NFL
By: George Lopez
The Los Angeles Rams return to prime-time TV as they host the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday Night Football. The Rams are coming off a 27-23 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, their 6th loss in a row dropping their record to 3-9 this season. The Raiders are coming in winners of 3 straight following their 27-20 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Rams Offense vs Raiders Defense
In the game against Seattle, quarterback John Wolford completed 14-26 passes for 178 yards with 2 interceptions. Coach Sean McVay ran an offense similar to the offense he used with Jared Goff as his quarterback. There were more designed roll-outs called to allow Wolford to get outside the pocket. Even with Wolford’s mobility, the Rams offensive line woes continued as Wolford was sacked 4 times in the game. This was the 12th different offensive line combination in 12 games. On the season, the Rams have allowed 42 sacks. Raiders DE Max Crosby leads the team with 10.5 sacks. Look for Crosby to use multiple moves to get passed the Rams offensive tackles.
It was announced by the Rams that quarterback Matthew Stafford suffered a spinal cord contusion in the game against the New Orleans Saints. Stafford is scheduled to come off IR in week 17 but don’t not look for Stafford to play the rest of the season. With no chance of making the playoffs, the Rams would be wise to let Stafford sit out the remainder of the season. On Tuesday, the Rams announced they claimed Baker Mayfield off waivers and stated there is a chance he may play Thursday night against the Raiders. If Mayfield does not play, look for Wolford to start under center for the Rams.
Against Seattle, the Rams ran 33 times for 171 yards. RB Cam Akers led the way with 60 yards on 17 carries and 2 touchdowns, Akers showed the running style that excited fans his rookie season. For the season, the Raiders allow 114 yards per game rushing. Look for the Rams to test the Raiders run defense early in the game. If Wolford is the quarterback, look for the Rams to have a run-heavy game plan similar to their game against Seattle. If Mayfield does play for the Rams, do not look for a heavier pass package as he would only have limited knowledge of McVay’s offense.
Rams Defense vs Raiders Offense
Rams All-Pro DE Aaron Donald will miss his 2nd consecutive game with a high ankle sprain. High ankle sprains do tend to take some time to heal, making it a strong possibility Donald will not play the remainder of the season. With Donald out, the Rams defense was able to sack Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith 4 times. Smith did throw for 367 yards and 3 touchdowns, including the game-winner with less than a minute to go in the game. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has thrown for 2980 yards with 20 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. The offensive line has allowed 23 sacks for the season. Carr uses a lot of short to medium passes to get the ball out of his hands early. Look for Rams Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris to have his secondary play closer to the line to take away the quick-hitting routes the Raiders like to use. Carr is not known as a scrambling quarterback, but he can get outside and extend plays with his legs. Edge rushers Leonard Floyd and Terrell Lewis will need to maintain the outside discipline to prevent Carr from escaping out of the pocket. Devante Adams leads the Raiders with 79 receptions for 1176 yards and 12 touchdowns. Look for Rams CB Jalen Ramsey to shadow Adams throughout the game.
RB Josh Jacobs leads the Raiders with 1303 yards rushing and 7 touchdowns. Jacobs is having a tremendous year for the Raiders and has been a catalyst for their offense. With Aaron Donald out, look for the Raiders to attack the Rams defensive line with their running game. Inside LB Bobby Wagner and Ernest Jones and the Rams defensive line will need to get off their blocks quickly in order to close up the inside running lanes. The Rams edge defenders will need to maintain outside discipline and force Jacobs back inside to the Rams pursuit in order to contain the Raiders running attack.
Prediction
The Rams and Raiders are heading in opposite directions. The Raiders will be looking to extend their winning streak to 4 games and keep their playoff hopes alive while the Rams will look to end their 6 game-losing streak. In the end, look for the Raiders to extend their winning streak and drop the Rams to double-digit losses.
Raiders 24
Rams. 14
