Los Angeles Rams Week Six Takeaways
The Los Angeles Rams fell for the second time in a row to the Detroit Lions in week six and slip back to .500. Although brilliant play from quarterback Case Keenum kept them competitive, poor passing defense and a final gaffe from the red hot QB sent the Rams onto their London flight with a lot to build upon.
Slow Start
The Rams started the day still hurting from injuries to key players Robert Quinn, Trumaine Johnson, and before long Michael Brockers. This time around, they were able to build a solid run defense against a weak and also injured Detroit running back corps. They struggled a bit more with the pass rush, only recording one late sack and were outplayed repeatedly in the secondary.
Even though a missed push off from league-leading receiver Marvin Jones gave the Lions their first points, the Rams defensive backs were struggling all game long. Blown coverages and missed tackles marred the first half of football and the second half did not fare much better. Without Trumaine Johnson, the secondary showed it was simply not the same, similar to how the defensive line missed their stars last week.
The first half was marked by a handful of tone-setting plays that all went in Detroit’s favor. Coach Jim Caldwell elected to eschew his punter and try to convert on two fourth downs in the half and the Rams were unable to stop him both times. This trend would continue on third downs all game, with the Rams defense unable to prevent conversions either on the ground or in the air. Then when Los Angeles decided to try to score on a fourth and one for the last play of the half, running back Todd Gurley was stuffed behind the line.
Whether one calls into question the play call, an inside run against a team that would expect nothing else, the fact was that the Rams could not cash in and left at least three points on the field, the same difference by which they lost.
Offensive Weapons Engaging
On the plus side, the Rams’ offensive weapons were on full display in week six’s match-up including powerhouse receiver Kenny Britt and motivated quarterback Case Keenum.
Britt earned 136 yards and 2 touchdowns, which included a phenomenal 47-yard juggling reception that changed the entire game’s momentum. Britt has been a solid receiver to start the year, but this was his biggest game by far. The Rams have a lot to look forward to in the vicious wide out who only looks like he is getting hotter and hotter every week.
Todd Gurley also had some great runs, slowly but surely emerging from his dormant start. He had a strong 58 yards and averaged 4.14 per carry with a long of 15. Gurley was making great reads and accelerating past the line of scrimmage at a level not seen all year. His offensive line and outside receivers were all engaging blockers with tenacity and success. Though the passing game was the highlight of the match-up, the running game looks ready to explode imminently.
Finally, the Rams were excellent in converting first downs. They started brilliantly with long passes and great runs, keeping their defense off the field and maintaining pressure on Detroit to answer their scores. Keenum found pockets and once again showed how well he knows his receivers. Unfortunately, Keenum’s outing went very sour on their last drive and his game-ending interception will no doubt take a lot away from his dazzling afternoon and spur on more mumblings for number one pick Jared Goff to start.
Keenum Conundrum
Case Keenum once again gave Rams fans a tough call to make. Obviously, Los Angeles wants their high profile draft pick to start at quarterback. He is young, new, and represents the rebirth that the city is embracing with the Rams’ return. However, up until recently, Keenum has done a great job of leading the team to wins.
Though not spectacular, he took the team to three wins against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and division rivals Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals. He had a costly pick six at home against the Buffalo Bills and then ended week six with an interception on what could have been a game-winning drive.
Keenum makes it hard to either support him or call for his benching because he played his best game of the year, and maybe his career, before this costly throw. Prior to the interception, he recorded 321 yards, and four touchdowns, including one he ran in himself. He completed 84.4% of his passes and managed to break the franchise record with 19 consecutive completions, besting Rams legend Jim Everett. Not only did he outsling Matthew Stafford, but he did it spreading the ball around to seven different receivers.
Any way one looks at it, Keenum had a fantastic game, possibly the best game he will ever play. However, as the cliché goes: only one stat counts, the number in the win column. Keenum has showed he can win and he has showed he can put up big numbers, but he has yet to show he can do both at the same time. He will not have long to display the two with Goff, and all of Los Angeles, waiting. Keenum must perform and win or else risk being benched and potentially ending his tenure as a starting NFL quarterback for good.
Conclusion
The Rams have lost two in a row after winning three in a row and see themselves back at an even record. Though the year is far from over, the Detroit match-up showed a lot of what the Rams do well and what they continue to do poorly. Next week’s trip to London against the New York Giants will be another big test for them. A win will calm some hot heads, but a loss could increase the trending power of hashtags like #FireFisher and #FreeGoff. Los Angeles has shown they have the talent and the ability to win games, but whether they can perform consistently and continue to use their strengths to mismatch opponents for four quarters remains the bigger issue.
