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These are excerpts. For all the Patriots/Brady slobbering and the rest, click the link below.
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https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...-saints-patriots-rams-chiefs-fmia-peter-king/
By Peter King
NFC Championship
Los Angeles Rams (14-3, 2nd seed) at New Orleans (14-3, 1st seed), Superdome, Sunday, 3:05 p.m. ET, FOX. The first time these teams met, 10 weeks ago in New Orleans, the Saints started the game by taking the Rams to the woodshed. By late in the first half, it was 35-14 Saints. The Rams came back to tie it at 35, and Drew Brees capped it with a 72-yard TD to Michael Thomas. Wild game.
For the encore, the Rams have two big changes. Cooper Kupp, who had 89 of Jared Goff’s 391 receiving yards in the first game, is gone for the year with a knee injury. And street free-agent pickup C.J. Anderson has become a force to be reckoned with behind a very good offensive line over the past month. It’s fair to wonder if Todd Gurley—at least for however long this season lasts—is in a real job-share with Anderson.
The Saints, meanwhile, are probably not the explosive offensive team the Rams saw in early November. A good part of that is an inconsistent offensive line. Left guard Andrus Peat was awful Sunday, and center Max Unger was shaky, and now, with shoo-in Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald and fellow tackle Ndamukong Suh on tape to disrupt the defensive middle for the Rams, it could be a long day for Brees avoiding traffic.
As usual, that means the impact of Alvin Kamara is paramount. As you’ve seen, Brees uses him as a physical receiver out of the backfield, and as a speed threat on short routes. Because Brees isn’t likely to have a lot of time to throw Sunday, the Kamara factor is vital.
But the Rams’ offense is a question mark too. After a high-impact first three months of the season, quarterback Jared Goff has struggled since Dec. 1. He played well and with fire Saturday night in beating Dallas, but he’s been a sub-60-percent passer in four of his last six starts. So Goff is a question, and the Saints offensive line is one too. They could cancel each other out.
Getty Images
I was really impressed with the Rams’ run defense against Dallas—but more impressed with the Saints overall. New Orleans held the Eagles scoreless in the last 49 minutes Sunday. Marshon Lattimore takes some chances he shouldn’t, but he usually is in the right place and plays with the kind of physicality that a game like this will require. Tough break for the Saints, who lost one of their top front-seven players, Sheldon Rankins, with a lower leg injury and is likely lost for the season. That hurts.
I think the winner of this game is the team that gets more production out of the quarterback. Normally, you’d say that would be Brees, and it well may be. But Goff played some great football in October and November, and if that guy shows up in New Orleans on Sunday afternoon, the Rams have a heck of a chance to make the Super Bowl.
The Award Section
Offensive Players of the Week
C.J. Anderson, running back, Los Angeles Rams. “Your dreams don’t die till you give up on them,” Anderson said after his third eye-opening performance (out of three games) as a Ram. Cut by the Broncos in April, cut by the Panthers in November, cut by the Raiders in December, Anderson has the last laugh: He’ll be playing in the NFC Championship Game. Fairly amazing. In nine months, three teams that went 6-10, 7-9 and 4-12, respectively, fired Anderson, and he was on the street till the Rams signed him as Todd Gurley insurance 27 days ago.
Now Anderson is one of the redemptive stories of the NFL. Subbing for an injured Todd Gurley in the last two games of the season, Anderson had 167 and 132 yards, and then, in his first playoff game with his new team, rushed 23 times for 123 yards. Three games, three 120-yard-plus performances, 422 rushing yards in all, 6.4 yards per carry. “I guess it was a good thing I got hurt,” Gurley said.
Coach of the Week
Aaron Kromer, run game coordinator, Los Angeles Rams. After the Cowboys stuffed Seattle’s league-best rushing offense (24 rushes, 73 yards) in the wild-card win last week, it was logical to expect the Rams to struggle running the ball. And with the occasional struggles of Jared Goff over the last month or so, L.A. would need to run to win. Kromer trusted his veteran line, knowing that he could call power runs over the left side of the line with vets Andrew Whitworth and Rodger Saffold.
You could see how much coach Sean McVay trusted the game-planning of Kromer, because he kept going to the well with both Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson, often to the left side. McVay trusted the line on the biggest call of the night, fourth-and-goal midway through the fourth quarter, when he eschewed a field goal that would have put the Rams up two scores in favor of a try for the end zone. Excellent plan by Kromer, excellent execution by the line.
“Actually, McVay’s barista at Starbucks has had three head-coaching interviews.”
—Joe Buck, on FOX’s Rams-Cowboys game Saturday night, on how those with connections to Rams coach Sean McVay are such attractive head-coaching prospects.
How amazing is this: The Ram running back job might be turning into a job share, just 27 days after C.J. Anderson was signed as injury insurance for Todd Gurley. Gurley played 45 snaps Saturday night, Anderson 34. Gurley: 18 touches. Anderson: 23.
Might not have been a better stop by seven Rams on Ezekiel Elliott, fourth-and-one, Rams’ 35-yard-line, Rams holding on to a 23-15 lead. Elliott got swarmed. Play of the day for the L.A. defense.
I think I didn’t like the bold call by Sean McVay, even though it ultimately worked. The situation: Rams up 23-15, fourth-and-goal at the Dallas 1-yard line, 7:20 left in the game. No matter what the Rams do here, odds were better than 50-50 that the Cowboys would have one possession the rest of the game. I say that because of the very small chance of recovering an onside kick. If Dallas got the ball after this possession and scored, the Cowboys would either kick it deep, giving the potent Rams the ball in the final couple of minutes, or try an onside kick.
My point: If McVay kicks the field goal to go up 11, Dallas has to score a touchdown and one more score to have a chance to win. If the Rams go for it (previous three Ram runs: 0, 5, 0 yards) and get stopped, the Cowboys are 99 yards away from tying the game or going ahead, and with all three timeouts left. McVay said afterward, “We wanted to come out and play fearless tonight.” Then why not go for it on every fourth down?
I get the mentality part of it. But the Rams would have had, I’d wager, a 98-percent chance to win the game if they went up 11 with 7:15 left. Struggling to understand why the run was right call there, though it worked.
View: https://twitter.com/rjochoa/status/1084296439738650625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1084296439738650625&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fprofootballtalk.nbcsports.com%2F2019%2F01%2F14%2Fnfl-divisional-playoffs-saints-patriots-rams-chiefs-fmia-peter-king%2F
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https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...-saints-patriots-rams-chiefs-fmia-peter-king/
By Peter King
NFC Championship
Los Angeles Rams (14-3, 2nd seed) at New Orleans (14-3, 1st seed), Superdome, Sunday, 3:05 p.m. ET, FOX. The first time these teams met, 10 weeks ago in New Orleans, the Saints started the game by taking the Rams to the woodshed. By late in the first half, it was 35-14 Saints. The Rams came back to tie it at 35, and Drew Brees capped it with a 72-yard TD to Michael Thomas. Wild game.
For the encore, the Rams have two big changes. Cooper Kupp, who had 89 of Jared Goff’s 391 receiving yards in the first game, is gone for the year with a knee injury. And street free-agent pickup C.J. Anderson has become a force to be reckoned with behind a very good offensive line over the past month. It’s fair to wonder if Todd Gurley—at least for however long this season lasts—is in a real job-share with Anderson.
The Saints, meanwhile, are probably not the explosive offensive team the Rams saw in early November. A good part of that is an inconsistent offensive line. Left guard Andrus Peat was awful Sunday, and center Max Unger was shaky, and now, with shoo-in Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald and fellow tackle Ndamukong Suh on tape to disrupt the defensive middle for the Rams, it could be a long day for Brees avoiding traffic.
As usual, that means the impact of Alvin Kamara is paramount. As you’ve seen, Brees uses him as a physical receiver out of the backfield, and as a speed threat on short routes. Because Brees isn’t likely to have a lot of time to throw Sunday, the Kamara factor is vital.
But the Rams’ offense is a question mark too. After a high-impact first three months of the season, quarterback Jared Goff has struggled since Dec. 1. He played well and with fire Saturday night in beating Dallas, but he’s been a sub-60-percent passer in four of his last six starts. So Goff is a question, and the Saints offensive line is one too. They could cancel each other out.
Getty Images
I was really impressed with the Rams’ run defense against Dallas—but more impressed with the Saints overall. New Orleans held the Eagles scoreless in the last 49 minutes Sunday. Marshon Lattimore takes some chances he shouldn’t, but he usually is in the right place and plays with the kind of physicality that a game like this will require. Tough break for the Saints, who lost one of their top front-seven players, Sheldon Rankins, with a lower leg injury and is likely lost for the season. That hurts.
I think the winner of this game is the team that gets more production out of the quarterback. Normally, you’d say that would be Brees, and it well may be. But Goff played some great football in October and November, and if that guy shows up in New Orleans on Sunday afternoon, the Rams have a heck of a chance to make the Super Bowl.
The Award Section
Offensive Players of the Week
C.J. Anderson, running back, Los Angeles Rams. “Your dreams don’t die till you give up on them,” Anderson said after his third eye-opening performance (out of three games) as a Ram. Cut by the Broncos in April, cut by the Panthers in November, cut by the Raiders in December, Anderson has the last laugh: He’ll be playing in the NFC Championship Game. Fairly amazing. In nine months, three teams that went 6-10, 7-9 and 4-12, respectively, fired Anderson, and he was on the street till the Rams signed him as Todd Gurley insurance 27 days ago.
Now Anderson is one of the redemptive stories of the NFL. Subbing for an injured Todd Gurley in the last two games of the season, Anderson had 167 and 132 yards, and then, in his first playoff game with his new team, rushed 23 times for 123 yards. Three games, three 120-yard-plus performances, 422 rushing yards in all, 6.4 yards per carry. “I guess it was a good thing I got hurt,” Gurley said.
Coach of the Week
Aaron Kromer, run game coordinator, Los Angeles Rams. After the Cowboys stuffed Seattle’s league-best rushing offense (24 rushes, 73 yards) in the wild-card win last week, it was logical to expect the Rams to struggle running the ball. And with the occasional struggles of Jared Goff over the last month or so, L.A. would need to run to win. Kromer trusted his veteran line, knowing that he could call power runs over the left side of the line with vets Andrew Whitworth and Rodger Saffold.
You could see how much coach Sean McVay trusted the game-planning of Kromer, because he kept going to the well with both Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson, often to the left side. McVay trusted the line on the biggest call of the night, fourth-and-goal midway through the fourth quarter, when he eschewed a field goal that would have put the Rams up two scores in favor of a try for the end zone. Excellent plan by Kromer, excellent execution by the line.
“Actually, McVay’s barista at Starbucks has had three head-coaching interviews.”
—Joe Buck, on FOX’s Rams-Cowboys game Saturday night, on how those with connections to Rams coach Sean McVay are such attractive head-coaching prospects.
How amazing is this: The Ram running back job might be turning into a job share, just 27 days after C.J. Anderson was signed as injury insurance for Todd Gurley. Gurley played 45 snaps Saturday night, Anderson 34. Gurley: 18 touches. Anderson: 23.
Might not have been a better stop by seven Rams on Ezekiel Elliott, fourth-and-one, Rams’ 35-yard-line, Rams holding on to a 23-15 lead. Elliott got swarmed. Play of the day for the L.A. defense.
I think I didn’t like the bold call by Sean McVay, even though it ultimately worked. The situation: Rams up 23-15, fourth-and-goal at the Dallas 1-yard line, 7:20 left in the game. No matter what the Rams do here, odds were better than 50-50 that the Cowboys would have one possession the rest of the game. I say that because of the very small chance of recovering an onside kick. If Dallas got the ball after this possession and scored, the Cowboys would either kick it deep, giving the potent Rams the ball in the final couple of minutes, or try an onside kick.
My point: If McVay kicks the field goal to go up 11, Dallas has to score a touchdown and one more score to have a chance to win. If the Rams go for it (previous three Ram runs: 0, 5, 0 yards) and get stopped, the Cowboys are 99 yards away from tying the game or going ahead, and with all three timeouts left. McVay said afterward, “We wanted to come out and play fearless tonight.” Then why not go for it on every fourth down?
I get the mentality part of it. But the Rams would have had, I’d wager, a 98-percent chance to win the game if they went up 11 with 7:15 left. Struggling to understand why the run was right call there, though it worked.
View: https://twitter.com/rjochoa/status/1084296439738650625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1084296439738650625&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fprofootballtalk.nbcsports.com%2F2019%2F01%2F14%2Fnfl-divisional-playoffs-saints-patriots-rams-chiefs-fmia-peter-king%2F
