Unsung Heroes of the Super Bowl

[IBruce80]

Jones and Robinson.
Robinson, like Gaines, gets overshadowed by AD, Miller, and Floyd, but he has been solid.

 

[Allen2McVay]

A'shawn hit his potential. And has been an absolute force. I look for him to stay around a few more years.

I think Robinson is one of the more interesting off-season decisions, because I thought he was terrific.

Carries a $9.5M cap hit for 2022 which is about the 10th-highest on the Team. About $4M of dead-$ if the Rams move-on. It would be some savings ($5M-plus) but it also creates a hole unless the Rams believe Bobby Brown or another young-DL can step-up.

At 26, Robinson could be in-line for an extension that will pay him more in 2022 but with a pro-rated-bonus could reduce his cap-hit. Gaines and Robinson anchoring the DL-run-defense, with the young players (B. Brown, Copeland, Hoecht, J. Williams and E. Brown) competing for back-up-roles would be ideal in my opinion.

Either-way, I think Sebastian Joseph-Day will leave via free agency.

Joseph-Day is an interesting guy too. Never played, and hardly dressed as a rookie in 2018 but was on the 53-man-roster. Replaced Suh as a starter in the disappointing 2019 season, and was very average in my opinion. Improved significantly and was a very good early-down-player in 2020 when the Rams had a top-defense. Also played well this year before being injured at mid-season.

Thought Gaines was even better when he replaced Joseph-Day; and he's a free agent in 2023.

 

[MachS]

1) A'Shawn was an immovable object inside

2) Ernest Jones flying around being disruptive everywhere (bye Reeder)

3) Brycen Hopkins making plays when Van and Skrow couldn't

4) Weddle fighting through a torn pec and toughing it out

 

[Flatlyner]

Yes, he's a rookie but Skow can't seem to get out of his own way. I'm not sure he should be getting any meaningful game time if everyone is healthy. I really expected Van to step up, because he does have ability, but he really didn't when the lights were the brightest. SO very much hoping Tutu can provide anything meaningful in the offense next year. I seriously doubt he will however. He is just too damn small. He gets tossed around like a child when he has the ball. That is a recipe for turnovers and injuries (hence on IR with almost zero action). Still so utterly puzzled by that pick, since our staff has made such nice picks recently.

 

[den-the-coach]

I'd look to move on from Hekker for cheaper alternatives. We need every cap dollar possible, and it is better to move off a player 1 year early than late in the NFL. I think the Rams know this, and were contemplating going in a different direction last year, but got cold feet at the last moment, shipping the other guy (his name escapes me) to Green Bay.

I might agree if as @Riverumbbq suggested the Rams draft Punter Michael Turk out of Oklahoma in the 7th round.

 

[TK42-RAM]

1) A'Shawn was an immovable object inside

2) Ernest Jones flying around being disruptive everywhere (bye Reeder)

3) Brycen Hopkins making plays when Van and Skrow couldn't

4) Weddle fighting through a torn pec and toughing it out

Agreed.

Courageous performance by Weddle and Hopkins stood up big time.

 

[kurtfaulk]

.

man jefferson is getting a beating here. not sure why.

the ball was underthrown on that interception. he was running to the back of the endzone where he thought the ball would be. he turns around and sees it's 5 yards too short. stafford has been short on many of these throws this season. remember his last throw against the whiners in week 18. didn't hear anyone saying obj doesn't fight for the ball after that play.

on an incompletion his hand is being held and he can't haul it in with one hand. you'd like to see him make that play but you'd also like to see a flag come out for dpi.

he was all alone in the endzone and stafford sails the ball 5 yards over his head. is that his fault?

.

 

[MachS]

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man jefferson is getting a beating here. not sure why.

the ball was underthrown on that interception. he was running to the back of the endzone where he thought the ball would be. he turns around and sees it's 5 yards too short. stafford has been short on many of these throws this season. remember his last throw against the whiners in week 18. didn't hear anyone saying obj doesn't fight for the ball after that play.

on an incompletion his hand is being held and he can't haul it in with one hand. you'd like to see him make that play but you'd also like to see a flag come out for dpi.

he was all alone in the endzone and stafford sails the ball 5 yards over his head. is that his fault?

.

Two things about Van stood out to me-

1) He has to fight for 50/50 balls more. Its been a common theme this year and he never wins those balls. The INT was slightly under thrown but he never adjusted, never slowed down, never changed his body position, didnt even jump to try and catch it let alone try to knock it down. Those are basic deep ball tracking skills. The second pass you referred to was an absolute dime by Stafford that he didn't catch. He needs to win that handfight. Use a subtle push off like all great WRs do to create separation and make the catch. Again, he just never comes down with those 50/50 balls and Stafford needs WRs that can.

2) Other thing that stood out to me was even more concerning. All 2nd half after OBJ went out CIN played almost exclusively press man coverage and doubled/tripled Kupp. They didn't respect Van or Skowronek and didn't think they could beat them. And they were right. Neither got open vs very average corners, neither made plays. It was Brycen Hopkins winning on his routes and Stafford deciding to force the ball to Kupp in double coverage on the last drive that lead to us winning. Why couldn't Van get open and make plays? Why couldn't he win his 1-on-1s when it mattered most? Maybe I'm being overly critical but it's concerning to me given he's a 2nd rounder.