FOXBORO, Mass. — What a perfect setting, in a place with such a storied previous reputation for winning by emphasizing the details, to consider the important little moments and decisions within a game.
The Los Angeles Rams (5-5) beat the New England Patriots (3-8) on Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium, the hallowed halls of a program once known for its meticulousness, its understanding of all of the margins that must be exploited within a 60-minute window, and that is now in the process of finding its way in a new era.
The details made the difference for the Rams in the 28-22 win but could have broken them, too. That is the story of their season right now and likely will be in the coming weeks as they hope to go on another fairytale ride with this group of players.
Take their offensive line, for example: After a one-week experiment with veteran guard Jonah Jackson at center (where he has only gotten about 15 practices because of injuries and overall readjustments by Rams brass at the center/left guard positions), rookie Beaux Limmer got his starting job back. He and the rest of the line kept quarterback Matthew Stafford off the ground (no sacks, four hits) and handled New England’s pressure well, even if at times Stafford rushed throws or targeted other options in light of it. That an impact decision at center manifested in a place where the position coach — who has been working long hours to get Limmer up to speed and to establish an identity within the much-maligned group this season — used to start at center was all the more poetic.
Head coach Sean McVay was sure to shout out offensive line coach Ryan Wendell, “Wendy”, the former Patriots center, in his postgame news conference and his players knew what the win meant to him.
Right tackle Warren McClendon added that Limmer stepped right back into the job like he “never skipped a beat” and McVay was particularly impressed with the left side of the offensive line, where second-year guard Steve Avila played his second game back from injury. Running back Kyren Williams and backup Blake Corum read their gaps and creases well especially after the first quarter (more on that period in a moment). Williams’ 86 yards on 15 carries were punctuated by an 18-yard run in the first quarter, his longest since Week 5 (his 5.7 yards per carry was almost two yards higher than his average entering the game).
“I thought our left side did an excellent job. You can see Alaric (Jackson) was really coming off the football. Steve did a great job. I was proud of the group overall,” said McVay, adding that the possessions in which the Rams did string together several chunk runs “is what offensive ball should look like when it’s quality.”
Williams said that at one point as the Rams began to run the ball well in the second and third quarters, he could hear the Patriots’ defenders calling out their plays — but that they weren’t able to stop them.
“I felt good, I was saying ‘I was all on that stuff,’ ” Williams said. “I was seeing what I needed to see, hitting what I needed to hit. (Those) guys made the blocks up front and I was just reading them and playing (like) who I am.
“We were moving the ball. Left, right, outside zone. … It really didn’t matter, we were calling our spots (and) they were literally our plays out there, saying that we were running the same play. We were running the same play! And we were still being efficient. I feel like that’s who those guys (are) and the work they put in this week to get the run game started and going.”
Williams, chafing at himself for missing a pressure pickup off the edge, honed in on the details in a 69-yard touchdown from Stafford to receiver Cooper Kupp (Kupp’s second of the game) up the seam. Williams had the interior pressure assignment that time, against the Patriots’ Cover 0 blitz.
“They brought my ‘backer, I was able to pick him up,” said Williams, “that feels good. That’s good ball. … Matthew was going through his cadence. When he gave us the first “Turbo” (as in, “Turbo … SET”), the linebacker started inching up. I was like, ‘OK, I know he’s coming in.’ That’s my guy anyway. We talk about taking the air out, being able to get to the line of scrimmage and … creating no space between you and the linebacker so that gives him one way to go: outside, or into you.
“He chose to play into me. I set back, anchored. … I fought through the down and Matthew was able to get it out (for a) touchdown, it was sweet.”
a nice way to start the second half
📺: @NFLonFOX | #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/syIB0F7CT9
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 17, 2024
There was a fun detail hidden inside that play for Stafford and Kupp, too. It is remarkably similar to the “for the love of the game” concept that set up the Rams’ game-winning field goal against the Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC divisional round a few years ago. Back then, and against the same type of pressure, that ball was never thrown until one night it was. Years later, Kupp and Stafford are able to make an adjustment on the route and with the timing of the throw to, as Stafford said with a smile, make “the likelihood of getting the ball today … higher than it was in that Tampa one.”
Even rookie safety Kam Kinchens’ game-sealing interception on the Patriots’ final drive ended with a crucial detail: Slide! Kinchens laughed postgame when walking me through the play.
“After I caught it, my mind was to run and score a touchdown because it was open to me,” he said, “When (I) catch a pick, it’s go time. But luckily I got ‘Boom’ (Christian Rozeboom). He got right in front of me and said, ‘GO DOWN.’ So I made sure (to slide).” Kinchens added a little intentional gusto to the slide, too.
But other details, other small moments that compounded into larger issues and threatened to derail the Rams:
• They continue to start games in stunningly slow fashion. Sunday, they were scoreless in the first quarter for the seventh time this season and failed to convert two key third downs on back-to-back possessions, both around midfield. Deep into the fourth quarter they couldn’t close the game out, either, failing to convert on third-and-6 and quite literally leaving the game in the hands of Kinchens and the defense.
• Rookie kicker Joshua Karty missed a 26-yard field goal attempt at the end of the second quarter that banged off the right post.
Karty has missed four field goals this year, after a perfect three-game start (he did not kick a field goal in Weeks 5 or 8).
The inconsistency in part prompted McVay to punt the ball after a three-and-out with 2:22 left, up by just six points and from the New England 35-yard line.
“There wasn’t a lot of reason to feel great about that operation today,” he said.
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• Penalty issues and mental errors popped up for a defense that had otherwise played well, including an early strip-sack and fumble recovery in the second quarter that set up a 12-yard touchdown to Puka Nacua a play later. In the third quarter, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye led his offense on a touchdown drive that made it a two-score game. Thirty yards were gifted to Maye and his group because outside linebacker Jared Verse was flagged for a personal foul after a play near the sideline and outside linebacker Byron Young had a face-mask flag (which was more like a clothesline of the offensive player). New England ultimately scored on the next possession (a field goal) while the Rams’ offense stalled once again with a three-and-out before the Patriots added another three points.
“When you’ve got a young, youthful group, they’ve got a great spirit about them,” McVay said. “How do we rein them in and not allow them to extend drives by (penalties)?” That’s absolutely something we’ve got to be mindful of. We’ll get it fixed. Our guys are the right kinds of guys, I have no doubt. That could have cost us and, fortunately, we don’t have to learn the hard way. I trust we’ll be better moving forward.”
That last sentence carries a lot of weight about the potential McVay believes this team has overall. Indeed, they showed a long look at who they can be, as long as they stay in the details.
(Photo of Kyren Williams: Kathryn Riley / Getty Images)
