Game Previews: Rams vs. Ravens

[RamBill]

Early preview: Rams vs. Ravens

• By Joe Lyons

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_393f5ecb-1c5f-56ce-8825-09a97a99d039.html

COMING THIS WEEK

Following a humbling 37-13 loss to the visiting Chicago Bears and a decision to start Case Keenum in place of Nick Foles at quarterback, the Rams (4-5) don’t figure to get any sympathy from their next opponent. The Baltimore Ravens (2-7) have been as snake-bit as anybody in the NFL, losing seven games by a total of 32 points this season. On Sunday, the Ravens lost 22-20 to visiting Jacksonville when the Jags’ Jason Myers booted a 53-yarder after time expired.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Quarterback Joe Flacco. The team’s first-round draft pick out of Delaware in 2008, Flacco has been a starter since entering the NFL, completing nearly 61 percent of his passes for better than 28,000 yards with 161 touchdowns and 100 interceptions. But it’s his play in the postseason that sets him apart; the 6-foot-6, 245-pounder was the Super Bowl MVP as the Ravens beat the 49ers 34-31 in 2013 when he threw for 287 yards and three TDs. Flacco is the only QB to start and win a playoff game in each of his first five seasons and is tied with Joe Montana and Kurt Warner for most touchdown passes in a postseason (11).

This season, the eighth-year pro is completing nearly 65 percent of his passes for 2,492 yards with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

HE SAID IT

“There are no words. We just need to learn how to win.’’ That’s what veteran Ravens coach John Harbaugh said in the locker room after his team found another unique way to lose a football game Sunday. Harbaugh continued, “It was about as tough a loss as you’re ever going to see, (that) you’re ever going to have to deal with.’’

On the final play of regulation, getting off the snap with a split-second to spare, Jacksonville quarterback stumbled and was sacked. But the Jaguars got a second chance when Elvis Dumervil picked up a face-mask penalty. As it turned out, the Jags were not set for the start of that play and the penalty would’ve ended the game.

INJURIES

The Rams’ young offensive line suffered a pair of season-ending injuries on a late-game interception return Sunday as third-round draft pick Jamon Brown went down with a lower-leg fracture — he’ll have surgery this week — and tackle Darrell Williams, an undrafted rookie free agent, dislocated a wrist. He already had surgery. Starting defensive end Chris Long (knee) missed his fourth consecutive game while his counterpart, two-time Pro Bowl selection Robert Quinn (knee), was limited to just 14 snaps Sunday against the Bears.

Injuries have been a problem all season for the Ravens, who have 13 players on injured reserve. On that list are WR Steve Smith Sr., LB Terrell Suggs and S Matt Elam. In addition, WR Breshad Perriman, the team’s first-round draft pick last spring, has yet to play this season because of a knee injury.

SERIES HISTORY

The Rams and Ravens have only met five times, with Baltimore coming away with three wins. The Ravens enter with a two-game win streak against the Rams, having won 22-3 in Baltimore in 2007 and 37-7 in 2011. In that September 2011 contest, the Ravens torched the Rams for three first-quarter TD passes from Flacco to rookie Torrey Smith covering 74, 41 and 18 yards and led 30-0 early in the second half. They were the first three career catches for Smith, now with the 49ers.

Flacco completed 27 of 48 passes for 389 yards and three scores while the Ravens’ defense sacked Sam Bradford five times.

 

[RamBill]

NFL analysts Pete Prisco, Pat Kirwan and Brady Quinn break down the keys for the St. Louis Rams and Baltimore Ravens ahead of Sunday’s Week 11 showdown in Baltimore. All 3 pick the Rams to win.

Watch Rams at Ravens Preview

 

[DaveFan'51]

So the Ravens haven't meet a Fisher Led Rams Team!!
With Williams a DC they are in for a Treat!!

 

[RamBill]

Known for defense, Baltimore has struggled in close games this season
• By Joe Lyons

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_e42462aa-fa0b-5222-8331-c114b2424d82.html

Baltimore Ravens’ football has been built around intimidating, dominant defense.

That hard-nosed style was established just a few years after the Browns announced a move from Cleveland to Baltimore for the 1996 season.

In the new franchise’s initial draft, it picked up its cornerstones, selecting Hall of Fame tackle Jonathan Ogden fourth overall and future Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis at No. 26.

In 1999, the Baltimore defense, led by Lewis, Jamie Sharper, Rod Woodson, Michael McCrary and Peter Boulware, began to flex its muscle, finishing second in the NFL in both total yards and rushing yards allowed.

The next year, after a 5-4 start, the Ravens went on an 11-game win streak capped by a 34-7 rout of the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV.

The 2000 Ravens’ defense is viewed as one of the best ever. Baltimore set NFL records for rushing yards (970) and points (165) allowed in a 16-game season. The Ravens also forced and recovered 26 fumbles, twice as many as anybody else in the league, and picked off 23 passes.

In four playoff games, the Ravens allowed just 23 points.

Ray Lewis was voted Defensive Player of the Year and was named to the Pro Bowl along with defensive teammates Woodson and defensive tackle Sam Adams.

“That defense, those guys, they’re legendary,” Rams middle linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “They set a standard. I’ve always been a huge fan of Ray Lewis and all those guys. And of (safety) Ed Reed later on. I just have a huge appreciation for the brand of football those guys played.”

And Baltimore maintained that level of excellence over time. From 1999 through 2011, the Ravens were ranked in the top five in at least one major defensive category — total defense, rush defense or pass defense — in all but two seasons. Baltimore led the league in total defense in 2006, was second in 2008 and third in 2011.

At the end of the 2012 season, with John Harbaugh as head coach, the Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 to win Super Bowl XLVII. The championship capped Lewis’ 17th and final season.

“Seems like they had the draft of their lifetime that first year, built upon it and sustained it for a long time,” Laurinaitis said. “To do what they’ve done, with completely different players, different coaches, different coordinators, and to somehow maintain their identity and high level of play from year to year, it’s super impressive. And being in this league, you realize just how hard that is to keep something like that going.”

Rams receiver Wes Welker, who faced the Ravens numerous times while playing for AFC rivals Miami, New England and Denver, said Baltimore’s defense always seemed to be a step ahead of the competition.

“First of all, they had a lot of good defensive players,” said Welker, 34 and in his 12th NFL season. “With guys like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, you can run just about any defense and be successful. But they had really good coaches and they brought in smart players who fit their system. They were doing things that other teams weren’t prepared for and by the time the opponents adjusted, they had made their adjustments, too.”

The Ravens, who host the Rams in a noon Sunday game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, have fallen off a bit defensively in recent seasons — they’re currently ranked 10th against the run, 26th against the pass and 20th in total yards allowed — but they’ve been competitive.

Baltimore enters Sunday’s action with a somewhat misleading 2-7 record. The seven losses have come by a total of 32 points. Both wins, at Pittsburgh and at home over San Diego, were by three points.

Harbaugh, who has led the Ravens to the playoffs in six of his seven seasons, knows his defense can be better.

“Statistically, we’re not very good (but) most of it’s because of big plays,” he said of his defense. “We didn’t have big-play issues last week, we had some penalties. If we can eliminate those kind of things, I think we’re capable of being a top-notch defense.”

The 2015 Ravens’ defense is keyed by veterans Daryl Smith (81 tackles), Elvis Dumervil (29 tackles, 4½ sacks), Jimmy Smith (40 tackles, two interceptions) and youngsters C.J. Mosley and Brandon Williams, who starred at Rockwood Summit High.

A second-year linebacker from Alabama, Mosley (55 tackles, 3 sacks) grew up a Ravens’ fan.

“Especially Ray Lewis,” said Mosley, who finished as runner-up to Rams’ defensive tackle Aaron Donald in the rookie of the year voting a year ago. “People have tried to compare me to him, said I was filling his role. ... He led the team on the field. His defense trusted him. The team trusted him. When plays had to be made, he made them or put players in the right position to make them. For any linebacker, those of the kind of standards you want to hold, that you want to bring to the table.

“But (Lewis) has his own face here with this organization. ... I’m here to do my job as a linebacker, make calls and be a leader by example for this team.”

Williams, a nose tackle from Missouri Southern selected by Baltimore in the third round of the 2013 draft, is in his second season as a starter He has 32 tackles, two sacks, two passes defended and a forced fumble.

“He’s one of our best players,” Harbaugh said. “He’s a dominant nose guard. ... Really great personality, fun guy to be around. Hard worker.”

With Mosley and Williams as a foundation, the Ravens hope to re-establish the franchise’s defensive reputation.

“That’s the goal — to win games, win Super Bowls, win our division, win our conference,” Mosley said.“That’s why we’re here. That’s why they drafted us. It’s always great to look back on tradition because it reminds you where you came from,” Mosley said. “There always has to be a next generation that comes up and makes the program that much better and that much more elite. That’s why we’re here and what we want to do.”

 

[RamBill]

Dani Klupenger sits down with Head Coach Jeff Fisher to discuss this week’s upcoming matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.

Watch Fisher Up Front

 

[Prime Time]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...imore-ravens-whats-the-game-plan-for-st-louis

St. Louis Rams vs. Baltimore Ravens: What's the Game Plan for St. Louis?
By Steven Gerwel, Featured Columnist Nov 21, 2015

St. Louis Rams (4-5) will travel east to take on the struggling Baltimore Ravens (2-7). It’s a chance for redemption following two consecutive St. Louis losses.

The Rams lost a heartbreaker on the road in Minnesota two weeks ago. St. Louis owned a winning 4-3 record at the time, so the common belief was that a victory over the playoff-caliber Vikingswould be a statement game of sorts. Instead, the Rams ended up disappointing the fans with a 21-18 overtime loss.

Things got even worse following the Vikings game.

Last week, St. Louis hosted an underwhelming Chicago Bears team. Not only did the Rams fail to defeat a beatable opponent on their turf, but they didn’t even show up. It was a 37-13 blowout loss and easily St. Louis’ most humiliating display of the season.

So, while the Rams are certainly the better football team in this upcoming game, the win is far from guaranteed. St. Louis is imploding, so even the two-win Ravens will pose a monumental challenge.

St. Louis will need an excellent game plan to pull this one off. Here’s what to look for.

Tom Gannam/Associated Press

Offensive Game Plan

It's unclear how St. Louis will utilize Case Keenum in his Rams debut, but it's safe to say the team won't put too much on his shoulders in his initial outing.

The Rams are averaging just 178.7 passing yards per game—ranked last in the NFL—so there's nowhere to go but up. Baltimore has a pitiful pass defense that ranks 26th in the league (271 yards per game), so this is a golden opportunity for Keenum and the entire St. Louis passing game to build some confidence.

Keenum has been prone to interceptions in his career—with eight picks in as many starts—so the Rams will keep the passing game light to start the game. Expect some short passes to build Keenum's comfort level, then, as the game progresses, we may see more shots downfield.

St. Louis will certainly attempt to capitalize on Baltimore's weak pass defense, but make no mistake—the offense's only hope for success is to ride on the shoulders of Todd Gurley.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that right tackle Rob Havenstein is doubtful, which means rookies Cody Wichmann and Andrew Donnal are set to start. Wichmann and Donnal are both inexperienced, but they excelled at run blocking in college, which should help St. Louis maintain its run-first approach.

Despite the state of the offensive line, the Rams must give Gurley the football. Limiting him to 12 carries last week against Chicago was inexcusable.

In addition to Gurley, the Rams need to involve their other key playmaker—Tavon Austin.

Austin was limited to just five offensive touches last week, which is far too low. We saw plenty of fakes to Austin in that loss but few instances where he actually got the football. The Rams need to find a way to get him in open space to make big plays.

If Gurley and Austin are set up to succeed, the offense will do its part.

Defensive Game Plan

The defense shouldn't be too overwhelmed this week. The so-so Baltimore offense will give the Rams a chance to bounce back after last week's performance.

Justin Forsett has been decent at moving the ball for Baltimore and is on pace for 1,000 rushing yards this season. Even so, the Ravens rank just 23rd in rushing with 98.1 yards per game. The backs pose almost no threat for breaking free and finding the end zone. In fact, Joe Flacco leads the team with three rushing touchdowns.

Stopping the run should not be a major issue. St. Louis' main concern should be containing Baltimore's ninth-ranked passing offense.

The Ravens have put the offense on Flacco's shoulders. He's responsible for 16 of the team's 20 offensive touchdowns this year, and 13 of those have come through the air.

With Steve Smith Sr. no longer in the picture, that's a huge break for St. Louis. Even so, Baltimore tight end Crockett Gillmore leads the team with four receiving touchdowns and will certainly be a handful. The secondary must tighten up against him in the red zone.

Of course, the best way to disrupt the passing game is by harassing Flacco in the pocket with an unstoppable pass rush. If the Rams can keep Flacco on the run all afternoon, he'll have trouble staying in sync with his pass-catchers.

That sums up what the Rams must do defensively in this game. Stop Forsett, don't let Gillmore win in the red zone and keep Flacco on his toes. If that happens, St. Louis will be in great shape.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Key Matchups

Janoris Jenkins vs. Chris Givens

As mentioned in this week’s game preview, Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins will partially be responsible for covering Gillmore. That’s a tough assignment alone, but Jenkins will also be covering his former teammate this Sunday—wide receiver Chris Givens.

Jenkins was asked about the upcoming matchup, but he made no sentimental statements, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

“Between the white lines, it’s business,” Jenkins said. “I’ve got no words for him but ‘Clamps.’ That’s all.”

The word “clamps” refers to clamping down, or shutting down, the receiver. Jenkins clearly has no intention of allowing Givens to get downfield.

Givens is a known deep-ball threat. He has 10 catches for 143 yards in four games with Baltimore and is now starting for the Ravens. The Rams know better than anyone that Givens can kill a defense with one big play, so Jenkins will have his hands full.

Robert Quinn vs. Eugene Monroe

It was mentioned in the previous game preview that the faceoff between Aaron Donald and Marshal Yanda will be fun to watch. While that's true, the battle between Rams defensive end Robert Quinn and Baltimore left tackle Eugene Monroe will be intriguing as well.

Monroe is not quite playing at a Pro Bowl level, but he's been a solid presence on the Baltimore line. He ranks as the 16th-best tackle on Pro Football Focus, with an overall grade of 4.7. Considering his No. 16 ranking is among 74 NFL tackles, that's quite impressive.

Quinn, on the other hand, is also excelling. He's Pro Football Focus'sixth-best 4-3 end with a grade of 13.9.

After making the Pro Bowl the last two seasons, Quinn is piecing together another promising year. He has five sacks in eight games and should finish in double digits for the fourth straight year.

Monroe won't roll over against Quinn, so this will be an intense battle. If Quinn can gain the edge, it'll be a huge boost for St. Louis.

 

[DaveFan'51]

" Thunder and Lightning" Will both be on the Field this week, so Look out!!

 

[RedRam]

ESPN is reporting that Quinn is out for tomorrow's game?!

The Rams downgraded DE Robert Quinn to out for Sunday's game against Baltimore. Quinn ha… http://es.pn/1XgXu3k -via ESPN http://es.pn/app

 

[Prime Time]

ESPN is reporting that Quinn is out for tomorrow's game?!

The Rams downgraded DE Robert Quinn to out for Sunday's game against Baltimore. Quinn ha… http://es.pn/1XgXu3k -via ESPN http://es.pn/app

Yup. Between the injuries to Long and Quinn, our pass rush has been severely depleted over the last few weeks and it shows.

 

[RedRam]

Yup. Between the injuries to Long and Quinn, our pass rush has been severely depleted over the last few weeks and it shows.

Sims and Hayes have to step it up Sunday. Donald will likely be doubled all the time. Brockers and AD will have to mix things up inside a bit and hopefully Longacre can contribute some quality snaps. I'm actually more concerned with coverage by the LB crew. The Raven TEs and RBs are going to be a big problem for us.

It sure would be nice if the Rams offense could make life a little easier for the defense for a change!
:headexplosion:

 

[ohiorams]

I still want a Welker jersey!

 

[RamBill]

Rams leaning on patchwork offensive line against Ravens
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...ng-on-patchwork-offensive-line-against-ravens

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- The St. Louis Rams and Baltimore Ravens kick off Sunday at 1 p.m. ET from M&T Bank Stadium. The Rams have not won a game in Baltimore since beating the Colts in 1969. Here are three things to watch in this matchup:

1. Making a Case: Since 2001, new Rams starting quarterback Case Keenum is one of just six quarterbacks to lose his first eight career starts. But he's the only one to win consecutive starts after losing those initial eight. All of Keenum's starting experience came when he was with the Houston Texans, the first eight coming in his first stint with the team and the latter two in his second. Included in Keenum's two wins from 2014 was a victory against the Ravens.

The good news is that Keenum should have familiarity with Baltimore's defense since he just started against them in Week 16 of last year. The bad news is that while Houston won that game, Keenum didn't have much to do with the victory. He was 20-of-42 for 185 yards with no touchdowns and an interception in that game.

The Rams turned to Keenum because they believe he can give them a much-needed offensive spark. Don't be surprised to see the Rams using Keenum in different ways than they did Nick Foles, getting him outside the pocket and allowing him opportunities to make plays with his legs.

2. Keeping it close: Every game the Ravens have played this year has been decided by eight points or fewer. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, no team in NFL history has ever started a season with 10 consecutive games decided by eight points or fewer. But this game could certainly be next in line. The Rams have had their share of close calls this year, including an overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings two weeks ago.

In that context, there are a few players to watch and one statistic that could alter the outcome of the game. Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco has struggled in the final quarter this year, posting a 27.9 Total QBR in the fourth quarter and overtime.

This game could also come down to the kickers. The Rams' Greg Zuerlein had a big day against the Vikings but missed a 48-yard field goal late that might have nudged the Rams to victory in that game. He's also had his share of struggles this year.

Baltimore's Justin Tucker isn't having his best year but he's been money late in games, converting 91 percent of his fourth quarter and overtime attempts since 2013.

As always with the Rams, penalties are worth watching, too. The Rams are 28th in penalties this year with 75 but the Ravens haven't been much better, ranked 22nd with 68.

3. What's my line? One way or another, the Rams are going to lean on a patched together offensive line this week. They lost guard Jamon Brown (fractured leg) for the rest of the season and right tackle Rob Havenstein is battling a calf issue. The Rams will likely have to plug in fourth-round pick Andrew Donnal and sixth-round choice Cody Wichmann at two spots on the line. How that looks remains to be seen though the Rams seem to prefer having veteran Garrett Reynolds next to tackle Greg Robinson on the left side.

If there's good news to be found here, it's that the Rams are facing perhaps the worst Ravens defense since the team moved to Baltimore in 1996. The Ravens have their worst points per game allowed and third-down conversions allowed since that inaugural season and their worst total yards per game and passing yards per game allowed numbers in franchise history.

There should be some opportunities to make some plays for the Rams but they're going to need a young, inexperienced line to provide them and that's far from a sure thing.