Post by Danchat on Sept 26, 2018 18:59:35 GMT -6
Well... the Vikings have a far, far better opponent after losing the easiest game on their schedule. Going up against the LA Rams on Thursday night will be quite the feat, and here's how their roster looks:
The Rams are one of the best teams in the NFL on paper, and so far that's translated to the games themselves as they've started 3-0. I thought Jared Goff might have a decline after an incredibly successful sophomore campaign, but I appear to be dead wrong. Goff is getting better, and LA has surrounded him with great coaching and tons of talent. Todd Gurley has hit his true potential with the Rams and that's also thanks to the offensive line. With the old stalwart Whitworth at LT, Havenstein the much younger but still good RT, and a great interior, the Rams have zero liabilities on offense. Austin Blythe has passed Jamon Brown as he's played great in the first three games.
The Rams will play 3 WRs for about 95% of the snaps. That means teams must be in the nickel for the entire game, which could be a problem with Mack Alexander still being terrible. Stopping all three at once will be an incredibly difficult task, as all of them have proven to be quality NFL receivers. The Rams mostly use TE Tyler Higbee as a blocker, so you can't really call him a liability. Former 2nd round TE Gerald Everett hasn't been given much playing time.
On defense, the Rams have some cracks that have opened up. Barron, Peters, and Talib should all be out, and the Vikings need to find a way to buy enough time for Cousins to pass to some should-be-open receivers. Sam Shields and Troy Hill will be forced into playing a lot of snaps - Shields is still an unknown because he missed multiple seasons with a serious concussion. Meanwhile, the Rams have a natural weakness at LB - their pass rushing LBs are inexperienced and will rely on the DL to get chances at the QB. The Raiders beat the ILBs in coverage with Jared Cook, so perhaps Rudolph can make some plays by beating Littleton and Wilson in coverage.
However, the Rams' defense should still be solid with the always-elite Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh on board. The Vikings were able to scheme around Donald in the 2017 game, but with DeFilippo clearly not as good as Shurmur and Suh on board, it's possible the interior O-line is in for a long day. Brockers is a solid run stuffer, but that's about it. On the back end, Joyner and Johnson III are very good defenders who should not be treated lightly.
Prediction: Rams 27, Vikings 16
Zimmer has been able to beat the Rams in the past years, but now on the road and missing some key players, I can't see the Vikings prevailing. The Rams are better on paper, and McVay has been coaching circles around the NFL while Zimmer has had trouble getting his defense going.
Injury Report:
Vikings
HB Cook - Questionable
DE Griffen - Out
SS Harris - Questionable
DT T. Johnson - Questionable
T Reiff - Questionable (did not practice)
CB Sherels - Out
Rams
ILB Barron - Doubtful
OLB Easley - Questionable
WR Natson - Out
CB Peters - Questionable
CB Talib - IR
K Zuerlein - Out
Vikings
HB Cook - Questionable
DE Griffen - Out
SS Harris - Questionable
DT T. Johnson - Questionable
T Reiff - Questionable (did not practice)
CB Sherels - Out
Rams
ILB Barron - Doubtful
OLB Easley - Questionable
WR Natson - Out
CB Peters - Questionable
CB Talib - IR
K Zuerlein - Out
The Rams are one of the best teams in the NFL on paper, and so far that's translated to the games themselves as they've started 3-0. I thought Jared Goff might have a decline after an incredibly successful sophomore campaign, but I appear to be dead wrong. Goff is getting better, and LA has surrounded him with great coaching and tons of talent. Todd Gurley has hit his true potential with the Rams and that's also thanks to the offensive line. With the old stalwart Whitworth at LT, Havenstein the much younger but still good RT, and a great interior, the Rams have zero liabilities on offense. Austin Blythe has passed Jamon Brown as he's played great in the first three games.
The Rams will play 3 WRs for about 95% of the snaps. That means teams must be in the nickel for the entire game, which could be a problem with Mack Alexander still being terrible. Stopping all three at once will be an incredibly difficult task, as all of them have proven to be quality NFL receivers. The Rams mostly use TE Tyler Higbee as a blocker, so you can't really call him a liability. Former 2nd round TE Gerald Everett hasn't been given much playing time.
On defense, the Rams have some cracks that have opened up. Barron, Peters, and Talib should all be out, and the Vikings need to find a way to buy enough time for Cousins to pass to some should-be-open receivers. Sam Shields and Troy Hill will be forced into playing a lot of snaps - Shields is still an unknown because he missed multiple seasons with a serious concussion. Meanwhile, the Rams have a natural weakness at LB - their pass rushing LBs are inexperienced and will rely on the DL to get chances at the QB. The Raiders beat the ILBs in coverage with Jared Cook, so perhaps Rudolph can make some plays by beating Littleton and Wilson in coverage.
However, the Rams' defense should still be solid with the always-elite Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh on board. The Vikings were able to scheme around Donald in the 2017 game, but with DeFilippo clearly not as good as Shurmur and Suh on board, it's possible the interior O-line is in for a long day. Brockers is a solid run stuffer, but that's about it. On the back end, Joyner and Johnson III are very good defenders who should not be treated lightly.
Prediction: Rams 27, Vikings 16
Zimmer has been able to beat the Rams in the past years, but now on the road and missing some key players, I can't see the Vikings prevailing. The Rams are better on paper, and McVay has been coaching circles around the NFL while Zimmer has had trouble getting his defense going.
... and neither is this Chris guy.