Rams at Vikings Preview: Battle of the Titans

Who ever thought we’d be here? The 7-2 Vikings host the 7-2 Los Angeles Rams at U.S. Bank Stadium, and it is a game that could have playoff implications as the seasons goes forward. While the Rams are one of the surprise teams of the season (since they were 4-12 last season), neither team made the playoffs, so they are both in slightly unforeseen positions, leading their divisions and tied for the second-best record in the NFL.

This is a huge game for both teams.

They come into the game with similar strengths. Both teams have good defenses, with Minnesota’s fifth-ranked unit giving up 18.3 points per game, while the Rams are third, giving up 18.0. Wade Philips came on board in Los Angeles as defensive coordinator and really has the defense playing, particularly against the pass, where they are ranked 11th, giving up 298.7 passing yards per game (once again, just ahead of the Vikings defense, which is ranked 12th and giving up 213.2 passing yards per game.

The Rams are T-5 in sacks with 28 on the season (the Vikings have 25), but it seems to be a team-wide talent, as three players—DT Aaron Donald, DE Matt Longacre and DT Michael Brockers—have five, four and three sacks, respectively. They present a definite challenge up front for the Vikings offensive line.

“Five-man rush, two outside linebackers rushing,” head coach Mike Zimmer when asked what the signature of a Wade Phillips defense. “They’re playing under with it with Aaron Donald being the three technique which is a handful, and then these two outside linebackers are difficult to block.”

With all the talent on the defense (due to plenty of high draft choices over the years of losing for the Rams), Donald is the biggest disruptive force on the line, and Vikings quarterback Case Keenum, who played for the Rams the past two seasons, is well aware of it.

“Their front is one of the best in the league,” Keenum said. “I’ve been around it, first hand. So, I know how good those guys are. There is a guy, Aaron Donald—you know him. I think he is under-rated. Even with his rookie of the year, I still think he’s under-rated, because he is that good.”

Speaking of Keenum, Zimmer ended a half-week of breathless speculation on who should be the Vikings quarterback this week by naming Keenum, the architect of a six-game winning streak for Minnesota, as his starter.

The Rams have their own four-game winning streak going, and it has a lot to do with the offense. Scoring at a clip of 32.9 points per game, the Rams are the number one offense in the league (rising from the rank of worst in the league in 2016), and the ascension of the second-year quarterback Jared Goff has been at the center of it.

“He is doing a good job of getting the ball to the right places,” Zimmer said of Goff. “He’s reading the coverages. They get up to the line quickly and they probably tell him what it is going in. Then he checks a different play, like the colleges do. So, he has a good idea of what is going on. He throws the ball vertically very well.”

Rams running back Todd Gurley is also playing well. After a difficult season in 2016 while the franchise was rebuilding with its rookie signal caller, Gurley has already matched his stats from his rookie season in 2015 with 10 touchdowns (and three of them through the air). Gurley is currently the league’s seventh-best rusher with 83.8 yards per game, and his seven rushing touchdowns are tied for the NFL lead.

But you can’t compliment the Goff and Gurley without recognizing the improvements that the Rams made on their offensive line, and the biggest addition was bringing in free agent Andrew Whitworth, who is 35 years old and being credited with the leading the offensive line.

“Well, he’s huge, number one,” Zimmer said, in assessing Whitworth’s talents. “He is smart. He’s got good feet. Typically, he likes to set with his hands out. He doesn’t give you his hands a lot. He’s a tough guy. He’s always been a tough guy.”

And then you can also credit Rams head coach Sean McVay, who came over from Washington after straightening out Kirk Cousins and that offense, and is now doing it Los Angeles. The young rookie head coach has a very good offensive mind and it will be fun watching him play chess with Zimmer on Sunday. The fact that McVay has been influenced by his former Washington boss Jay Gruden and the Vikings out-dueled Gruden last week, could possibly help them against the Rams.

The Vikings should be aided by the return of defensive end Everson Griffen, who missed last week’s game with a foot injury. He was listed as limited on the injury report on Wednesday, and when I asked him how he was feeling before practice, he said “I’m feel a lot better.” Expect to see his motor running in the Vikings lineup on Sunday.

So, maybe all the quarterback controversy swirling around Winter Park this week was more of a diversion to distract everyone away from this big game. While Keenum didn’t have to talk about if he was preparing to be the starter, just as he had every week previously, reporters did ask him about going against his old team. And Keenum, of course, tried to deflect it.

“That’s how I am treating it—it’s another game,” Keenum said. “I know a lot of those guys, but for me this week is going to be business as usual. And business as usual is me doing my job. And my job, as I have told you guys many times, is to put this team in the best possible situation to win football games. And that’s moving the ball getting first downs and getting the ball in the endzone—score points.”

These are two fairly evenly matched teams, both of which have benefitted from easy first-half schedules. Things get tougher in the second half of the season for each team, and it starts on Sunday. The Vikings have the benefit of home field, here, but it is really going to come down to the wire—the last team with the ball may just be the winner. Says here, that will be the Vikings.

Minnesota—24, Los Angeles Rams–20

 

 

 

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