Patrick Mahomes should put up serious stats on Rams suspect defense
The Rams were given very high expectations coming into the season. Have they lived up to those expectations?
Yes and no. Offensively, the Rams have probably exceeded expectations. Jared Goff has shown growth over last year, the O-line has held up, Todd Gurley has a legit case for MVP, and most impressive, the wrinkles they’ve added to the playbook have helped. Don’t forget, everyone in the league had 17 games worth of tape on L.A. Despite that, their production hasn’t fallen off.
The defense is a different story. They aren’t very effective, and when you look at their aggressiveness in free agency, it’s fair to say that they haven’t lived up to the hype. It’s hard to see how much better they get over the rest of the season. 10 games in, the verdict is pretty much in that overall, the Rams D has been disappointing and underwhelming.
The Rams moved on from Sammy Watkins and traded for Brandin Cooks. How are you feeling about the move?
Cooks looks to be an addition that benefits Jared Goff and the offense as a whole. I’d argue that Robert Woods is the unsung player on the offense, but it’s hard to argue what Cooks has brought to L.A.
Cooper Kupp has already missed time this season, but how will his season-ending injury affect the rest of the year for the offense?
That question begins to get answered Monday night. I think it’s reasonable to say it’ll have an effect. Goff and Kupp have always had a connection and a comfort level with each other. Clearly, they’ll rely on the rest of the receivers and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if fans see the tight end position utilized more. We saw that in Week 10 against Seattle.
How has Jared Goff improved from last season?
Well to watch him play is to see him display steady and tangible growth. He’s hitting on passes he didn’t last season, and that’s just due to growth. ESPN has a great piece on him this week where they show two plays that may best symbolize how far he’s come in his third season as a pro.