Los Angeles Rams versus Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Game notes

Now that I’ve had a chance to review the all-22 from the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ contest, I’ve come away with a lot of notes to share. The Rams ultimately lost this contest at home in a shootout that ended with a score of 55-40.

Let’s get into the notes:

• The first interception wasn’t on quarterback Jared Goff. He was correct to target wide receiver Cooper Kupp on a corner route on the right side of the formation, as Kupp would’ve likely scored a touchdown had the pass gotten there. Right tackle Rob Havenstein was wrecked in pass pro and the rush caused an interception instead

• Goff missed an open four verts concept against cover-3 on two separate occasions. On the first, both the seam verticals were open (Brandin Cooks and Gerald Everett) with Goff electing to check it down to Gurley instead. The second occasion had an open comeback from Cooks and another open seam vertical, with Goff once again checking down to Gurley instead

• The Rams were productive running outside zone in this contest, mainly due to the Buccaneers not lining up in the 6-1 formation. The Rams scored both rushing touchdowns running an outside zone play

• Goff has worked on his pocket mobility and it’s very noticeable. He looks much more mobile within the confines of the pocket, routinely displaying the ability to maneuver and create another release point for himself
• Goff had some head scratching decisions in this one, though he usually rebounded with a dime of a pass not long after. Some bad in this contest, some very good

• Goff’s 5-yard touchdown to Everett was the perfect display of quarterback play. Goff started reading his progressions right-to-left, advancing through his progressions until he seen Everett sit between zones, squeezing a pass in an incredibly tight window. The pass was put exactly where it needed to be and Goff even bought himself time by climbing the pocket
• The defensive line was terrible. They created nearly no pressure whatsoever, were incredibly non-productive, and hardly even muddied the pocket for quarterback Jameis Winston
• Wide receiver Chris Godwin was unstoppable in this contest. Generally, the Rams played some sort of zone coverage (cover-1, cover-3, etc) with the cornerbacks playing in off coverage. Godwin routinely ate it up, also finding space and sitting in between zones in the middle of the field
• Winston — like Godwin — was feasting on the soft zone calls from the Rams, picking them apart time after time. It was mostly just pitch-and-catch for the mistake-prone QB
• The offensive line struggled the most in the fourth quarter, particularly against the double a-gap blitz/alignment the Bucs chose to run nearly all quarter. The OL wasn’t great on Sunday at any point, though right guard Austin Blythe and right tackle Rob Havenstein were especially bad

• Inside linebacker Troy Reeder replaced an injured Bryce Hager. If Hager misses week five, Reeder is probably going to draw the start
• Goff missed a wide open Gerald Everett on a wheel route for a potential touchdown up the right sideline. It was a clean pocket and man-to-man across the board. The play was exactly what the Rams had hoped for. Unfortunately, Goff simply overthrew it

• The Rams ultimately lost 11 points with two overthrown touchdowns from Goff, settling for a field goal once and netting no points on the other drive

That’s all I’ve got for this one. Some plays were interesting though I never noted them, so if you have any specific questions, feel free to post it below and I’ll see if I can answer them.