A bit of a historical homecoming here, as the new Los Angeles Rams visit Gillette Stadium this Sunday, December 4th.
The last time the Los Angeles Rams came over to Foxboro, as called the Los Angeles Rams, it was back on Christmas Eve of 1989 at what was Sullivan Stadium. A 24-17 defeat back in ’89 against the LA Rams was heartbreaking but from then to now, times have changed and both teams are preparing for a Sunday afternoon showdown.
With Rams QB Jared Goff getting the nod the past two weeks, they have lost in both starts from Goff by a combined 32 points. A 28 point blowout against New Orleans hurt the Rams and they are looking for vengeance. Wide receivers Kenny Britt and Tavon Austin are the two main downfield threats on this Rams squad along with tight end Lance Kendricks, who has proven to be a TE1 replacing the familiar Jared Cook. Don’t sleep on running back Todd Gurley, who is a freak athlete and has the potential of breaking out in New England’s susceptible defense. The sport books are otherwise betting in New England’s favor, winning the past 6 out of 7 games, and once again, leading the AFC East.
For New England, Brady has had the memories of facing the Rams, St. Louis during his time, and looks to dominate once more against a tough defense in Los Angeles, but what could be the edge in New England is the penalty numbers the Rams commit on downs (89 penalties for over 770 yards). It’s a coaching nightmare for teams committing penalties and losing out on other opportunities.
With Brady, running back Dion Lewis is getting back to his old self with a solid performance against the Jets this past Sunday (6 carries 24 yards on the ground with 4 receptions for 34 yards in the air). Lewis is shifty in his ways of crafting yards out but against this Rams defense, it will be tough to do so. The Rams rank 9th in total defense and with young guns like Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers on the front seven, it will be another potential hectic day for Brady, but with his quick releases at quarterback, avoiding sacks is his forte while creating plays out of nothing in the pocket. New england will hopefully have a healthy lineup with Hogan and Edelman in the starting lineup with Gronk once again in question.
For the defensive side for New England, maintaining Gurley and the speedster wide receivers is key in shutting down Goff’s ability to go down the field, which he made a living at during his four years at The University of California. Along with keeping Kendricks in check as well, New england has this game in the books, but it is a challenge to look forward to.
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