The Rams Start Off Very Slowly but Control the Entire Game, Winning Against the Chargers 29-6

Alright, it is time to talk about the Rams and their sound victory against the San Diego Chargers, which is exactly what we needed, and the game was exactly like I knew it would be yesterday. I knew it was going to be a slow (though not this slow) start because, if not for nothing, we were going to be dumbed down, so to speak. I do not think that the Chargers are that far off from turning their situation around, and considering its coaching staff alone, I am honestly astonished how weak their record is this year. I was also saying to myself before the game that if anyone can help a team end a losing streak, we could allow it, considering the firsts against and for us this year.

The game was almost fun to watch, and if I did not have this underlying total disappointment from the team this year, I would have had great fun with this game. The Rams defense was so solid again yesterday. It won us the game. All year, we are 5th in pressures and near sacks, and it was more of the same yesterday. I do wish we could execute sacks because the team, right now, is low on sacks. Yet, the pressure all around is amazing. The defensive backs are all playing excellent ball. We also got some players back in action this week.

Regardless, the Rams won versus the Chargers 24-9. The defense, again, did not allowed a touchdown. It was a slow process, but the Rams had full control of the game. It was not a blow out, however, and again, the Rams had the game in control the entire day. I never felt nervous, and even with an interception, it is Mathew Stafford; he will make more plays than not, which is an understatement. Besides, his mistakes are easy to figure, and he adjusts easily every time.

As for this game, Stafford passed for rather modest 157 yards that included a touchdown and then the one interception. Blake Corum and Kyren Williams rushed for a touchdown each, and even though the slow start, they did end up winning soundly against the winless Chargers. Puka Nacua also had 11 receptions for 80 yards, including a touchdown, for the Rams, who are now at 4-4. That gives him double digits in catches for 11 straight games, surpassing Torry Holt, while still being behind Cooper Kupp, who leads the franchise with 13.

The Rams didn’t even have a first down until the end of the first half, when they were losing 9-3 off 3 field goals, which meant the defense held the Chargers back each time.

The Rams scored at the end of the first half to take a 10-9 lead into halftime.

Corum ran for 73 total yards, including his 23-yard touchdown. That was before Nacua caught an 18-yard pass for a touchdown later on in the third quarter.

“This is something that we’ve got to build upon, but it’s not something we can exhale from,” Puka said. “Not being able to execute in the first half, that’s something we can’t have. If our defense is playing like that, we’ve got to go out there and play complementary football.”

Coach McVay changed up his play-calling scheme by allowing the runners to get the ball for entire sets of downs. Corum would get the ball 3 to 4 to 5 timers in a row. Then, it was Williams to do more of the same when he would get the ball one time after another on his time on the field. McVay split it up that way as opposed to changing them each play. To me, they are so much alike that them going in and out each play never bothered me. Plus, the coaches give them same amount of balls every game.

We also blundered up what I think was going to be a flea-flicker, but Puka dropped the pass before he could flick it to Corum or Williams.

Herbert actually ended up passing for 257 yards with two key interceptions for the Chargers, who, again, are winless at 0-7. This is the Chargers’ worst season since 2000. The offensive coordinator, Mike McDaniel, did well but could not score a touchdown against this Rams defense. Overall, I am very surprised that Jim Harbaugh is off to this kind of start. I have never seen him in a situation this bad, and, most of all, the Chargers are not that bad. Not even close. That is why I am asking about Harbaugh, because it cannot be the coaching. Can it?

“There’s no quit,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. “There’s no surrender. It’s going to be an opportunity next week, and get ourselves ready for that. It’s that motivation. There’s next week. … You’ve got to keep moving forward, and just give it your very best and get better, but there’s never any quit.”

Football Follies

At one point, Aaron Donald was on top of a rolling fumbled football generated by Omar Speights after he knocked the ball from Justin Herbert’s hand, causing the fumble, with nothing but air between Donald and the end zone. However, he fell over the ball, knocking it out bounds whole falling on his face.

Aaron wanted nothing more or less than to grab that loose football in stride, running into the end zone, but instead, we got a football follies highlight, and everyone let him know it. Myles Garrett, while on his stationary bike, lost it laughing his head off before poking fun directly to Aaron. The team gave him some make pretend first aid.

“Oh man, I’m going to give him such a hard time about that,” coach Sean McVay said. “He couldn’t even look at me. At least we can laugh about it right now.”

I am telling you, the playfulness and laughing on the side lines about some play with a veteran player falling on his face did not annoy me because I really felt that even though the score was not run up at all, we had total control of this game. There was never one doubt from me that they were not going to win. The vibe on the team was that way too.

How It Unfolded

Quentin Lake had the team’s first interception, and that set up the Rams’ opening field goal after returning it 45 yards. Herbert has now thrown interceptions in every game so far this season, but the Chargers also had issues running the ball. McDaniel tried to do back-to-back flea-flickers, which garnered maybe 8 yards total, and all day, the only scores the Chargers could muster up were the three field goals.

“I think the turnovers are what’s stopping us, and that’s something we have to clean up,” Herbert said. “When we’re not converting on third down and not scoring points in the red zone, it’s tough in that regard.”

The Chargers have not scored a touchdown in their last nine quarters, and at first, the Rams were not playing well at all. At the same time, it is the Rams. It is always a matter of time until the Rams’ offense explodes with some key or big play. As long as the defense keeps it close, the Rams will score its points, and this was a so-called poor display of offense. Yet again, I never had a doubt about winning simply because we controlled every aspect of the game.

The Rams were not able to get a first down until their sixth time getting the ball, which is a first in the Sean McVay era. They had 24 yards on the first 15 plays of the game.

Tutu Atwell caught a 40-yard pass for the team’s first first down late in the second quarter and for his best play so far this year. That was one of the bigger plays executed last night. He stepped up a bit, but at the same time, Stafford missed him on another play that most likely could have been caught if he carried out the route better, but I have no real complaints, considering our playing calling all game yesterday. It was not a game where we were going far downfield much.

The Chargers executed a Hail Mary at the end of the half, but the Rams defense kept them out of the end zone.

After halftime, the Rams got the ball first, and with Corum running for 55 yards on the that drive, he went in for his 23-yard touchdown play.

Then, Trent McDuffie snagged the Rams’ second interception after two plays and before Nacua took a screen pass for his 18-yard score.

Injury Report

As far as injuries, CB Jaylen Watson injured his shoulder early in the second half and did not return to the game. He walked off looking like a pretzel, and so that is something we should follow big time. That is a bad blow if he is out for any time. He already missed one game last month with a dislocated shoulder. This looked like he did the same thing, or I think he injured it again.

McDuffie also injured his back in the second half. He was out for two games with a groin injury, but he was on the sideline wearing his helmet the entire game.

Ironically, both players had great games while they were in the game.

Trade Deadline

Overall, the trade deadline ends in 8 days. I do not think the Rams should or even can lift one finger with regard to a trade.

First off, I love our current players and do not want to lose any of them. Second, I don’t think we have any great needs to even worry about now besides whomever needing to get healthy. That’s also setting aside that we have no money, so we have to deal with our team and, again, get healthy.

Myles Garret will be back in one month, pretty much. He has his 21-day practice window, which will start in less than two weeks. Terrence Ferguson is also on his way back from his injury.

If you want to address the wide receiver issue of being able to pass to more people than Puka Nacua, making a trade is not the answer right now. And then, when Devonte Adams comes back, it will be great. I just think it is fine where we are at, though we need Adams to get healthy and back to playing in games. My point is that any any receiver that could be available are no better than Atwell or Konata Mumpfield, let alone Jordan Whittington and CJ Daniels, which I would like to see him get some play.

Special Teams

As for special teams yesterday, they played well. Alex Bachman had some decent run backs, and he secured the football great, which is all I care about. Do not fumble that ball. Point afters were perfect again yesterday, and so we made like 9 in a row over 2 games. The only thing with it is that Josh Karty is back, by the way, and he cannot seem to be able to kick the ball beyond the 20 yard line. I think he was trying to bounce it in for whatever reason, but we got nailed two times for penalties, giving the Chargers starts at the 40 yard line each time. Then, he almost did not make it a third time, so he needs to either practice this play to get better at it or we need someone that can kick off the ball in a sane way. You cannot allow teams to start at the forty yard line every time. That means they need like 20 or 30 yards to be able kick a field goal.

These kicking rules are insane. I learn a new thing about these new kicking off rules every week. I, like our POTUS, Donald J. Trump, hate how they have to stand still before someone touches it. It is something that I agree with Trump about. His stance on the new kicking rules that he wants to see reversed. Yeah, I agree. It is weird watching kick offs today.