https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2018/10/14/nfl-los-angeles-rams-broncos-week-6/
Rams beat Broncos 23-20: Instant analysis from Week 6 win
By: Cameron DaSilva
The Los Angeles Rams came away with their sixth straight win on Sunday, beating the Denver Broncos 23-20 at Mile High Stadium. It wasn’t easy and the Broncos made it interesting at the end, scoring a touchdown in the final minute before attempting an onside kick.
A win is a win, though, and the Rams are 6-0 after six straight wins to start the season. Here’s our analysis from the game on Sunday.
- Todd Gurley: 208 yards rushing, 2 TDs, 17 yards receiving
- Robert Woods: 109 yards on 7 catches, 12 yards rushing
Stat of the game
- Rams were 8-for-17 on third down
Game notes:
- The run defense was much improved. The Broncos rushed for just 60 yards, having to abandon the run as they fell behind the Rams right from the start. The linebackers were far better than they were last week, too, as was the defensive line.
- Sean McVay wasn’t satisfied with running the clock down late in the game with the Rams holding a lead. He was aggressive by calling pass plays, opting not to ride Todd Gurley on key short-yardage situations. Ultimately, it didn’t hurt the Rams, but even he said “my fault” after Jared Goff’s interception.
- Cooper Kupp is remarkably tough. After leaving the game with what looked like a nasty leg injury, he returned in the second half. The Rams used him sparingly in the final 30 minutes, but the fact that he was even able to take the field again is impressive.
- Robert Woods was huge on offense, catching seven passes for 109 yards, adding another 12 on the ground. Brandin Cooks was a bit quieter with two catches for 53 yards, 44 of which came on one play.
- Troy Hill is not a starting-caliber cornerback for the Rams. He was beat for two big plays, including a would-be touchdown if not for an overturned call at the goal line.
- Cory Littleton was everywhere on Sunday, making five tackles, a pass deflection that led to an interception and a near-sack early in the game.
- The Rams were strong on third down, especially in the fourth quarter. They converted on 8 of 17 attempts, which was a big reason they were able to run the clock down. Gurley was obviously a huge part of that, ripping off big run after big run.
https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2018/10/14/nfl-rams-broncos-week-6-studs-duds-todd-gurley/
Studs and duds from Rams' 23-20 win over Broncos
By: Cameron DaSilva
Studs
Todd Gurley
There wasn’t a better player on the field Sunday than Gurley. With the Broncos ranking 30th against the run this season and having just allowed a 200-yard rusher, Sean McVay set his sights on the rush defense and took advantage. Gurley carried it 28 times for 208 yards with two touchdowns, adding another 17 yards receiving on two catches.
This was the “Gurley game” we’ve been waiting for as he went off with big run after big run. He was especially good late in the game, picking up key third-down conversions to help milk the clock. With 11 total touchdowns through six games, the MVP campaign is gaining steam.
Aaron Donald
Shocker. Gurley, followed by Donald on the list of studs. It may seem repetitive, but you can’t keep arguably the best defensive player in the NFL off this list each week. He was a monster against the Broncos, recording a sack for a 14-yard loss, two quarterback hits and a tackle for loss.
He finished with three total tackles, but he also drew a holding penalty and was consistently in the Broncos’ backfield. Even when he’s not stuffing the stat sheet, he’s having a big impact.
Cory Littleton
Littleton has turned into a really good player for the Rams. He may not be the biggest or the most physically imposing linebacker, in the league, but he fights through traffic and is able to slip blockers with his elusiveness in the middle of the field. He did just that on Sunday, while also making a few plays against the pass.
He broke up a seam pass in the second half, which was intercepted by John Johnson. On the Broncos’ final drive of the game, he provided great coverage on the running back and was able to get his hand in the running lane to cause the incompletion. Littleton had five tackles and two pass deflections on the day.
Duds
Troy Hill
Fans seem enamored by Hill’s play, partly because of his eye-popping PFF numbers in the Rams’ playoff loss last year, but he simply hasn’t been good this season. Hill struggled mightily on Sunday, giving up two big plays to both Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas, the first of which appeared to be a touchdown before further review.
He’s been filling in for Aqib Talib, but the Rams should consider giving Sam Shields more time on the outside in the meantime.
Andrew Whitworth
Whitworth was his usual self on the running and screen games, getting big blocks down the field, but he had some trouble in pass protection. Bradley Chubb had three sacks in this one, at least two of which you could pin on Whitworth.
He’s still one of the best left tackles in the league and it’s not as if this is the “beginning of the end,” it was just an off day for the All-Pro.
Jared Goff
Since his 465-yard game against the Vikings, Goff has gone a bit cold. He has just one touchdown and three interceptions in his last two starts, fumbling it twice in that span, as well. On Sunday, he had one interception that went off of the cornerback’s hand, into Josh Reynolds’ facemask and plopped into Darian Stewart’s waiting arms.
Goff was just 14-for-28 with 201 yards and an interception, posting a passer rating of 58.8 on the day. The stats weren’t pretty, and it wasn’t his best showing, but he simply wasn’t very sharp in the cold Denver air.