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The Los Angeles Rams are 2-0 and the way they got to their 37-19 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday contained a lot more good than bad and Sean McVay’s offense is already making one hell of a difference.
The Good
Jared Goff’s first three drives
Jared Goff connects with Tyler Higbee in the red zone pic.twitter.com/DVlzLjQN0b
— LA Rams Nation (@RamsNationCP) September 20, 2020
Goff started the game completing his first 13 passes and throwing two touchdown passes to tight end Tyler Higbee over the Rams first three drives. Working with Sean McVay’s script, LA has looked fantastic to start both games thus far this season.
Eagles early fumble
Rams needed five plays to turn Miles Sanders fumble into 7 points.
— Reuben Frank (@RoobNBCS) September 20, 2020
The Eagles have now allowed six scoring drives this year: 45, 20, 26, 48, 20 and 41 yards.
Miles Sanders made his 2020 debut today but fumbled on the Eagles first drive. He was quite productive after that play however.
Tyler Higbee
Jared Goff hits Tyler Higbee for another TD to extend the Rams (+1.5) lead to 21-3, cashing the 1H over (23.5)
— Bet The Pigskin (@betthepigskin) September 20, 2020
Higbee to score 2+ TD's (+2000) ✅#BarstoolSportsbook
pic.twitter.com/m3SGm4IV5M
THREE TDs FOR TYLER HIGBEE
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 20, 2020
(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/IluPtc4dhI
Higbee proved last season that he could put up yards in the LA offense, but he only scored three touchdowns on the year. He had that many on Sunday, his first game with multiple touchdowns. He did have a costly offensive pass interference penalty, but it only proved that Goff is indeed targeting Higbee heavily in the red zone to start the season.
Micah Kiser, Jordan Fuller
Micah Kiser has more tackles than Cam has years alive
— Bate™ (@NoPlanB_) September 20, 2020
A week after Fuller and Kiser led the defense in tackles, respectively, against the Cowboys, Kiser posted 16 tackles and Fuller had nine against the Eagles. These have proven to be two of the most important players to Brandon Staley in the Rams objective to improve on defense after losing several key starters from 2019.
Darious Williams interception
Darious Williams picks off Carson Wentz in the endzone! #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/OSENAbd50O
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) September 20, 2020
Williams seems to be stepping up opposite of Jalen Ramsey as a force at cornerback for Staley.
Darrell Henderson
Powering through for his first NFL touchdown!
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) September 20, 2020
Congratulations, @DarrellH8! pic.twitter.com/oOHykYpTau
His 40-yard run was the longest of his career — and more than all but one career game total — and he finished with 110 total yards and a touchdown.
Jared Goff’s finish
QUE FOGUETE, JARED GOFF!
— NFL Brasil (@NFLBrasil) September 20, 2020
Goff soltou o braço e achou Tyler Higbee para anotar o Touchdown e aumentar a vantagem dos Rams! #NFLBrasil #LARvsPHI
Acesse https://t.co/uMRqwxJ5yr e comece já o seu teste grátis do #NFLGamePass para assistir a TODOS os jogos da semana 100% DE GRAÇA! pic.twitter.com/gs0iHeztch
Getting close to losing their lead, Goff and Henderson helped the Rams score touchdowns on their last two drives, going 75 and 64 yards, respectively.
Rams offensive line
If it ain’t bad, it’s good. The Rams allowed one sack and Goff maybe could have avoided that one. They’ve now carried the ball 79 times through two games and been successful despite injuries to both Darrell Henderson and Cam Akers. LA opted for continuity over change in 2020 and that patience with their young offensive linemen may be paying off.
Troy Hill interception
Both Troy Hill and Darious Williams get picks today. Kenny Young gets a fumble recovery.
— Ramblin' Fan (@RamblinFan) September 20, 2020
Three Eagles turnovers.
This is going to be a huge year.
Two Rams cornerbacks who aren’t even Jalen Ramsey.
Leonard Floyd’s 2-point stop
Carson Wentz' sneak cuts the #Rams' lead after a Micah Kiser helmet-to-helmet hit penalty helps the Eagles' drive along. Leonard Floyd stops Miles Sanders' run for 2.
— Kevin Modesti (@KevinModesti) September 20, 2020
Robert Woods does work from the ground floor
.@RobertWoods on the end around for the @RamsNFL TD! #RamsHouse
— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2020
: #LARvsPHI on FOX
: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/gdttfTQjuY pic.twitter.com/YGo9HMMIoo
Van Jefferson provides Rams with third threat at WR again
A great catch by the rookie Van Jefferson pic.twitter.com/V6AOnZMUjA
— DIE-HARD Fans (@Eaglesfans9) September 20, 2020
Jefferson had four catches for 45 yards.
The Bad
Cooper Kupp’s fumble
Maybe that’s what we needed to happen to get Kupp the f*** out of the punt returner spot
— (@RamsNationNFL) September 20, 2020
Cooper Kupp what are you doing
— Sosa K (@QBsMVP) September 20, 2020
I don’t agree with putting star players on returns. The exception is when you need a player who can secure the ball and he’s the only option. Kupp fielded a punt deep inside the 20 and then fumbled it over to the Eagles. Maybe he’s not the answer there.
Cam Akers injury
Cam Akers injured on this play pic.twitter.com/jB3acBftTt
— DIE-HARD Fans (@Eaglesfans9) September 20, 2020
Akers had three or four snaps on offense before leaving with a ribs injury and not returning.
Troy Hill’s third down defense in third quarter
There he is, the bad Troy Hill
— Sosa K (@QBsMVP) September 20, 2020
What success Carson Wentz did seem to have in the second half often seemed to be on a third down pass towards Troy Hill. Hill allowed six catches on six targets in Week 1 according to the advanced stats and Williams may be the long term answer.
Rams can’t score touchdown with 2nd and goal from the 2
LA had a golden opportunity to go up 28-16 before halftime with first and goal from the PHI 5. But a Higbee offensive pass interference penalty and two incomplete passes led to settling for a field goal instead. It is nitpicky because I’m looking for “bad” when the Rams had a day mostly full of good.
However, red zone percentage was an issue for the offense in 2019 and Week 1, so it is worth monitoring.
Brandon Graham gets the sack on Goff to be pushed out of FG range
Brandon Graham gets the sack.
— Thomas R. Petersen (@thomasrp93) September 20, 2020
Defense finally steps up.#Eagles pic.twitter.com/JTxcrspjR5
Sam Sloman PAT blocked
That’s now two place kicking attempts in two weeks that normally should be points but didn’t turn out that way. With Greg Zuerlein and John Fassel in Dallas now (the Cowboys won today with a successful onside kick recovery and a last second field goal by Zuerlein) and having success, all eyes on how the Rams respond. Early returns are bad though, all things considered, including that Kupp fumble and this blocked kick.
The Difference
Sean McVay, Kevin O’Connell’s offensive game plan and finish
It’s been encouraging to watch the Rams first quarter offense through two weeks but when the Rams saw their 21-3 lead shrink to 24-19 midway through the second half, it was hard to not wonder if they’d finish as ineptly as they had in Week 1 against the Cowboys. LA scored on their first drive of the second half last week, but then went INT, punt, punt, punt to end the game and sneak out with the victory.
This time around, McVay, O’Connell and Goff answered — plus Darrell Henderson got going for a career-best day — to lead the Rams to 13 unanswered points to end the game and take the 37-19 win.
The run game is working. The offensive line is working. Goff is performing better with a better offense around him and also appears to be doing more on his own. With some no-preseason hiccups mixed in, the Rams offense has been mostly good and today — their 449 yards of offense is better than all but two games last season — they appeared to be as potent as McVay had them two years ago on the way to the Super Bowl.