Random Ramsdom: Matthew Stafford is confident in his receivers, are you?

Hey happy Friday! What did you think of last night’s game? I have been waiting too long to ask that!

We’ve got links today and the lead has to do with what we are all wondering. How will the Los Angeles Rams do without Cooper Kupp? Do you believe in this receiving core? I think that if Matthew Stafford is healthy, which should mean the Rams have a competent offensive line, then this offense can be successful. I could be dead wrong. Maybe without Kupp the team is lost, but I am not ready to go there yet. Ask me Monday.

Thanks for stopping by, comment on anything you’d like and have a great day!

Matthew Stafford, Rams receivers prepare for Seahawks with Cooper Kupp sidelined: ‘Total trust in everybody that’s put out there to go out there and make plays’ (therams.com)

“Cooper was out some of training camp as well and we had some guys have to come in there and step up and make plays for us and they’ve done that,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said after Wednesday’s practice. “Through joint practices, practicing against our defense, we’ve had a lot of guys step up and make some great plays and (I have) total trust in everybody that’s put out there to go out there and make plays. I’m excited for those guy’s opportunities, obviously like I said, disappointed for Cooper but at the same time I’m excited about the guys that we have going out there and trying to make some big plays.”

Both qualitatively and quantitatively, Kupp impacts the Rams’ offense in different ways.

The 2021 triple-crown winning season, when he finished with 145 catches for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns, and the 2022 season, when he still led the team in catches (75), receiving yards (812) and receiving touchdowns (six) despite being limited to nine games because a season-ending ankle injury, are evidence of that. Schematically and conceptually, there is also a lot of Los Angeles’ passing offense that goes through Kupp.

“I try to play the game as cleanly as I possibly can and throw the ball where the coverage dictates,” Stafford said. “No question about it from a skill position point, there’s a lot of stuff that goes through Cooper where he may be designed to be the number one or if we get a certain pressure we’re going to get to this play and let him go do what he does best. Obviously, he’s not going to be out on the field but my job really doesn’t change much. It’s, hey, go out there and throw the ball where it’s supposed to be thrown accurately and on time and let those guys do what they do because we’ve got some talented guys on the outside that can make plays both down the field and also after the catch.”

Seahawks vs. Rams: Geno Smith to Reveal ‘Situational Showcase’ of Improvements (fannation/allseahawks)

“That was a major emphasis for us, like third downs, red zone, being better in those specific areas. And so we got a bunch of reps at that,” Smith told reporters prior to Thursday’s practice. “Pete [Carroll] put us in competition over and over, third down competition, red zone competition, a lot of back and forth between the offense and the defense. We’ll be able to see throughout the season if we actually got better, but I think we did.”

While not all of the blame falls on his shoulders and others contributed to the woes, as the orchestrator of the offense, Smith factored into the Seahawks struggles on third down as well as in the red zone last season.

Accuracy-wise, Smith remained borderline elite on third downs, connecting on 65.6 percent of his pass attempts and ranking seventh among quarterbacks. But according to data from RBSDM.com, his success rate dipped to 38.8 percent on those money downs, which ranked 23rd out of 32 qualified signal callers. His EPA per play also took a nose dive to 17th with players such as Jacoby Brissett and Kenny Pickett ahead of him.”

5 burning questions LA Rams must answer in Week 1 (ramblinfan)

“Meanwhile, the Rams are amidst a much different type of immediate future; one that could see a rebuild come to fruition sooner than later.

We have five questions for this Rams team heading into Week 1.

1. Will the Rams be able to generate a pass rush?

Over the offseason, the Rams somewhat tore down their defense by trading Jalen Ramsey, letting Bobby Wagner go and allowing Leonard Floyd to sign elsewhere. Those are three big, integral parts of what was a very respectable defense for a couple of years in L.A.

Last year, the Rams still couldn’t generate much of a pass rush even with some of their big names. It was true, Aaron Donald cannot do it all. The Rams were tied for 8th-worst in the NFL in sacks with 38.”

Rams & Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to host 8th Annual Taste of the Rams (therams.com)

“The Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Regional Food Bank are proud to present the eighth annual Taste of the Rams event, co-presented by Don Lee Farms and Bank of America. This celebration brings together food enthusiasts, sports fans and community supporters for an unforgettable evening.

Taste of the Rams is not just a culinary experience; it’s an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the community. Guests can indulge in delectable dishes and beverages prepared by a stellar lineup of renowned chefs and mingle with members of the Rams. This year’s event will feature an array of cuisines that reflect the diverse culinary landscape of Los Angeles.”