No one wanted to take this road again, but at least the Los Angeles Rams have been down it before. And by "before," of course we mean 12 months ago.
The days since the Monday Night Football loss to Miami have been frustrating. I get it. However, if we zoom out a little, it's possible to see how much more promising this Week 11 is compared to Week 11, 2023 at 3-6.
Defensively, this team is playing significantly better football than last.
Special teams is no comparison.
And let's refresh our memory on when the 2023 Rams locked in and found their true identity on offense. It wasn't until Week 12 at Arizona. They only had one 30-point performance prior to that trip.
The takeaway is: It's not too late. So long as they win on Sunday.
With a victory on Sunday in New England, the Rams could be winners of four out of five – that's great work for any NFL team against any schedule.
It's time for another second-half surge.
What Does The Fox(boro) Say?
They're far from perfect in New England. But on paper, the Patriots appear to be the perfect opponent for the Rams at this moment.
They'll provide enough resistance to test LA's progress in some critical areas.
Matthew Stafford was just sacked four times by the Dolphins. The Pats sacked Caleb Williams nine times, matching a franchise record and most in the NFL this season. Then again, the Patriots defense has a mere 31.3 pressure percentage in 2024 (sixth-lowest in the NFL). So, they're hardly the '84 Bears.
New England does not profile as a particularly good defensive team, in general, but they're decent at bowing up in the red zone. The Rams are 30th in red zone offense.
The Patriots offensive line is grading out poorly, and yet Drake Maye is starting to settle in and has enough athleticism to test your pass rush principles and discipline. Maye is the first rookie to have at least seven passing touchdowns and 200 rushing yards in his first starts, per NFL Research. He was sacked just once in Chicago last week (11 times in his previous four outings).
So there's opportunity to capitalize on strengths while shoring up deficiencies.
If Season Two of the 2024 Los Angeles Rams starts Sunday, I really like taking this trip for Episode One. Handle this the right way and they might come home ready to challenge the 8-2 Philadelphia Eagles, who have won six straight.
Blinking Red
The issues the Rams continue to run into when they land inside the 20-yard line are probably too complex to detail in one blurb. So, I'll pass you off to this week's Between the Horns for a more in-depth conversation about what's ailing this offense.
But first, a tease: I think the red zone woes are masking a bigger problem. What's a more urgent concern is that the Rams have been unable to score explosive touchdowns outside the 20-yard line. They only have two such plays all season. Their defense has just as many!
Marveling at Memory
Here's something that probably only I found interesting.
Matthew Stafford was asked this week if he could recall his only prior trip to New England. His answer, transcribed in full here, made me laugh. It starts with uncertainty and promptly snaps into surgical precision about coverage concepts from 10 years ago.
"Was it 2014? Yeah, we came in with I think the number one or top five rush defense in the league. I'm not sure they ran it once. That's kind of what New England used to do with [Former New England Head Coach Bill] Belichick, [Former Quarterback Tom] Brady and those guys. It was like these guys stopped the run and I think they threw it like 60 times, a bunch of empty, quick game stuff. They pressed [Former Lions Wide Receiver] Calvin [Johnson] with [Former Patriots Cornerback Brandon] Browner and played the safety over the top in man coverage. [They] put [Former Patriot Darrelle] Revis on [Former Lion] Golden [Tate]. [Former Lion] Riley Reiff got hurt in the first play of the game at left tackle with a foot injury. I don't know. It was a tough day. It wasn't pretty. They did a nice job. That's a pretty good set up to stop the 2014 Lions on offense, double Calvin and put Revis on Golden. We got hurt up front and we didn't run it great, so it was a tough day for sure. Other than that, I remember nothing."
Hilarious. Never take for granted what a next-level operator he is.
Good Company
Last season, Omar Speights teamed with Jayden Daniels, current front-runner for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
This season, he's running with Jared Verse, the front-runner for NFL Defensive ROY.
Coming off the best showing of his young career, Speights offered his perspective on them and more on this week's Rams Revealed.
In the words of Ricky Hollywood, that's a "boring normal interview."
If you can get Tutu Atwell to play Jenga however, that's the good stuff.
The fourth-year receiver mentioned his desire to work undercover in law enforcement, which I thought was appropriate for this moment in time. Atwell only has one touch in each game since the return of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. Given his afterburners, you might say that's "criminal."
For LA to unlock the full potential of this offense, their fastest player who now has a proven track record of making plays on the ball and creating more pass interference penalties than any Ram on the roster, can't be underutilized.
Watching the West
The Rams were the only NFC West team to lose last week, as they fell off the pace set by Arizona. The Cardinals now have six wins as they hit their bye. They also have games against the Patriots and Panthers, plus two against the Seahawks, still in front of them. They might not have to beat the Rams or Niners again to win the division, which would be tough to swallow.
The 49ers continue to add pieces, with Dre Greenlaw the latest starter closing in on a return to action. At 5-4, they've won two straight and will host Seattle in Week 11. It's worth withholding judgement on whether they're the team to beat until their road trips to Green Bay and Buffalo the next two weekends. Also recall that San Francisco plays a record number of opponents coming off byes in 2024, including the Seahawks this Sunday.
Paradoxically, the Rams better hope they didn't break the Seahawks. Because for a team that needs help, the rival from the Pacific Northwest is their new best friend. Between now and when they come to SoFi in Week 18, the Seahawks have this trip to San Francisco, both games against Arizona, and home games against the Packers and Vikings. Here's hoping D.K. Metcalf's health makes a big difference?
Always Be Closing
To close things out, here a few random notes that I found compelling going into the AFC North.
Last week, the point was made that Kurt Warner was the last Rams quarterback to beat the Miami Dolphins, back in 2001. This week, we'll call out that the Rams have not won a game in New England since Week 10, 2001 with a starting quarterback named… you guessed it, Warner.
As mentioned above, Stafford is aiming for his first win in Foxborough this time around. And he had a few thoughts on starting faster this week. "You have to execute at a higher level, [and] we know that," the Rams quarterback told the media. He and the offense have been shut out six times in nine first quarters this season. "We feel the sense of urgency to go out there and do that. That's where our mindset's at for this week."
Per ESPN, Monday was Stafford's fourth game without a passing touchdown this season, tied for his most in a season.
Kyren Williams (1,947) needs 53 rushing yards to reach 2,000 for his career.
Of 32 NFL teams, LA is the only one that does not have multiple players with a rushing score. Williams has all eight.
Great to read that Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore returned to practice this week. The 25-year-old signed an extension after a career year in 2023 only to be diagnosed with blood clots over the summer.
For most franchises, Week 11 would feel like a trap. Short week, long flight, early kickoff. However, the Rams are 12-5 on short weeks under Sean McVay.
And they've made a name for themselves as a west coast organization in the early window, going 15-8 under his leadership (plus a couple wins in London). It hasn't been as kind lately, however. The Rams have already lost in Chicago at 1 p.m. eastern. And last year, they were defeated in three such games.
So rise and shine, then hustle home. Because the Eagles are already resting, recovering, and game planning for Sunday Night Football at SoFi Stadium in Week 12.
