Hello Mobsquad!!! Welcome to the Week 10 edition of Talking Touchdowns. The Rams are coming off a huge win over the Giants and are getting ready to host the Houston Texans. Here are a few notes about the matchup.
Los Angeles Rams vs. Houston Texans
First, I am so happy to report that the Rams are holding a 6-2 record for the first time since 2001!! They just delivered an incredible performance against the Giants that led them to a 51 that’s right 51-17 victory.
So, where do I start? The offense had their best game of the season this week and it was so exciting to watch. Jared Goff had a career high game with four touchdown throws and 311 yards passing. Goff is now the fourth quarterback this season to have a 300-plus passing game. Robert Woods also had an incredible game. I’ve said before he has a lot of yards and gets down the field but he hadn’t made it to the end zone yet. Well, this week Robert Woods had his FIRST touchdown as a Ram and it was on a 3rd down and 33. Does it get much better than that?
The offense was also able to capitalize on the defense’s success. The Rams defense forced three turnovers this week and the Rams offense was able to score each time, two touchdowns and a field goal. This right here shows how much this team has changed under Sean McVay this year to win games as a team. And a crazy stat to prove just how great they are this season, courtesy of Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, “The Rams have scored 40-plus points three times this season. They scored 40-plus point twice from 2007-2016”. I’ll let that sit for a second.
Now, this week we welcome the Rams back home to the Coliseum as they host the Texans. Less than a week after losing their star rookie quarterback DeShaun Watson to a season-ending knee injury, the Texans lost their week eight matchup to the Indianapolis Colts in heartbreaking fashion. With less than a minute left in the game, Tom Savage was leading the Texans down the field in hopes of scoring. Instead, he was ultimately sacked and turned the ball over, dropping them to 3-5 on the season and third in the AFC South Standings.
Although Savage was named the Texans starter to start their 2017 campaign, it wasn’t long before the talents of Deshaun Watson began to emerge and would fairly quickly unseat Savage as the team’s starting quarterback. Deshaun took the reigns and hadn’t looked back, posting record breaking rookie numbers until he was ruled out last week for the rest of the season and Savage was thrown back into the fray.
Moral of the story is the Texans have not remotely looked like the same team under Savage, as he is completing just 45% of his passes and has only one touchdown pass this season. With numerous injuries to star defensive players like JJ Watt and Whitney Mercilus, the Texans are going to need huge production from running back Lamar Miller and All-Pro receiver Deandre Hopkins if they are going to salvage their 2017 season.
Deandre Hopkins is one of the premier receivers in the NFL, but since Savage has struggled moving the ball through the air, the Rams number one focus should be stopping Lamar Miller and the Texans run game first and foremost. If they are able to make them one dimensional, I feel pretty confident about this game. Plus, the defense has been such a highlight for the Rams this season that I strongly believe they can contain the run.
Game Prediction
DUH I’m giving it to the boys in blue and gold. This team is taking advantage of every opportunity they get and this week is another chance to secure the win and make it 7-2 on the season.
[NFL-Rams-footer]Photo Credits:
- Los Angeles Rams on Wikimedia Commons by SportsLogos.net
- Jared Goff on wikimedia commons by Jeffrey Beall
- Sean McVay on Wikimedia Commons by Keith Allison
- Houston Texans on Wikimedia Commons by Houston Texans
- JJ Watt on Wikimedia Commons by Jeffrey Beall
- Whitney Mercilus on Wikimedia Commons by Jeffrey Beall
- DeAndre Hopkins on Wikimedia Commons by Jeffrey Beale
