By: Courtney Burrows

Now that the Superbowl is officially over and there is (gulp) 206 days until the 2022 season, we dive headfirst into free agency, dynasty, rookies, and the draft.  Superbowl LVI saw the Rams defeat the Bengals 23-20 in a battle till the end.  There are numerous free agents on both sides of the ball who are hoping to either resign or move to another team. 

Cincinnati Bengals

TE-CJ Uzomah

Drafted in the 5^th round in 2015, Uzomah has been a mainstay for the team.  He played only 2 games in 2020 and many thought he was fading into the background.  He came back staying in sync with Burrow for five touchdowns and 493 yards.  Now, those aren’t insane TE numbers, but they are decent and consistent especially when you consider he is the 3^rd to 4^th target on the team.  It’s always hard to lose a player that has been with the team since the beginning, but they do two other TEs on the roster, (though I believe Uzomah to be a better pass-catcher than Sample).  I think they keep Uzomah due to his big middle-of-the-field presence, chemistry with Burrow, but he is coming off an MCL sprain that could be lingering.   

Prediction: Retained( but really depends on money)

CB Eli Apple

Apple unfortunately was the defender that allowed Cooper Kupp to score the game-winning touchdown in the Superbowl.  This after much controversy has surrounded him when in the last few weeks he has taken to Twitter to speak of his distaste of the Saints and Giants (two of his former teams).  These Twitter comments have included hating the fanbase to the actual cities themselves.  While in New Orleans he had 11 passes defended and only one interception, and in 30 games with the Giants, he was suspended and only racked up 102 tackles.  It seems to me that someone with a rocky background should keep his head down and just play hard to win every game and prove his worth.  I don’t think this time he did.  This season with the Bengals, he had 11 assists and two interceptions.  There are younger, stronger, faster CBs out there not only in the draft but coming up in free agency like Casey Hayward Jr, or Steven Nelson.

 Prediction:  Released

QB Brandon Allen

It is quite obvious Allen is a backup and Burrow is not going anywhere anytime soon, but when Burrow went down last year, it was Allen who stepped in.  He has learned under Coach Taylor’s offensive system and has developed a great rapport with Burrow.  At 29 years old, it might be smart to retain him one more year and make a trade for a younger back up next year as there will be lots of QB shuffling this off-season.  Allen fits well behind Burrow, and with the Bengals looking to make another run at the big game next season, it makes sense to prioritize your off-season elsewhere than another QB.  During the 2021 season when Allen stepped in, he threw for 925 yards and five TDs.  He has proven himself to be coachable, consistent, and able to do the smaller tasks asked of him. 

Prediction:  Retained

Los Angeles Rams

WR Odell Beckham Jr.

After numerous up and downs seasons with the Browns, OBJ signed a one-year deal with the Rams.  We all know now that the Rams organization was “all-in” signing all the missing pieces to make a Superbowl caliber team, and that helped propel them to Superbowl Champions.  Immediately following the Superbowl win, OBJ tweeted he really wanted to stay in LA and was even willing to take a salary cut, and that is good news considering the Rams’ salary cap.  OBJ came up big when Robert Woods went on IR and complemented Kupp as a huge red-zone target.  He genuinely seemed to mesh with this team well, and there were no on or off-field antics swirling around him.  Maybe the sea air refreshed him enough to focus on football and the job he was paid to do.  In 9 games with the Rams, he had 359 yards on 31 receptions and five touchdowns.  He was instrumental in the first quarter of the Superbowl for Stafford catching the 1^st TD of the game.  I feel teams will be gunning for him after his turnaround time with the Rams, but I think the Rams would be wise to hold on to him one more year, especially at a discount as they make another run for the glory.

Prediction: Retained

RB Sony Michel

Akers is back and Henderson looked good as the passing-back in the Rams Superbowl victory.  Michel was the lead back Weeks 13-16 when Henderson went down carrying the ball for 423 yards, and overall had 845 yards and four TDs last season.  He is a great 3^rd-down back but struggles in the passing game.  I would love to see him in Atlanta complementing Patterson.  I think Davis is not a viable option, and I am guessing that Atlanta focuses on a QB in RD 1 or 2 to rep and learn behind Matt Ryan.  Don’t forget Michel is a graduate of Georgia, so coming home probably has a nice ring to it. 

Prediction:  Released

OLB Von Miller

Oh, how I love Von.  I loved watching him lead the defense for years with Denver and when he went to the Rams, my first thought was”¦they are going to win the Superbowl with him!  He is 32 and will be 33 before the start of the 2022 season, but when healthy he is a beast, and that may carry a high dollar price.  I could see him wanting to see what else is out there as he contemplates retirement within the next few years, but what could be better than LA”¦sun, sand, and another run at a back-to-back Superbowl appearance?  He most likely will desire to stay with the Rams, but they might not be able to afford him.  If he is willing to lower his salary terms, maybe, but there are plenty of teams that would love him for one to two more years including the Cardinals, Colts, Bears, and Raiders. 

Prediction:  Released (unless a lower salary is bargained)

The post Bengals and Rams free agency outlook appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By Chris Moore (Twitter: @fantasy_moore)

Sony Michel used to be viewed as an upcoming star at the running back position when the Patriots drafted him in 2018. Michel battled with injuries during his tenure in New England. Due to the emergence of Damien Harris and Michel’s injuries, the Patriots decided to move on from Michel this offseason. The Patriots traded him to the Rams for a sixth-round pick in 2022 and a fourth-rounder in 2023. It was clear both parties needed a fresh start, as Michel will now fill the Rams’ massive need at running back while the Patriots added some draft capital. Following his arrival in Los Angeles, Michel is now the backup for Darrell Henderson.

Big Opportunity?

Through two weeks of the NFL season, Michel has 11 carries for 51 yards. Michel hasn’t seen a heavy workload yet, but this weekend may be his first shot at receiving a larger workload as the season goes on. The Rams starting running back Darrell Henderson suffered a rib injury in the Rams Week 2 victory over the Colts. As of the time I am writing this article, Henderson is a game-time decision for Week 3. If Henderson were to miss Week 3, Michel would be in line to receive a heavy workload versus the Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers currently have one of the best defensive lines in the entire league, and it will be hard for the Rams to get anything going on the ground this week regardless of who the starting running back is. But, this would be a huge opportunity for Michel to show he still belongs in the league. A strong showing out of Michel may have the Rams rethinking their current backfield. Michel may have a chance this week to show he deserves more playing time in this backfield.

What’s Left In The Tank

While the Patriots believed they didn’t need Michel’s services anymore, I still believe Michel can be a viable running back in the league. Michel looked good in the preseason for the Patriots, averaging 4.6 yards per carry in the two games he played. Michel also showed improvement in the passing game, as Michel caught every target he saw in the preseason (4) for 37 receiving yards. Michel looked like a better player than the one he was last season. Michel took over last week when Henderson left the game and had a strong showing. Rushing 10 times for 46 yards, with his longest run being 11 yards.

He might not be the impressive rookie running back he used to be, but Michel has an opportunity to establish a greater role for himself in the Rams backfield starting this week. Michel looked prepared when he took over for Henderson last week, and I expect that to be the case if he starts in Week 3 for the Rams. Michel is an established running back in the league, who’s looking for another chance, and he might get one.

The post Why Sony Michel will dominate in Week 3 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

Plenty of uncertainty surrounds the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, and Houston Texans going into the 2021 season. Their quarterback situations are far from clear and their overall rosters are mediocre at best.

The same goes for their head coaches, with all three going into their first seasons at the franchise. Neither of Dan Campbell, Nick Sirianni, or David Culley has been a full-time head coach in the NFL. Campbell is the only one to have some experience, with his spell as interim head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2015.

Here is why you should be expecting the Lions, Eagles, and Texans to have the three worst records in the league in 2021.

Saying Goodbye To A Franchise Legend In Detroit. Struggles For The Replacement

Matthew Stafford was the number one overall pick in 2009, with the entire city of Detroit hoping he would be the man to turn around the fortunes of the franchise. Despite three seasons of making the playoffs, the Lions and Stafford never won a single postseason game as the wait continues. The Lions remain the team with the second-longest period without a playoff win, their last taking place on January 5th, 1992.

Stafford had some great individual moments as a Lion, most notably his Mic’d up moment during his 2009 rookie season. In a week eleven game against the Cleveland Browns, he overcame injury to produce a moment of pure heroism. He played with a separated shoulder despite the efforts of the medical staff to keep him off the field, leading the Lions to a touchdown-winning drive.

Jim Caldwell guided the Lions to these playoff appearances but was not seen as good enough to take them to the next step. New England Patriots assistant head coach Matt Patricia was brought in but never took to life as head coach. The Lions had three consecutive losing seasons under the coaching of Patricia. They will hope that they have found their guy in Dan Campbell. His press conference was certainly not dull, with Campbell referring to “biting kneecaps”. As a former Lions player, he knows what it takes to play in the league. He also knows about the city of Detroit and his intentions are both positive and clear. If he is given time, he has the desire to bring the good times back to Detroit. However, he is inexperienced as a head coach and the roster is below average.

New quarterback Jared Goff has the potential to struggle. This is despite the drafting of offensive lineman Penei Sewell at seventh overall, a selection that had Campbell and new General Manager Brad Holmes very excited.

Despite his brilliant 2018 season that saw the Rams reach Super Bowl 53, Goff had a poor game and struggled in 2020 as he and head coach Sean McVay’s relationship deteriorated.

Goff struggled despite a plethora of offensive talent around him. Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp form one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL. He is going to a franchise that let go of their two best wide receivers and failed to replace them.

The Lions have a schedule that features the San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, and Cleveland Browns. There are also two games against their division rivals, the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and Chicago Bears. The Lions do not have it easy.

Prediction: 3-14

Trouble In Philadelphia; Reason For Hope?

The Eagles have seen three years of gradual decline after winning Super Bowl 52. The 2017 season saw the Eagles lift the Lombardi Trophy for the first time after two previous attempts.

Doug Pederson was the head coach to guide the Eagles to a Super Bowl but was fired after the conclusion of the 2020 season. His decision to bench rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts in order to lose and gain a higher draft pick appeared to be the final nail in the coffin.

Carson Wentz had an MVP caliber season before an injury derailed hopes of winning the award. Backup Nick Foles stepped in and guided the Eagles to the Super Bowl 52 win. He also stepped in a year later and guided the Eagles to a shock Wildcard Round win against the Chicago Bears, with thanks also going to a Cody Parkey missed field goal.

Both Foles and Wentz are no longer Eagles players. Out of the starters in that Super Bowl 52 win, only seven remain with the franchise. Their decision to draft Jalen Reagor over Justin Jefferson continues to be mocked by rival fans and nobody knows how new head coach Nick Sirianni will do in the role.

The schedule is mixed for Philadelphia. Whilst they face the New York Jets, Lions, and twice play the New York Giants, they also have to face the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.. This is as well as facing a rising Washington Football Team twice as well as playing the Dallas Cowboys both home and away.

Reports have surfaced in recent days of the Philadelphia Eagles being the favourites for Deshaun, with talks said to be “heating up”.

This could be a move that transforms the franchise. However, Deshaun Watson had his best statistical season yet the Texans only managed four wins all year. This proves that whilst it is very important to have a good quarterback, you need more around to be successful.

Unless the Eagles do something in what remains of the offseason, they will continue to be mediocre if their roster continues to be this poor. If they get offensive or defensive talent in the next one or two offseasons, then they are a team that will compete for years to come. Otherwise, the Eagles will fail to be a threat to both the NFC and NFC East.

This is why Deshaun should avoid the Eagles at this present time. He will be going into a situation no different to what he experienced in Houston.

Prediction: 4-13

What A Difference A Year Makes

Where do we start with the Houston Texans? The 2019 season saw them take a 24-0 lead against the Chiefs in the Divisional Round. However, they allowed 41 unanswered points as they lost 51-31. What has unfolded since in the following nineteen months has been reminiscent of a Greek tragedy.

Head coach Bill O’Brien, who also was general manager, made the unusual decision to trade star wide receiver, Deandre Hopkins. In exchange, the Texans received a running back past his sell-by date in David Johnson, one second-rounder and one fourth-round pick. O’Brien only lasted four games in the 2020 season as they finished the campaign with just four wins.

Since the conclusion of the 2020 season, franchise legend J.J Watt has left and there continues to be an uncertain future surrounding quarterback Deshaun Watson. Houston’s quarterback requested a trade in January before allegations of sexual assault arose. These have lingered throughout the remainder of the offseason. It is unclear if Watson will play in the NFL at all in 2021 but even if he does, it is unlikely that he will be wearing a Texans jersey.

Houston has said they would listen to trade offers for Watson, with the franchise said to be wanting three first-round picks. They have also acquired Tyrod Taylor via Free Agency and used their first pick in the draft on Davis Mills in the third round. Even if the Eagles stick with Hurts, there will be plenty of other suitors.

Even with Watson, the Texans are light on the ground when it comes to elite talent. Linebacker Zach Cunningham and Laremy Tunsil are talents and despite adding Phillip Lindsay and Mark Ingram to the running back room, the roster is one of the league’s worst.

David Culley has developed somewhat of a worrying reputation after his time with the Eagles, Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens. During his fourteen-season spell with the Eagles, his four seasons with the Chiefs, and two years with the Ravens, he had 0 wide receivers earn a PFF grade of 80 or above.

The Chiefs wideouts went an entire season without a touchdown under Culley. With a wide receiver room featuring Brandin Cooks, Nico Collins and Anthony Miller, this is not exactly a position of strength for the Texans. Culley is unlikely to see any of these receivers score high PFF grades.

Whilst the Texans might be playing the Jacksonville Jaguars twice and the Jets, they have a tough schedule. They will face the Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks. Houston will also play the Los Angeles Chargers and the San Francisco 49ers as well as the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans twice.

They are unlikely to win many of these games. Fans should be expecting a difficult season.

Prediction: 2-15

The post Expect the Lions, Eagles, and Texans to have the worst records in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Reese Nasser

Aaron Donald has been a force of nature since he entered the NFL in 2014 when the Rams selected him with the 13th overall pick. In his rookie season, he put the NFL on notice. He recorded 18 tackles for loss and nine sacks on his way to becoming the Defensive Rookie of the Year. 

Since his explosive rookie season, Donald has not slowed down. He has become one of the greatest players to ever step on a football field. He has missed just two games throughout the entirety of his career and has steadily been the most dominant force in almost every game he has appeared in. 

In his 110 career games, he has filled the stat sheet, even while often dealing with two or three blockers. Donald has spent his career making his way to the backfield, tallying up 131 tackles for loss, 201 quarterback hits, and 88 sacks. 

To go along with his dominance on the field, Donald has the accolades to match. He is a seven-time pro bowler, a six-time all-pro, and a three-time defensive player of the year. He is coming off of a 2020 season where he received his third DPOY award. Donald finished last season with 13.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and 28 quarterback hits. 

But awards such as defensive player of the year aren’t won off of just a resume alone. They are won by performing each season at the highest level. So can Aaron Donald win the award for the fourth time in 2021? Yes, and here’s why. 

Age

At just 30-years old, Donald still has quality years in front of him. He has also shown no signs of slowing down. In his past three seasons, Donald has 46.5 sacks and 59 QB hits. He has also still get to the backfield with ease. 

As previously noted, he has played in every Rams game besides two during his time in the NFL. His ability to play at the highest level, even when injured, is something that Donald has become known for. After suffering torn rib cartilage in the Rams wildcard game against the Seattle Seahawks, Donald was ready to go one week later as he played in the divisional matchup against the Green Bay Packers. 

High Motor

Donald is a proven menace to opposing offensive lines. The disruption that he is able to cause, plus the constant high level that he plays at causes teams to scheme directly around him. Even the league’s best blockers struggle to contain Donald. 

Donald’s ability to consistently become the focus of opposing offenses is something that the NFL can’t ignore. He is able to do things that other players cannot. Heading into the 2021 season, this should be no different. Donald will have every reason to be a force again and nobody has been able to stop him yet. That won’t change now. If all goes to plan, Donald could very well bring home his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award. 

The post Why Aaron Donald could win DPOY again appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Daniel Racz @Danny___Dimes  

Introduction

A perfect storm was brewing for Cam Akers in 2021. A solid offensive line, an improved quarterback and an assumed three-down role. Sadly, Akers tore his Achilles during a pre-training camp practice. The Rams’ current backfield consists of Darrell Henderson Jr., Xavier Jones, Raymond Calais, Otis Anderson, and Jake Funt. Though the Rams’ front office and head coach Sean McVay have said that they do not plan to immediately bring in more competition, it is unlikely that the room remains the same throughout the offseason.

The current free agent options are serviceable at best, but the Rams will need to go bargain hunting to piece together a competent running back room. Though none of the available players are uber-athletic, there are experienced veterans and pass catchers that could be of use to the Rams.

Duke Johnson

Duke Johnson Jr. has no business sitting in free agency while running backs like Carlos Hyde and Devontae Booker have defined roles. Since entering the league, Johnson has totaled over 300 receptions and almost 3,000 receiving yards out of the backfield.

If the Rams were to sign Johnson, it would be as a complementary piece in their committee. Darrell Henderson has not been used as a pass-catcher with the Rams, so signing Johnson would give them an impact player in the passing game. Johnson’s 4.51 speed on his 210-pound frame is nothing more than average, but the Rams should be thrilled with league-average production right now.

Adrian Peterson

AP is quietly still a capable running back. In his past three seasons, he has totaled over 2,500 yards on the ground and 450 yards as a receiver. Peterson also has 20 total touchdowns since 2018. Peterson ranked 13th in yards created per touch and 31st in evaded tackles last year, per player profile. Though these metrics are not anything special, Peterson has proved that he still has enough juice left in the tank. 

The Rams can deploy Peterson on any down and trust him to be a willing pass protector. AP’s experience across over a decade in the league is invaluable, and he could benefit the franchise more than any other free agent. 

Todd Gurley

The divorce between the Los Angeles Rams and Todd Gurley was ugly. Gurley even claimed that some of his game checks were not delivered. All that said, the Rams bringing in Todd Gurley makes too much sense, if Gurley is open to a reunion. The Rams would love a running back that has a deep knowledge of their system, like Gurley. The comfort level that Gurley has with coach McVay’s system is an immediate bonus. 

Gurley is no longer an elite running back. However, it has been demonstrated that teams can win games without high-end backs. The Chiefs won a super bowl with Damien Williams as their lead back in 2019 and the Buccaneers won in 2020 with Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones. Gurley, Darrell Henderson, and Raymond Calais would be one of the worst running back rooms in the league, but it just might be enough to get by.

The post Best free-agent running back replacements for Cam Akers appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jeremy Trottier

The Los Angeles Rams are widely being considered a playoff contender at the very least, if not a contender for the Super Bowl.  With the addition of Matthew Stafford this offseason among other weapons such as DeSean Jackson and Tutu Atwell, they seem to be in a good place in terms of their offense.  With Aaron Donald on the defense and Jalen Ramsey, they have assets on the defensive side of the ball as well.  However, they also have some glaring hurdles to overcome in the 2021-2022 season if they want to make a title push.  In this article, I will go over the main three of these challenges, and why they change the Rams odds at a title run.

New Defensive Scheming

One of the biggest changes this offseason for the Los Angeles Rams came in the form of coaching.  Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who spent the 2020 season as the Rams defensive coordinator, will be moving on to be the head coach of the other Los Angeles team in the Chargers.  This move left the Rams in somewhat of a scramble to find a new DC, which ended up being Raheem Morris, who spent his last seven seasons with the Atlanta Falcons as a DC, interim head coach, and assistant coach of many positions at times. 

This scheme change could be a huge one, as Raheem comes from the Jon Gruden coaching tree, focusing on hard-nosed football on both sides of the ball and pure power.  Morris also worked under Mike Shanahan, Jay Gruden, and Dan Quinn during his career, which somewhat factors in the unknown of what defensive scheme he will utilize with his new team.

Division Strength

The only word to come even remotely close to describing the NFC West is Elite.  All four teams in this division are truly high-powered on both sides of the ball, and we could see some huge competition from these teams fighting for the top seed.  The Seattle Seahawks still have Russell Wilson, which basically lands them a playoff spot regardless of what happens.  However, with DK Metcalf only improving for the last two seasons, Tyler Lockett locked into an extension, Gerald Everett to improve the TE room, and D’Wayne Eskridge potentially for the slot.  

The Arizona Cardinals have made improvements as well, the most notable being the addition of JJ Watt to the defense, as well as Zaven Collins to bulk up the linebacker core, and Isaiah Simmons getting a true shot at starting at LB as well.  Finally, the 49ers, who have returned to a fully healthy form that was in the Super Bowl only a season ago in 2019-2020, and now Brandon Aiyuk, Trey Sermon, and Trey Lance added on top of that previous roster, as well as the return of 2019-2020 DROY Nick Bosa along the defensive line.

Matthew Stafford Conforming to Scheme

Now, this is in no way ragging on Matthew Stafford, as he is an absolutely phenomenal QB, and really has done well with a team that gave him not much to work with lately.  With that said, Stafford is going from a relatively base level offense with not a lot of flashy plays and trick plays, to the team with the highest rate of Play Action from 2017-2021.  

This wildly different type of offense could be very good for Stafford, there is no doubt about that, and he will have some amazing weapons around him in Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, DeSean Jackson, Tutu Atwell, and Tyler Higbee.  With that said, subtracting Cam Akers from the mix due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, this offense is going to rely very heavily on the passing game and play action/redirections, which could definitely take time for Stafford to get used to. 

The post Three biggest obstacles for the Los Angeles Rams next season appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Will Baptist

Matthew Stafford’s play has been somewhat erratic throughout his career, but being traded to the Los Angeles Rams will prove to be a blessing. The Detroit Lions are in disarray and have been one of the most dysfunctional organizations over the past 30 years. Stafford desperately needed a fresh start to prove that he can still be a top-10 QB in the NFL.

Stafford led them to the playoffs on three separate occasions, but was never able to secure a playoff victory. The Lions have not won a playoff game since 1991, and it seems they are starting all over once again.

Stafford was the first overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft and has one of the biggest arms in the NFL. In his 12-year tenure with the Lions, he compiled 45,109 passing yards and 282 passing touchdowns and broke a multitude of records.

Stafford had some outstanding seasons with the Lions, and showed true greatness. His best season was back in 2011, when he completed 63.5% of his passes and threw for 5,038 yards, 41 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Stafford was one of the QBs in the NFL at throwing the deep ball, especially when Calvin Johnson was in Detroit.

The Lions simply never had a talented enough roster for Stafford to get them over the hump. They had a horrid defense throughout his time there, and never had a stable run game. Stafford is now with a proven coaching staff and offensive guru in Sean McVay, with a Super Bowl ready roster. Stafford will not have to force the issue, and he is now set up to have the best season of his career at 33 years old.

The talent on the Rams roster

The Rams are a drastically better organization than the Lions, and their roster is a perfect fit for Stafford to step in and dominate. Outside of Calvin Johnson, the Lions did not surround Stafford with much talent, while also having one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL.

Cooper Kupp is one of the best slot receivers in the NFL, and he is poised for a huge season in 2021. He played in 15 games last year and caught 92 balls for 974 yards and three touchdowns. That was a down year for Kupp compared to his stellar 2019 season, where he caught 94 balls for 1,161 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Robert Woods has been a model of consistency since arriving in Los Angeles. Over the past three seasons, Woods has 266 catches, 3,289 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns. Last year was his first season under 1,000 receiving yards since 2017, but he should eclipse 1,000 yards easily with Stafford under center.

Van Jefferson was one of the Rams second round picks in 2020, but he was not used very often last season. All signs are pointing towards a breakout season for Jefferson, according to the reports from the Rams camp. McVay is extremely high on him and now that Josh Reynolds has left the team, Jefferson can step into that role immediately.

Cam Akers was the other second round pick in 2020 for the Rams and he is in line to be the every down back this season. He took over as the lead back for the last four games and their two postseason games and looked like a veteran. In the last six games, he totaled 561 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. He is running behind one of the best offensive lines in football, which will help Stafford immensely as well.

A lot of offensive players had a down season for the Rams last year because of how poor Jared Goff played. His inability to throw the ball down the field made it much easier for opposing defenses to defend the Rams. Stafford is one of the most gifted quarterbacks in the NFL in terms of arm talent, which bodes well for all of the Rams skill positions to have a bounce back year.

Jared Goff’s production with the Rams

Goff was the first overall pick in 2016, but he did not live up to the hype. Stafford proved that he should have been taken first overall with his talent and production, while Goff was wildly underwhelming throughout his time with the Rams. Goff’s only good seasons with the Rams were 2017 and 2018.

In 2017, Goff led the Rams to an 11-4 record for the 15 games that he played. He completed 62.1% of his passes and threw for 3,804 yards, 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions. His play was up and down, but he kept the mistakes to a minimum and showed that he may have been worth the first overall pick.

Regardless of Goff being inconsistent, he was still able to have great production and lead his team to a Super Bowl in 2018. During that season, he completed 64.9% of his passes and threw for 4,688 yards, 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and led his team to a 13-3 record. He was atrocious in the Super Bowl in their 13-3 loss, and Bill Belichick laid out the blueprint on how to disrupt Goff by constantly getting pressure on him.

McVay set Goff up for success and surrounded him with extremely talented playmakers for those two seasons. He had Todd Gurley, Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods all making their presence felt, while McVay was a mastermind at drawing plays up that Goff could handle.

Goff showed flashes of being good throughout his time with the Rams, but overall his play was disappointing. If they had better quarterback play in 2018, they could have won the Super Bowl without question.

The Rams were one of the best offenses in the NFL during Goff’s time there, even though Goff was below average. Stafford is a much better player than Goff in every aspect, and with how genius McVay is at running an offense, the sky is the limit for Stafford in Los Angeles.

The post Why Matthew Stafford is set up for a career season appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jeremy Trottier

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay has been one of the most interesting coaches to watch since he began as a coordinator in 2014.  As the youngest head coach both currently in the NFL and in NFL history, clearly, something sets him apart from the rest.  Even with no college coaching experience to his name, he still has led the Rams to a 67.2% winning percentage during his tenure.  

In this article, I will be going over the reasons why McVay stands out against the rest of NFL coaches.

Playbook Design/Play Creation

One of the biggest and most notable things about Sean is how good he is at drawing up hypothetical plays for the playbook.  The Rams offense relied heavily on play-action in 2018 when they went to the Super Bowl, and clearly this was effective.  Being able to utilize play-action as much as they did is something few teams could do prior to 2020 when it became the norm almost.  

This usage of play action has really revolutionized the NFL in a lot of ways, as prior to the Rams using it, it was very minimally effective.  With Sean being able to create new versions of it to cater to Jared Goff during those seasons, he made it extremely effective.  The increase in effectiveness in Goff when using play action is absolutely phenomenal, just to list a few from that 2018 season:

• 34.6% of drop backs for Goff were play-action, the highest in the league that season by a large margin
• Goff averaged 3.5 more yards per attempt on play-action throws compared to regular drop backs
• More than 80% of Goff’s interceptions that season came when he was not using play action (10 of 12)
• Goff had an 115.0 passer rating on play-action passes in that season

McVay being able to draw up an NFL playbook he likes with no knowledge or previous experience as a college level coach is impressive to say the least.  It gives him the advantage of drawing up plays without college bias though and gives him a chance to play call purely based on his coaching staff and not any previous experiences before the NFL level.

Previous Experience Coaching

Sean McVay has had a pretty interesting road to the NFL that not many other coaches have had.  He played three years of football in college at Miami University of Ohio (not the Hurricanes) as a wide receiver, from 2005-2007.  After graduating there, he immediately went into the NFL as part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistance staff.  Learning from at the time head coach of the Bucs Jon Gruden, he likely gathered a lot of information from him early in his career.

McVay also was a wide receivers coach in the UFL, which lasted for about three years and was likely a good experience for Sean to learn outside the NFL in a “college” type setting.  Obviously he went on a fast track to head coaching after that, going from offensive assistant with Washington all the way up to offensive coordinator before being hired by Los Angeles.  This track has never been taken before as he has done it so extremely young.

The “3 P’s”

What I am referring to here is how McVay handles his coaching in terms of three different points.  Preparation, Personality, and Perseverance.  Each of these he has an abundance of, and truly it is something to behold.  In fact, in an interview with Andy Benoit after their 2018-2019 season Super Bowl appearance, McVay admitted that he “overprepared” for that game.  

Sean says that he watched every single regular season and postseason Patriots game from 2018 in depth, as well as their last two Super Bowl appearances.  To quote this interview, McVay said,

“You have so much time that you can over-prepare and get away from some of the things that helped you get there. I watched every game from New England’s season. You see stuff that worked in, say, Week 3, but you forget about the amount of stuff that’s taken place since Week 3. You can watch so much film that you lose perspective. You have 18 games of film you can pore over. And then I even watched the Philly and Atlanta Super Bowls closely.”

McVay has so many traits that make him a fantastic NFL coach so far, but these three seem to be the primaries when it is boiled down.  

Offensive Scheme

Something some people may have noticed, and some may not have is how Sean runs his offense on the field.  One of the major things we saw in the Super Bowl Rams team is a use of using in-line tight ends as well as extremely close wide receiver routes.  He would do the opposite of what most NFL teams do now in spreading out wide receivers by clumping them up and putting them close together to the rest of the offense.  

What this has done is we have seen him draw up plays where these bunched receiver sets use eachother as well as the tight ends to, in basketball terms, “set the pick” or take linebackers off of them so they have room to work.  The Rams have used this scheme a ton over the past few seasons, and it is not used nearly as much by other teams in the NFL or even college mostly.

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