Interview with the Enemy: Los Angeles Rams

This week, the New Orleans Saints will face the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13 of the 2024 regular season. Evan Craig of Turf Show Times joins us to preview Sunday afternoon’s matchup.

NJ: Much like the Saints, the Rams have battled numerous injuries to their offensive line this season. How has Los Angeles managed these vital absences, and how do you expect them to perform against New Orleans after conceding five sacks to Philadelphia on Sunday Night Football?

EC: While the Rams’ offensive line is not quite as bad as it was during the hellish 2022 season, it hasn’t been great this year and injuries are the main culprit as you mentioned. At right tackle, Rob Havenstein has been in and out of the lineup and replaced by a rotation of Joe Noteboom and Warren McClendon. Noteboom has moved all over the place and also helped fill in for second-year starter Steve Avila. High-priced free agent pickup Jonah Jackson has played just three games this season due to a shoulder injury and performed so poorly when on the field that he was replaced by rookie Beaux Limmer. The injury bug has not been kind to the offense whatsoever in 2024.

You’ll see my response below to know my expectations this week, but I have a feeling that the Rams and Matthew Stafford might be in for a long day if they don’t fix the right tackle spot. The team stunk it up left guard, center and right tackle against Philly. Right guard Kevin Dotson is the team’s most reliable presence along the line and is probably the most consistent player on the entire unit. Everywhere else, not so much. Granted, the Saints don’t have the talent along the defensive line that the Eagles do, they can still pose a threat in an area of weakness on the Rams’ O-line.

NJ: A prospect I was high on entering the draft was former Michigan Wolverines RB and Rams 2024 third-round pick Blake Corum. How has he looked during his rookie season, and does the backfield duo of Corum and Kyren Williams look destined to terrorize the league for years to come?

EC: There doesn’t appear to be any terrorizing in the Rams’ future anytime soon considering Blake Corum has rarely seen the field this season, which has been a major disappointment. Like you, I was incredibly high on the Michigan product because I envisioned Sean McVay would create a two-headed monster in the run game. That has not happened at all as Corum has just 29 carries on the year for 106 yards and no touchdowns. Against the Eagles on Sunday, Corum played only six snaps and had one touch compared to 58 snaps and 16 rushing attempts for Kyren Williams. The veteran back has a concerning fumbling issue which is something to monitor moving forward as he’s had four in his last four games. Simply put, Corum deserves any opportunities he can get to help balance the rushing attack and help take some of the pressure off Williams. It’s a mystery why McVay refuses to give the third-rounder carries and it’s getting ridiculous.

NJ: If you were to give Matthew Stafford a letter grade for his season thus far, what would it be? What have been his strengths and weaknesses 11 games into his 16th NFL campaign?

EC: I would give Matthew Stafford a C+ which is a passing grade but leaves a lot to be desired, AKA the story of his post-Super Bowl Rams tenure. Clearly, losing his top wideouts for several weeks to start the season wasn’t on him, yet Stafford proved he cannot carry this team on his back for much longer. I’ll begin with his weaknesses first while I’m on the subject and he has the tendency to try and do too much and force balls into nonexistent windows. That has always been the case for a gunslinger like him, but it feels like Stafford has done more of it this season compared to the past. As for his strengths, the guy is a true pro and makes a couple “wow” throws every week. Stafford obviously has juice left as his arm remains as powerful as ever, and there are few quarterbacks in the league I’d take over him all things considered. The Matthew Stafford experience has felt more uncertain and nauseating than ever this season since you never know what version of him you’re going to get.

NJ: What specific areas should Darren Rizzi and the Saints look to exploit against the Rams? Are there any positional matchups they should aim to take advantage of?

EC: If Rizzi and the Saints watched the Eagles’ dismantling of the Rams on Sunday night, they should know that the right tackle spot is the weakest spot of all along the offensive line. Regular starter Rob Havenstein gets scrutinized a lot for his efforts, yet it can be argued that he is the one keeping the unit together as the O-line has missed his presence. Joe Noteboom struggled in that spot against the Dolphins a couple weeks ago, and second-year lineman Warren McClendon was overmatched by Philly’s dominant defensive line. This is easily the most vulnerable spot along the line and the Saints might as well call it Golden Corral because they are about to feast no matter who the Rams have at the right tackle position.

NJ: According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Rams (-148) are currently 2.5-point favorites over the Saints (+126) in Sunday’s matchup; who do you think will come out on top, and what’s your final score prediction?

EC: The Rams’ playoff odds are sinking with each loss. Their only saving grace is that the NFC West is TERRIBLE and will likely send only one team to the postseason. LA has tiebreakers over the 49ers and first-place Seahawks, so Sunday’s game is a must-win to keep pace. I see the Rams coming out on top here despite the Saints coming off a bye. The defense looks to rebound after letting Saquon Barkley run all over them and I expect the run defense to tighten up enough to keep Alvin Kamara in check. LA’s young defensive line should also give Derek Carr fits and make him uncomfortable all game. New Orleans will keep it close, but this is the Rams’ game to lose as their talent comes through when it matters most.

Rams over Saints 24-20.

Thank you again to Evan Craig for joining us this week! You can check out the rest of his work here.

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