First Look: Rams head to Tampa Bay for Monday Night Football

[ROD-BOT]

First Look: Rams head to Tampa Bay for Monday Night Football clash with Buccaneers

An early preview of Monday night's Week 11 game between the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

www.therams.com

First Look: Rams head to Tampa Bay for Monday Night Football

The Los Angeles Rams (6-3) are back in primetime this week with a Monday Night Football road game against the Tampa Bay Buccanners (7-3). Kickoff from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. pacific time – watch locally on ABC7, also available on ESPN.

In advance of the contest, here is your first look at Rams-Buccaneers on Nov. 23, including notable Buccaneers additions, some of Tampa Bay's top statistical performers in Week 10 and key storylines:

Notable Buccaneers additions

Signed former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to a two-year deal in late March. His resume and success well-documented by now, the 43-year-old Brady has completed 254 of 385 pass attempts (66 percent) for 2,739 yards, 23 touchdowns and seven interceptions through the first 10 games of his 21st NFL season. He joined Tampa Bay after 20 seasons in New England.

Signed former Steelers, Raiders and Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown to a one-year deal on Oct. 27. A seven-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time All-Pro during his nine seasons with the Steelers, Brown joined the Bucs as he was finishing up an eight-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. Since regaining eligibility in Week 9, he has recorded 10 receptions for 100 yards in two games.

Top performers in Week 10

Brady completed 28 of 39 pass attempts for 341 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in the Bucs' 46-23 win over the Panthers, also adding a 1-yard rushing touchdown to his stat line.

RB Ronald Jones carried Tampa Bay's backfield with 23 carries for 192 yards and one touchdown, the touchdown run going for 98 yards.

WR Chris Godwin and WR Mike Evans each posted six catches; Godwin had a team-high 92 receiving yards while Evans tallied 77 and one touchdown. Brown had the most catches with seven, adding 69 receiving yards. TEs Rob Gronkowski (2 for 51) and Cameron Brate (3 for 31) accounted for Brady's other two passing scores.

OLB Jason Pierre-Paul posted one sack and one interception defensively, while LBs Lavonte David and Devin White led the unit with six tackles a piece.

On special teams, K Ryan Succop made all four of his field goal attempts and all four of his extra point attempts.

Early storylines to watch, and what they mean for the Rams

Perhaps the most fascinating matchup Monday night will be the Buccaneers' wide receivers vs. the Rams' defensive backs.

Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley has shown defensive backs are interchangeable parts in Los Angeles' secondary, not bound to one specific spot. Sometimes viewers and observers have seen Jalen Ramsey playing star (the hybrid nickel defensive back position) with Troy Hill and Darious Williams playing the boundary cornerback spots. Other times, it's been Hill at star and Ramsey and Williams on the outside. Those two examples are not an exhaustive list of every combination, just a couple to illustrate the point.

With that in mind, how will Staley choose to deploy them?

Ramsey's size and length might make him the best option for defending Evans, who has been a favorite redzone target of Brady's. Hill could potentially shadow Godwin, which would leave Williams on Brown.

Also impacting that strategy is the fact that the Bucs are deep at the position. When Godwin was injured and Brown still suspended, Scotty Miller, Tyler Johnson and Justin Watson proved to be trustworthy options for Brady.

Similar to those aforementioned combinations, there's no clear answer to the above question. But how the Rams plan to defend those Bucs' main trio receivers – and potential four-wide receiver sets with one of those reserves – will certainly be on Staley's mind as he puts together this week's gameplan.

 

[Merlin]

Not sure how that article completely overlooks the biggest matchup concern which is the left side of the Rams' OL with a new player installed vs a very sophisticated and aggressive front. Just finished all the run game plays from that Seattle win and I gotta say that Whit & Edwards are a highly efficient machine in how they work together. Most of their plays were wins and they work seamlessly together. How's it going to look now? Huge concern no way around it.

Also the kicker position. I presume Gay will get the nod? That's a storyline right there for sure, the potential return of the guy Arians cut to try to get his career on track starting with his old team and no mention. Also of course in a game that looks like it will be very difficult to score that looms pretty fuckin large so here's hoping by next week we're singing MG's praise.

Lastly Jones is a really big threat. He's top 5 in the key metrics (he can bust plus runs and he has a high success rate). I think their run game has the potential to soften up our secondary if they get that dude into the second level early on.

Obviously we're in this game of course but it's a very tough matchup beyond the fantasy football analysis.

 

[FaulkSF]

@Merlin I'm not as scared of Jones as most. The Panthers defense is wretched. On the 98 yard run there is a horrible decision by the MLB to lose gap integrity and fill a gap where there are already two linemen on the defenses left. Jones would have gotten four-five yards max. Then the single high takes a terrible angle on Jones. Credit the Bucs for putting hat on hat on the Panthers right side of the line to open the hole:


View: https://youtu.be/trblnk5mHoQ

 

[fearsomefour]

Not sure how that article completely overlooks the biggest matchup concern which is the left side of the Rams' OL with a new player installed vs a very sophisticated and aggressive front. Just finished all the run game plays from that Seattle win and I gotta say that Whit & Edwards are a highly efficient machine in how they work together. Most of their plays were wins and they work seamlessly together. How's it going to look now? Huge concern no way around it.

Also the kicker position. I presume Gay will get the nod? That's a storyline right there for sure, the potential return of the guy Arians cut to try to get his career on track starting with his old team and no mention. Also of course in a game that looks like it will be very difficult to score that looms pretty fuckin large so here's hoping by next week we're singing MG's praise.

Lastly Jones is a really big threat. He's top 5 in the key metrics (he can bust plus runs and he has a high success rate). I think their run game has the potential to soften up our secondary if they get that dude into the second level early on.

Obviously we're in this game of course but it's a very tough matchup beyond the fantasy football analysis.

It’s an article written for fans that aren’t real fans.
Fantasy football article.

 

[dieterbrock]

Thought the article was talking about the Rams flying to Florida to prepare. Thought it seemed a bit early considering the covid stuff affecting the team. I sure hope they've prepared a better plan than what they used to travel east for the Buffalo and Miami games.

 

[Jacobarch]

This will be a very tough game no doubt. If we can stop the run and make Brady become one dimensional we have a chance. Just like in the Saints game. The saints completely shut down their running game and Bruce becomes Mike Martz and tries to throw the ball all over the field. If we can do that and get after Brady we have a chance. I don't like having AGAIN to fly to the East Coast but it is what it is. We need to win this game if we're gonna stay at the top of the NFC west.

 

[BonifayRam]

Rams “One Of The Toughest Offenses To Face In The League”
By Jon Ledyard/
Nov. 19, 2020

Rams "One Of The Toughest Offenses To Face In The League" | Pewter Report

A sliding Bucs defense must be ready to take on one of the more intricate and unique offenses in the NFL when the Rams come to Tampa Bay.

www.pewterreport.com

For four consecutive years, Rams head coach and offensive wizard Sean McVay has been challenging defenses around the NFL with an innovative approach to offensive football that has sparked significant change around the league. McVay’s offense, which has transformed over the years to once again be one of the league’s more intricate units after struggling a year ago, is poised to be a significant challenge for the Bucs defense on Monday Night Football.

“The thing is, as you look at them, they run what I would call NFL 101 plays, but the way and the speed and the tempo of which they utilize it opens up the run game,” Bucs defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers said. “Then the run game gets their play-action going with the bootlegs and play-action (passes). That’s why when you watch them and say, ‘how are these people getting wide open?’, it’s because they really harp on everything looking the same, the speed and tempo being the same.”

Widely regarded as one of the best-coached and more detail-oriented teams in the NFL, the Rams remain one of the most play-action heavy offenses in the league, ranking second in the league off of play-action attempts. McVay fully understands that the run doesn’t need to be established for play-action to work, as defenders still must respect their run assignments and post-snap keys regardless of how the most recent rushing attempt turned out.

The result has been an offense that ranks 12th in passing yards per game and eighth in rushing yards per game, a balanced approach that has really only sputtered when quarterback Jared Goff has struggled. When he’s kept clean and has time to process and throw in the pocket, Goff can be a deadly assassin capable of making every throw, a significant concern for a Bucs pass defense that has had more downs than ups in recent weeks.

When pressured, Goff can unravel quickly, which is why the Rams offense is so predicated on play-action passing that slows the upfield pursuit of defensive linemen and gives their fifth-year quarterback more defined reads from the pocket. He’s also an excellent thrower outside of the pocket, so the Bucs being able to contain the Rams boot game and create A-gap pressure with Devin White blitzes will be crucial on Monday Night. Goff has only been sacked 13 times this season.

The Rams boast a strong rushing attack, with a healthy dose of three ball carriers – Darrell Henderson, Malcolm Brown and Cam Akers – doing the work. All three average over four yards per carry, a testament to the Rams scheme and the way their offensive linemen fit to that scheme perfectly. Los Angeles operates an outside zone-heavy rushing attack that uses pre-snap motion at one of the highest rates in the league, both to force defenses to communicate shifts and assignment changes quickly, and to fool teams with the misdirection that motion occasionally creates post-snap.

The Rams offense may not be as individually talented as the Bucs, but collectively there are few teams that get more out of every player in every facet of their scheme.

“Another thing people don’t realize is the way they utilize their wide receivers in blocking,” Rodgers said. “They get the support players involved. ‘Oh, just put the safety down in the box, don’t worry about it’. Well, they got the safety blocked. Then they mess with the linebackers. ‘This guy just motioned here, this guy ran a reverse fake, but then they handed it off inside’. The misdirection and the timing is just unbelievable.

“Then you’ve got a quarterback there who can make all the throws. So they just pose a lot of problems. When you talk about a team that really utilizes personnel, or their personnel match their scheme, put this team down. Their linemen are fast and quick, the backs hit downfield and can find the cuts, the quarterback does a heck of a job on play-action and the bootlegs and then you got a guy like Cooper Kupp. He comes in and he’s blocking and he’s getting open, then he’s running a takeoff. Then you gotta deal with Woods going across (the middle). They just pose a heck of a problem. They’re probably one of the toughest offenses to face in the league.”

The Rams are paced by Kupp’s 53 catches for 577 yards and two scores in the passing game, but also get significant contributions from Robert Woods (42-469-4) and Josh Reynolds (30-416-2). Both Kupp and Woods could contribute in the running game as well, with the latter being the more likely ball carrier based on his 17 carries for 111 yards and two rushing touchdowns this season.

Los Angeles is also one of the rare teams to challenge the Bucs’ depth at tight end, boasting two talented pass-catchers in Gerald Everett and Tyler Higbee. Both will play in-line or flexed, but Higbee is the far superior all-around player, and could be one of the most productive tight ends in the NFL if the Rams targeted him more. He’ll be a challenge for the Bucs to defend based on his ability to get open against all match-ups and from multiple alignments.

IF RAMS USED HIM MORE, HE'D BE A HOUSEHOLD NAME. RARE COMPLETE PLAYER AT THE POSITION PIC.TWITTER.COM/VQVEDYFPJR

— JON LEDYARD (@LEDYARDNFLDRAFT) NOVEMBER 18, 2020

“Oh yes, he is really a jack-of-all-trades for them,”Rodgers said. “He is the type of person where you have to know where he is at all times. So he’s problematic from a game-planning situation, you always gotta account for him. And then the more and more you keep watching [the Rams], the things they do, how they use people, this and that…this team poses a lot of problems.”

Defensively, the Bucs will need to be aggressive with their blitz packages, challenging Goff to make throws while under pressure. Last year they had success forcing the Rams quarterback into mistakes, as Goff turned the ball over four times while being sacked twice and hit nine other times. The Bucs couldn’t cover anyone and gave up almost 550 yards of offense, but this is a better secondary than the Rams faced a year ago.

Todd Bowles’ unit has been sliding in recent weeks, but if the Bucs are going to win this football game, their defense will need to solve the riddle that is the Rams offense and make some big-time splash plays to set their offense up for success against a Los Angeles defense that may be the best in the league.

 

[Flatlyner]

This game has me seriously nervous. The Bucs D is excellent. When Goff faces good D's, especially good D's that blitz the crap out of him, he looks lost and terrible. I expect the Bucs to blitz as much as humanly possible. It it gets home, I fear we are doomed. We will have to hope that Brady has an off day as well and throws some more pick 6's. As hard as it is for me to do, I'm placing bets on TB in this game, I think they more then match up with us. I'd LOVE to be proven wrong, but when Goff gets pressure, he's near bottom of league at QB. In addition to having a blitzing D, they have perhaps the best run D in the league. Hard to set up PA if they are shutting down our runs.

 

[Merlin]

One thing re: the Rams' run game vs Seattle... It was extremely close to giving our backs some really huge seams. To date our run game has not had any real big gainers, which in a way is a good thing in that our ypc and associated stats show consistent run blocking it's basically a guy here and there not making their blocks holding us back from dominant outings. And what is encouraging is some of them weren't the OL being manhandled (some were but not that many) but rather technique stuff like not positioning correctly to seal guys and whatnot.

Also both Hendy and Akers didn't exactly maximize things on every run, which is what you see when a back really gets in the zone. Brown did maximize things, his runs vs Seattle showed really good vision IMO.

And Seattle has a good run front. So on the other side of things I am sure Tampa is concerned with our run game, knowing how close we have been to busting some big gainers. Because with McVay's offense if you give those up you are fucked, he's gonna dump big points on you.

Reason I mention all this is because of the run game importance to us increasing with Whit out. McVay's been trying to get it going but they're going to need to succeed in the next few games to help Boom get settled.

 

[CoachAllred]

UNDISPUTED | Eric Dickerson reacts Brady facing Rams for first time since SB LIII victory with Pats



View: https://youtu.be/5Xy84WQRSEE

 

[CoachAllred]

One thing re: the Rams' run game vs Seattle... It was extremely close to giving our backs some really huge seams. To date our run game has not had any real big gainers, which in a way is a good thing in that our ypc and associated stats show consistent run blocking it's basically a guy here and there not making their blocks holding us back from dominant outings. And what is encouraging is some of them weren't the OL being manhandled (some were but not that many) but rather technique stuff like not positioning correctly to seal guys and whatnot.

Also both Hendy and Akers didn't exactly maximize things on every run, which is what you see when a back really gets in the zone. Brown did maximize things, his runs vs Seattle showed really good vision IMO.

And Seattle has a good run front. So on the other side of things I am sure Tampa is concerned with our run game, knowing how close we have been to busting some big gainers. Because with McVay's offense if you give those up you are fucked, he's gonna dump big points on you.

Reason I mention all this is because of the run game importance to us increasing with Whit out. McVay's been trying to get it going but they're going to need to succeed in the next few games to help Boom get settled.

Agree 100%. I have been thinking all week about how we should approach this game.
I have heard some say, "we can't run the ball against the Bucs" But I totally disagree.
Your Seattle example shows we can move the ball on the ground against the top run defenses in the league
The last two games against the Bucs, both Carolina and New Orleans. ran the ball well,

i think we should shoot for around 35 carries,
This would buy us extra time on the play action to
hit their young corners with some double move routes.

 

[CoachAllred]

Agree 100%. I have been thinking all week about how we should approach this game.
I have heard some say, "we can't run the ball against the Bucs" But I totally disagree.
Your Seattle example shows we can move the ball on the ground against the top run defenses in the league
The last two games against the Bucs, both Carolina and New Orleans. ran the ball well,

View attachment 41118
View attachment 41119

i think we should shoot for around 35 carries,
This would buy us extra time on the play action to
hit their young corners with some double move routes.

(Side note to my post)
I was wondering why the bucs seem to be giving up more yards on the
ground than they were earlier in the season and I think I have found out why.
Some interesting stats below.


Five games since losing 350-pound nose tackle Vita Vea to a broken leg, few other parts of the Bucs' interior defensive front appear fractured.

Granted, the Bucs are allowing more rushing yards per game (118.5) without Vea than with him (58.4), and the interior pass rush has tapered off a bit, but Tampa Bay remains atop the NFL in run defense (76.6 ypg) and ranks third in sacks per game (3.2)."

Bucs' interior solid, if not sparkling, minus Vita Vea

Even without its mammoth nose tackle, Tampa Bay is surrendering an NFL-low 76.6 rushing yards per game.

www.tampabay.com

 

[Merlin]

Yeah VV was a huge loss. But Whit was a huge loss for us too. Whit is dominant in the run game as well as the pass. Huge dropoff even if Boom plays solid.

But the Rams have been winning inside and on the right too. So I do think we have some hope of a good run game on Mon.

 

[Mackeyser]

I really hope we find our run groove. Without Vita Vet, their D is averaging just shy of 120ypg run yards allowed.

So much works when our run game gets going.

 

[FarNorth]

I really hope we find our run groove. Without Vita Vet, their D is averaging just shy of 120ypg run yards allowed.

So much works when our run game gets going.

I'm on the same page with all you guys with the excellent comments on running. It's a real strength of our offense. Would like to see us use it more, and be a bit more cagey in setting up downfield pass plays.

 

[TexasRam]

At the end of the day you have to take what the defense gives you. And figuring out what they are giving you is critical.

If they are blitzing, you better call a blitz beater.
If they are cheating to the run then throw the ball.
If they are playing pass you run.
If something is working keep doing it.
Same with zone vs man

Goff gets two plays, identifies the defense, makes the call, and away we go.

This idea of run at all costs or having a preset commitment to one thing isn't realistic.

You also don't determine who's getting the ball or who needs to get the ball x amount of times.

Mcvay repeatedly says everything depends on the ebb and flow of the game.

Fortunately for us, we have excellent balance. We can both run and pass well.

And statistically speaking, we don't need to run to setup the pass.

 

[fanotodd]

Because both Goff and brady are pocket passers going up against good defenses, this one is gonna come down to who gets flushed out of the pocket and pressured the most. Yes, the run goes a long ways to helping but it might not always be there. Goff, despite being a traditional drop back QB, excels in planned rollouts. I’d like to see more of those when we face a tough defense.

To me, it’s all about the defense dropping brady and beating him into retirement tonight.

 

[FrantikRam]

I agree with run heavy, but I'd run with the WRs as often as the RBs. I'd also play this game conservatively if our d shows they can hold them - longer than 3rd and 8, just run it/screen pass and punt it.

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

I feel like I already know how Boom will do in pass D--he'll be ok but get pushed back into Goff a tad easier than Whit did. My concern with him is how he will affect our run game--I guess I'm still shell-shocked from our run game dropping off a cliff last year....