January 10, 2025 • 38 mins
In the pre-recorded episode of Between the horns, J.B. Long, D'Marco Farr, and Camryn Irwin talk about the recent fires that have hit LA, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford in the playoffs, facing the Minnesota Vikings' wide receivers, keys to victory in the Wild Card, and more.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to Between the Horns. This is a special edition
as wild Card weekend is now upon us. Hi everyone,
Camerdor went alongside my good friends JV. Long and DeMarco
far Of course, this is brought to you by your
Southern California Toyota dealers. But guys, before we jump into
this and the matchup versus the Minnesota Vikings come Monday
(00:23):
Night football, we need to take a pause as the
picturesque nature of this beautiful city has been twisted over
the last forty eight hours. Many of our friends, our families,
our colleagues have been impacted by the fires across southern California.
So while we continue to prepare for the playoffs and
celebrate this great city's team and its accomplishments to this
(00:44):
season thus far, we also want to share that we
are all thinking of you, praying for you and anyone
that has been impacted by these fires. A huge thank
you to our firefighters and our first responders. And just
as the RAMS did in twenty eighteen during unprecedented tragedy,
we will once again look to bring La together, especially
(01:04):
come Monday night, as we will support the relief efforts
against these wildfires. More details will be coming in the
soon to come days, so be sure to tune in
to all of us here with the Los Angeles Rams
as to how you can provide support, just as we
will as an organization. All right, guys, we turn our
attention now to the Minnesota Vikings and this playoff matchup.
(01:26):
I first have to ask, how are you guys doing good?
Speaker 2 (01:29):
It's you know, California living is, It's awesome, but it
comes with challenges. So I have a lot of ex teammates, friends,
teammates of teammates that became firefighters. So I'm glad what
you said about the first responders and find a way
to help. And you know you'll hear from Jambi in
a second, but just find a way to help your
fellow neighbor. We're all Californians and this is just a
(01:51):
tough time for all.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Yeah, good to be with you. I think we all
need friendship and we need football as a momentary reprieve
from much larger pities. I'm really appreciative to be here
with you today as we have been the season. Wonderful words, camera,
and you're such a great addition to our team and
our show and organization has benefited from you. This is
one of those moments where I'm really glad to be
(02:13):
working for the Los Angeles Rams. And I say this
as an employee, but put the football aside. I think
where they shine as a sports entity is unfortunately in
moments of crisis like this, and I don't like that
we have to keep living into them. But I am
very proud to be a member of a sports franchise
that is so ingrained in the community and impacts it
(02:34):
in such a positive way. I don't know what tomorrow
is going to bring, but I do know the Los
Angeles Rams are going to be at the forefront of
the recovery effort.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
It is all about La together. This is our home
and this is our family. This is our Bramily. As
we look ahead to the Minnesota Vikings, it's crazy we
made it through the regular season, right and what a
twist and turn. It has been a true Hollywood script.
So guys, I have to start off with the just
a minor review before we dig into it. What was
the best plot twist of this season for the Rams?
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Best plot twist? Who was close to letting go of
the rope? Anybody, no, No, don't no? Best plot twist
of the year. My god, I mean it's still ongoing.
Can we say the rise of Pukakua as the number
one weapon? Jared Verse coming in out of nowhere, reminding
(03:26):
us all what first rounds ends look like and what
they can do and how they can help your football team.
There's several. I mean, it's hard to put your finger
on one. Sean McVay never given letting go of the
rope so many but like you said, if this were
a movie or a scripted show, would be the highest
rated show of all time. This has been one hell
of a roller coaster.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
You go next, Cameron, because this is your idea, I
don't want to say.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Oh man, Well, so I was really torn between two
different things, and one was just thinking about some of
the streaks that have taken place, whether it's the five
straight you saw with Stafford as of recent or the
three earlier. And I'm going to go with the three earlier.
End of October, right, oh yeah, where just two days
before the trade deadline, Los Angeles Rams hit five hundred
(04:06):
and I feel like that is the biggest inflection point
of this season because the season could have gone a
complete different direction, right You maybe start pulling starters. Maybe
it's it could be a completely different story. So that's
my plot twist of the season.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Loved it. I love that October run. Where do you
say the end? I know you say the end of it?
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
So when she prompted us with this question, one person
came to mind. That was Chris Shula, because there are
a lot of folks and we won't name names, who
probably felt like he might have been in over his
head in the first month of this season as a
first time defensive coordinator having to live life after the
greatest defensive player in franchise history. Now I think there's
(04:45):
some concern that he might be the next head coach
of fill in the blank, and everyone's concerned about how
do we keep Chris Shula. So I think that's a
pretty cool plot twist. But I know I'm speaking to
our audience here when I say I hope the best
plot twist is yet to come. It has something to
do with seeing somebody in two weeks, and I think
showing up on their doorstep would be the best plot
twist that I could envision.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Do you think he meant that the way it came
out or no?
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Okay, but do you think everyone who slided Michael Jordan
meant it the way that he took me.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Not at all. I'm glad he said it. I'm not
sure if he meant it, but I'm glad he said it.
So we'll see what happens in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Everyone calling it the perfect bulletin board material and that
is spot on, no doubt. Before we get any further, JB. Long,
you talked about having receipts, Well, we have them here.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
No on between the horn this. Now you still have
a whole show to do.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Oh I know, if somebody pulled the footage, I hope
you have a little water. You might need a chaser
to this, because there was conversation you said that you
would potentially eat chocolate if the Rams clenched the division
before week eighteen and you got to rest your starters.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
I told you, bring everybody along with us fight.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Well, JV, I felt like I kind of go withess
because I mean, it's they got to.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Win another suit before I eat that.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Really, I mean, hopefully you're not the peanuts because I've
already opened it to someone have helped it along.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
I'll just leave this right here for you.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
By the way, if you're just joining this for the
first time. He is the only person I have ever
met in my entire life that does not like chocolate,
so this is painful for him.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Where do these raid on on? Like the chocolate scale
at the top? Yeah, my god, no, but I mean, like,
this is what no chocolate?
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Chocolate? And look at you're nervous. I can't. This is
so good. Are you sure you want to do this? Now?
We do have a show to do. Let's eat. This
is peanut butter and don't get Oh gosh, here we go.
We're off and running.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
There you go, I'm nervous. Just do you have your water?
Speaker 2 (06:38):
I do? Good for you?
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Just to match the table, didn't you?
Speaker 2 (06:42):
I did?
Speaker 1 (06:42):
I matched the table. I had to. Okay, well, you're
good on your bet. I'll give you that.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Many people do that because it's so good. But that's crazy.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
I've often said, the only reason my wife is married
to me is because she gets double the chocolate.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
There you go, everything goes making statements. There you go, yes,
well that's.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Our snack on the way back. It works. Well, let's
talk a little bit more about that Week eighteen matchup,
because he's still try I can't even look at his
face of it. He's still trying to.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
I love it. Yeah, But what was.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
The statement from Sean McVay when you consider going into
that Week eighteen matchup versus Seattle and taking we'll say
at least half the starters off the field on the
offensive side of the ball.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Well, first of all, I mean doing what you I
mean starting Jimmy Garoppolo. And I thought Jimmy Garoppolo was good.
What did you guys think of Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback?
I wanted to see it. I saw what I saw.
He threw for three hundred two touchdowns, had one bad pick,
But I thought they fought their butts off, almost beat
a Seattle squad that was going for ten wins. That
was their frontline starters, and it was a ballgame with
(07:42):
some of your best players. So I like what Sean
McVay had to say to his football team after this
is before we heard from the other coach saying I'll
see you in two weeks. We respect everybody, but we
fear none. I think that embodies this entire football teams.
You could take that beyond, don't We don't fear a team.
They don't fear a situation. They've been through it all
(08:02):
this year, injuries, being down eight percent, chance of making
the postseason, year, division champs, everything, So what hasn't this
team seen so far? So I like that he's got
the pulse of the squad. They reacted to it. Let's
let's hopefully pay a lot gamebusters on Monday.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Do you feel like Monday is a referendum on the strategy?
What do you mean in terms of I know our
audience has pointed out the times the Rams have been
one and done in the playoffs correlates with the seventeen
and twenty three seasons when they had the option to
rest starters in the final week.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Oh well, you know, I think it might have been
necessary this time. I mean, I think Rob Havenstein needed
the rest, Matthew Stafford probably needed the rest. This was
a good week to get some of your frontline guys
out just to try to kind of reset. I wouldn't
say it's a throwaway game versus Seattle, but I think
it's a game where you actually it's that by week
(08:54):
built in so to rest some of your guys to
get ready for a Minnesota squad that was dealing with
the first and now you I think you got a
leg up prep wise on them with the starters.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Look, I hate to point to like Blake Koram and say, unfortunately,
that's the reason why are Christian Watson of the Green
Bay Packers and say unfortunately, that's the reason why McVeigh
and others make the choices that they do. But I
like what you said and what he said, which is
it's not just about that moment in time, it's about
the larger goal. They could have played it a certain
way to try and I guess catch the Washington Commanders
(09:26):
in a rookie quarterback at home in the playoffs. But
they're not in this to win a game. They're in
this to lift a Lombardi Trophy. And the number one reason,
the biggest reason, I'm not going to say the only reason,
but why am I confident that they can do it,
that they can win Monday Night and maybe beyond. It's
because they're healthy. It's because they're healthier than they've been
all season. It's because everyone that you would want to
(09:49):
start on Monday Night they have the option of starting
right and there's no guarantee that would have been the
case if you go after look like.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
I mean, anything could happen and here you and look,
it was just a few guys that didn't play Pookah Stafford,
Rob Havistein. Most of the guys on defense played. They
just didn't play a ton, but they were out there,
so it's not like you took the entire week off.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
We were definitely some Brice spots as well, whether it's
Josh Carty, a congratulation to him the NFC Player of
the Month, as well as Jordan Whittington. I mean, talk
about the explosive plays you saw from him. Does he
maybe have an increased role heading into this playoff matchup?
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Well? First, good for Cardi, how about that, right, I
mean there's another guy that some people had out the door,
and here he is player of the week and the
biggest confidence boost moving into his biggest game next week.
So awesome. But Jordan Whittington, we had him pegged from
They did too from day one. Another big body you
can play on special teams, a physical receiver down the field. Wow,
(10:44):
it's a Pukah Cooper clone. Love that. So, like you said,
play the healthiest guys, he's getting more, I guess opportunities
offensively as well as special teams. Absolutely, he's going to
play a factor into what happens against Minnesota.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Yeah, it's hard for me not to see a scenario
where he doesn't contribute to the game plan on offense.
I'm speaking of everyone who watches this show knows that
we've been like stumping for two two at well all
season long. I think Tyler Higbee outscoring the rest of
the tight end room and what three games off of
injured reserve really speaks to what that group has become
and can be in this postseason. I think more than anything, though,
(11:19):
it's not a someone, but a something that I take
away from that performance offensive against the Seahawks, and that
is it's as good as I can recall the screen
game looking tight ends, running backs, you name it. I
think that's an element that it would be great to
have confidence in deploying as soon as Monday night.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Okay, we're going to circle back to the screen game
because that's actually a question for you later on as
we really focus into the vikings.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Uh, I'm glad I forgot what the question was and
I kind of picked up whatever it was based on
what you said. Just making sure I was distracted.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Know what's going on?
Speaker 3 (11:52):
I smell as much is the taste. I was the
kid who sat outside the Hershey factory in the car.
All the rest of my family went in as a kid,
So more for us.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
All right, guys, Well, this is a matchup that we
have seen before and this year and actually the last
time we played the Minnesota Vikings in the playoffs was
actually somewhat that was the last time back in nineteen
nice research, you know a little something about playing the
Vikings in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Bro that was the most terrifying game of all time.
When they broke the huddle. Randy Moss went that way,
Chris Carter went that way. Oh, by the way, Ranald
McDaniel's blocking me. Yeah, Oh my goodness. I'm so happy
we won that football game because if we didn't, they
probably win the Super Bowl there.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
So they were going to break in the huddle this
week too, big time, no.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Doubt, same stuff. Here we go again.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Yes, well, that matchup was back in week eight Thursday
Night Football. The question is different team from then to now.
It was the first time we got to have Pookah
Cooper back out on the field. There were a few
other changes that took place. But how much can we
use that matchup as preparation for this play?
Speaker 2 (13:00):
You know, we just listened to the coach and it's
weird that game was two months ago.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Hmm.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
That's when you say it like that, that's like forever ago,
like it almost didn't happen, but it did. It's there.
There's a lot of carry over there. It's basically the
same guys that you're about to play now. Didn't you
set me something about maybe Puka coming back caught them
off guard? So Puka won't have a chance to sneak
up on the Vikings again. But who really can Puka
sneak up on now? Everybody knows he's probably public enemy number.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
One, and if you clone him and run Pooka two
out there, that'd be great. Well, otherwise you're not gonna
have the element of surprise this week.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
I'm glad you said that. I thought we had the
Puka clone. I thought we had a I thought Puka
was a Cooper Cup clone. So I would like to
have both of those guys running wild versus the Vikings.
I think I don't care who's calling plays over there.
When Puka's at his best and Cooper Cup is eating
I don't care what you call. You got issues, you
can't cover them both.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
I'll be honest. I don't think Week eight has much
bearing on this matchup, but a few things that I
would love to see replicated. It was a fearless fast
start and those have been hard to come by for
the twenty four Rams. It was the only time all
season they came out of the gates with back to
back touchdown drives, and it's a good thing they did
because Minnesota did too. I went back and looked at
kind of snap counts. I love the way that with
(14:16):
Puka and Cooper back, they didn't just go right back
to their old ways. They platooned as much personnel as
I can recall them doing in the McVeigh era. I
think eleven skill position players played meaningful snaps on offense
in that game. And I'm not saying they're going to
do the exact same thing this time around, but I
think that opportunity is in front of them. But more
than anything, I think it's red zone, especially because of
(14:37):
how Minnesota lost in Detroit last week. In that game,
the Rams went three for three in the red zone,
all four of their touchdowns were scored from the twenty
five yard lineer in and more importantly, on defense, they
got second half stops on short fields. They forced two
field goals instead of touchdown drives from Sam Darnold. One
sequence I'll never forget Justin Jefferson down that left sideline
(15:00):
one of the catches of the year. Yeah, And the
next play they come after Darius Williams with Aaron Jones.
They run to his side right after he lost that
one on one and he was ready for a four
yard tackle for loss that turned into a four point play.
Those are the types of moments the rams On defense
have to have again on Monday Night. And I think
that was one of the biggest sequences of the season,
(15:22):
one of the biggest reasons why they get this rematch.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
And it kind of didn't. It kind of put Jared
Verse on the map. It did. I mean, we all knew,
but I mean that really kind of solidified this guy
maybe rookie of the year, This guy may be a
pro bowler because he and Byron Young took that game over.
And that's something else that kind of happened after that.
It was the rise of Braden Fisk. Before that game
one sack after that game seven and a half sacks,
So they found something in them and in him and
(15:46):
it just changed a lot. So that was a big,
big victory over the Vikings.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
You're talking about the defensive side. I'm still looking at
the stat line for Stafford in that one, two seventy
nine in terms of yards four touchdowns. Does he have
to have four touchdowns again to beat the Vikings on
Monday night?
Speaker 2 (16:00):
See respect to Justin Deetitsch, because he was out there,
he was the starter at leftgover right, and it was
a different Stafford. He was thrown from with confidence from
the pocket, and Kyron Williams was threatening that defense which
kept them off balance. So I think outside of Buffalo,
that was the best offensive approach or the most balanced
approach to offense that we've seen. So I think it
(16:22):
starts with the what's up front and having Steve Abbolah
and there is going to be big, he's bigger, and
having Kyron Williams rested for a week, I can pay
the offense. I think that denotes a better and the
best Matthew Stafford on Monday night.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
To your point, there were zero sacks that matchup on Stafford,
so Hopefully we can have that little streak going. We
talked about streaks earlier. One of the other big differences.
We're going to have a different tight end matchup on
both sides from both teams. How is that going to
be an impact in this one?
Speaker 3 (16:51):
Yeah, Hackinson was almost ready. They held him out of
that game. I think on a short week he's a problem.
I don't know any other way to describe it. It's
great to have higbe back Hawkins. It means just as
much by the way they're connected by an injury. Yeah,
and and a tackler, and I think that's meaningful. Come
Monday night, It'll be great to see him both play.
Quite frankly, is.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
It interesting Howkinson's coming back and so is John Johnson
the third Yeah, you have like a plethora of safeties
to roll at people be great, So I'd like to
see how that unlocks some other safeties to be projectiles
into the back.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
Of I think the whole secondary is curious, really. I
mean lots of places on the defense, but Kobe Durant
started at corner that night. It's been a Kella Witherspoon
in the closing month of the season. How do their
opportunities balance out. Omar Spates made his first NFL start
that night. He played the first twenty snaps on defense
of his career. Now I think he's a bona fide
NFL starter.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Oh yeah, what do you mean you think he is? Yeah,
that guy, he's bawling.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
But on the other side, like Blake Cashman at turtot
that that night, so he's he's just as integral to
their defensive operations.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
So it's almost like two months ago doesn't matter it all.
It just matters about this game, you know, yeah, you know.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
What I do think matters a lot though, in terms
of change is the direction that the various kicking games
have gone. Because the Vikings and the Rams took the
top two place kickers in this draft, and Will Reikerd
had not missed as a pro when he left Englewood
that night. Then he got hurt. Hasn't been as good since.
Went ten for sixteen field goal down the stretch. You
mentioned Cardi already, but I think we can all agree
(18:18):
he saved his best for last close to the regular
season with thirteen straight makes. Fifty eight to fifty seven
would have been good from sixty who knows. Against the Seahawks.
I mean it when I say I have not felt
as confident in the Rams kicking game since Matt Gay
left for Indianapolis. Probably, yeah, it would be how I
finished that just Cardi and not just Cardi.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
Evans, Cardy, that whole battery has come together.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
And Jordan and Jordan the kick return game. So Ethan
Evans has I mean become I think a great punter.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
So yeah, Jordan's forty three yard return was a fun
one to watch.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
Last week, all right, well we talked about interesting matchups.
There's another one when you consider these two quarterbacks that
completely different states, right in terms of their playoff careers,
Sam Donald making his first playoff start, Matthew Stafford his ninth.
Significance too in terms of Stafford having a super Bowl
on his side, how much of an impact will that be?
(19:13):
Will nerves play a factor for Donald, especially playing in
front of hometown He's from San Clemente and he's a Trojan.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Nerves sc quarterback of nerves. Maybe I don't see that
being a problem.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
That's different, Like, seriously, what's different?
Speaker 2 (19:27):
What do you mean in the playoff?
Speaker 3 (19:28):
Yeah, you've put the helmet on. What changes from your
final regular season game to wild card weekend.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
It's wild because every snap is the same. You're playing football.
The nerves are different because the games are bigger and
there's more people there, so that factors in. But you
start to realize every play, like win or lose, this
could be our last snap of the year. If we
don't lose this game, there is no tomorrow. So that
just adds a whole nother pressure. So it's how you
deal with that. But for Sam Donald having this success,
(19:56):
I am not surprised. You saw him in college. He's
got all the tool you get him in the right environment,
with the right coach Kevin O'Connell, in the right system.
It's basically the same system as here, and the way
they teach it, you're going to get the best out
of guys. It's not that I think that here. Sean
McVay got the best out of Golf, he got the
best out of Stafford, he got the best out of
(20:16):
Baker Mayfield, got the best out of Carson Wentz. It's
just how they teach and it's not surprising that he
took that to Minnesota and he kind of rebuilt Sam
Darnold into a winner. So yeah, He's always a guy
that gives the Rams problems. He's very mobile, he can
make every throw. He's got the right play caller and
the right group around him. He is going to be
a snoopful come Monday.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
And of course our quarterback he needs a little bit
more love, right bringing us back to the playoffs yet again,
I've been calling him Stafford clause. He's twelve and one
in the month of December since twenty twenty one, he
is I don't know, but he's undefeated in the month
of December. I know Jav's over.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
There, like, can you work that into the broadcast? He's
been dropping bombs this year? Can you work out Stafford clause? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (20:57):
I don't want to steal Cameron's with It's the ultimate
cliche that Team X goes as far as QB one
can take them, right, But I don't know that I've
ever felt it in my bones as much as I
do in this moment in time. Like the Rams have
been They've outperformed on defense, they've been much improved on
special teams. But the reason why we all think there's
(21:18):
a chance to do something special this January, it comes
down to John Matthew Stafford point blank. And it comes
down to the version of him that has that wink
in his eye and that soul snatching swagger that we
saw him play with at moments, not consistently, but at
moments this season, including against the Vikings. If he looks
(21:39):
like the guy that wants to take this team back
into the Lions Den, I think they got a shot.
But I mean that not just with respect to him,
though he is the most important piece. I mean it
with the protection up front. I mean it with the
running game to keep him out of negative down in distances.
His targets have to win, and his head coach and
play caller has to be in his back, and I
(22:00):
think they will be.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
I think that two week thing. I'll see you in
two weeks. That was a shot at Stafford. I hope
he took it that way.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
It was not a shot.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
I hope it was. I'm taking it as now that
you mentioned it material. Yeah, you don't think he's good,
I'm fine if he uses it. I hope he took
that personally. I want to see that petty side. We
talk about all the great quarterbacks we've defended against, Brady Rogers,
all these great quarterbacks we say the same thing. We
never say it on there, but off air they're petty.
(22:29):
They don't like being shown up. I hope that sort
of Matthew Stafford shows up on Monday Night, that guy.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
No doubt, because Sam Darnold had the better season. Yes,
he's the pro bowler deservedly. Which guy are you drafting
with your first pick in a pickup game from Monday Night?
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Stafford?
Speaker 3 (22:45):
It's not even close. And look, he did enough this
year I think to cement his Hall of Fame resume.
We've talked about that on the show and elsewhere. Another
playoff winner two would definitely grease those skids. But I
don't think we even need ah away from the fact
that there's a very real possibility that Matthews down to
his last loss as a RAM because he's openly talked
(23:05):
about what his future holds, and that he's not going
to answer that question definitively until until February of this year.
So I hope that whatever comes Monday and hopefully beyond,
informs his feelings, his family's feelings, the Rams feelings, and
equally the voters for Canton that I think there's a
lot to prove.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
No January you want to keep the band together, keep
one of.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Yeah, talk about the Hall of Fame. Resume. Well, Matthew
Stafford in the playoffs is at the top of the order.
Is most yards per game in the playoffs in history?
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Sure?
Speaker 1 (23:34):
Well over three hundred is the average.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
One of your former seven one of your former teammates
next on that.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
List, Yeah, there's only guess.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Tony Banks.
Speaker 3 (23:45):
Kurt warn are a part of.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
One of those three, as well as Dan Felts and
then Drew Brees just below three hundred.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
Great company to be keeping. All right, guys, Well, now
it's really time to dig into the matchup, and I
think it's best that we start. When you look at
the Minnesota Vikings four fourteen in three, it's hard to
believe that they didn't win their division. This is probably
the most winningest wild card team we have ever seen.
Let's start with our rams on offense. When you look
at this Brian Flores defense, we expected it to be
(24:15):
a crazy blitz show on Thursday Night Football when we
met them in week eight. That wasn't necessarily the case.
Do you expect that to change in this matchup?
Speaker 2 (24:22):
I don't. Yeah, that fuses lit whenever you see his defenses.
They're always in position to bring pressure from everywhere. It
seems like that's their number one goal. Either they're bringing
it or the threat of it will make you throw
it to spots that they want you to throw it in.
I think that Grenard is one of the best pass
rushers that no one talks about. He's an absolute medness
about two hundred and fifty pounds, so he's in that
(24:44):
Von Miller type mode. He's not a defensive end, but
when it's obvious passing down, he's a problem. And so
is that Van Gingle guy. He just all he does
is make plays great season. He just seems like he's
in the spot where the ball shows up every single time.
So and that they're good players. But but they're also coached,
well coached. They're into your stuff, they know their stuff,
they communicate well, they're they're a snoopful. So it will
(25:08):
take all eleven to be on the same page offensively
to make sure you knock them off the ball. Number one,
number two, you've got to beat that pursuit and wear
them down into the fourth quarter.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
Yeah. My memory of that Week eight game is that
the Rams were dictating terms that they force the Vikings
on defense to read and react, which is kind of
antithetical to their model, Like they're so good at not
just blitzing you, but heating you up on early downs,
like they don't wait for you to get in a
negative down and distance to come after you. Whether that
was because it was a short week, because they were
a bit shorthanded, because Pooka surprised them, I don't know,
(25:39):
but I hope that there's elements of that in Monday
Night's game. I think the key is to force them
to blitz paradoxically, because Matthew Stafford eviscerates the blitz. What
you don't want is them getting after you with four,
So invite those extra rushers, block them up well enough,
and Matthew Stafford play quickly enough to then punish, because
that's what you have to do against floors. You have
(26:00):
to be able to punish these defensive looks. And they
can pay.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
Yeah, they can pay for being aggressive, and they're going
to be aggressive.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
I was going to say, and JB to your point,
Viking's blitz at the highest rate in the NFL this year,
at forty one and a half. We'll call it. And
Stafford's passer rating against the Blitz in twenty twenty four
one two five.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
I mean, maybe it was just flat out respect for
Stafford that they didn't come after him. I just can't
envision a world where they're coming to sow Fit twice
and not leaving it all out.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
Well.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
I've been on schemes to where you're sitting and you're
not blissing, and I've been on schemes to where you're
all out. The problem with going all out is if
you don't get there, if you don't get home, they
pick it up. Now you're vulnerable in the back end,
and you only want to do it to certain quarterbacks
because if you're pick up a Blitz and you're Matthew
Stafford and it's one on one and he's got a choice,
he's going to win that. He's going to win that
(26:46):
ninety percent of the time. So you have to be careful.
If you're getting home, you can turn up the heat.
If you're not getting home, they can pick you apart.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
But that's the other An opponent breaks a huddle and
shows you a personnel grouping or an alignment or a
pre snap motion that you weren't expect that takes some
of the wind out of your sales.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
That's the thing about veteran quarterbacks. There's so many tells
with this offense, all these motions. Somebody's going to give
away something and he's going to change the play. That's
the difference when you're blitzing a younger quarterback versus an
experienced guy who's seen everything that looks like Cover two.
But this guy's showing me something else. Change the play.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
All right, Let's circle back to the screen game, because
listening to the broadcast of all three of you, including
Maurice Jones Drew, it was notable the screen game was
light years ahead in terms of week eighteen. Why was
that and how did that happen? And is it necessary
for Monday Night?
Speaker 2 (27:34):
This is why I have to give Jimmy Gson props
because he turned into a Stafford coin on some of
those screen passes. Get the ball out so fast, Yes,
that little side arm stuff to get it down there,
because you have to beat the defense to the spot
with the football to set up those blocks, and those
blocks have to be precise. So I think that is
an indication of how well you're practicing and how well
(27:55):
you execute. If you can time those up because if
you do, there's almost nothing the defense can do besides
make a miraculous play going through somebody, because if you
hit it and you beat the defense to the spot,
there's going to be open turf for you.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
Yeah. I think it had more to do with Lafleur
and Garoppolo and kind of the way they wanted to
try and win that game. I don't know if it
applies to Monday night at all, but I hope that
they became a more difficult team to prepare for.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Definitely, that's fair. I bet you have to rep it
and you have to talk about it. So if it
keeps him up at night, so be it. One more thing.
I love when you get the specialist involved, like even
x Smith on the end a rounds, because you give
him something that he does anyway, he's a punt returner.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
Did it against the Vikings too, Give him one more.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
Absolutely, I love when you expand the offense that way.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
Speaking of expanding the offense, Cooper Cup is somebody we're
going to be looking to come Monday night. Just four
catches in his last three games. However, in the playoffs,
this man is near unstoppable. He's third most in the
NFL history and yards per game in the playoffs. How
do you deploy Cooper Cup in this?
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Okay, so we're on this set as a hill. See
this hill, I'm planting my feet. I will die on
this hill. Cooper Cup is still one of the best
receivers in the league, and I'm not ready to say
he's not. And I think he's about ready to show
people what's up on Monday, I hope, because maybe that
was a shot at him too. I'll see you in
two weeks. Well, I hope he took it that way.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
Who do you think is a top the list of
benefiting from clinching in week seventeen or on the.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Shortland Cooper Cup? Yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
We don't have to. I don't have to pretend that
like this isn't the worst three games slump of his career, though.
I think that's fine. But I also can point to
moments against Arizona Cardinals where I think he deserved the
football and was open and because of some other circumstances,
he didn't get those targets. And that's okay. Look what
we're all kind of dancing around is the full portfolio.
The full compliment is there for Sean McVay, and it's
(29:36):
kind of a corollary to the quarterback conversation we had.
Kevin O'Connell deserves to be the NFL coach of the Year.
I'm fine with it, But in a one game sample
size on Monday Night, which coached in play color, do
I want on our sideline the guy who's lifted the
Lombardi Trophy, the winning his coach in Rams franchise history.
And I don't know what he's going to do, how
he's going to bend this game plan, whether he's going
(29:57):
to run it back from Week eight, whether he's going
to go back to that I steamrolled the Dallas Cowboys
at the Coliseum in twenty eighteen game plan and let
the offensive line exert itself. My guess is he won't
kind of go away from their identity because the Rams
aren't about exotic, They're about execution. They're about making difficult
(30:17):
look easy and easy look difficult, and I think that's
where his focus has been these last two weeks.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
Defense has been executing through the majority of this season,
from Week one to Week eighteen, and they're going to
have a massive task in front of them, especially when
you consider the secondary for Los Angeles Rams having to
deal with Jefferson, Addison and Hawkinson. How do you go
about slowing them down?
Speaker 3 (30:39):
I'll take it for that they can't. Yeah, I can't, easy,
but the front four can. And so all I'm asking
of the defense is an extra possession, turning sevens into threes.
Members of the secondary compete. Make them snap it one
more time like you did in week eight, because sooner
or later that fearsome twenty foursome is going to detonate,
(30:59):
and that's all you need.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
Destroy that supply line, get to Sam Darnold. That takes
care of receivers. But I would say, let me say this, McCullough, Kensins,
Curl Lake at John Johnson. The third safety play is
going to be huge because if they do get blocked up,
if Verse or Fisk or Turner or be Young can't
or Michael Hoyt can't get home, that means the ball's
coming out and it's probably going to be to Jefferson
(31:22):
and then it's tougher to cover and then tougher to
get him down. Safety play is going to be huge.
If you want to bracket and take away guy, you
have to be letter perfect on that.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
So all right, so you mentioned JJ a couple of times.
Oh yeah, Rams, JJ, not Minnesota. Yes, I feel like
you're expecting something or lots of something from him.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Well, I mean, look, I hope I'm not giving away anything.
But John Johnson third is he's a veteran safety and
a good center field one. So if you employ or
deploy him, what does that free up? Probably a Quinton
Lake to be closer to the blocks, to get down
in there, to blitz a little bit more. You're going
to be a little bit faster. So that is also
(32:00):
in the book. Just like the rams On offense, they're
very multiple. If you add one more veteran safety that
you can trust back there, that frees up some guys
up front. Maybe you can get more pressure to Sam Darnold.
That will help you in the passing year.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
What do you think about the way the lines played.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Donald Man bruh, You know, I wish you can game
plan that. I mean, that was excellent effort. Great job
by Aaron Glynn. I think you caught them by surprise.
The problem is now they know. I wish you would
have waited or did that three weeks ago, but now
they know they're going to fix their issues, but some
of that you're going to see on Monday.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
No doubt you think the Rams will dip into that.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
If it works. Absolutely, This is a copycat league. Gives
some of those twists identity though, But some of those twists,
the way they're running, some of those pick stunts, some
of that stuff works. They're doing that stuff now. So
it's not anything that the Rams can't do or have
it done before. They Detroit just did it a lot
and it worked against Donald. So you're going to see
some of that on Monday, guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
Okay, let's put it in a little bit more fine
tuned Layman's terms, especially considering the red zone defense the
Lions put up against the Vikings. Was there any patterns
or schemes you notice that held Sam Donald to pretty
much zero in the red zone?
Speaker 2 (33:08):
You know? I mean it's weird when you watch. I
think Minnesota was off.
Speaker 3 (33:12):
I think he was off, he was off.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
He was right. I think he had a bad game.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
I think they're sitting there with the clicker being like,
I hope we get this again.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
I couldn't have said it better. Yeah, when you watch that,
you're like, Wow, why did you go there. This is
over here. But that's the thing. It happened a week
before you play him. They're going to fix what ails
them and they're going to be better.
Speaker 3 (33:30):
Like if you're the Rams, you want Sam Darnald seeing
whatever ghosts he was seeing last Sunday. I just don't
think you can use the Lion's formula, yeah, to make
him see those ghosts. It is not I don't know. No,
you cover zero press, man physical no, pi, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
That's the best thing about football to me is you
learn from your beats and the next week you're going
to be better for it. So if you I think
you'd have to be kind of not smart to throw
the same thing Detroit threw at him and expect the
same results. Yeah, mix some of that in, but it's
not going to work two weeks in a row.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
But cutting off the supply lines is where I go
back to you. You beat these Vikings by pulling Sam
Darnold's eyes down, Yes, with your four man rush. And
in fact, it's kind of the opposite of what we
said earlier. Like for the Rams on offense, you want
the Vikings bringing five and six man pressures, ye, because
Stafford can handle that if you're the Rams, you want
to be able to sit back and play coverage all
(34:22):
night because you're front four, wreaking enough, have it?
Speaker 2 (34:24):
You want to be special? Jared versus go win the
game there, love it? Yeah, take schul out of it,
take the coordinators, take the play calls out. Just refuse
to be blocked. That will make him see ghosts.
Speaker 1 (34:33):
You guys are just perfect segue into Keys to Victory
because I'm going to go right off of that. I'll
start with my keys to victory and I'm gonna say
first and foremost. At Squeeze Sam, they talked about how
they have what two guys with eleven plus sacks on
their roster? Well, how about us? We got three guys
with seven and a half plus. You're kind to give
some love there, right, You got Fisked with eight and
a half on the season, Young with seven and a half,
(34:54):
and Turner with eight and of course Jared vers with
four and a half. So those guys are going to
be my key to victory. Who would like to go next?
Speaker 2 (35:01):
You want to go? You know I've been thinking about
this and okay, so Jared Versus, fisk Turner, all the guys,
we just talked about. I think they're given and given
any situation, I think they could wreck shop. Now what
happens when the Paul comes out. I've talked about the safety,
so i'll say corners and one in particular, I'll say
Spoon Witherspoon. Okay, you know he's going to be matched up.
(35:24):
They're gonna come after him. They're gonna come after everybody,
but they'll probably come after him. So even if you
give up a reception or whatever, just make sure you
drop him there and make sure you carry it out
through the play and not look back if Sam Darnold
breaks contained. So I think four has played well. I
think he's made some plays, but I think he can
be a target on game day. I think he will
(35:46):
be a target on Monday. So I think this defense
will go as far as coverage takes them, and he's
going to be a major part of that.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
Yeah, this is a journey for me. You know, everything
from Stafford being better than Donald and first quarter scoring
margin and read zone conversions and kicking game, all of
which I think are going to be integral ingredients. But
because of where you started, I want to finish with
the home field advantage and there's a lot of conversation
right now that it's unfair that a fourteen win Minnesota
(36:14):
team with a plus one hundred scoring margin has to
come face an NFC West champion in a down or
a flat division that had a negative scoring margin. And
you're right, it's not fair, but that's how we play
in the National Football League. And unlike previous moments in
Rams regular season history, this game just got announced last
week and from what I hear, there's going to be
a pro RAMS crowd at Sofi Stadium. I hope we
(36:35):
can all be there and that the conditions were allowed
for that, And I would say, make it feel as
unfair as possible. Make the Vikings want to complain that
that should not how it. You know, it's not how
it's meant to be for a fourteen win team. You
know what I'm saying? Oh yeah, Like that's my key
to victory. You want vers to dominate this game. Make
sure every snap that Darnold takes is with this it's
(36:56):
not with his voice.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
Who's house and mean it? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (37:00):
I love it, guys. I feel like there's one stone
that we have left unturned.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
And it better not be another chocolate.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Oh please, let it be another chocolate bar.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
Yeah, it's not.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
I'm just thinking we really haven't talked much about the
run game on either side. There's a couple of names
that I feel like we do need to discuss, whether
that's Aaron Jones or Kyraen Williams.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
And Jones is good.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
He's good.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
He's been a thorn in the Rams side.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
Let me stump for Kyron though. I thought that was
a Pro Bowl season, and I don't mind saying that
out loud. Yeah that's almost thirteen hundo. How many rushing
touchdowns thirteen fourteen? Yeah, I mean, come on, dude. He
was the most consistent part of this offense, went through
a rough stretch, straightened himself out three hundred plus carries.
I thought he was fantastic. So if there is an
MVP to be given out, I would say on offense,
(37:41):
you would definitely have to look at him. He has
really paced this team. So the run game has been
huge for this football team. Huges for Matthew Stafford. He's
every bit the run game for the Rams right now.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
In my opinion, nothing to add well said, love it well.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
I'm definitely going to be putting some extra peanut butter
cups in the boot.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
Yeah, I realize I'm a bad teammate. I didn't like those.
Speaker 2 (38:04):
The way back out.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
There's one thing that's for sure, and that's that we
cannot wait to see all of you guys come Monday night,
five o'clock in Sofi Stadium. Get there early because it's
going to be jam packed. The Rams House is going
to be the place to be. This has been between
the Horns presented by your Southern California Toyota Dealers for
my friends JV. Long, DeMarco Far I'm Cameron Irwin, and
a solid reminder stay safe, l A l A together
Welcome to Between the Horns. This is a special edition
as wild Card weekend is now upon us. Hi everyone,
Camerdor went alongside my good friends JV. Long and DeMarco
far Of course, this is brought to you by your
Southern California Toyota dealers. But guys, before we jump into
this and the matchup versus the Minnesota Vikings come Monday
(00:23):
Night football, we need to take a pause as the
picturesque nature of this beautiful city has been twisted over
the last forty eight hours. Many of our friends, our families,
our colleagues have been impacted by the fires across southern California.
So while we continue to prepare for the playoffs and
celebrate this great city's team and its accomplishments to this
(00:44):
season thus far, we also want to share that we
are all thinking of you, praying for you and anyone
that has been impacted by these fires. A huge thank
you to our firefighters and our first responders. And just
as the RAMS did in twenty eighteen during unprecedented tragedy,
we will once again look to bring La together, especially
(01:04):
come Monday night, as we will support the relief efforts
against these wildfires. More details will be coming in the
soon to come days, so be sure to tune in
to all of us here with the Los Angeles Rams
as to how you can provide support, just as we
will as an organization. All right, guys, we turn our
attention now to the Minnesota Vikings and this playoff matchup.
(01:26):
I first have to ask, how are you guys doing good?
Speaker 2 (01:29):
It's you know, California living is, It's awesome, but it
comes with challenges. So I have a lot of ex teammates, friends,
teammates of teammates that became firefighters. So I'm glad what
you said about the first responders and find a way
to help. And you know you'll hear from Jambi in
a second, but just find a way to help your
fellow neighbor. We're all Californians and this is just a
(01:51):
tough time for all.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Yeah, good to be with you. I think we all
need friendship and we need football as a momentary reprieve
from much larger pities. I'm really appreciative to be here
with you today as we have been the season. Wonderful words, camera,
and you're such a great addition to our team and
our show and organization has benefited from you. This is
one of those moments where I'm really glad to be
(02:13):
working for the Los Angeles Rams. And I say this
as an employee, but put the football aside. I think
where they shine as a sports entity is unfortunately in
moments of crisis like this, and I don't like that
we have to keep living into them. But I am
very proud to be a member of a sports franchise
that is so ingrained in the community and impacts it
(02:34):
in such a positive way. I don't know what tomorrow
is going to bring, but I do know the Los
Angeles Rams are going to be at the forefront of
the recovery effort.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
It is all about La together. This is our home
and this is our family. This is our Bramily. As
we look ahead to the Minnesota Vikings, it's crazy we
made it through the regular season, right and what a
twist and turn. It has been a true Hollywood script.
So guys, I have to start off with the just
a minor review before we dig into it. What was
the best plot twist of this season for the Rams?
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Best plot twist? Who was close to letting go of
the rope? Anybody, no, No, don't no? Best plot twist
of the year. My god, I mean it's still ongoing.
Can we say the rise of Pukakua as the number
one weapon? Jared Verse coming in out of nowhere, reminding
(03:26):
us all what first rounds ends look like and what
they can do and how they can help your football team.
There's several. I mean, it's hard to put your finger
on one. Sean McVay never given letting go of the
rope so many but like you said, if this were
a movie or a scripted show, would be the highest
rated show of all time. This has been one hell
of a roller coaster.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
You go next, Cameron, because this is your idea, I
don't want to say.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Oh man, Well, so I was really torn between two
different things, and one was just thinking about some of
the streaks that have taken place, whether it's the five
straight you saw with Stafford as of recent or the
three earlier. And I'm going to go with the three earlier.
End of October, right, oh yeah, where just two days
before the trade deadline, Los Angeles Rams hit five hundred
(04:06):
and I feel like that is the biggest inflection point
of this season because the season could have gone a
complete different direction, right You maybe start pulling starters. Maybe
it's it could be a completely different story. So that's
my plot twist of the season.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Loved it. I love that October run. Where do you
say the end? I know you say the end of it?
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
So when she prompted us with this question, one person
came to mind. That was Chris Shula, because there are
a lot of folks and we won't name names, who
probably felt like he might have been in over his
head in the first month of this season as a
first time defensive coordinator having to live life after the
greatest defensive player in franchise history. Now I think there's
(04:45):
some concern that he might be the next head coach
of fill in the blank, and everyone's concerned about how
do we keep Chris Shula. So I think that's a
pretty cool plot twist. But I know I'm speaking to
our audience here when I say I hope the best
plot twist is yet to come. It has something to
do with seeing somebody in two weeks, and I think
showing up on their doorstep would be the best plot
twist that I could envision.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Do you think he meant that the way it came
out or no?
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Okay, but do you think everyone who slided Michael Jordan
meant it the way that he took me.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Not at all. I'm glad he said it. I'm not
sure if he meant it, but I'm glad he said it.
So we'll see what happens in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Everyone calling it the perfect bulletin board material and that
is spot on, no doubt. Before we get any further, JB. Long,
you talked about having receipts, Well, we have them here.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
No on between the horn this. Now you still have
a whole show to do.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Oh I know, if somebody pulled the footage, I hope
you have a little water. You might need a chaser
to this, because there was conversation you said that you
would potentially eat chocolate if the Rams clenched the division
before week eighteen and you got to rest your starters.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
I told you, bring everybody along with us fight.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Well, JV, I felt like I kind of go withess
because I mean, it's they got to.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
Win another suit before I eat that.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Really, I mean, hopefully you're not the peanuts because I've
already opened it to someone have helped it along.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
I'll just leave this right here for you.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
By the way, if you're just joining this for the
first time. He is the only person I have ever
met in my entire life that does not like chocolate,
so this is painful for him.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Where do these raid on on? Like the chocolate scale
at the top? Yeah, my god, no, but I mean, like,
this is what no chocolate?
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Chocolate? And look at you're nervous. I can't. This is
so good. Are you sure you want to do this? Now?
We do have a show to do. Let's eat. This
is peanut butter and don't get Oh gosh, here we go.
We're off and running.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
There you go, I'm nervous. Just do you have your water?
Speaker 2 (06:38):
I do? Good for you?
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Just to match the table, didn't you?
Speaker 2 (06:42):
I did?
Speaker 1 (06:42):
I matched the table. I had to. Okay, well, you're
good on your bet. I'll give you that.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Many people do that because it's so good. But that's crazy.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
I've often said, the only reason my wife is married
to me is because she gets double the chocolate.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
There you go, everything goes making statements. There you go, yes,
well that's.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Our snack on the way back. It works. Well, let's
talk a little bit more about that Week eighteen matchup,
because he's still try I can't even look at his
face of it. He's still trying to.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
I love it. Yeah, But what was.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
The statement from Sean McVay when you consider going into
that Week eighteen matchup versus Seattle and taking we'll say
at least half the starters off the field on the
offensive side of the ball.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Well, first of all, I mean doing what you I
mean starting Jimmy Garoppolo. And I thought Jimmy Garoppolo was good.
What did you guys think of Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback?
I wanted to see it. I saw what I saw.
He threw for three hundred two touchdowns, had one bad pick,
But I thought they fought their butts off, almost beat
a Seattle squad that was going for ten wins. That
was their frontline starters, and it was a ballgame with
(07:42):
some of your best players. So I like what Sean
McVay had to say to his football team after this
is before we heard from the other coach saying I'll
see you in two weeks. We respect everybody, but we
fear none. I think that embodies this entire football teams.
You could take that beyond, don't We don't fear a team.
They don't fear a situation. They've been through it all
(08:02):
this year, injuries, being down eight percent, chance of making
the postseason, year, division champs, everything, So what hasn't this
team seen so far? So I like that he's got
the pulse of the squad. They reacted to it. Let's
let's hopefully pay a lot gamebusters on Monday.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Do you feel like Monday is a referendum on the strategy?
What do you mean in terms of I know our
audience has pointed out the times the Rams have been
one and done in the playoffs correlates with the seventeen
and twenty three seasons when they had the option to
rest starters in the final week.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Oh well, you know, I think it might have been
necessary this time. I mean, I think Rob Havenstein needed
the rest, Matthew Stafford probably needed the rest. This was
a good week to get some of your frontline guys
out just to try to kind of reset. I wouldn't
say it's a throwaway game versus Seattle, but I think
it's a game where you actually it's that by week
(08:54):
built in so to rest some of your guys to
get ready for a Minnesota squad that was dealing with
the first and now you I think you got a
leg up prep wise on them with the starters.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Look, I hate to point to like Blake Koram and say, unfortunately,
that's the reason why are Christian Watson of the Green
Bay Packers and say unfortunately, that's the reason why McVeigh
and others make the choices that they do. But I
like what you said and what he said, which is
it's not just about that moment in time, it's about
the larger goal. They could have played it a certain
way to try and I guess catch the Washington Commanders
(09:26):
in a rookie quarterback at home in the playoffs. But
they're not in this to win a game. They're in
this to lift a Lombardi Trophy. And the number one reason,
the biggest reason, I'm not going to say the only reason,
but why am I confident that they can do it,
that they can win Monday Night and maybe beyond. It's
because they're healthy. It's because they're healthier than they've been
all season. It's because everyone that you would want to
(09:49):
start on Monday Night they have the option of starting
right and there's no guarantee that would have been the
case if you go after look like.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
I mean, anything could happen and here you and look,
it was just a few guys that didn't play Pookah Stafford,
Rob Havistein. Most of the guys on defense played. They
just didn't play a ton, but they were out there,
so it's not like you took the entire week off.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
We were definitely some Brice spots as well, whether it's
Josh Carty, a congratulation to him the NFC Player of
the Month, as well as Jordan Whittington. I mean, talk
about the explosive plays you saw from him. Does he
maybe have an increased role heading into this playoff matchup?
Speaker 2 (10:23):
Well? First, good for Cardi, how about that, right, I
mean there's another guy that some people had out the door,
and here he is player of the week and the
biggest confidence boost moving into his biggest game next week.
So awesome. But Jordan Whittington, we had him pegged from
They did too from day one. Another big body you
can play on special teams, a physical receiver down the field. Wow,
(10:44):
it's a Pukah Cooper clone. Love that. So, like you said,
play the healthiest guys, he's getting more, I guess opportunities
offensively as well as special teams. Absolutely, he's going to
play a factor into what happens against Minnesota.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Yeah, it's hard for me not to see a scenario
where he doesn't contribute to the game plan on offense.
I'm speaking of everyone who watches this show knows that
we've been like stumping for two two at well all
season long. I think Tyler Higbee outscoring the rest of
the tight end room and what three games off of
injured reserve really speaks to what that group has become
and can be in this postseason. I think more than anything, though,
(11:19):
it's not a someone, but a something that I take
away from that performance offensive against the Seahawks, and that
is it's as good as I can recall the screen
game looking tight ends, running backs, you name it. I
think that's an element that it would be great to
have confidence in deploying as soon as Monday night.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Okay, we're going to circle back to the screen game
because that's actually a question for you later on as
we really focus into the vikings.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
Uh, I'm glad I forgot what the question was and
I kind of picked up whatever it was based on
what you said. Just making sure I was distracted.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Know what's going on?
Speaker 3 (11:52):
I smell as much is the taste. I was the
kid who sat outside the Hershey factory in the car.
All the rest of my family went in as a kid,
So more for us.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
All right, guys, Well, this is a matchup that we
have seen before and this year and actually the last
time we played the Minnesota Vikings in the playoffs was
actually somewhat that was the last time back in nineteen
nice research, you know a little something about playing the
Vikings in the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Bro that was the most terrifying game of all time.
When they broke the huddle. Randy Moss went that way,
Chris Carter went that way. Oh, by the way, Ranald
McDaniel's blocking me. Yeah, Oh my goodness. I'm so happy
we won that football game because if we didn't, they
probably win the Super Bowl there.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
So they were going to break in the huddle this
week too, big time, no.
Speaker 2 (12:42):
Doubt, same stuff. Here we go again.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Yes, well, that matchup was back in week eight Thursday
Night Football. The question is different team from then to now.
It was the first time we got to have Pookah
Cooper back out on the field. There were a few
other changes that took place. But how much can we
use that matchup as preparation for this play?
Speaker 2 (13:00):
You know, we just listened to the coach and it's
weird that game was two months ago.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Hmm.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
That's when you say it like that, that's like forever ago,
like it almost didn't happen, but it did. It's there.
There's a lot of carry over there. It's basically the
same guys that you're about to play now. Didn't you
set me something about maybe Puka coming back caught them
off guard? So Puka won't have a chance to sneak
up on the Vikings again. But who really can Puka
sneak up on now? Everybody knows he's probably public enemy number.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
One, and if you clone him and run Pooka two
out there, that'd be great. Well, otherwise you're not gonna
have the element of surprise this week.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
I'm glad you said that. I thought we had the
Puka clone. I thought we had a I thought Puka
was a Cooper Cup clone. So I would like to
have both of those guys running wild versus the Vikings.
I think I don't care who's calling plays over there.
When Puka's at his best and Cooper Cup is eating
I don't care what you call. You got issues, you
can't cover them both.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
I'll be honest. I don't think Week eight has much
bearing on this matchup, but a few things that I
would love to see replicated. It was a fearless fast
start and those have been hard to come by for
the twenty four Rams. It was the only time all
season they came out of the gates with back to
back touchdown drives, and it's a good thing they did
because Minnesota did too. I went back and looked at
kind of snap counts. I love the way that with
(14:16):
Puka and Cooper back, they didn't just go right back
to their old ways. They platooned as much personnel as
I can recall them doing in the McVeigh era. I
think eleven skill position players played meaningful snaps on offense
in that game. And I'm not saying they're going to
do the exact same thing this time around, but I
think that opportunity is in front of them. But more
than anything, I think it's red zone, especially because of
(14:37):
how Minnesota lost in Detroit last week. In that game,
the Rams went three for three in the red zone,
all four of their touchdowns were scored from the twenty
five yard lineer in and more importantly, on defense, they
got second half stops on short fields. They forced two
field goals instead of touchdown drives from Sam Darnold. One
sequence I'll never forget Justin Jefferson down that left sideline
(15:00):
one of the catches of the year. Yeah, And the
next play they come after Darius Williams with Aaron Jones.
They run to his side right after he lost that
one on one and he was ready for a four
yard tackle for loss that turned into a four point play.
Those are the types of moments the rams On defense
have to have again on Monday Night. And I think
that was one of the biggest sequences of the season,
(15:22):
one of the biggest reasons why they get this rematch.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
And it kind of didn't. It kind of put Jared
Verse on the map. It did. I mean, we all knew,
but I mean that really kind of solidified this guy
maybe rookie of the year, This guy may be a
pro bowler because he and Byron Young took that game over.
And that's something else that kind of happened after that.
It was the rise of Braden Fisk. Before that game
one sack after that game seven and a half sacks,
So they found something in them and in him and
(15:46):
it just changed a lot. So that was a big,
big victory over the Vikings.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
You're talking about the defensive side. I'm still looking at
the stat line for Stafford in that one, two seventy
nine in terms of yards four touchdowns. Does he have
to have four touchdowns again to beat the Vikings on
Monday night?
Speaker 2 (16:00):
See respect to Justin Deetitsch, because he was out there,
he was the starter at leftgover right, and it was
a different Stafford. He was thrown from with confidence from
the pocket, and Kyron Williams was threatening that defense which
kept them off balance. So I think outside of Buffalo,
that was the best offensive approach or the most balanced
approach to offense that we've seen. So I think it
(16:22):
starts with the what's up front and having Steve Abbolah
and there is going to be big, he's bigger, and
having Kyron Williams rested for a week, I can pay
the offense. I think that denotes a better and the
best Matthew Stafford on Monday night.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
To your point, there were zero sacks that matchup on Stafford,
so Hopefully we can have that little streak going. We
talked about streaks earlier. One of the other big differences.
We're going to have a different tight end matchup on
both sides from both teams. How is that going to
be an impact in this one?
Speaker 3 (16:51):
Yeah, Hackinson was almost ready. They held him out of
that game. I think on a short week he's a problem.
I don't know any other way to describe it. It's
great to have higbe back Hawkins. It means just as
much by the way they're connected by an injury. Yeah,
and and a tackler, and I think that's meaningful. Come
Monday night, It'll be great to see him both play.
Quite frankly, is.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
It interesting Howkinson's coming back and so is John Johnson
the third Yeah, you have like a plethora of safeties
to roll at people be great, So I'd like to
see how that unlocks some other safeties to be projectiles
into the back.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
Of I think the whole secondary is curious, really. I
mean lots of places on the defense, but Kobe Durant
started at corner that night. It's been a Kella Witherspoon
in the closing month of the season. How do their
opportunities balance out. Omar Spates made his first NFL start
that night. He played the first twenty snaps on defense
of his career. Now I think he's a bona fide
NFL starter.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Oh yeah, what do you mean you think he is? Yeah,
that guy, he's bawling.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
But on the other side, like Blake Cashman at turtot
that that night, so he's he's just as integral to
their defensive operations.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
So it's almost like two months ago doesn't matter it all.
It just matters about this game, you know, yeah, you know.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
What I do think matters a lot though, in terms
of change is the direction that the various kicking games
have gone. Because the Vikings and the Rams took the
top two place kickers in this draft, and Will Reikerd
had not missed as a pro when he left Englewood
that night. Then he got hurt. Hasn't been as good since.
Went ten for sixteen field goal down the stretch. You
mentioned Cardi already, but I think we can all agree
(18:18):
he saved his best for last close to the regular
season with thirteen straight makes. Fifty eight to fifty seven
would have been good from sixty who knows. Against the Seahawks.
I mean it when I say I have not felt
as confident in the Rams kicking game since Matt Gay
left for Indianapolis. Probably, yeah, it would be how I
finished that just Cardi and not just Cardi.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
Evans, Cardy, that whole battery has come together.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
And Jordan and Jordan the kick return game. So Ethan
Evans has I mean become I think a great punter.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
So yeah, Jordan's forty three yard return was a fun
one to watch.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
Last week, all right, well we talked about interesting matchups.
There's another one when you consider these two quarterbacks that
completely different states, right in terms of their playoff careers,
Sam Donald making his first playoff start, Matthew Stafford his ninth.
Significance too in terms of Stafford having a super Bowl
on his side, how much of an impact will that be?
(19:13):
Will nerves play a factor for Donald, especially playing in
front of hometown He's from San Clemente and he's a Trojan.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Nerves sc quarterback of nerves. Maybe I don't see that
being a problem.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
That's different, Like, seriously, what's different?
Speaker 2 (19:27):
What do you mean in the playoff?
Speaker 3 (19:28):
Yeah, you've put the helmet on. What changes from your
final regular season game to wild card weekend.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
It's wild because every snap is the same. You're playing football.
The nerves are different because the games are bigger and
there's more people there, so that factors in. But you
start to realize every play, like win or lose, this
could be our last snap of the year. If we
don't lose this game, there is no tomorrow. So that
just adds a whole nother pressure. So it's how you
deal with that. But for Sam Donald having this success,
(19:56):
I am not surprised. You saw him in college. He's
got all the tool you get him in the right environment,
with the right coach Kevin O'Connell, in the right system.
It's basically the same system as here, and the way
they teach it, you're going to get the best out
of guys. It's not that I think that here. Sean
McVay got the best out of Golf, he got the
best out of Stafford, he got the best out of
(20:16):
Baker Mayfield, got the best out of Carson Wentz. It's
just how they teach and it's not surprising that he
took that to Minnesota and he kind of rebuilt Sam
Darnold into a winner. So yeah, He's always a guy
that gives the Rams problems. He's very mobile, he can
make every throw. He's got the right play caller and
the right group around him. He is going to be
a snoopful come Monday.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
And of course our quarterback he needs a little bit
more love, right bringing us back to the playoffs yet again,
I've been calling him Stafford clause. He's twelve and one
in the month of December since twenty twenty one, he
is I don't know, but he's undefeated in the month
of December. I know Jav's over.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
There, like, can you work that into the broadcast? He's
been dropping bombs this year? Can you work out Stafford clause? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (20:57):
I don't want to steal Cameron's with It's the ultimate
cliche that Team X goes as far as QB one
can take them, right, But I don't know that I've
ever felt it in my bones as much as I
do in this moment in time. Like the Rams have
been They've outperformed on defense, they've been much improved on
special teams. But the reason why we all think there's
(21:18):
a chance to do something special this January, it comes
down to John Matthew Stafford point blank. And it comes
down to the version of him that has that wink
in his eye and that soul snatching swagger that we
saw him play with at moments, not consistently, but at
moments this season, including against the Vikings. If he looks
(21:39):
like the guy that wants to take this team back
into the Lions Den, I think they got a shot.
But I mean that not just with respect to him,
though he is the most important piece. I mean it
with the protection up front. I mean it with the
running game to keep him out of negative down in distances.
His targets have to win, and his head coach and
play caller has to be in his back, and I
(22:00):
think they will be.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
I think that two week thing. I'll see you in
two weeks. That was a shot at Stafford. I hope
he took it that way.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
It was not a shot.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
I hope it was. I'm taking it as now that
you mentioned it material. Yeah, you don't think he's good,
I'm fine if he uses it. I hope he took
that personally. I want to see that petty side. We
talk about all the great quarterbacks we've defended against, Brady Rogers,
all these great quarterbacks we say the same thing. We
never say it on there, but off air they're petty.
(22:29):
They don't like being shown up. I hope that sort
of Matthew Stafford shows up on Monday Night, that guy.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
No doubt, because Sam Darnold had the better season. Yes,
he's the pro bowler deservedly. Which guy are you drafting
with your first pick in a pickup game from Monday Night?
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Stafford?
Speaker 3 (22:45):
It's not even close. And look, he did enough this
year I think to cement his Hall of Fame resume.
We've talked about that on the show and elsewhere. Another
playoff winner two would definitely grease those skids. But I
don't think we even need ah away from the fact
that there's a very real possibility that Matthews down to
his last loss as a RAM because he's openly talked
(23:05):
about what his future holds, and that he's not going
to answer that question definitively until until February of this year.
So I hope that whatever comes Monday and hopefully beyond,
informs his feelings, his family's feelings, the Rams feelings, and
equally the voters for Canton that I think there's a
lot to prove.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
No January you want to keep the band together, keep
one of.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Yeah, talk about the Hall of Fame. Resume. Well, Matthew
Stafford in the playoffs is at the top of the order.
Is most yards per game in the playoffs in history?
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Sure?
Speaker 1 (23:34):
Well over three hundred is the average.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
One of your former seven one of your former teammates
next on that.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
List, Yeah, there's only guess.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Tony Banks.
Speaker 3 (23:45):
Kurt warn are a part of.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
One of those three, as well as Dan Felts and
then Drew Brees just below three hundred.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
Great company to be keeping. All right, guys, Well, now
it's really time to dig into the matchup, and I
think it's best that we start. When you look at
the Minnesota Vikings four fourteen in three, it's hard to
believe that they didn't win their division. This is probably
the most winningest wild card team we have ever seen.
Let's start with our rams on offense. When you look
at this Brian Flores defense, we expected it to be
(24:15):
a crazy blitz show on Thursday Night Football when we
met them in week eight. That wasn't necessarily the case.
Do you expect that to change in this matchup?
Speaker 2 (24:22):
I don't. Yeah, that fuses lit whenever you see his defenses.
They're always in position to bring pressure from everywhere. It
seems like that's their number one goal. Either they're bringing
it or the threat of it will make you throw
it to spots that they want you to throw it in.
I think that Grenard is one of the best pass
rushers that no one talks about. He's an absolute medness
about two hundred and fifty pounds, so he's in that
(24:44):
Von Miller type mode. He's not a defensive end, but
when it's obvious passing down, he's a problem. And so
is that Van Gingle guy. He just all he does
is make plays great season. He just seems like he's
in the spot where the ball shows up every single time.
So and that they're good players. But but they're also coached,
well coached. They're into your stuff, they know their stuff,
they communicate well, they're they're a snoopful. So it will
(25:08):
take all eleven to be on the same page offensively
to make sure you knock them off the ball. Number one,
number two, you've got to beat that pursuit and wear
them down into the fourth quarter.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
Yeah. My memory of that Week eight game is that
the Rams were dictating terms that they force the Vikings
on defense to read and react, which is kind of
antithetical to their model, Like they're so good at not
just blitzing you, but heating you up on early downs,
like they don't wait for you to get in a
negative down and distance to come after you. Whether that
was because it was a short week, because they were
a bit shorthanded, because Pooka surprised them, I don't know,
(25:39):
but I hope that there's elements of that in Monday
Night's game. I think the key is to force them
to blitz paradoxically, because Matthew Stafford eviscerates the blitz. What
you don't want is them getting after you with four,
So invite those extra rushers, block them up well enough,
and Matthew Stafford play quickly enough to then punish, because
that's what you have to do against floors. You have
(26:00):
to be able to punish these defensive looks. And they
can pay.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
Yeah, they can pay for being aggressive, and they're going
to be aggressive.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
I was going to say, and JB to your point,
Viking's blitz at the highest rate in the NFL this year,
at forty one and a half. We'll call it. And
Stafford's passer rating against the Blitz in twenty twenty four
one two five.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
I mean, maybe it was just flat out respect for
Stafford that they didn't come after him. I just can't
envision a world where they're coming to sow Fit twice
and not leaving it all out.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
Well.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
I've been on schemes to where you're sitting and you're
not blissing, and I've been on schemes to where you're
all out. The problem with going all out is if
you don't get there, if you don't get home, they
pick it up. Now you're vulnerable in the back end,
and you only want to do it to certain quarterbacks
because if you're pick up a Blitz and you're Matthew
Stafford and it's one on one and he's got a choice,
he's going to win that. He's going to win that
(26:46):
ninety percent of the time. So you have to be careful.
If you're getting home, you can turn up the heat.
If you're not getting home, they can pick you apart.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
But that's the other An opponent breaks a huddle and
shows you a personnel grouping or an alignment or a
pre snap motion that you weren't expect that takes some
of the wind out of your sales.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
That's the thing about veteran quarterbacks. There's so many tells
with this offense, all these motions. Somebody's going to give
away something and he's going to change the play. That's
the difference when you're blitzing a younger quarterback versus an
experienced guy who's seen everything that looks like Cover two.
But this guy's showing me something else. Change the play.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
All right, Let's circle back to the screen game, because
listening to the broadcast of all three of you, including
Maurice Jones Drew, it was notable the screen game was
light years ahead in terms of week eighteen. Why was
that and how did that happen? And is it necessary
for Monday Night?
Speaker 2 (27:34):
This is why I have to give Jimmy Gson props
because he turned into a Stafford coin on some of
those screen passes. Get the ball out so fast, Yes,
that little side arm stuff to get it down there,
because you have to beat the defense to the spot
with the football to set up those blocks, and those
blocks have to be precise. So I think that is
an indication of how well you're practicing and how well
(27:55):
you execute. If you can time those up because if
you do, there's almost nothing the defense can do besides
make a miraculous play going through somebody, because if you
hit it and you beat the defense to the spot,
there's going to be open turf for you.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
Yeah. I think it had more to do with Lafleur
and Garoppolo and kind of the way they wanted to
try and win that game. I don't know if it
applies to Monday night at all, but I hope that
they became a more difficult team to prepare for.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Definitely, that's fair. I bet you have to rep it
and you have to talk about it. So if it
keeps him up at night, so be it. One more thing.
I love when you get the specialist involved, like even
x Smith on the end a rounds, because you give
him something that he does anyway, he's a punt returner.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
Did it against the Vikings too, Give him one more.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
Absolutely, I love when you expand the offense that way.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
Speaking of expanding the offense, Cooper Cup is somebody we're
going to be looking to come Monday night. Just four
catches in his last three games. However, in the playoffs,
this man is near unstoppable. He's third most in the
NFL history and yards per game in the playoffs. How
do you deploy Cooper Cup in this?
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Okay, so we're on this set as a hill. See
this hill, I'm planting my feet. I will die on
this hill. Cooper Cup is still one of the best
receivers in the league, and I'm not ready to say
he's not. And I think he's about ready to show
people what's up on Monday, I hope, because maybe that
was a shot at him too. I'll see you in
two weeks. Well, I hope he took it that way.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
Who do you think is a top the list of
benefiting from clinching in week seventeen or on the.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Shortland Cooper Cup? Yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
We don't have to. I don't have to pretend that
like this isn't the worst three games slump of his career, though.
I think that's fine. But I also can point to
moments against Arizona Cardinals where I think he deserved the
football and was open and because of some other circumstances,
he didn't get those targets. And that's okay. Look what
we're all kind of dancing around is the full portfolio.
The full compliment is there for Sean McVay, and it's
(29:36):
kind of a corollary to the quarterback conversation we had.
Kevin O'Connell deserves to be the NFL coach of the Year.
I'm fine with it, But in a one game sample
size on Monday Night, which coached in play color, do
I want on our sideline the guy who's lifted the
Lombardi Trophy, the winning his coach in Rams franchise history.
And I don't know what he's going to do, how
he's going to bend this game plan, whether he's going
(29:57):
to run it back from Week eight, whether he's going
to go back to that I steamrolled the Dallas Cowboys
at the Coliseum in twenty eighteen game plan and let
the offensive line exert itself. My guess is he won't
kind of go away from their identity because the Rams
aren't about exotic, They're about execution. They're about making difficult
(30:17):
look easy and easy look difficult, and I think that's
where his focus has been these last two weeks.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
Defense has been executing through the majority of this season,
from Week one to Week eighteen, and they're going to
have a massive task in front of them, especially when
you consider the secondary for Los Angeles Rams having to
deal with Jefferson, Addison and Hawkinson. How do you go
about slowing them down?
Speaker 3 (30:39):
I'll take it for that they can't. Yeah, I can't, easy,
but the front four can. And so all I'm asking
of the defense is an extra possession, turning sevens into threes.
Members of the secondary compete. Make them snap it one
more time like you did in week eight, because sooner
or later that fearsome twenty foursome is going to detonate,
(30:59):
and that's all you need.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
Destroy that supply line, get to Sam Darnold. That takes
care of receivers. But I would say, let me say this, McCullough, Kensins,
Curl Lake at John Johnson. The third safety play is
going to be huge because if they do get blocked up,
if Verse or Fisk or Turner or be Young can't
or Michael Hoyt can't get home, that means the ball's
coming out and it's probably going to be to Jefferson
(31:22):
and then it's tougher to cover and then tougher to
get him down. Safety play is going to be huge.
If you want to bracket and take away guy, you
have to be letter perfect on that.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
So all right, so you mentioned JJ a couple of times.
Oh yeah, Rams, JJ, not Minnesota. Yes, I feel like
you're expecting something or lots of something from him.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Well, I mean, look, I hope I'm not giving away anything.
But John Johnson third is he's a veteran safety and
a good center field one. So if you employ or
deploy him, what does that free up? Probably a Quinton
Lake to be closer to the blocks, to get down
in there, to blitz a little bit more. You're going
to be a little bit faster. So that is also
(32:00):
in the book. Just like the rams On offense, they're
very multiple. If you add one more veteran safety that
you can trust back there, that frees up some guys
up front. Maybe you can get more pressure to Sam Darnold.
That will help you in the passing year.
Speaker 3 (32:12):
What do you think about the way the lines played.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Donald Man bruh, You know, I wish you can game
plan that. I mean, that was excellent effort. Great job
by Aaron Glynn. I think you caught them by surprise.
The problem is now they know. I wish you would
have waited or did that three weeks ago, but now
they know they're going to fix their issues, but some
of that you're going to see on Monday.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
No doubt you think the Rams will dip into that.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
If it works. Absolutely, This is a copycat league. Gives
some of those twists identity though, But some of those twists,
the way they're running, some of those pick stunts, some
of that stuff works. They're doing that stuff now. So
it's not anything that the Rams can't do or have
it done before. They Detroit just did it a lot
and it worked against Donald. So you're going to see
some of that on Monday, guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
Okay, let's put it in a little bit more fine
tuned Layman's terms, especially considering the red zone defense the
Lions put up against the Vikings. Was there any patterns
or schemes you notice that held Sam Donald to pretty
much zero in the red zone?
Speaker 2 (33:08):
You know? I mean it's weird when you watch. I
think Minnesota was off.
Speaker 3 (33:12):
I think he was off, he was off.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
He was right. I think he had a bad game.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
I think they're sitting there with the clicker being like,
I hope we get this again.
Speaker 2 (33:21):
I couldn't have said it better. Yeah, when you watch that,
you're like, Wow, why did you go there. This is
over here. But that's the thing. It happened a week
before you play him. They're going to fix what ails
them and they're going to be better.
Speaker 3 (33:30):
Like if you're the Rams, you want Sam Darnald seeing
whatever ghosts he was seeing last Sunday. I just don't
think you can use the Lion's formula, yeah, to make
him see those ghosts. It is not I don't know. No,
you cover zero press, man physical no, pi, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
That's the best thing about football to me is you
learn from your beats and the next week you're going
to be better for it. So if you I think
you'd have to be kind of not smart to throw
the same thing Detroit threw at him and expect the
same results. Yeah, mix some of that in, but it's
not going to work two weeks in a row.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
But cutting off the supply lines is where I go
back to you. You beat these Vikings by pulling Sam
Darnold's eyes down, Yes, with your four man rush. And
in fact, it's kind of the opposite of what we
said earlier. Like for the Rams on offense, you want
the Vikings bringing five and six man pressures, ye, because
Stafford can handle that if you're the Rams, you want
to be able to sit back and play coverage all
(34:22):
night because you're front four, wreaking enough, have it?
Speaker 2 (34:24):
You want to be special? Jared versus go win the
game there, love it? Yeah, take schul out of it,
take the coordinators, take the play calls out. Just refuse
to be blocked. That will make him see ghosts.
Speaker 1 (34:33):
You guys are just perfect segue into Keys to Victory
because I'm going to go right off of that. I'll
start with my keys to victory and I'm gonna say
first and foremost. At Squeeze Sam, they talked about how
they have what two guys with eleven plus sacks on
their roster? Well, how about us? We got three guys
with seven and a half plus. You're kind to give
some love there, right, You got Fisked with eight and
a half on the season, Young with seven and a half,
(34:54):
and Turner with eight and of course Jared vers with
four and a half. So those guys are going to
be my key to victory. Who would like to go next?
Speaker 2 (35:01):
You want to go? You know I've been thinking about
this and okay, so Jared Versus, fisk Turner, all the guys,
we just talked about. I think they're given and given
any situation, I think they could wreck shop. Now what
happens when the Paul comes out. I've talked about the safety,
so i'll say corners and one in particular, I'll say
Spoon Witherspoon. Okay, you know he's going to be matched up.
(35:24):
They're gonna come after him. They're gonna come after everybody,
but they'll probably come after him. So even if you
give up a reception or whatever, just make sure you
drop him there and make sure you carry it out
through the play and not look back if Sam Darnold
breaks contained. So I think four has played well. I
think he's made some plays, but I think he can
be a target on game day. I think he will
(35:46):
be a target on Monday. So I think this defense
will go as far as coverage takes them, and he's
going to be a major part of that.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
Yeah, this is a journey for me. You know, everything
from Stafford being better than Donald and first quarter scoring
margin and read zone conversions and kicking game, all of
which I think are going to be integral ingredients. But
because of where you started, I want to finish with
the home field advantage and there's a lot of conversation
right now that it's unfair that a fourteen win Minnesota
(36:14):
team with a plus one hundred scoring margin has to
come face an NFC West champion in a down or
a flat division that had a negative scoring margin. And
you're right, it's not fair, but that's how we play
in the National Football League. And unlike previous moments in
Rams regular season history, this game just got announced last
week and from what I hear, there's going to be
a pro RAMS crowd at Sofi Stadium. I hope we
(36:35):
can all be there and that the conditions were allowed
for that, And I would say, make it feel as
unfair as possible. Make the Vikings want to complain that
that should not how it. You know, it's not how
it's meant to be for a fourteen win team. You
know what I'm saying? Oh yeah, Like that's my key
to victory. You want vers to dominate this game. Make
sure every snap that Darnold takes is with this it's
(36:56):
not with his voice.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
Who's house and mean it? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (37:00):
I love it, guys. I feel like there's one stone
that we have left unturned.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
And it better not be another chocolate.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Oh please, let it be another chocolate bar.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
Yeah, it's not.
Speaker 1 (37:08):
I'm just thinking we really haven't talked much about the
run game on either side. There's a couple of names
that I feel like we do need to discuss, whether
that's Aaron Jones or Kyraen Williams.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
And Jones is good.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
He's good.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
He's been a thorn in the Rams side.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
Let me stump for Kyron though. I thought that was
a Pro Bowl season, and I don't mind saying that
out loud. Yeah that's almost thirteen hundo. How many rushing
touchdowns thirteen fourteen? Yeah, I mean, come on, dude. He
was the most consistent part of this offense, went through
a rough stretch, straightened himself out three hundred plus carries.
I thought he was fantastic. So if there is an
MVP to be given out, I would say on offense,
(37:41):
you would definitely have to look at him. He has
really paced this team. So the run game has been
huge for this football team. Huges for Matthew Stafford. He's
every bit the run game for the Rams right now.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
In my opinion, nothing to add well said, love it well.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
I'm definitely going to be putting some extra peanut butter
cups in the boot.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
Yeah, I realize I'm a bad teammate. I didn't like those.
Speaker 2 (38:04):
The way back out.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
There's one thing that's for sure, and that's that we
cannot wait to see all of you guys come Monday night,
five o'clock in Sofi Stadium. Get there early because it's
going to be jam packed. The Rams House is going
to be the place to be. This has been between
the Horns presented by your Southern California Toyota Dealers for
my friends JV. Long, DeMarco Far I'm Cameron Irwin, and
a solid reminder stay safe, l A l A together
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