NFL Films Preview: Rams at Chargers

  • To unlock all of features of Rams On Demand please take a brief moment to register. Registering is not only quick and easy, it also allows you access to additional features such as live chat, private messaging, and a host of other apps exclusive to Rams On Demand.

RamBill

Legend
Joined
Jul 31, 2010
Messages
8,874
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #2
CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco and Pat Kirwan preview the NFL Week 12 matchup between the St. Louis Rams and San Diego Chargers. Both Kirwan and Prisco pick San Diego, but wouldn’t be surprised if the Rams pull off a win.

Watch Kirwan/Prisco's Preview
 

RamBill

Legend
Joined
Jul 31, 2010
Messages
8,874
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3
Tom Krasovic is a Chargers reporter and NFL columnist for UTSanDiego.com, and he joined Anthony Stalter and Myles Simmons on Rams Playbook to preview this weekend’s Rams-Chargers game and talk about some of the big names on the Chargers, such as Keenan Allen and Antonio Gates.

Listen to Chargers Reporter Game Preview
 

RamBill

Legend
Joined
Jul 31, 2010
Messages
8,874
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4
Chargers vs. Rams preview
By Eric D. Williams and Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/san-diego-chargers/post/_/id/8379/chargers-vs-rams-preview

When: 4:05 ET, Sunday Where: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego TV: Fox

SAN DIEGO -- To remain in the AFC playoff conversation, the San Diego Chargers (6-4) have to keep stacking wins.

But the Chargers face a tough test with the St. Louis Rams traveling to San Diego for a Sunday afternoon game.

The Rams (4-6) have a losing record, but manhandled the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos in a 22-7 victory last week. St. Louis plays with relentless effort, led by one of the most aggressive defensive fronts in the NFL.

In addition to defeating Denver, the Rams have wins over the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, and the San Francisco 49ers this season.

A point of emphasis for San Diego will be doing a better job of protecting quarterback Philip Rivers, who is dealing with a chest injury. The Chargers know they have to play their best in order to get a win over the Rams.

"They have the characteristics of a typical Jeff Fisher team," Rivers said, referring to the Rams coach. "They're just tough, hard-nosed and relentless."

ESPN NFL Nation Rams reporter Nick Wagoner and Chargers reporter Eric D. Williams preview the game:

Williams: Nick, Austin Davis completed 63 percent of his passes and had an 85.1 passer rating as a starter. Why did Fisher make the switch back to Shaun Hill? And what's the difference between the two signal-callers?

Wagoner: The simple answer is turnovers. More specifically, the kind of costly turnovers that killed the Rams in close games. Davis threw four pick-sixes, with all of those coming in the fourth quarter. He also coughed up a couple of fumbles that were returned for touchdowns. That's six touchdowns Davis was responsible for. When you're a team built to win with defense, it's hard to do that when you give up points without the defense on the field. Hill is more of a steady hand and has a stronger arm to go with his vast experience. The Rams' defense is starting to come into its own. And with that group rolling, the Rams need a quarterback who can manage the game. As I like to put it, the Rams' defense is playing well enough to win. They need a quarterback leading the offense, so it plays well enough not to lose.

Since we're on the topic of quarterbacks, much is being made of Philip Rivers and this flap with Antonio Gates, and Rivers' health. What's your take on Rivers' status? And if he's not hurt, then what is the reason he went from an MVP candidate to someone who has struggled in recent weeks?

Williams: Rivers clarified his injury status this week, saying he suffered a chest injury falling onto the ball during the fourth quarter of Sunday's game on a sack by Khalil Mack. Rivers said he's been dealing with general soreness, like all players, this time of year, and clarified that Gates' comments were an attempt to protect his quarterback from criticism for his uneven play the past four weeks. Inconsistent pass protection and a lack of a running game have been more of a contributing factor to Rivers' struggling performance of late. Since starting the season 5-1, Rivers has completed 63 percent of his passes for 788 yards, with 6 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He's been sacked nine times, posting a 76.0 passer rating. The Chargers are 1-3 during that stretch.

Nick, what did St. Louis do defensively to limit Peyton Manning and the Broncos to just seven points last week?

Wagoner: It was a combination of things, including some schematics from defensive coordinator Gregg Williams that tricked Manning into a couple of mistakes. And let's be honest, it didn't hurt that tight end Julius Thomas and receiver Emmanuel Sanders missed big chunks of the game. But the biggest thing here is this defense is finally playing as well as expected. We all underestimated (myself included) that it would take this group a little while to adapt to the many wrinkles in a Williams defense. For the first part of the season, the Rams played much slower defensively than anticipated. Now, it seems everyone is settled in and playing fast and aggressive. Leading the way is a front four that has been as dominant as people would expect. End Robert Quinn and tackle Aaron Donald are legitimate difference-makers, and they have solid depth beyond them. But they also have a linebacker in Alec Ogletree and safety T.J. McDonald who are legitimately playing at a Pro Bowl level over the past three weeks. That's not hyperbole, and I can't believe I'm saying it, but it's true. The Rams' defense was expected to be a top-five group this year. It's finally playing like one.

Eric, in perusing the stats and the film, it appears the Chargers' defense has had its struggles both on third down and in the red zone. Is there anything you can put your finger on with their issues in those two key areas, and what should the Rams expect from the San Diego defense right now?

Williams: You're correct. The Chargers are No. 29 in third down efficiency (45.4 percent) defensively, and tied for No. 28 in red zone efficiency (66.7 percent). San Diego's issues in those areas have been a result of poor tackling and a lack of a consistent pass rush. But with the return of edge rushers Melvin Ingram and Jeremiah Attaochu, along with inside linebacker Manti Te'o, the Chargers were much better against Oakland, holding the Raiders to 3-of-15 on third down and keeping them out of the end zone. Along with the improved athleticism, the Chargers have to play assignment-correct football in those two critical areas for the team's success on defense to continue.

Nick, I know you follow the stadium situation closely in St. Louis as well, something we're also dealing with here in San Diego. What's the latest in terms of St. Louis working to keep the team there, and do you believe there's a realistic chance the Rams could be playing in Los Angeles next season?

Wagoner: It's the billion dollar question right now, isn't it? We've reached the point where there's a new rumor every day. It can be difficult to parse through what's real and what's not. I try to talk to as many people as I can about this, and to be honest, I really think every option is on the table. I wouldn't be surprised if they moved, and I wouldn't be surprised if they stayed. But it's going to be awfully difficult for them to move in 2015. I'm not convinced the league would allow it, especially with the local leaders in St. Louis working on a resolution. Former Anheuser-Busch president Dave Peacock is working diligently on trying to offer a solution, and he's not to be taken lightly. He's well respected in league circles, and the time for negotiations at the kiddie table have long since passed. The big boys will be having the discussions this time around. One other thing that's not being discussed enough is where the Rams would play if they did go to Los Angeles next year, and I don't mean a stadium on Sundays. I mean the day-to-day operations and practices. There's no obvious solution out there, and the longer things play out, the less likely one could be in place before then anyway. I wouldn't be surprised by either outcome long term, and I would be mildly surprised if the outcome turned into a move in 2015.

Sticking to that topic, the Chargers seem to be in a unique spot here because of their proximity to Los Angeles and the amount of business they get from that area. What's the latest from your end, and how likely is it they make the move? Barring that, do you believe they have the support from other owners to try to block a move by another team to protect their interests?

Williams: The Chargers are in discussions with San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer to put a proposal together that voters countywide could weigh in on as early as February 2016. But talks remain preliminary, and several of the stakeholders still need to have a say in order to build consensus for the project. Chargers president Dean Spanos remains committed to keeping the team in San Diego, but the family also is keeping its options open, which include possibly relocating to Los Angeles if the team is unable to get a stadium deal done in San Diego. The Chargers are on a year-to-year lease and could opt out of the agreement in February. The Spanos family is keeping a watchful eye on what happens in Los Angeles, with 30 percent of its business originating from the Orange County area. It's tough to say how much sway Dean Spanos could have in blocking a team from relocating to Los Angeles, particularly with the NFL pushing the move. The bottom line is the Chargers want to remain in San Diego but any stadium proposal has to make sense financially, and relocating to a more lucrative market in Los Angeles remains a possibility.
========

Rams at Chargers: Stats of the Week

2.57: Yards per carry the Rams' run defense has allowed over the past three weeks, a vast improvement from a group that gave up 4.68 (26th in the league) in the first seven games.

87

Number of passing yards Philip Rivers needs to reach 35,000. He enters Sunday's contest with 34,913 career passing yards.