I read somewhere at some particular time that I cannot recall, that NFL football is like theatre, each game a separate entity from the previous one. Actors know all about this. Good guys one day, and a menace to society the next. The Los Angeles Rams can relate. Starting quarterback Case Keenum for that matter can as well.
On a beautiful sun soaked Southern California day (yes, typical), the team formerly known as the Rams of St. Louis played their first regular season home game in the LA area in twenty two years against a league powerhouse from the Pacific Northwest, the Seattle Seahawks. And the hosts won. It was not pretty but it was a typical Rams type of performance. Stingy on defense, three Greg Zuerlein field goals and a ridiculously low scoring final score that read, Los Angeles 9, Seattle 3.
Here are three points to Takeaway from this Week 2 win.
Los Angeles Rams Week Two Takeaways
The Rams Are Who We Thought They Were on Defense
This is a very good defensive squad. They have been for a handful of seasons playing in the Midwest and that is not about to change anytime soon just because they have moved back to the land of milk and honey. Yes, the Seahawks seem to be perennial slow starters out of the gate these past few seasons under the direction of fifth year starting quarterback Russell Wilson, but let us not take anything away from a balanced, disciplined group of eleven that continuously stymied, accosted and frustrated the visitors into submission, eventually.
It was not easy, as is usually the case when the offense continued to struggle, but two huge turnovers, one to end the first half and the other to seal the victory with a mere 45 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the Seahawks marching to a potential go ahead touchdown. Game balls go all around to the defense on this day but especially to the dynamic duo of the night, the men who stepped up and made plays that all stars make with ball games on the line.
Robert Quinn looked like he was shot out of a cannon as he chased Wilson down and stripped the Hawks Pro Bowl quarterback on the final play of the second quarter. Alec Ogletree, after a pedestrian effort in San Francisco on Monday, showed today why his assent to the upper echelon of the linebacking brethren seems back on track. His game was All-Pro on this afternoon and his text book smack on Seahawks running back Christine Michael sent the ball onto the Coliseum turf, which Ogletree collected, smothered, sealing victory for the Rams and sending the Seahawks back to Seattle at 1-1. The Rams own the same record after this surprising win, 1-1 and heading to Tampa Bay for a battle with the Bucs next Sunday.
Going Vertical Wins Football Games
Granted, as stated above, the defense was first and second star in today’s gridiron get together in LA. Coming off last Monday’s absolute stinker of a game, offensively especially, fans wanted to see some signs that offensive coordinator Rob Boras would collect some courage to throw some balls deeper into the opponent’s secondary. This was nonexistent versus the 49ers but today we witnessed six or seven attempts of that manner and a few of them clicked.
Most impressively was when Keenum spotted tight end Lance Kendricks breaking into some open grass on the left sideline and saucered him a 20-yard toss that dropped perfectly into the hard running big man. Kendricks turned the largest gain of the Ram’s season so far into a 44 yard gain to the Seattle four yard line. As it is as a Ram, you take the good with the bad, and all they could muster from there was another Zuerlein field goal just before the end of the first half.
Two other vertical balls that ended successfully are also worth mentioning. Keenum again went picking on the Seahawks right side and threaded a 36 yarder to Rams wideout Kenny Britt. This got Keenum and company out of some terrible field position inside their own ten yard line early in the third quarter. Later in the third, Keenum connected with speed burner receiver Tavon Austin for a nice 27 yard gain that again kept the chains moving and Wilson and his sometimes potent offense off the field a little longer. It was not Bill Walsh style west coast offense at its finest but it was marked improvement over the debacle that week one in Santa Clara became.
Los Angeles Is a Pro Football Town
After some postings you may have read last week, one would assume Angelenos were ready to send the Rams and their team bus back to St Louis. That’s not the case by any means. The Coliseum, playing host to its first professional football game in 22 years since the Raiders finished up their 1994 campaign there, was packed and the atmosphere quite electric, at least by Los Angeles standards.
91,046 came through the turnstiles and the buzz was palpable which was great to see and somewhat surprising to be honest, coming off that horror show in Northern California six days ago. This is not a USC college game and the vibe is completely different. Not necessarily better but unique after almost a quarter century where locals only could witness the collegiate game.
Keeping the energy going will be somewhat of a trial for the Rams. The have back-to-back road games before hosting the Buffalo Bills on October 9th at the Coliseum. Then off to London, England for a home game, yes, a Rams home game in Jolly ‘ol England against the New York Giants.
So home games will be few and far between over the next six weeks but for starters, this one had what Rams fans wanted and needed. A large crowd, a stingy defense, a somewhat vertical passing game, and hey, best of all, another win over the Seahawks.
It’s always the Rams best cure for what ails them.
