HOUSTON — All you really, truly need to know about Sunday’s Rams win at Houston is that by the time the fourth quarter started, Los Angeles had as many touchdowns (five) as the Texans had first downs (also five), and the latter team had less than 100 yards of total offense. Sure, Houston scored 22 garbage-time points in the fourth quarter against the Rams’ reserves (and successfully recovered an onside kick in order to set up one of those scoring drives, the second time in two weeks a team has been successful on that play against the Rams’ special teams unit). Overall, though, the Rams’ core offense and defense were dominant where they needed to be and will head back to Los Angeles 7-1 ahead of two very tough opponents in Tennessee and San Francisco, thus exiting their October stretch against lower-tier teams with wins they needed to have, though ones that certainly were not assured.
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“I thought it was really good, complementary football,” head coach Sean McVay said postgame. “To be up 38-0 is really a tough thing to do in this league. Obviously, we’d like to be able to finish the game better than what we did … A lot of things that we can build on, and we’ve got a great challenge coming up ahead of us.”
The Rams, who won 38-22 and benched most starters in the fourth quarter, scored every which way. The win featured impressive defensive performances, too. So I’m going to flip The Pile on its head and rattle off contributing points, notable moments and interesting context first — and then get to some juicier items such as the unfolding DeSean Jackson situation and upcoming trade deadline at the end of the column. It’s Halloween, and I’ve gone mad with power. Let’s start poking around.
• The Rams should probably have opened the game 21-0, but settled for 10 points in three drives because of a couple of failed moments within the opposing 10-yard line on back-to-back drives. McVay kicked himself postgame for the play call on the first, a fourth-down pass attempt by quarterback Matthew Stafford to running back Darrell Henderson that mirrored a previous scoring play, again by Henderson. The latter unfolded via play-action, and the Rams’ tweak to the second try was clearly to get the ball out fast instead of the “wind-up” play-action requires — but the pass tipped off Henderson’s hands and they turned it over on downs.
• The decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 from Houston’s 3-yard line (which the Rams did once on Sunday, and kicked a field goal on the next opportunity), was correct. Data analyst Ben Baldwin’s “fourth down decision” algorithm bot called the decision a “toss-up”, which, against a team such as Houston, is still a go-for play and especially in light of the way the Rams were bullying their way downfield. But even when the decision is correct, the play call and/or execution can still be wrong. Still, Stafford said postgame with a laugh that, even though he doesn’t necessarily personally dig deep into fourth-down data and decision-making algorithms, he’s pretty enthused by the Rams’ very recent slight uptick in such decisions, especially considering McVay entered the season as one of the most conservative fourth-down decision-makers in the NFL.
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“I’m just enthusiastic about it,” he said. “I’ll let the number-crunchers figure that stuff out. I’m more just ‘feel of the game’. As a player, when your coach says, ‘Hey, go for it on fourth down,’ that’s awesome. You want to go out there and you want to prove him right. Say, ‘Hey, you want to leave us on the field? OK, you’re damn right, you should, because this is what’s going to happen.’
“We did it once, didn’t do it another time today, but hopefully we continue to do well on those and continue to earn those opportunities, because, (Stafford gestured with a half-grin) analytics say there’s some opportunities there to score some more points.”
• It was almost like rookie inside linebacker Ernest Jones was ticking off a to-do list, one item at a time, throughout Sunday’s game. First NFL start, after the Rams traded previous starter Kenny Young to Denver early last week, check. First interception (a beautifully read play in the first half), check. First tackle-for-loss, check. First defensed pass, check. First split-sack, check. Led the team with nine tackles, check.
“Was really pleased with Ernest, I thought he flew around,” McVay said, “I thought he was able to learn from a couple of things early on in the game, where he can be a little bit more decisive, a little bit better with some of the concept trigger and recognition. But once he settled in, you could see this guy is a football player.”
Jones got a game ball for his efforts in his first NFL start.
“It felt great, I definitely wasn’t expecting that,” Jones said postgame. “Just being able to do stuff for my team, and put us in position to play pretty good was something I looked forward to, and something I was happy with … I’m gonna keep it, frame it. I’m proud. I’m just happy that I was able to help our team, and just help those guys keep winning, man, that’s all I want to do.”
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• Other notable defensive stats: Aaron Donald had 1 1/2 sacks and a chasedown on a catch-and-run play that covered ground normal humans simply shouldn’t be able to cover. Leonard Floyd continued his stellar season, notching two sacks (two shared) and hitting Texans quarterback Davis Mills three times. Outside linebacker Obo Okoronkwo combined with Floyd for one of those sacks as the two continue to develop their rhythm as a tandem. Greg Gaines had a half-sack while stepping into a larger role with Sebastian Joseph-Day out with a pectoral injury, and Gaines and A’Shawn Robinson had four tackles apiece which led the defensive linemen.
• Jalen Ramsey’s tackle for no gain on receiver Danny Amendola out of the Star position in the first half shouldn’t be overlooked, because Ramsey essentially shed his blocker … by carrying him along with him and still made the stop and forced a fumble deep in Texans territory.
• One really cool defensive note that’s Jones-related (and perhaps even contingent upon his versatility): The Rams disrupted plays or forced turnovers twice on two known passing downs, and they did it out of an alignment I had not previously seen with this group. On Jones’ interception, the defense displayed a four-man front with what normally would have been a three-linebacker set behind them — except instead of linebackers, the Rams held Jones on the outside, put safety Taylor Rapp in the middle and pulled Ramsey out wide in a hybrid Star/linebacker role. Jones played the flat perfectly for his pick. The second time the Rams issued that same alignment, Ramsey nearly came away with an interception himself but did force the ball incomplete. Those plays don’t work unless all three guys in the middle of the field have the versatility to cover, but to also come down hard in the chance the quarterback switches to a run play, or runs it himself to the flats.
“Part of that is a reflection of, ‘what are they doing and how do (offenses) want to protect with five-, six-man protections, and also, everyone is going to have a play for No. 99 (Donald), and how can we use that to our advantage?” McVay said. “The more matchups that we can create, the better off it’s going to be for us. And those Joker-type players, the players you’re alluding to, Ernest is certainly one of those guys and that’s something that we can build on, for sure.”
• The Rams finished with 26 first downs, and had 18 of those at halftime alongside a 24-0 lead.
• Cooper Kupp again led the Rams in receiving, catching seven passes on nine targets for 115 yards and a touchdown (his fifth time eclipsing 100 receiving yards in a game this season). Van Jefferson wasn’t far behind him in the end, in part courtesy of a 68-yard deep ball that Stafford unfurled in the third quarter that set up Kupp’s 11-yard touchdown. Jefferson finished the game with three catches on six targets for 88 yards, one catch of which was a tough short conversion on third-and-5. Robert Woods had a bit of an uncharacteristic day when it came to at least two drops, and the bobbled onside kick that Houston recovered, but tied Kupp in target shares and had two touchdowns, the latter of which was a really slick fake-pitch reverse that he rushed in behind some helpful blocking.
“I would say this game, I’m pretty hard on myself on this one,” said Woods.
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• Henderson had a great rushing day, averaging 6.4 yards per carry with a 19-yard long and a touchdown, and added a receiving touchdown to the mix before he was spelled for Sony Michel, and then reserve back Buddy Howell. The Rams’ offensive line opened some admirable holes for Henderson throughout the day, including on the opening play of back-to-back drives.
• Simple concepts, executed well: That’s when it’s clear this offense is clicking. The Rams interestingly opened back-to-back offensive drives in eerily similar manner. Henderson took the first play as a handoff, and got a first down each time. The first pass play went to tight end Tyler Higbee. The second pass play went to Jefferson. The similarities in those drives also indicated that the Rams weren’t willing to dig too deep into their bag of tricks against Houston, with really tough November and December opponents ahead.
• Stafford had high praise for reserve left tackle Joe Noteboom, who played in place of veteran Andrew Whitworth as he recovers from what McVay described as a knee treatment (McVay added that Whitworth’s absence won’t be long term).
“He’s got a guy to watch and learn from every single day, in Whit, that’s as good as it gets and as knowledgeable as it gets,” said Stafford of Noteboom. “Joe is just a quiet dude, doesn’t say much, but every time he gets his opportunity — I’ve seen tape of him from past years where he’s had opportunities for one reason or the other — and when he gets in there, he just plays. He played great today.”
• Once again, special teams play should keep some of these coaches up at night. Positive moments included Johnny Hekker’s placement punt, with help via Ben Skowronek’s stop on the ball, that pinned Houston at its own 2-yard-line and curbed a last-ditch flurry of points, kicker Matt Gay’s 27-yard field goal and a tackle on a kickoff return (read: The kicker should not have to be making the tackle). But elsewhere, penalties kept popping up, the Rams failed to recover Houston’s first onside kick attempt and there is absolutely zero answer on kick and punt return, outside of the punt-safe situations the staff keeps throwing Kupp into (and taking years off the fan base’s life in the process). Rookie second-round pick Tutu Atwell isn’t getting the trust to handle those situations, and is shaky on returns, too. Unfortunately for Atwell, who already suffered a setback that caused him to miss the first 10 days of training camp in the summer after he tested positive for COVID-19, he’ll face another setback after injuring his shoulder on a return attempt in the second half. He didn’t return to the game.
• McVay did not have an update on Atwell’s shoulder or his upcoming status postgame, but will speak with media on Monday afternoon. Meanwhile, Jefferson banged up his knee but came back in the game and McVay said he’s fine, and while cornerback Donte Deayon was shaken up after a first-half play, he also re-entered the game and played through its final minutes.
Bottom of the Pile: DeSean Jackson fallout and what happens next
A situation that had been escalating behind the scenes came to a head late last week, as McVay confirmed that Jackson and the team had agreed to allow Jackson to pursue a trade. Jackson, signed by the Rams in March to help add more deep layers to the passing game after the team traded for Stafford, has been frustrated with his playing time and targets (he has been targeted 15 times, catching eight with one touchdown). Jackson, who has incentives in his existing contract that escalate his pay based on active games (seven) and snaps (he needs 51 percent for an escalator; he has played about 23 percent of snaps), a source told me at the time of his signing, previously lobbied McVay for more targets just a few weeks ago.
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I don’t know if a team will trade for Jackson. He’s healthy right now, which is important, and his contract, especially now that seven games of it have been paid out, is certainly not a roadblock for most teams that might want to add him, especially if they believe they’ll make a playoff run down the stretch. I could even see him being a part of a trade package put together by the Rams, who we can never fully rule out being active ahead of Tuesday’s deadline (more on that shortly).
But if they find no willing partner for Jackson, I can’t see them bringing him back into the fold and believe, in that scenario, he would be released. Kupp and Woods were gracious and respectful in their comments on Jackson after Friday’s practice, and said the de-escalating situation between Jackson and the team had not really been an issue in the locker room and if he were to ultimately return to the team, they’d be fine with it. Yet how could he return, in light of his expressed unhappiness just a few months after he celebrated returning to his Los Angeles hometown, in hopes of winning a ring with a Super Bowl contender? Not only did the Rams enter into Sunday’s game with a league-leading 20.6 percent explosive pass play rate (of which they are attaining both via catch-and-run plays such as screens, and through the air), they are achieving this with three different receivers not named Jackson, who all averaged more than 12 yards per catch, with 20-plus catches, through seven weeks (with an average depth of target, ADOT, of nine or more yards — this is important). The Rams also entered the week first in offensive EPA, according to TruMedia, and that number certainly won’t drop after their high-volume performance against Houston. And I’m certainly not naïve to the fact that McVay went well out of his way in his opening comments in Sunday’s postgame press conference to name-drop Jefferson’s 68-yard catch, a deep air-yards explosive if I ever saw one, especially notable in light of this situation.
Jackson’s Hall of Fame-caliber speed and threatening ability against defenses is, of course, extremely valuable — and the Rams have been vocal about his historic accomplishments and ability. But let’s not kid ourselves here: The Rams are still getting the ball the hell downfield without him, and even without needing him as a decoy. As illustrated in detail in this piece on Stafford from last week, the things that used to be most problematic for this offense simply are not anymore, at least so far.
Don’t conflate that statement with the idea that they don’t still want a top-end true-speed player. To be clear: That always helps. Fourth-round tight end/hybrid player Jacob Harris should take this situation, and Atwell’s shoulder injury, as a clear signal to him to step up in his own development. Harris is clearly still pretty raw, although possesses all the explosive gifts of a player who the team also hopes to develop into a downfield threat, but he’s getting penalized too much right now and has to clean up his game.
Meanwhile, Skowronek, the rookie receiver taken in the seventh round, got some time through the second half of Sunday’s game. While McVay probably won’t send him on true deep concepts, Skowronek’s effort alongside former practice-squad tight end Kendall Blanton in helping block on Woods’ second touchdown, and then his noted usage as the “over” player and Stafford’s target on an over-under concept that went for 18 yards (swapping with Kupp on a bit of design eye-candy, because Kupp played the under where he’s often the over) indicates that he’s also a player to keep an eye on. Again, he probably wouldn’t be a go-to on those deeper concepts, but any sort of presence underneath can help unlock other guys over the top.
Trade deadline looming — will the Rams be active?
If the Rams go after an inside linebacker just a week or so after trading starter Kenny Young to Denver, as Twitter at one point was encouraging, that front office has bigger problems in that it may have lost its collective mind. The idea with inside linebacker in those offices up in Thousand Oaks is to find and play young, cheap starters and contributors for as long as possible, and offload them before they become cost-negative relative to playing time. They also don’t generally pay above rookie/minimum contracts at the position. That’s what happened with Young (the Rams basically felt having the $1.4 million opened up in cap space, plus Jones’ playing time increasing, gave them more benefits than essentially paying Young for the rest of the season, only to have his minutes decrease in favor of Jones and then have Young leave in free agency in the spring anyway).
The Rams also have a little cap wiggle room at the moment (if they cut Jackson and he is claimed, or trade him, about $6 million), and so I wouldn’t rule out a move — but I can see this being a tight end, with Johnny Mundt out for the year, or even a running back (the team currently expects to get Cam Akers back in the postseason, but has to make it there first and depth back Jake Funk is also out for the year). I also wouldn’t totally rule out an addition to their defensive backfield, even though they’ll enter the time frame in which they can get Darious Williams back this week. Rookie cornerback Robert Rochell continues to show flashes of his very high potential, but was held out of Sunday’s game out of extra precaution as he recovers from a knee issue (he was active and available in an emergency, McVay said). The Rams can’t afford to get into a depth problem at this position down the stretch, especially because they’ll need Ramsey covering as much of the field as possible and respective players who can help unlock that.
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Also keep in mind, because the Rams have elevated several practice squad players onto the active roster over the past eight weeks, they need to pay them accordingly. Initially, restructuring right tackle Rob Havenstein’s deal meant flexibility specifically in that regard, but now that they’ve traded Young and will have a bit more money available because of the Jackson situation, they might be able to make something happen.
(Top photo of Darrell Henderson (27): Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)