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Cameron DaSilva
10 hours ago
(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Football is the ultimate team sport, but as is often the case, a few players have the ability to make or break a season. The Los Angeles Rams have their work cut out for them in the second half of the 2019 season, likely needing to win at least five or six of their final eight games to make the playoffs.
They have one of the most talented rosters in the league, even with a recent rash of injuries and trades, which makes them a legitimate contender in the NFC. These four players will play a major role in the final eight games, potentially determining how far Los Angeles goes.
Jared Goff
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Goff was just OK in the first half of the season despite leading the NFL in passing yards before the Rams’ bye week. He made some spectacular throws, but he also made some maddeningly careless ones that certainly bared questioning. His seven interceptions and six fumbles are most concerning as he’s once again straddling the line of being turnover-prone.
The Rams won’t make a deep run or even reach the postseason if Goff can’t take care of the football in the final eight games. Interceptions are to be expected, but throwing seven in a five-game stretch as he did to begin the year is not going to get the job done.
The offense is more on Goff’s shoulders this season than it was a year ago now that Todd Gurley isn’t a workhorse at running back. His play will determine whether the Rams end their season in December or 2020.
Interior O-line trio
(Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
This is technically three players, but we’re grouping them into one. Brian Allen and Austin Blythe have been the weakest links on the offensive line this year, leading many fans to call for a switch at either guard or center. David Edwards has been an unexpected upgrade over Joseph Noteboom at left guard, but he’s only played two games and has plenty of developing still to do.
If Edwards, Allen and Blythe can’t put together a good second half of the season, this offense is going to struggle. Goff isn’t going to get enough time in the pocket, big plays down the field won’t be able to develop, and the running backs will continue to have trouble finding running room up the middle.
The offensive line as a whole has really held the Rams back this year but that can’t be the case in the final eight games. This offense is built upon play-action passes and long-developing plays, which can’t happen if Goff has 2 seconds to read the field.
Troy Hill
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Here we are in Week 10, calling Hill a player who could make or break the Rams’ season. Raise your hand if you saw this coming.
Jalen Ramsey and Hill have taken over as the starters at cornerback, replacing Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters – both of whom were traded by the Rams. There’s no doubt Ramsey will have a major impact on the defense, as he already has, but Hill is the greater boom-or-bust player for Los Angeles. The Rams know what they’re going to get from Ramsey on a week-to-week basis. The same can’t be said about Hill.
If Hill plays the way he has since replacing Talib, the Rams secondary is going to be a strength of the defense. He was excellent against the Bengals, allowing just three catches on 11 targets in London. However, as we’ve seen countless times before, he can regress quickly and display troubling inconsistency.
The Rams need him to play at a high level in the final eight games, preventing teams from having a cornerback to pick with Ramsey locking down the other side of the field. It’s been a small sample size this season, but Hill has starting-quality traits that can make a major impact in 2019.
Dante Fowler Jr.
Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Fowler has 4.5 sacks in his last two games, really taking his game to another level for the Rams. He’s finally taking advantage of playing on the same defensive front as Aaron Donald, winning one-on-one matchups outside. That makes a huge difference for the Rams defense, and makes Donald’s presence that much more valuable.
Fowler is a streaky player and can go weeks without any sacks, but he seems to have turned a corner this year. His impact against the run has been felt, too, stepping up and setting the edge from his outside linebacker position.
Fowler is the Rams’ most reliable pass rusher not named Aaron Donald. That has to remain the case in the second half of the season, even with Clay Matthews back in the fold this week. Matthews’ six sacks are far more the result of Donald eating up blocks than Fowler’s 6.5 are.
Pressuring quarterbacks is arguably the most important aspect of a defense, and the Rams have done a good job of that this season. Fowler needs to make sure that remains the case in the last eight games.
theramswire.usatoday.com
10 hours ago
(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Football is the ultimate team sport, but as is often the case, a few players have the ability to make or break a season. The Los Angeles Rams have their work cut out for them in the second half of the 2019 season, likely needing to win at least five or six of their final eight games to make the playoffs.
They have one of the most talented rosters in the league, even with a recent rash of injuries and trades, which makes them a legitimate contender in the NFC. These four players will play a major role in the final eight games, potentially determining how far Los Angeles goes.
Jared Goff
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Goff was just OK in the first half of the season despite leading the NFL in passing yards before the Rams’ bye week. He made some spectacular throws, but he also made some maddeningly careless ones that certainly bared questioning. His seven interceptions and six fumbles are most concerning as he’s once again straddling the line of being turnover-prone.
The Rams won’t make a deep run or even reach the postseason if Goff can’t take care of the football in the final eight games. Interceptions are to be expected, but throwing seven in a five-game stretch as he did to begin the year is not going to get the job done.
The offense is more on Goff’s shoulders this season than it was a year ago now that Todd Gurley isn’t a workhorse at running back. His play will determine whether the Rams end their season in December or 2020.
Interior O-line trio
(Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
This is technically three players, but we’re grouping them into one. Brian Allen and Austin Blythe have been the weakest links on the offensive line this year, leading many fans to call for a switch at either guard or center. David Edwards has been an unexpected upgrade over Joseph Noteboom at left guard, but he’s only played two games and has plenty of developing still to do.
If Edwards, Allen and Blythe can’t put together a good second half of the season, this offense is going to struggle. Goff isn’t going to get enough time in the pocket, big plays down the field won’t be able to develop, and the running backs will continue to have trouble finding running room up the middle.
The offensive line as a whole has really held the Rams back this year but that can’t be the case in the final eight games. This offense is built upon play-action passes and long-developing plays, which can’t happen if Goff has 2 seconds to read the field.
Troy Hill
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Here we are in Week 10, calling Hill a player who could make or break the Rams’ season. Raise your hand if you saw this coming.
Jalen Ramsey and Hill have taken over as the starters at cornerback, replacing Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters – both of whom were traded by the Rams. There’s no doubt Ramsey will have a major impact on the defense, as he already has, but Hill is the greater boom-or-bust player for Los Angeles. The Rams know what they’re going to get from Ramsey on a week-to-week basis. The same can’t be said about Hill.
If Hill plays the way he has since replacing Talib, the Rams secondary is going to be a strength of the defense. He was excellent against the Bengals, allowing just three catches on 11 targets in London. However, as we’ve seen countless times before, he can regress quickly and display troubling inconsistency.
The Rams need him to play at a high level in the final eight games, preventing teams from having a cornerback to pick with Ramsey locking down the other side of the field. It’s been a small sample size this season, but Hill has starting-quality traits that can make a major impact in 2019.
Dante Fowler Jr.
Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Fowler has 4.5 sacks in his last two games, really taking his game to another level for the Rams. He’s finally taking advantage of playing on the same defensive front as Aaron Donald, winning one-on-one matchups outside. That makes a huge difference for the Rams defense, and makes Donald’s presence that much more valuable.
Fowler is a streaky player and can go weeks without any sacks, but he seems to have turned a corner this year. His impact against the run has been felt, too, stepping up and setting the edge from his outside linebacker position.
Fowler is the Rams’ most reliable pass rusher not named Aaron Donald. That has to remain the case in the second half of the season, even with Clay Matthews back in the fold this week. Matthews’ six sacks are far more the result of Donald eating up blocks than Fowler’s 6.5 are.
Pressuring quarterbacks is arguably the most important aspect of a defense, and the Rams have done a good job of that this season. Fowler needs to make sure that remains the case in the last eight games.
4 players who could make or break Rams' season in 2nd half
Jared Goff is certainly among the players who will determine how far the Rams go in 2019.
theramswire.usatoday.com
