Giants at Rams: 3 things we learned
By John Buhler
The New York Giants defeated the Los Angeles Rams in London in Week 7, 17-10. Here are the three biggest takeaways from this NFC game.
The New York Giants improve to 4-3 on the season by knocking off the Los Angeles Rams in London, 17-10. The Rams drop to 3-4 on the year. Both teams will enter their bye week after this NFC showdown in London.
These are still two middling of the pack teams in the NFC, but the Giants were able to come out on top with a terrific defensive ball game. Here are the three biggest takeaways from the Giants’ Week 7 win over the Rams in London.
1. Case Keenum was nice for a bit, but now it’s time for Jared Goff to start.
The Rams made it abundantly clear that they would not play No. 1 overall pick quarterback Jared Goff in 2016 unless they absolutely have to. After seeing starting quarterback Case Keenum throw four interceptions in London, the Goff era in Los Angeles might begin in Week 10.
Los Angeles has a bye in Week 9 before playing the awful Carolina Panthers in Week 10 at home on Sunday, November 6. That should give Rams offensive coordinator Rob Boras enough time to devise a game plan for Goff to run in Week 10.
The Rams have fallen to 3-4 on the season and look like the third best team in the NFC West. Defensively, the Rams are still solid. However, they aren’t sniffing the NFC Playoffs with their current ineptitude on the offensive side of the ball.
2. Landon Collins is figuring it out in year two.
Collins was the first pick in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Giants. He was a special player in the Alabama Crimson Tide secondary his three years in Tuscaloosa under head coach Nick Saban.
He looked lost at times in his rookie year for the 2015 Giants, but Collins just had his best game as a professional in London on Sunday. Collins had eight tackles (all solo), two passes defended, and two impressive interceptions of Keenum. His first was a 45-yard return for a touchdown in the second quarter.
The Giants defense has been hit or miss in 2016. It’s really been the pass rush that has let them down. Collins looked like a future Pro Bowler with his tackling ability and ball skills up the middle for the New York defense.
3. It’s looking like another 8-8, 7-9 year for Jeff Fisher.
Well, it looks like Fisher lied on HBO’s Hard Knocks. These are the same 7-9, 8-8 Rams we grown to know since Fisher took over the team four years ago. Hovering around .500 is what this team will do again in 2016.
The defense is great, the special teams isn’t bad, and the Rams always play well in the divisional play. Until the Rams are able to play with any sort of competence on the offensive side of the ball, this will be a .500 team in perpetuity.
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Los Angeles’ 3-1 start to the year is fading fast. The Rams have now lost three straight ball games to fall below .500 for the second time this season. The way it is looking entering their bye, the Rams will likely miss the NFC Playoffs for yet another season.