NFL
By George Lopez
The Los Angeles Rams head to Arrowhead Stadium this Sunday to take on the Kansas City Chiefs. The Rams are in the midst of a season to forget. The defending Superbowl champions enter this game with a record of 3-7 following their 27-20 loss to the New Orleans Saints. The Chiefs enter this contest at 8-2 following their 30-27 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. The Rams will look to end their 4 game-losing streak while the Chiefs will look to extend their winning streak to five.
Rams Offense vs Chiefs Defense
The injury bug hit the Rams again this week as Coach Sean McVay announced that quarterback Matthew Stafford would not play against the Chiefs due to a concussion. This is the 2nd time in the last 3 weeks that Stafford has entered the concussion protocol. The Rams have not committed on who will be the starting quarterback as 2nd string quarterback John Wolford has been limited in practice this week due to a neck injury. If Wolford is not able to play, the Rams will look to Bryce Perkins to fill in for Stafford. With Wolford a question mark, the Rams signed quarterback Case Cookus to their practice squad. Prior to his injury, Stafford was off to a good start against the Saints, completing 11-18 passes for 159 yards and 2 touchdowns. WR Allen Robinson and TE Tyler Higbee led the Rams with 4 receptions each. The offensive line continues to be a problem for the Rams. Through 10 games, the Rams have had 10 different starting lineups on the offensive line. With Wolford or Perkins under center, look for the Chiefs defense to be aggressive with their pass rush and put pressure on the Rams offensive line.
The Rams began this week by releasing their leading rusher Darrell Henderson,. In the game against the Saints, Henderson only had 2 carries for 9 yards. It was announced after the game, that Henderson started to feel something in his knee that prevented him from playing. With Henderson unable to play, Cam Akers led the Rams rushing attack with 61 yards on 14 carries. As a team, the Rams ran for 148 yards on 30 carries. With Wolford or Perkins at quarterback, look for Coach McVay to use his running game more early on in the game. The Chiefs defense should be expected to have 8 defensive players close to the line of scrimmage in an attempt to shut down the Rams running game. Coach McVay is going to have to take some chances with his passing game in order to loosen up the Chiefs defense.
Rams Defense vs Chiefs Offense
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is having an MVP-caliber season, throwing for 3265 yards with 28 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. When Tyreek Hill was traded to Miami in the offseason, there were questions about whether the Chiefs offense would slow down. Mahomes is averaging 314 yards per game while spreading the ball around. Through 10 games, 13 different receivers have caught passes for the Chiefs. TE Travis Kelce leads the Chiefs with 69 receptions for 855 yards and 11 touchdowns. Mahomes will look to Kelce first when he is forced out of the pocket. Look for the Rams to bracket Kelce in their pass coverage. The Rams pass rush will look to keep Mahomes inside the pocket to prevent him from extending plays. Edge rushers Leonard Floyd and Terrell Lewis must maintain outside containment and force Mahomes to move up in the pocket where Aaron Donald and the interior lineman can apply pressure up the middle. At the wide receiver position, JuJu Smith-Schuster leads with 46 receptions for 615 yards and 2 touchdowns. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is the 2nd leading WR with 27 receptions for 459 yards and 1 touchdown. Look for Rams Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris to move around CB Jalen Ramsey in the Rams secondary.
The Rams rush defense suffered a blow this week when it was announced defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson will be out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. The Chiefs average 114 yards rushing per game. Leading the way for the Chiefs are Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards=Helaire, rushing for 386 and 302 yards respectively. With Robinson out, look for the Chiefs to use their running game and test the Rams rush defense. Inside linebackers, Ernest Jones and Bobby Wagner will be looked upon to play a big role in containing the Chiefs rushing attack.
Prediction
The Rams have lost 4 straight games and 6 of their last 7 games in what has been a disappointing season. The Rams will look to bounce back and get back on track. Unfortunately, this team hasn’t played to the same level as last season’s Superbowl winning team. This could set up as a trap game for the Chiefs by taking the Rams lightly. That won’t be the case. Look for the Rams losing streak to reach 5 games as the Chiefs will easily handle the Rams.
Chiefs. 31
Rams. 13
