Los Angeles Rams vs. Houston Texans: Five Rams to watch

Coming off their biggest statement of the year in New York, the Los Angeles Rams are continuing to prove they’re the real deal. With their first real home game in over a month, the Rams get a Texans team who is weeks removed from losing their best player in Deshaun Watson to a season ending ACL injury. Another potential trap game, these are the Rams I’m watching to help keep the Rams winning streak alive.

WR Robert Woods

Woods finally got on the scoreboard last week for the first time on the year and did so twice. He leads the Rams with 31 catches for 451 yards and now finds himself on a little hot streak. The Texans secondary has been banged up lately so the Rams and Jared Goff shouldn’t hesitate to pickup from where they left off in the 3rd quarter against the Giants. I look for Woods to remain a focal point for the offense.

CB Trumaine Johnson

Johnson is having another really solid season and is also coming off a great game against the Giants (who isn’t?) in which he snagged his 2nd interception of the year. The Texans have one consistent playmaker on offense in DeAndre Hopkins and the Rams should stick their best CB on him all game. A Hopkins-Johnson matchup could be one of the funnest to watch all game.

RB Todd Gurley

Gurley is coming off a two TD performance in New York and now gets a Texans defense who has been particularly stingy against RBs. They’re 3 TDs and 590 rushing yards allowed to RBs are both in the top 4 of the league. They’re equally strong against RBs with the pass as evidenced by their league low 31 receptions against. I expect Todd Gurley to be un-phased by this and have a 100+ yard game and put a dent in the Texans’ run defense ranks.

QB Jared Goff

After his first bye week as a starter I wondered if we would see Goff’s best game of the year. Well, it turned out to be the best game of his short career to this point. The Texans pass defense is tougher than a Jenkins-less Giants team but his confidence should be at an all time now heading into an important stretch for the Rams.

EDGE Connor Barwin

Barwin’s first “revenge” game of the year makes for a great story as he and Wade Phillips face their former team. Barwin had a sack last week to keep pace with Aaron Donald for the team lead with 4.0 and also recovered a fumble against the Giants. Texans QBs have been sacked 28 times this year, only two teams have given up more sacks. Barwin and the boys should get a chance to add to the total. With OLB Robert Quinn “Doubtful” per the final injury report, Barwin will have to carry the load on Sunday.