a game since the end of the 2015 season because of a devastating knee injury.
“I think he’s a huge reason why they’ve been so productive offensively,” McVay said of Keenum. “Whether it’s him or Teddy, you know you’re going to be facing a very good quarterback, and that offense is playing really well behind (offensive coordinator Pat) Shurmur’s leadership”
INJURY REPORT
McVay said the Rams remained in “good shape,” in terms of injuries, after Sunday’s victory over Houston. Offensive lineman Rodger Saffold left the game in the second half with a sprained ankle, but McVay said Saffold is “going to be OK.”
Linebacker Robert Quinn, who missed the game because of an undisclosed illness, is expected to return to practice Wednesday (after Tuesday’s normal off day), but McVay said Quinn could be limited then and that he remains uncertain about Quinn’s availability for the Minnesota game.
[www.ocregister.com]
The Rams’ Mark Barron (26) is congratulated after intercepting a Texans pass during Sunday’s 33-7 victory at the Coliseum. The Rams play in Minnesota this week – the site of this season’s Super Bowl – but don’t expect them to be looking nealy that far ahead. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
By RICH HAMMOND | rhammond@scng.com | Orange County Register
PUBLISHED: November 13, 2017 at 7:09 pm | UPDATED: November 13, 2017 at 7:11 pm
THOUSAND OAKS — Rams quarterback Jared Goff majored in sociology at Cal, and apparently the football schedule didn’t allow for any theater classes. Goff’s dramatic straight face needs a bit of work.
“We’ve got Minnesota next week, right?” Goff said. “I don’t know who we have after that.”
Well, after the Rams play the Vikings (7-2) on Sunday, they face New Orleans (7-2). Then it’s Philadelphia (8-1) two weeks later. They face another current division leader, Tennessee, on Christmas Eve.
“Do we?” Goff said, before he finally cracked and acknowledged that, yes, he is aware of the schedule. These are fun times for the Rams, who are 7-2, atop the NFC West and on a four-game winning streak, but now they enter the meat of their schedule with a chance to define how they will be remembered.
“It’s a good challenge for us to see where we are as a team,” running back Todd Gurley said after the Rams beat Houston on Sunday. “We want to be in the playoffs and right now, if we keep doing what we’re doing, we will. These teams are going to be in the playoffs as well, so it’s a great challenge for us.”
The simple math looks good for the Rams. Arizona (4-5) and San Francisco (1-9) also are on the December schedule, so victories in those games, and one win in a quintet of games against Minnesota, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Seattle and Tennessee would get the Rams to 10-6.
In the past six seasons, 63 of 67 teams that finished with a 10-6 record or better have made the playoffs. No 11-5 team has missed the playoffs since New England in 2008, through a tiebreaker.
So even if the Rams go 4-4 the rest of the way, they’re seemingly in line for their first playoff appearance since 2004. The more relevant question, at least at this point, might be whether the Rams will limp into the playoffs or whether they will finish strong and stamp themselves as Super Bowl contenders.
Good luck getting any comment on that. Rams coach Sean McVay barely flinched Monday when reminded that the Rams will play Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, the site of this season’s Super Bowl.
“If we don’t get to our eighth win, then nothing else matters,” McVay said in his news conference at Cal Lutheran. “You kind of speak something into existence when you talk about it so often. You almost really do put blinders on, because of what a competitive, tough league this is, and how humbling.
“Certainly you have an awareness of what is going on. That’s not to say you don’t know and pay attention to the other teams in this league, but all that really matters to us is, we’re focused on Minnesota and how, against a really good football team, how we can find a way to get to 8-2.”
That won’t be easy. Improbably, the Vikings are atop the NFC North, even though they’ve suffered season-ending injuries to quarterback Sam Bradford and highly touted rookie running back Dalvin Cook.
A stifling defense has carried Minnesota to five consecutive victories. The Vikings allow 3.4 yards per rushing attempt (tied for second-fewest in the NFL this season) and 6.5 yards per pass attempt (tied for fourth-fewest). Minnesota has yet to allow more than 30 points in a game this season,
Former Rams quarterback Case Keenum has guided a steady Vikings offense, and last week against Washington, Keenum threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns.
In a bit of understandable gamesmanship, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer has yet to announce whether he will start Keenum or Teddy Bridgewater, who hasn’t appeared in a game since the end of the 2015 season because of a devastating knee injury.
“I think he’s a huge reason why they’ve been so productive offensively,” McVay said of Keenum. “Whether it’s him or Teddy, you know you’re going to be facing a very good quarterback, and that offense is playing really well behind (offensive coordinator Pat) Shurmur’s leadership”
INJURY REPORT
McVay said the Rams remained in “good shape,” in terms of injuries, after Sunday’s victory over Houston. Offensive lineman Rodger Saffold left the game in the second half with a sprained ankle, but McVay said Saffold is “going to be OK.”
Linebacker Robert Quinn, who missed the game because of an undisclosed illness, is expected to return to practice Wednesday (after Tuesday’s normal off day), but McVay said Quinn could be limited then and that he remains uncertain about Quinn’s availability for the Minnesota game.
[www.ocregister.com]
