Recap: Rams 46, Colts 9, Cooper Kupp, Rich Eisen, Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams Weekly, 2028 Summer Olympic Games, Trumaine Johnson Defensive Player of the Week, Ethan Westbrooks, Johnny Hekker, Cornelius Lucas & Bruce, Vermeil, Holt, and Ellard Among 2018 Hall of Fame Nominees!
I am not really sure what to say after that win last week that has not already been said about it. They played flawlessly when you set aside the 5 or so stupid penalty's trying to get ball off. That became annoying but the team settled in sweetly showing me a bit of everything.
There were long passes, short passes, consitant passing, great running, great Recievuing to say the least, great blocking on O, great D, the line did well and the D-Backs did excpetionally well. Trumaine ohnson was named defensive Player of the Week and the team not only had two INT's ran back for TD's, they also scored on a Safety.
Like I said, the rams had everything but the skeptics showed their faces the minute after the game. I got comments along the lines that iof we played Indy every week, we would be undefeated or something alonmg those lines. I disagree. Put Andrew Luck inthat game. What big differeance would he have really made.
I expect more of the same this week vs. the Washington Redskins. It will NOT be victory in my eyes unless the team wins by at least 20 points. I cannot wait for the game in two days.
The touchdown, a perfect 18-yard strike from quarterback Jared Goff, marked Kupp’s “Welcome to the NFL” moment, but was hardly the young receiver’s only contribution in the Rams’ 46-9 rout over the Colts.
Kupp led the offense in receiving, recording four catches for 76 yards. The receiver also lined up all over the field, taking 26 snaps on the inside at the slot position and 16 on the outside according to Pro Football Focus. Although his performance was not perfect — as Kupp said himself — it was still an impressive debut for the FCS record setter.
“It was a lot of fun. Anytime you can put together a W like this collectively — offense, defense, special teams — everyone just played lights out,” he said. “Offensively, there was a lot of stuff we did well, but there’s a lot of stuff we have to fix. I didn’t catch that ball when we were wide open — I’ve got to make those plays. So we’re going to go back and watch the film and learn from it and see what we can improve on.”
During the game, Kupp dropped a pair of passes, including an open route over the middle in the third quarter. As head coach Sean McVay said post game, the rookie receiver was quick to bounce back after the play, responding “excellent on the third down-and-five, where he [caught] the wheel route down the sidelines,” putting the Rams back within scoring territory.
“I think you look at Cooper Kupp, he’s a great player, made some big-time catches for us, the one handed catch on the crossing route,” McVay continued. “[But] the type of player he is, all he’s going to remember is the one in breaking route that he could have made.”
The Rams’ offense distributed the ball well against the Colts, with Goff connecting with seven different receivers. Sammy Watkinscaught five passes for 58 yards, Todd Gurley five for 56, Robert Woods three for 53, and Gerald Everett one catch for 39 yards.
But even as Goff continues to spread the ball well in game action, it’s easy to see that Kupp is quickly becoming one of his favorite targets.
“Cooper did a good job today and executed everything he needed to do and again, he’s another guy — just consistent,” Goff said. “Every day in practice you get from him, I know no one was more upset than he was on that ball over the middle. But I told him, I said, ‘We’re going to keep coming to you.’ I said, ‘You dropped one then you made a good play, you made up for it. We’re all good on that now’ — joking with him, but, no, he did a great job.”
All kidding aside, Kupp said his NFL debut was an experience he’ll never forget.
“It was a blast. We had so much fun out there,” Kupp said. “I’m one of those guys, I probably lean more towards being super serious when it comes to the game, but I was having a blast out there.”
“Just the team, the guys, the coaching staff, our sidelines — We played for each other and when you’re playing for something bigger than yourself it makes it easy to go out there and enjoy. When you’re out there with guys that are playing for you just as you’re playing for them.”
After a dominant performance in the Rams' 46-9 win over the Colts on Sunday, rookie wide receiver Cooper Kupp
called in to the Rich Eisen Show on DirectTV. Kupp led the Rams' in receiving in his NFL debut, recording 4 catches for 76 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown play.
On the show, Kupp discussed a variety of topics ranging from the story behind his jersey No. 18 to whether or not he could pass for Rams' head coach Sean McVay.
Cooper Kupp Appears on the Rich Eisen Show After Dominant Win
The rookie receiver shared a story about face timing with NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice after winning the Jerry Rice Award for the top freshman in the FCS in 2013.
Eisen also asked Kupp about his journey to the NFL and scoring his first career touchdown.
Finally, the pair discussed the Rams' impressive season opener, as well as the team's outlook moving forward. Los Angeles will take on Washington in Week 2 on Sunday afternoon.
The Montana product was all over the field Sunday, scoring Los Angeles’ first touchdown of the season on Indianapolis’ first pass attempt. On 3rd-and-10, Johnson undercut wide receiver T.Y. Hilton’s route, intercepting Scott Tolzien's pass on the defense’s right before running down the sideline for a pick six.
Later in the first quarter, Johnson punched the ball out of Hilton’s arm after a completed pass, then jumped on the loose ball for a forced fumble and fumble recovery on the same play.
“Scoring on defense is big,” Johnson said after the game on Sunday. “We put emphasis on that all week. We had a couple pick sixes, a couple turnovers. It was good. It was good for our defense.”
The Rams will be back on the practice field on Wednesday in preparation for this week’s matchup against Washington.
The roster of nominees consists of 53 offensive players, 38 defensive players, five special teams players and 12 coaches. The list will be reduced to 25 semifinalists in November and 15 finalists in January. From there, those 15 will be presented to the 48-member Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee during its annual meeting on "Selection Sunday," the day before Super Bowl LII.
Bruce was drafted in the 2nd round by the Los Angeles Rams in 1994. During his 13 seasons with the Rams, Bruce broke the NFL record for receiving yards in 1996 recording 1,338 yards in 16 games. He was also a four-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion in 2000. Two seasons later, Bruce became the team's all-time leader in receptions, posting his fourth-consecutive 1,000 yard season.
Vermeil joined the Rams in 1997. Though his first two seasons with the team were a bit lackluster, with records of 5-11 and 4-12, in 1999 Vermeil led the Rams to their first ever Super Bowl victory following the 1999 season. Under Vermeil, and led by Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, the team defeated the Titans with a score of 23-16. He was named NFL Coach of the Year for the second time that season before moving to Kansas City in 2001.
Holt is another former Rams receiver named to the nominee list. Holt was the sixth overall draft pick in the 1999 Draft. In his rookie year alone, Holt posted 52 receptions, 788 total yards, and six touchdowns during the Rams' Super Bowl-winning season. From that season forward, Holt became an integral member of the Rams' team dubbed "The Greatest Show on Turf." His career also includes seven Pro Bowls and he currently ranks among the top ten active leaders in receiving yards.
Ellard joined the Rams in 1983 after being drafted in the second round. During his time with Los Angeles, he was known for his superior skills as a route runner. In 11 seasons, he went to three Pro Bowls, as both a punt returner and wide receiver. During his 21 year career, Ellard amassed 15,718 total yards.
Defensive tackle La'Roi Glover, who played three seasons with the Rams, was also named to the Modern-Era nominees list.
The final Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2018 will be elected on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018.
Donald Projected Starter on Unofficial Depth Chart. After reporting to the team over the weekend, defensive tackle Aaron Donald is projected to start at defensive tackle on the Rams’ unofficial depth chart for Week 2.
“He’s back here and that’s a step in the right direction,” McVay said. “I think, like we’ve mentioned, just getting him back here is the first step and definitely want to try to get him on the field.”
“The plan is get him going just back into the flow of a normal weekly rhythm like all of our players do. He’s back here with us now and looking to get him going,” McVay added. “And as far as how he’ll be utilized in this game and kind of exactly what that plan entails is going to be predicated on how he feels going out to practice and getting involved. And those will be things that [head trainer] Reggie [Scott], myself, and the rest of our coaching staff will discuss as far as how he’s feeling.”
Nevertheless, it’s not too much of a surprise for Donald to be listed among the starters. He’s widely considered one of the best — if not the best — defensive players in football. Last year, Donald led the league with 31 quarterback hits and was tied for the league lead with 17 tackles for loss.
It might be a bit unrealistic to expect him to play his full workload of snaps during Week 2. But whenever Donald is on the field, he’s a threat to make plays.
Donald being listed among the starters is the only change to this week’s projected depth chart.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE UNOFFICIAL DEPTH CHART
“[Donald] looked fast, looked fresh, looked like the player that you’ve seen. It didn’t look like he missed a beat and it was good to have him back out there,” McVay said. “Great demeanor, guys were excited to have him back. He’s all smiles because he loves football, so nothing but positive things there. I was happy, too.
“He’s going to be a starter for us and so that’s how we’ll go with it this week,” McVay added.
Speaking to the media at a press conference for the first time since April, Donald said he did his best to stay in shape working out where he played his college ball, Pitt. And while the Rams and Donald’s representation have not worked out a contract extension as of yet, Donald said his sole focus at this point is on the game.
“I love football, so being away from it definitely was tough,” Donald said. “But like I said it was a decision I made to do, but the way I chose to handle it is the way I chose to handle it and I’m here now.”
According to the defensive tackle, Saturday was not necessarily a date he and his representation targeted for his arrival.
“It was just a decision that talking to my agents, talking to my family — it just happened how it happened,” Donald said. “It wasn’t something I chose. It wasn’t a certain date they were shooting for — it just happened.”
Now that he’s returned, Donald said he felt “a lot of love” from his teammates.
“Happy to be back, happy for them to have me here,” Donald said. “They understand the business side of things, but there were just glad I was back.”
“Everything he went through, hopefully he’s seeing that guys are still supporting him,” outside linebacker Robert Quinn said. “Great to have him back out there to get ready to start playing football again.”
“You see his explosiveness — he didn’t lose any explosiveness from him not being here,” Quinn added. “I think guys said from the first day he didn’t show up, ‘We know his work ethic, we know the type of person he is.’ We knew he was going to come back in shape. So it’s just great to see that he still stayed committed — that’s a great sign. And, again, just great to have him back with the fellas and get on the field and have a little bit of fun.”
On the field, Donald was apparently his usual disruptive self, continuing to be the type of player who’s earned a reputation as a practice wrecker.
“It’s nice seeing him across the line of scrimmage again, making practice hard for us again,” quarterback Jared Goff joked. “But no, It’s good to have him back and it’s good to see him around the building again, for sure.”
“It felt good — he made a lot of plays today. He was in the backfield — same old Aaron,” defensive tackle Michael Brockers said. “You know he’s going to make the plays. He’s a special talent that nobody can actually prepare for. So there are going to be some special plays made by him on the field that you can count on. So I think that’s what he brings.”
Donald said he felt like he was in good shape, but admitted practice reps and he was doing to train aren’t the same.
“I worked out a lot,” Donald said. “I’m in great shape, but [there’s] a difference from running around and then having to be the football field. So, just going day-by-day here and just seeing how I feel as the week goes on.”
Because Donald was in the early stages of the Rams’ offseason program, he had notes to study on the new defense. That’s why he doesn’t feel too far behind as far as getting to know how he fits in the scheme.
“I might mess up here and there, but when I was out there today I felt pretty solid,” Donald said. “I know all the checks and everything that was going on.”
So how much will Donald will play on Sunday? McVay said general manager Les Snead and his staff have done some research into how much usage players have gotten who are returning from similar situations.
“[Snead’s] got a handful of guys that do a great job with the analytics where guys that have been on the holdout, that have come back, what are the amount of snaps that they’ve played? So, these are certainly things that we don’t take lightly,” McVay said. “We want to be very smart with Aaron in how we progress him back in, while being aware that each player has his own individual circumstance that dictates that response, whatever we decide to do.
“But,” McVay continued, “these are things that we’ll come to a decision with both the player and our organization on what’s best for everybody involved.” A Myles Simmons report with Kristen Lago contributed reporting.
Rams Sign Westbrooks to Extension. After beginning the 2017 season with a 46-9 victory over the Colts, the Rams have signed one of their defensive linemen to a contract extension.
Originally an undrafted free agent out of West Texas A&M in 2014, Westbrooks has been a mainstay on the defensive line rotation over the last few seasons. Westbrooks has played in 36 career games, making three starts. He’s recorded 5.0 career sacks — including one on Sunday against Indianapolis.
Westbrooks’ signature play is likely his 77-yard fumble return for a touchdown, which he recordedin last year's victory over the Buccaneers.
Hekker Signs Two-Year Contract Extension. The Rams have signed punter Johnny Hekker to a two-year contract extension, keeping him with the club through the 2022 season.
Hekker previously signed a six-year contract extension with the Rams in 2014, which had locked him up through 2020.
Originally signed as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon State in 2012, Hekker has become one of the league’s premier punters. In 2016, he set an NFL record with 51 punts downed inside the 20-yard line, earning his third trip to the Pro Bowl and his third first-team All Pro selection. And back in 2013, Hekker set a league record with a 44.3 yard net average on 78 punts.
Named one of the Rams’ six captains for 2017, Hekker picked up right where he left off on Sunday against Indianapolis, as all five of his punts were downed inside the 20-yard line.
Lucas joins a Rams offensive line that has seen a variety of changes over the past year. Head coach Sean McVay and the rest of his staff made a concentrated effort to boost the offensive line in the offseason, by adding veteran players such as left tackle Andrew Whitworth and center John Sullivan. Lucas should present the team with another rotational option to improve the team's depth on the line.
The former Kansas State Wildcat was signed by the Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2014. And although he was signed to a one-year contract in April, he was released by Detroit after they were awarded two new players via waiver claims last week. Lucas played in 35 games total during his three seasons with the Lions and started in six of them.
It's Official - 2028 Summer Olympic Games to be Held in Los Angeles
There has been much speculation over the past year as to whether or not Los Angeles would be granted the 2028 Summer Olympic Games.
On Wednesday, the International Olympic Committee made it official with the lighting of the Olympic Torch at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
It's official
The IOC just announced Los Angeles will be the host city of the 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games! #FollowTheSun
Both the Rams' current home at the Coliseum, along with their future home at the Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park are expected to host the opening and closing ceremonies, meant as the symbolic link to the city's rich Olympic history and new sports culture. The Coliseum was the original site of both the opening and closing ceremonies in 1932 and 1984.
While other stadiums and arenas around the city, such as the Staples Center and the Rose Bowl, are also planned as sites for the Summer Games, the new $2.6 billion complex in Inglewood is expected to be one of the most beautiful and technologically advanced stadiums in the city.
Set to open in 2020, the future home of both the Rams and Chargers will play a central role in the Olympic Games. Along with the opening and closing ceremonies, the LA 2028 Committee also plans to use the sports complex as the site for other athletic competitions as well.
During Week 2 of the NFL season this Sunday, the Rams will celebrate the granting of the Olympic Games to Los Angeles by welcoming the Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti, LA 2028 Chair Casey Wasserman, President of the IOC Thomas Bach and 1960 Olympic gold medalist Rafer Johnson to the Coliseum to light the torch.
The lighting of the torch will take place just before kickoff at 1:25 P.M. You can purchase tickets for Sunday's game at www.therams.com/tickets.
MORE HEADLINES REGARDING LAST WEEK'S WIN VS. INDY!
A satirical look at more than 75 years of Football's Rams history, combined with discussions of American Exceptionalism and almost 50 years of personal experience in the life of a Rams Fan. The history parallels and intertwines life to form a humorous, yet serious look at American History, World History, an American Football team, and Political Science.