2021 Dynasty/Fantasy Game Analysis Week 12: Packers 36, Rams 28
I’m not sure that I’m processing this game properly. The Packers won…they pretty much led the whole game. The Packers looked like the superior team, but then the Rams were just hanging around in this game constantly. The Rams gave the Packers 3 turnovers, and they were key…and yet the Packers never really put this game away. Again, my eyes were very much ‘the Packers were better’…but I may be wishing losses on the Rams so hard that I had green- and gold-colored glasses on for the rewatch/study.
40-to-20 minute time of possession Packers.
3-to-1 turnover edge for the Packers.
38% on 3rd/4th-downs Packers, 27% Rams
399-to-353 total yards for the Packers.
4-to-3 Penalties called against…Pack with the 3.
21-to-15 first downs, Packers.
Everything favored the Packers, but it was still a game, kinda, Rams chasing late into the 4th-quarter.
In the end, the Rams lose…and that makes my heart happy because I’m nauseous of the public make out session Menage a trois 2021 between McVay, Stafford, and the ‘likes to watch’ football media. Then adding OBJ into this is such a ridiculous, clueless move – I hope the Rams choke on all of it, if not for anything more than the way McVay privately and publicly treated Jared Goff.
In their last three games, the Lions have more wins than the Rams…a half a win/tie.
The Rams have lost three-in-a-row to fall to (7-4). I pray to the football gods to somehow not let the Rams into the playoffs. I just want blabbermouth McVay to feel the pain of being treated like his ___ don’t stink. He can take his fake Chunky Soup eating ass back down to Cabo this winter and mud wrestle Kyle Shanahan to be the one to acquire the services of Aaron Rodgers. We project the Rams with 9-10 wins and a likely wild card, sadly.
Green Bay jumps to (9-3), and they have the inside track at an NFC #1 seed (already beating Arizona). They are set up to run the table from here with a favorable schedule but will probably stumble on one of them. 13 wins minimum (unless Rodgers goes down).
Fantasy Player Notes…
-- Well, the Matt Stafford (21-38 for 302 yards, 3 TDs/1 INT) for MVP bandwagon broke off a tire, veered off into a convenient store gas pump, and ignited upon impact…over the past three games. 5 TDs/5 INTs, three pick-sixes, three losses.
I shouldn’t paint a picture of such despair…because the Rams will go out and beat the Jags this week, and the media’s favorite son QB (besides Lamar) will be declared ‘all fixed’ and thus Stafford is still a top MVP candidate.
Stafford’s new downfall is OBJ (5-81-1/10)…you knew he was gonna force it to him, and you knew OBJ would drop passes, not finish routes, never catch the ball in traffic, and generally not be on the same page as Stafford because they’re just now playing together – but Stafford and McVay…McStafford…are so smart that they took the sucker’s bet and dove right in heavy with OBJ and problems will ensue.
The Browns were never better then when OBJ was out, and never worse when OBJ was in…but the Rams are smarter than everyone and Sean McVay is trying to con me that bad canned soup is a healthy meal. So, he will show you who is smart at football.
I don’t know how long it will take before the Rams back down on the OBJ hype/targeting, but it’s not yet.
And for some reason, defenses are double teaming him which is an even bigger travesty…but even worse is Stafford trying to force into a double team. OBJ can’t handle no-team, no-player coverage. He’s not going to be a star with double teams.
OBJ got loose for a bomb TD when this game was about out of hand, and that kinda pulled the Rams back into the game for a moment. Nothing special on the play, but Stafford put on him for the score. This will keep them joined together for at least 2-3 more weeks.
-- Two things about Darrell Henderson (16-55-0, 4-18-1/4)…
1) He looks like he’s stuck in mud as a runner now. He’s not a 4.3s runner, as his Pro Day made us all think. He may be hurt/have a secret injury holding him back but he looks like he’d rather be doing 100 other things than carrying a football…watching this tape. Very uninspired, sluggish running.
I think Henderson is starting to bring a Sony Michel (3-14-0, 1-11-0/1) split or takeover into view, if he doesn’t step it up. Not that Michel looks any more electric…but McVay has to be panicking off this three-game slide…willing to mix things up if a hot hand appears.
2) DH is banged up from the game…thigh injury. The door may really open for a Michel takeover if he gets a full starting shot Week 13 and does well. Going to be hard to dismiss him for the bad tape Henderson is putting up.
-- Aaron Jones (10-23-0, 0-0-0/1) looked fine/healed here. A semi-surprising active but he didn’t do much. The Rams seemed committed to stopping the run, which they did…great…Aaron Rodgers only put 36 points on you in a loss anyway, but you didn’t stop being bad against the run for a game, so mission accomplished…I guess. Nice!!
-- I usually shrug off Marquez Valdes-Scantling (4-50-0/9) TD/blip weeks, because they usually happen as a blip and then there is no follow up.
Week 11, 100+ yards and a TD and everyone piling back in.
Week 12/this game, MVS didn’t light up the FF stat sheet here for a follow-up, which is typical…BUT…this time might be different. He almost had a TD (Rodgers overthrow)…which would have been a nice follow up from last week because the last two games: 9 targets this game, 10 targets the game prior.
MVS nearly had a TD in this game and one other long play shot…Rodgers’ fault, not MVS. And if they had connected on one of the near-misses, there is NO WAY anyone would have dropped him for FF, and he’d be in starting lineups next week/Week 14. One slight overthrow has changed the MVS narrative.
What I’ve seen of the MVS targeting -- is an improved more purposed targeting with an opponent’s emphasis on Davante Adams to give MVS lesser coverage. I am getting all-in fever on MVS, for the price, to try and ride this wave that could crash but this wave is nice right now…especially where I’ve lost Deebo for a while.
If you can snatch MVS for a song during this bye week and a meh Week 12…I’d do it. A smart add for your title runs or trying to hustle into the playoffs.
Heck, he’s on waivers in some redrafts – the bye week and injuries forcing him to get coughed up for a roster space, and he is not in view of the ‘by scoring’ Week 13 rank because he’s on a bye…so, do a search for him if you want. He’s a WR2 potential lethal add for the stretch run…a homerun hitter.
I like the MVS target and general on-tape look better than this Randall Cobb (4-93-1/5) moment.
-- Jalen Ramsey (6 tackles) was barely covering Davante Adams in this game, which is insane. The Packers would get near the goal line and Adams would be lined up on one side/outside and Ramsey would be at linebacker on the other side. Next end zone play, Adams would switch to the otherwise…Ramsey would switch to the opposite side.
I cannot believe football analysts are still talking about Ramsey shutting down ___WR in a matchup. It is not true in 2021.
Here’s all you need to know about Jalen Ramsey 2021, I’ll represent it in a two-man play that I’ve penned…
McVay: Big game this week, Jalen. We’re facing the great Davante Adams. You know how much Rodgers loves to throw it to him. I’m gonna need you to shut him down this week!
Ramsey: I’m an outside linebacker.
McVay: I know you’ve worked there a lot this season…but this game we really need you to take away Davante for our best shot to win this huge game.
Ramsey: I’m an outside linebacker.
McVay: I know we’ve let you play there, and you’ve been good…but you’re the best cover corner in the game and we’re facing the top WR in football. We traded a ton for you and pay you a lot of money to be that stud…we kinda need you on Davante.
Ramsey: I’m an outside linebacker.
McVay: Could I tempt you with some Chunky soup?
Ramsey: I’m an outside linebacker.
McVay: OK, no problem…I’m going to go back to the office and make out with Matt Stafford some more. Check ya later. Hopefully, we don’t lose to the Packers as Adams catches 8 passes for 104 yards on 9 targets against us.
Ramsey: I’m an outside linebacker.
-end scene-
-- Rasul Douglas (6 tackles, 1 INT TD) is more of a shutdown corner in 2021 than Jalen Ramsey is. Douglas has been fantastic this year. A Pro Bowl level year.
Just so you know how great NFL head coaches and D-Cs are at evaluating talent they possess, here’s Douglas’s NFL journey so far:
OCT 7 2021 = Signed to the active roster by Green Bay
SEP 2 2021 = Signed to the practice squad by Arizona
AUG 30 2021 = Released by Houston
AUG 24 2021 = Signed a contract with Houston
AUG 23 2021 = Released by Las Vegas
APR 19 2021 = Signed a 1 year $990,000 contract with Las Vegas
SEP 6 2020 = Claimed off waivers by Carolina
SEP 5 2020 = Waived by Philadelphia
MAY 11 2017 = Signed a 4 year $3.17 million contract with Philadelphia (PHI)
Snap Counts of Interest:
42 = Dillon
40 = A Jones
35 = Deguara
33 = M Lewis
20 = Dafney
50 = DHenderson
12 = Michel
62 = Kupp
61 = Van J
61 = OBJ