Game overview:
Well, it’s been several days since this game occurred, as I write this...so, it’s been beat-to-death that the Rams went after Sam Darnold like the Lions did Week 18. Nine sacks of Darnold here, and made Sam look worse than he did vs. the Lions.
Two things come to mind with this:
1) I am still fascinated that it took 18 weeks before any NFL team figured out it might be smart to attack/high pressure Darnold as a way to expose him. Instead we got 17 weeks of defenses sitting back on the Vikings trying not to ‘give up the big play’. NFL coaches would rather lose a game than give up a ‘big play’.
Detroit was the only team willing to gamble that their pressure would work more than big plays would occur against them...and that if Detroit did get down, then they had the team that would just answer/come back from a blip moment. Dan Campbell is miles ahead of the NFL...because he simply ‘plays to win’ not ‘plays/plans trying not to lose’.
Credit the Rams for stealing that plan with their superior defensive pass rushers and making it even worse for Darnold.
2) The only team left in the playoffs, AFC or NFC, that I believe can beat the Lions...just one team...and that’s the Rams. Unfortunately, for the Rams (and my summer ‘LAR to win the NFC’ long shot bets)...I don’t think they can beat Philly.
Minnesota is suddenly sent to the offseason with no QB controversy...they had a major QB controversy three+ weeks ago, they don’t have one now. They can comfortably let Darnold go to free agency, and they can groom J.J. McCarthy to be their QB for the next 10+ years (hopefully, for them). A 14-win regular season limps, dazed and confused, into the offseason.
Player Scouting Notes from the game:
*Note any fractional numbers in parentheses (4/2) or (2/3), etc., are a 'split' stat on our definition of a 'quality start' (or not) marker on a player -- using 14 PPR points in a game for RB-WR-TE and 21 (6pts TD pass) for a QB ...point levels that are good/productive/well above average starts for a Fantasy week. Trying to identify trends, consistency (or not) in players we might not normally realize.
A (3/2), for example, means: 3 times the player hit at/above the QUALITY mark, and 2 times they did not (this current season).
-- There’s no way you can bring back Sam Darnold (25-40 for 245 yards, 1 TD/1 INT), right? If you’re the Vikings...if you’re Kevin O’Connell...at the price it’s gonna take? If they reinvested, this time heavily, in Darnold...and he went out there Week 1 and had a similar-to the Lions and Rams meltdown, there would be utter chaos and pitchforks and torches out for such a stupid move...justified or not.
Minnesota can’t bring back Darnold. The Titans can’t try Will Levis again. The Browns cannot proclaim Deshaun Watson is their guy for 2025. There are some situations you just cannot go back to...the bridge has been burned. Darnold, bizarrely, after getting MVP talk three weeks ago...is now in ‘that’ situation. You can’t bring him back at the money he is going to command. The fans have weighed in...the media has weighed in...those QBs are voted off the island.
And I don’t think Kevin O’Connell wants to bring back Darnold. His words after the loss in this game...it was a straightforward ‘breakup’ speech.
It’s J.J. McCarthy’s time now.
-- Does anyone remember Cooper Kupp’s (1-29-0/3) Week 1 game against Detroit this season? 14 catches on 21 targets for 110 yards and 1 TD...and 2 rushes for 10 yards.
The last 3 games for Kupp: 3 targets each game, 1 catch, 3 catches, 0 catches in those games...all games under 30 yards receiving...with one game at 0 yards receiving.
I get that Kupp is not the #1 anymore, but man...this is a harsh finish to his Rams’ career. Unless he’s secretly hurt in some way?
I have a funny feeling he’ll be an X-factor if the Rams make it a game vs. Philly, and/or beat the Eagles. It also could be his last game as a Ram. I don’t know who is trading for the 32-year-old, but he’s likely going away...unless he wants to stay and agrees to spread out his contract for the future to make it easier on the Rams now. It’s not impossible that he may want to just finish his career with the Rams. He’s not a complaining, thinks-too-highly-of-himself diva WR like we see many other top WRs of the past end up like late in their careers.
-- I’m not gonna hold my breath for any reporting on how inefficient Kyren Williams (16-760, 3-16-0/3) ran this season because he posted a sad 4.11 yards per carry this season. Nor will I wait for any questioning of Kyren Williams’ five fumbles this season, four of them lost...had two other moments in this game where the ball came out/the team got it back but neither event was ruled a fumble...and he’s had more than a few of those type of fumble, not fumble...just ruled ‘down’ type moments this season.
Derrick Henry 2023, and his 4.2 yards per carry -- there were all kinds of football writers with advanced analytics to let us know Henry was ‘shot’ and dismissed for any future.
I’m just sayin’... It’s weird what things we pick and choose to like/hate/accept/protect in football circles.
-- Jared Verse (2 tackles, 1 fumble return TD) did not register any sacks in the 9-sack party the Rams defense had this game...but he did scoop up a fumble and took it to the house off of a teammate’s sack that jarred the ball loose.
Verse brings such pressure on the pass rush...and he’s the odd-on favorite for the DROY award, but he not only didn’t get a sack here...he hasn’t had a sack in his last 9 games played. It’s very odd. He’s been in and around causing trouble in the backfield in many key spots this year, but purely statistically he doesn’t have a killer resume.
14 QB hits in his first 9 games this season, but just 4 QB hits his last 9 games this season. Very odd...especially if he wins the DROY award, but I get it...it just feels like he’s had big, late game moments a lot all season.
Snap Counts of Interest:
46 = Kyren
07 = Rivers
45 = Nacua
38 = D Robinson
29 = Kupp
11 = Whittington
02 = X Smith
01 = Tutu
53 = A Jones
12 = Akers
04 = Ty Chandler
