The Los Angeles Rams snuck out of London with a 24-10 victory over the winless Cincinnati Bengals. It wasn’t an inspiring win, but it was a win nonetheless, and the Rams will head into their bye week with a 5-3 record. Here are a few key takeaways from the battle across the pond.
Cooper Kupp shines in statement performance
Kupp has been hailed as Jared Goff’s “safety blanket” since he was drafted by the team in 2017. Goff has tended to look Kupp’s way far more than the other receivers on the team when he’s been on the field. His absence was felt during the team’s playoff run last season. The team was ecstatic to have Kupp back in the lineup for this season.
Kupp has proven that he’s far more than a safety blanket through the first eight games of the season.
The third-year receiver dominated in London on Sunday, hauling in seven of his 10 targets for 220 yards and a touchdown. It was a statement game for Kupp, who now has 792 receiving yards and five touchdowns on the season. Kupp had been making a solid case to appear in his first Pro Bowl up until this week. After today’s game, he’s making a case for an All-Pro appearance. Expect Goff to continue to feed his favorite target in the second half of the season.
Concern over Cooks’ health following second concussion this month
Brandin Cooks exited Sunday’s matchup with the Bengals after the team’s third offensive snap of the game. Cooks lowered his head after trying to make a catch and was met with an opposing player’s helmet. He was later ruled out with a concussion.
Cooks also suffered a concussion against the Seahawks a few weeks prior. He’s now suffered four total concussions in his career.
The NFL does not take concussions lightly, and the team will certainly make sure Cooks goes through all the proper protocols before he can return to action. These injuries can add up in a frightening way. It remains to be seen what the next steps will be when it comes to Cooks, but there has to be concern here.
On the bright side, Josh Reynolds once again proved his worth and had a stellar day filling in for Cooks. The Rams will be able to weather the storm if Cooks has to miss some time.
McVay chooses to punt away second half
Todd Gurley took a pitch play to the house five minutes into the third quarter for his first touchdown of the game. The run gave the Rams a 24-10 lead. After the score, Gurley hurled the football as far into the crowd as he could. The toss was significant, as it symbolized Sean McVay’s decision to essentially throw away the rest of the second half.
The Rams chose to take their foot off the gas pedal following Gurley’s touchdown. Gurley himself was pulled from action in favor of rookie Darrell Henderson, and the star running back was able to get some much-needed rest. McVay would also pull other starters from the game periodically during the second half. The Rams punted the football on their final four possessions.
While pulling Gurley was probably the right move, the Rams’ poor play offensively in the second half wasn’t fun to watch. The Rams had a chance to blow the doors off of Cincinnati in the second half, but McVay decided to take it easy on his former protege Zac Taylor. The Rams decided to take their ball and go home after securing an “insurmountable” 24-10 lead over the winless Bengals.
Jared Goff plays his best game of 2019
After struggling to live up to his shiny new contract for the majority of this season, Goff came out swinging against the Bengals in Week 8. Goff orchestrated four picture-perfect drives during the first 35 minutes of the game. Goff was able to find receivers wherever he wanted, avoid sacks, and take care of the football.
Goff’s trip to London was a much-needed bounce-back performance. After struggling to take care of the football early on this year, Goff has now gone three games without a turnover. He didn’t take a sack for the third time in four weeks. The fourth-year quarterback was able to take care of business against a measly Bengals defense.
Despite the weak series of drives to end the game, this was still Goff’s best performance of the 2019 season. Hopefully it doesn’t stay that way, considering it wasn’t that impressive of a game overall when you factor in the second half. Goff needs to continue his hot streak following the Rams’ bye week.
The Rams head into their bye week in uninspiring fashion
Had the Rams gone into their Week 9 bye with back-to-back blowout wins, it would be tough to not feel good about this team. But the Rams chose to take the foot off the gas pedal in London, and went home with a 24-10 victory over a hapless Bengals team.
The Rams head into the bye week at 5-3. They’re in third place in the NFC West with an 0-2 divisional record and in seventh place in the NFC overall.
McVay and the Rams have had some moments of brilliance this season, but there’s been plenty of the opposite. Their 20-7 loss against the 49ers was an embarrassment, and their loss to Tampa Bay has aged poorly.
Still, the Rams are the only team to beat New Orleans this season, and are a missed field goal away from being 6-2 and controlling a wild card spot. There is enough talent on this roster to make a run in the playoffs. But the Rams will have to continue to cover up their flaws if they want to be playing in January. They’ll have plenty of work to do over the long break.
