NFL
By: George Lopez
The Los Angeles Rams head into their week 5 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys looking to bounce back from their 24-9 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers. The Cowboys are coming off a 25-10 victory over division rival Washington Commanders. In their game against the 49ers, the Rams got away from the offensive balance from the previous 2 games. Quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 32-48 for 254 yards with 0 touchdowns and 1 interception that was returned for a touchdown. Stafford was also sacked 7 times by the 49ers defense. The Rams called only 18 rushing attempts in the game.
The Rams have been hit by injuries. Starting center Brian Allen and starting guard David Edwards did not play in the game against the 49ers. The Rams lost backup center Coleman Shelton during the game to an ankle injury and will be out 4-6 weeks. On the defensive side of the ball, defensive backs Jordan Fuller, David Long and Cobie Durant are out with injuries. Safety Taylor Rapp was limited this week in practice due to an injury to his ribs. The 49ers took advantage of the Rams not having Allen and Edwards on the offensive line, dominating the line of scrimmage and putting constant pressure on Stafford.
Rams Offense vs Cowboys Defense
Cooper Kupp led the Rams with 14 receptions for 122 yards on 19 targets. TE Tyler Higbee had 10 receptions for 73 yards on 14 targets. Of the 48 pass attempts by Stafford, 33 were to Kupp and Higbee. Allen Robinson only had 2 receptions for 7 yards. Through 4 games, Robinson has a total of 9 receptions for 95 yards and 1 touchdown. Though Kupp is putting up tremendous numbers, the Rams passing attack will struggle if Stafford does not get Robinson more involved in the offense. In their 4 games, the Cowboys defense has only allowed 1 quarterback to pass for over 200 yards. In his 2nd season, defensive back Trevon Diggs is playing at a high level as a shut down cornerback. Look for Diggs to shadow Cooper Kupp throughout the game to try to take away Stafford’s favorite target. The Cowboys defense has 15 sacks through the first 4 games. Micah Parsons leads the team with 4 sacks. The Cowboys will look to put a tremendous amount of pressure on Stafford in an attempt to force him to make mistakes. The Rams offensive line will need to do a better job at pass protection.
In their game against San Francisco, the Rams abandoned the running game too early. Calling only 18 running plays made the Rams too predictable. Coach Sean McVay will need to have a more balanced offensive attack. The Cowboys defense has given up an average of 137 yards rushing a game. Look for Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson to see more carries in this game and for the Rams to call 20-25 running plays.
Rams Defense vs Cowboys Offense
Since taking over for the injured Dak Prescott, quarterback Cooper Rush has thrown for 737 yards and 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. He is making smart decisions with the football and not trying to force things. He is taking what the defense is giving him and methodically driving the Cowboys offense. CeeDee Lamb leads the Cowboys with 23 receptions for 288 yards and 2 touchdowns. Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who has played much better since his poor performance in week 1 against Buffalo, should be expected to shadow Lamb across the field. In their loss to the 49ers, Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris had the Rams secondary play off the receivers in their coverage .The 49ers took advantage of this by calling short passes to consistently move the offense. if the Rams employ the same type of coverage, look for the Cowboys to use short passes to the flats and quick slants inside. The Cowboys offensive line has done a good job at protecting Rush, allowing only 4 sacks. The Rams pass rush, led by Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd will need to put consistent pressure on Rush to force him into making mistakes.
The Cowboys rushing attack, led by Ezekiel Elliot and Tony Pollard averages 104 yards a game. The Rams defensive front 7 will need to get off their blocks, maintain pursuit discipline and do a better job at tackling to slow down the Cowboys running attack. Look for the Rams to use more run blitzes to slow down the Cowboys running game.
Prediction
Coach Sean McVay is good at making game by game adjustments. Look for the Rams to have a more balanced offensive attack and for Matthew Stafford to get Allen Robinson more involved in the passing attack. This will be a hard fought, low scoring game with the Rams pulling out a close victory.
Rams 21
Cowboys 17
