Ndamukong Suh gets first-ever playoff win with the L.A. Rams, now one win away from a trip to Super

[BonifayRam]

Ndamukong Suh gets first-ever playoff win with the L.A. Rams, now one win away from a trip to Super Bowl 53
By Geoffrey C. Arnold | The Oregonian

https://www.oregonlive.com/nfl/2019...ne-win-away-from-a-trip-to-super-bowl-53.html
Ndamukong Suh probably envisioned the moment when he decided to sign with the Los Angeles Rams back in March. The vision of playing in a conference championship game and a chance to play in a Super Bowl.

View: https://twitter.com/camdasilva/status/1084294261762375680/video/1

The former Grant High School Generals star defensive lineman finds himself exactly where he wants to be after he helped the Rams defeat the Dallas Cowboys 30-22 in a Divisional Round playoff game on Saturday. Suh and the Rams will face the New Orleans Saints Sunday the NFC Championship game, with the winner advancing to Super Bowl 53.

“I came here for a reason,” Suh told reporters following the game. “It’s the playoffs. You either bring it all or you go home. I’m not trying to go home anytime soon.”

The win over the Cowboys earned Suh the first playoff win of his nine-year career. Suh had reached the playoffs three previous times during his career, but suffered losses in each game.

Suh and the Detroit Lions lost 45-28 to the Saints in a 2012 Wild Card game. Suh and the Lions were defeated 24-20 by the Cowboys in a 2015 Wild Card game. Suh was a member of the Miami Dolphins team that lost 30-12 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a 2017 Wild Card game.

Suh and the Rams aren’t going home for at least another week in 2019 after the win over the Cowboys. Suh played a key role in helping shut down Cowboys star running back Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott, the league’s leading rusher during the regular season, had gained 137 yards in the Cowboys win over the Seattle Seahawks in a Wild Card game.

The Rams held Elliott to 47 yards on 20 carries, average of 2.3 yards a carry. Dallas ran for a season-low 50 yards as a team against the Rams, coming one week after they piled up 164 yards against the Seahawks.

“It was a goal for us. We understood that teams felt they could run the ball on us, a big emphasis for them. I watched a previous playoff game against Seattle,” Suh told reporters after the game. “He was obviously dominant and probably one of the reasons why they won that game. Our focus was to shut him down.”

Suh may have earned his $14 million base salary by coming up big on one key play.

The Cowboys, trailing 23-15 early in the fourth quarter, faced a fourth-and-1 from the Rams 35. Elliott tried to go up the middle but was stuffed for no gain. Suh blew up the play by pushing Cowboys left guard Joe Looney into the backfield and into Elliott’s path. Elliott tried to spin away by was smothered by the Rams.

Great push by Suh up the middle on fourth down. He’s earning his money tonight. pic.twitter.com/E3oxl2TL01

— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) January 13, 2019
“It was just a bang-bang play,” Suh told reporters after the game. "I saw what they wanted to do, played off the center and tried to close up the gap. My hands were tied, so I guess I went head first.”

Suh didn’t want to go home Saturday and now he’s playing for the chance to appear in his first Super Bowl.

 

[rking4441]

Best game I’ve seen out of Suh and I hope he has two more big games left in him this post season!!

 

[OnceARam]

Love that one of his playoff losses was to the 'Aints! He's gotta be hungry to feeeeeed.

 

[JonRam99]

Ya I honestly think he saves his best for key situations & games. He is so strong, can move a pile when he wants to. I think we're gonna see a lot more of him this Sunday.

 

[Merlin]

Yeah, uh, just do your job Suhbert. You know, that thing you sorta avoided while you coasted through the season. Good thing here is I am sure you're well rested.

 

[OldSchool]

Even better than that it was Whitworths first playoff win.

 

[shovelpass]

Even better than that it was Whitworths first playoff win.

As well as the longest tenured Ram, Roger Saffold. He endured part of the dark ages as a Ram it's nice to see him get to enjoy the good times too.

 

[ArkyRamsFan]

Even better than that it was Whitworths first playoff win.

And let us not forget fellow long time Ram, Rodger Saffold. Congrats Rog. Hopefully many more to come including 2 more this year!!

Go Rams!
~ArkyRamsFan~

 

[“Turbo set!”]

I think he is going to focus more on stopping the run instead of playing the run on the way to rushing the quarterback. We need him in the former role.

 

[Ramfansince79]

Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhh!!!!!

 

[jap]

Suh, Suh, Suh-rio!!!!

 

[PressureD41]

Suuuuh-eeeeet

 

[BonifayRam]

Ndamukong Suh finally makes his presence felt with the Rams
Alden GonzalezESPN Staff Writer
http://www.espn.com/blog/nfcsouth/p...finally-makes-his-presence-felt-with-the-rams

In case it wasn't obvious enough by the situation -- fourth-and-1, one-score game, start of the fourth quarter, ball near field goal range -- Mark Barron confirmed it right before the snap. The veteran inside linebacker saw Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Noah Brown go in motion and set up right behind tight end Rico Gathers, a dead giveaway that an inside run was coming. The Los Angeles Rams' defense had spent the entire week focused almost exclusively on containing Ezekiel Elliott, simultaneously fighting the incessant notion that their star-studded unit was generally inept against the run.

When the biggest moment presented itself at 7:40 p.m. PT on Saturday, they were ready. Ndamukong Suh was the first to get free."I saw what they wanted to do, played off the center and tried to close up the gap," Suh said. "My hands were tied, so I just went in head first."

Suh's helmet was the first object to make contact with Elliott, right before a mob of his teammates swarmed in to help, taking possession away from the Cowboys and changing the complexion of an eventual 30-22 victory that saw the Rams advance to the NFC Championship Game and flip an entire narrative on its head.

The Cowboys were supposed to dominate the run on both sides, with the NFL's leading rusher in their backfield and a stout defense that had allowed only 3.8 yards per carry. But it was the Rams' offense, suddenly a two-back system with Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson, that amassed 273 yards on the ground. And it was the Rams' defense, fresh off surrendering an NFL-worst 5.1 yards per carry in 2018, that limited the Cowboys to a mere 50 rushing yards, their lowest output all season.

"We knew we could stop the run -- it was just a matter of doing it," Barron said. "It really wasn't that hard. It was everybody being where they're supposed to be and doing what they're supposed to be doing. It was really simple."

The Rams are going to need a lot more of that on Sunday (3:05 p.m. ET, Fox), when they face a New Orleans Saints offense that features the devastating two-prong attack of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram.

They're going to need more performances like these from Suh.

On Saturday night, in what became the Rams' first playoff victory at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in more than 40 years, Suh jumped off the film like he hardly had all season. The numbers -- two quarterback hits, one tackle for loss -- weren't gaudy. But Suh displayed the quintessential balance of ferocity and discipline, consistently winning at the point of attack and constantly clogging holes to help keep Elliott at 2.3 yards per carry.

Suh was given the highest grade on the Rams' defense by Pro Football Focus, which had him with four pressures in 30 pass-rush snaps and a run-stop percentage of 11.8.

After a mostly quiet regular season, Ndamukong Suh led a Rams defense that limited Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys to just 50 rushing yards. Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
When it mattered most, he might have been the best player on the field.

"It's a great compliment," Suh said late Saturday night. "At the end of the day, how I look at it is I'm still going to play at an elite level. Given opportunities, which I was given today, I'm going to make plays. This atmosphere, being at home, great fans, and it's the playoffs -- you bring it all, or you go home. And I'm not trying to go home anytime soon."

The Rams stacked the box, as expected, against the Cowboys. They played in their base set (four defensive backs, two linebackers, two interior defenders and two edge rushers) on 35.3 percent of the snaps in which the Cowboys ran "11" personnel (one running back, one tight end, three wide receivers). During the regular season, the Rams were in base sets on only 8.2 percent of opponents' "11" personnel snaps.

"We knew that they were going to run, try to get Zeke loose," Rams outside linebacker Samson Ebukam said. "And we knew that if we could contain Zeke, the game was basically over."

At the nine-minute mark of the first quarter, Suh sprinted from the hash marks to the numbers to stop Elliott for no gain. At the 10-minute mark of the third quarter, Ebukam set the edge to help Suh slam Elliott for a 2-yard loss. Nine minutes later, Aaron Donald went basically unblocked into the backfield and stuffed Elliott for a loss of 4. And in the final minutes of regulation, inside linebacker Cory Littleton sniffed out a shovel pass in the flat and tackled Elliott for another 2-yard loss.

The Rams outgained the Cowboys 459 yards to 308, accumulating 11 more first downs and running 21 more offensive plays.But it was their defense, agonizingly inconsistent throughout the year, that finally made its presence felt."We arrived," Rams coach Sean McVay said, "and you could feel our guys at the point of contact.

 

[Prime Time]

https://www.nola.com/saints/2019/01...-with-sean-payton-now-at-his-best-for-la.html

Rams' Ndamukong Suh recalls ‘long breakfast’ with Asshole Face, now at his best for L.A.
By Christopher Dabe, NOLA.com

Photo by Michael DeMocker, NOLA

Five-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh tilted his head back and smiled as he listened to the question.

This is the Wednesday before the NFC championship game. Suh joined the Los Angeles Rams last spring in part because he thought that would put him in the best position to play for a Super Bowl championship.

The one other team he considered joining in March was the New Orleans Saints. The Saints also happen to be the other team playing Sunday for the NFC title. Hence, the question about the Saints and their pursuit of the 6-foot-4, 305-pound mass of man in the middle of the defensive line.

“I understood the quality they have there,” Suh said Wednesday (Jan. 16). “For them to be in the postseason, I’m not surprised to see where they’re at.”

Suh said he talked in March with Saints offensive linemen Larry Warford — a former teammate from when both were in Detroit together — and Jermon Bushrod during his visit to New Orleans. They’re trusted friends, he said. Suh also had “a long breakfast" with Saints coach Asshole Face before leaving town.

Suh departed New Orleans knowing full well how the Saints were positioned for another crack at the postseason. This year, they won a second consecutive division title for the first time in franchise history, and the NFC divisional win Sunday against the Eagles put them one round farther than they were a year ago.

The Saints have Drew Brees, who on Tuesday turned 40 years old, playing a near-peak level with an NFL record completion percentage of 74.4 with wideout Michael Thomas making a case as the best player in the game at his position — if not the entire league.

Still, he chose the Rams. In doing so, he made a defense already rife with strong incoming talent — the Rams added cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib during the offseason — that much better. Put him next to Aaron Donald, and watch out.

Suh hasn’t missed a game in his career outside the two for which he was suspended in 2011 for stomping on a Green Bay Packers player. That, coincidentally, put him out for a game against the Saints.

Suh finished the 2018 regular season with 4-1/2 sacks — giving him 56 for his career — with 59 total tackles. He’s also put a hand on four passes this season. Then Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys, Suh played what Rams coach Sean McVay said was his best game yet this season as he put two hits on quarterback Dak Prescott.

“You could see,” McVay said. “He had a look in his eye where he was ready to go. It showed up with the level he played throughout the course of the night.”

Surely, Payton is aware of Suh and his potential for disruption.

“He has a tremendous presence," the coach said Monday. "He’s a real good football player. He’s explosive. He has size. He’s smart. Those are some of the challenges he presents.”

Suh joined the Rams with a one-year deal that paid a reported $14 million, meaning he could become a free agent again in March.

He said Wednesday there were reasons outside of football that led him to the Rams instead of the Saints.

“The cities for sure had a factor to it,” Suh said. “I have aspirations outside of sports.”

Suh said he’s been “very blessed to have had great mentors,” and some of them live in Los Angeles.

“The time outside of football to do things, that’s why L.A. was a really good fit for me,” he said. “Not saying I don’t know people in New Orleans because I know plenty of people in New Orleans; there’s a lot of opportunity down there as well. I felt like this was a good fit.”

Whether what happens Sunday will alter how he views that decision remains to be determined. Regardless, he’d likely have a championship game to play this week no matter which team he selected.

 

[JonRam99]

I'm extremely excited he chose LA, and very glad he showed up big time last Sunday. He's a RAM & I'll root for him this Sunday.
Just.... okay, so he's never missed a game. Very durable, or very "smart".... in when / where he decides to make plays. In NO, I think the microscope would've been brighter on him, but lining up w/ future HOF DT AD, he doesn't have to be "the guy", hence, he can continue to "play smart" until the moment is right.
As evidence, I recall the thread when we acquired him in F/A from the Fins, and some guards were saying how they didn't want to make him mad because he'd clobber them at full power. He's incredibly strong, and I suppose you don't want to injure yourself when you play at full blast every snap trying to push against a 330lb guy across from you (see: Saffold, Roger - shoulder injuries), & you need to "pick your battles", but gosh it would've been awesome to see him at least do this a few more time in a few games this year.
Sure hoping that happens Sunday to push us (& him) into the Superbowl. The lights will be very bright, Ndamukong, very bright indeed....

 

[badnews]

In Aqib Talibs "WIRED" clip, there is a moment right after Suh (and Joyner) stopped Zeke short on 4th down. Talib is yelling at Suh "Thats why we are out here! That's why we're here!!!"
Sure, he could have been saying that stops like THAT are what it's all about on defense, but that isn't how it struck me.
I think Talib was telling Suh something they both already knew - The Rams went and got and paid for these guys to take them over the top in the playoffs and help this team get a title. That the whole point was to have something left in the tank to take over the games that really matter - the win or go home games. Ndamukong Suh was signed to do exactly what he delivered on Saturday against Ezekiel Elliot and the Cowboys O-line.

I said last week that I believed the Rams goal and all of their strategies for this season were aimed at accomplishing one singular goal: WIN a playoff game and legitimize the LA RAMS as a contender going forward. I believe making the playoffs in McVays 1st season was a pleasant surprise for a team that began the season unaware that they were going to be as good as they were. Then, despite playing with house money, their loss to the Falcons - and more importantly - HOW and WHY they loss their 1st playoff game under McVay - deeply bothered our young HC more than what we would have guessed. No attaboys for a good season or moral victories for him. He understands how rare it is to have a Super Bowl caliber squad - and how close they really were to contending.
Yes, you have to perform well and win in the reg season, but if you can get it in the playoffs with an ace up your sleeve, it gives you a chance to win it all.
When Talib was saying "Thats why we're out here!" he was really saying "Being ready and able to take over play-off games is the exact, particular reason that they were signed by the LA RAMS."
Stopping Zeke on 4th and 1 in the playoffs is why the Rams signed these guys. On that 1 play alone, Suh earned his salary.
Imagine if Suh had a big stat line this year but doesn't get his helmet on Zeke and the Cowboys convert and found a way to win on Saturday.
What good would Suh have been, then? Woohoo 10 sacks from Suh but we are 1 and done again...? Who would have cared other than stat obsessed fantasy guys? Regular season stats are only meaningful if you win something meaningful.

I have seen (or at least interpreted) signs that this was the Rams philosophy this year: Get in the playoffs and then have a secret weapon ready.
Suh was intended to be that weapon all along, by asking him to hold up for the run while letting Aaron Donald go straight for the ball holder on every play, all season long. Donalds stats were flashy and his play was impactful while Suh was just doing a fairly blue collar job for this team. Once in the playoffs, the gamesmanship begins. Donald stays home and plays the run. The bread and butter for other teams run game was suddenly gone and in its place is Ndamukong Motherfuckin Suh.
BRILLIANT.

On offense we just happened into a happy accident at just the right time. Carl's Jr Anderson is an added bonus and he is giving the offense the same thing the defense has with Suh and Talib. A next level gear shift on the offensive side of the ball in the postseason that no one is prepared for - that was never part of the plan... but Championship Winners have a little luck and make a whole lot of their own.

 

[Prime Time]

https://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-saints-20190117-story.html

Ndamukong Suh finally looks like player who can help Rams tackle Saints
By GARY KLEIN

Jae C. Hong / Associated Press

The Rams gave Ndamukong Suh a one-year, $14-million contract to add another dominant presence to their defensive line.

It appeared to be a solid, if unspectacular investment during the regular season. Suh stood out at times, but as part of a front that featured star Aaron Donald he was not a game-changer.

He looks like one now.

Suh goes into the NFC championship game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday coming off a starring role in the Rams’ divisional-round playoff victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Suh set the tone by stopping NFL rushing champion Ezekiel Elliott for no gain on the Cowboys’ first play. He also helped stuff Elliott on a key fourth-down play in the fourth quarter. Suh finished with four tackles, one for a loss, and two hits on quarterback Dak Prescott in the 30-22 victory.

It was Suh’s best game of the season, coach Sean McVay said.

“You could see, he had a look in his eyes where he was ready to go,” McVay said. “It showed up with the way that he played throughout the course of the night.”

Suh, a five-time Pro Bowl player in his ninth NFL season, said “playoff football” provided the impetus.

“It’s always a goal for me to prove that I’m an elite player,” he said. “It was a platform to do that.”

Suh also had a financial incentive.

According to overthecap.com, his contract includes a bonus of $500,000 for playing 65% of the snaps and making the playoffs, a figure that increased to $750,000 for winning a playoff game and could rise to as much as $1 million if the Rams win two playoff games.

The Rams would be thrilled to pay the maximum if they defeat the Saints and advance to the Feb. 3 Super Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

“One of the ultimate goals and one of the reasons why I signed here was to have an opportunity to play in the postseason,” Suh said. “I felt this team had some of the right pieces and I would be a good addition to it.”

The Rams already had traded for cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib when the Miami Dolphins released Suh in March after the third year of six-year $114-million contract that guaranteed $60 million.

Suh, who played his first five seasons with the Detroit Lions, met with the Saints and coach Asshole Face as he shopped for his next team. But the Rams wooed Suh with the prospect of playing in Los Angeles, which offered diverse post-football opportunities and the chance to join an up-and-coming team.

The pairing of Suh with reigning NFL defensive player of the year Aaron Donald was regarded as, potentially, one of the most dominant inside defensive presences in NFL history.

But it took time for defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and defensive line coach Bill Johnson to meld Suh with Donald, defensive lineman Michael Brockers and other players.

“The whole defense, that’s what you do is try to get a feel for what they really do well, what their strengths are, and if they have some weakness, try not to put them in those situations,” Phillips said.

Donald, with 20½ sacks, is on his way to another defensive player of the year award. Suh had 4½ sacks.

The two linemen communicate well and played well together all season, Donald said. And Suh asserted himself against the Cowboys.

“It’s a big game, big stage and he made his plays when plays presented themselves,” Donald said. “That’s what you expect from your guys. That’s why he’s here, to make plays like that for us and win big games and he did that.”

Now the Rams have their biggest game since the franchise returned to Los Angeles in 2016, and it offers a chance to avenge a defeat at the Superdome.

On Nov. 4, the Rams suffered their first loss of the season. The Saints led 35-17 at halftime before the Rams rallied to tie the score at 35 in the fourth quarter. The Saints added a field goal and a long touchdown pass to win, 45-35.

But Rams players left the building feeling they would win a rematch.

“It’s a good template that we can look at,” Suh said of the first game. “Overall we need to be focused on starting a lot faster, tackling. ... It’s the playoffs, I’m sure they’re going to have some things that we haven’t seen before up their sleeves so we’ll be ready.”

Suh appears primed for another big game after his performance against the Cowboys.

“We’re pleased with that,” Phillips said, “and we expect more from him.”

So does Suh, who said he was his “harshest critic,” despite McVay’s praise.

“Sean may of seen it as one of my best games,” he said, “but I got a lot more in the tank.”

Suh said he has dreamed about what it would be like to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time.

“I get chills thinking about it so I’m excited,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Etc.

The Rams have a giant temporary tent structure set up in the players’ parking lot, but the rain let up Thursday so they practiced on their grass field. Last week, with rain in the forecast, the Rams had considered traveling to a locale with an indoor facility but decided against it, McVay said.

“When you start to explore the options, to actually think about having to go off-site and have the players leave their families and their kids — and the coaches as well — earlier, we felt like that wasn’t going to give us the reward,” he said. “We wanted to be able to keep our normal rhythm and routine, even if we did have to practice in the rain. The tent was a result of once we made that decision that we weren’t going to explore any of those other options. It would have to be so far that we would have to travel.”

 

[Prime Time]

View: https://twitter.com/RamsNFL/status/1088667781732749312

 

[den-the-coach]

I have visions of Ndamukong Suh, crunching Tom Brady and forcing retirement.

 

[Mackeyser]

Funny, I had a similar vision, but it was AD spin throwing Brady down super hard and Brady getting up super woozy.