McCarthy vs Garrett vs Rams

[aria]

The Rams are arguably worse this year than last. They had one of the worst pass blocking lines in the league yet did little to nothing to change the O line personnel. They lost Cooks and Gurley. While Gurley didn’t have a great season he is being replaced by an unproven rookie, Cam Akers and Cooks is being replaced by another rookie Van Jefferson. They also obviously lost their Pro Bowl kicker. Most analysts think the offense will be worse than last year considering the lack of proven talent and a bad O line that wasn’t really addressed.

On the defensive side they lost some key veterans in Clay Matthews, Dante Fowler, Eric Weddle and Corey Littleton.

Many analysts think this team is in more of a rebuild mode than a contender for any championships and I’m honestly shocked we’re only favored by -3 even playing “away”.

Last year, under Garrett, we beat the Rams 44-21. Dak was a respectable 15 of 23 with an 86.8 QBR, zeke ran for 117 yards on 24 carries with 2 TD’s and Pollard ran for 131 yards on 12 carries with 1 TD. That’s 2 RB’s over 100 yards each, IIRC the only other defense we did that against was one of the worst in the league, Miami, and now we are facing a defense that has lost more than it has gained.

So while the Rams have seemingly lost a lot and are quasi rebuilding, we have done the exact opposite and seem to have upgraded in most areas. I understand our O line is different but with the losses they had on defense I expect that the injuries on the O line and loss of Fred will be mitigated. I also understand that MM is a new coach but the offensive OC remains the same so there shouldn’t be that much of a learning curve for most of the players on that side of the ball.

I’m surprised to see so many people talking about what a tough game this will be when we destroyed them under Garrett, they’ve downgraded and we’ve upgraded. If McCarthy won this game with similar results, fans would be giddy and talking about how much better he is than JG. Now he has a chance to do it against a lesser team IMO. Personally, considering how we did last year and comparing the two teams now, I expect to dismantle them and anything less will be somewhat disappointing to me. JG actually set the bar pretty high vs the Rams last year so I would hope MM can at least match that with a better team vs a worse team.

Please spare me “the players haven’t had time to gel.” Neither have most of theirs, they have a #1 WR that is new, their starting RB is new and they had to replace many more players on defense then we did.

So what are your expectations for this game?

 

[Whyjerry]

It’s fair to fear the Rams. The Cowboys have been unpredictable for 20 plus years. You never know what to expect and they will play down to the competition.

The Rams have a good coach, a competent QB, and some star defenders. They are far from a bad team.

That said your take is spot on. On paper this should be a double digit win. Safety is the only position where Dallas does not have very good players. I don’t buy the OL is aging. Martin and Smith are 29. Looney the starter for now is 30. The interior is stockpiled with young, talented prospects. The defense has a ton of playmakers and we all know the offensive is potentially explosive. Layer in a real coaching staff and I can’t conceivably imagine a scenario where this isn’t a really good football team.

 

[Rockport]

The Rams are arguably worse this year than last. They had one of the worst pass blocking lines in the league yet did little to nothing to change the O line personnel. They lost Cooks and Gurley. While Gurley didn’t have a great season he is being replaced by an unproven rookie, Cam Akers and Cooks is being replaced by another rookie Van Jefferson. They also obviously lost their Pro Bowl kicker. Most analysts think the offense will be worse than last year considering the lack of proven talent and a bad O line that wasn’t really addressed.

On the defensive side they lost some key veterans in Clay Matthews, Dante Fowler, Eric Weddle and Corey Littleton.

Many analysts think this team is in more of a rebuild mode than a contender for any championships and I’m honestly shocked we’re only favored by -3 even playing “away”.

Last year, under Garrett, we beat the Rams 44-21. Dak was a respectable 15 of 23 with an 86.8 QBR, zeke ran for 117 yards on 24 carries with 2 TD’s and Pollard ran for 131 yards on 12 carries with 1 TD. That’s 2 RB’s over 100 yards each, IIRC the only other defense we did that against was one of the worst in the league, Miami, and now we are facing a defense that has lost more than it has gained.

So while the Rams have seemingly lost a lot and are quasi rebuilding, we have done the exact opposite and seem to have upgraded in most areas. I understand our O line is different but with the losses they had on defense I expect that the injuries on the O line and loss of Fred will be mitigated. I also understand that MM is a new coach but the offensive OC remains the same so there shouldn’t be that much of a learning curve for most of the players on that side of the ball.

I’m surprised to see so many people talking about what a tough game this will be when we destroyed them under Garrett, they’ve downgraded and we’ve upgraded. If McCarthy won this game with similar results, fans would be giddy and talking about how much better he is than JG. Now he has a chance to do it against a lesser team IMO. Personally, considering how we did last year and comparing the two teams now, I expect to dismantle them and anything less will be somewhat disappointing to me. JG actually set the bar pretty high vs the Rams last year so I would hope MM can at least match that with a better team vs a worse team.

Please spare me “the players haven’t had time to gel.” Neither have most of theirs, they have a #1 WR that is new, their starting RB is new and they had to replace many more players on defense then we did.

So what are your expectations for this game?

After watching KC's rookie RB last night, it's obvious that they can come out the box and be effective. I'm expecting a close game until late in the 3rd qtr when we pull away.

 

[fivetwos]

The Rams are arguably worse this year than last. They had one of the worst pass blocking lines in the league yet did little to nothing to change the O line personnel. They lost Cooks and Gurley. While Gurley didn’t have a great season he is being replaced by an unproven rookie, Cam Akers and Cooks is being replaced by another rookie Van Jefferson. They also obviously lost their Pro Bowl kicker. Most analysts think the offense will be worse than last year considering the lack of proven talent and a bad O line that wasn’t really addressed.

On the defensive side they lost some key veterans in Clay Matthews, Dante Fowler, Eric Weddle and Corey Littleton.

Many analysts think this team is in more of a rebuild mode than a contender for any championships and I’m honestly shocked we’re only favored by -3 even playing “away”.

Last year, under Garrett, we beat the Rams 44-21. Dak was a respectable 15 of 23 with an 86.8 QBR, zeke ran for 117 yards on 24 carries with 2 TD’s and Pollard ran for 131 yards on 12 carries with 1 TD. That’s 2 RB’s over 100 yards each, IIRC the only other defense we did that against was one of the worst in the league, Miami, and now we are facing a defense that has lost more than it has gained.

So while the Rams have seemingly lost a lot and are quasi rebuilding, we have done the exact opposite and seem to have upgraded in most areas. I understand our O line is different but with the losses they had on defense I expect that the injuries on the O line and loss of Fred will be mitigated. I also understand that MM is a new coach but the offensive OC remains the same so there shouldn’t be that much of a learning curve for most of the players on that side of the ball.

I’m surprised to see so many people talking about what a tough game this will be when we destroyed them under Garrett, they’ve downgraded and we’ve upgraded. If McCarthy won this game with similar results, fans would be giddy and talking about how much better he is than JG. Now he has a chance to do it against a lesser team IMO. Personally, considering how we did last year and comparing the two teams now, I expect to dismantle them and anything less will be somewhat disappointing to me. JG actually set the bar pretty high vs the Rams last year so I would hope MM can at least match that with a better team vs a worse team.

Please spare me “the players haven’t had time to gel.” Neither have most of theirs, they have a #1 WR that is new, their starting RB is new and they had to replace many more players on defense then we did.

So what are your expectations for this game?

Maybe the past quarter century of results has tempered some of the enthusiasm your logic suggests ought to be there.

 

[Stash]

The Rams are arguably worse this year than last. They had one of the worst pass blocking lines in the league yet did little to nothing to change the O line personnel. They lost Cooks and Gurley. While Gurley didn’t have a great season he is being replaced by an unproven rookie, Cam Akers and Cooks is being replaced by another rookie Van Jefferson. They also obviously lost their Pro Bowl kicker. Most analysts think the offense will be worse than last year considering the lack of proven talent and a bad O line that wasn’t really addressed.

On the defensive side they lost some key veterans in Clay Matthews, Dante Fowler, Eric Weddle and Corey Littleton.

Many analysts think this team is in more of a rebuild mode than a contender for any championships and I’m honestly shocked we’re only favored by -3 even playing “away”.

Last year, under Garrett, we beat the Rams 44-21. Dak was a respectable 15 of 23 with an 86.8 QBR, zeke ran for 117 yards on 24 carries with 2 TD’s and Pollard ran for 131 yards on 12 carries with 1 TD. That’s 2 RB’s over 100 yards each, IIRC the only other defense we did that against was one of the worst in the league, Miami, and now we are facing a defense that has lost more than it has gained.

So while the Rams have seemingly lost a lot and are quasi rebuilding, we have done the exact opposite and seem to have upgraded in most areas. I understand our O line is different but with the losses they had on defense I expect that the injuries on the O line and loss of Fred will be mitigated. I also understand that MM is a new coach but the offensive OC remains the same so there shouldn’t be that much of a learning curve for most of the players on that side of the ball.

I’m surprised to see so many people talking about what a tough game this will be when we destroyed them under Garrett, they’ve downgraded and we’ve upgraded. If McCarthy won this game with similar results, fans would be giddy and talking about how much better he is than JG. Now he has a chance to do it against a lesser team IMO. Personally, considering how we did last year and comparing the two teams now, I expect to dismantle them and anything less will be somewhat disappointing to me. JG actually set the bar pretty high vs the Rams last year so I would hope MM can at least match that with a better team vs a worse team.

Please spare me “the players haven’t had time to gel.” Neither have most of theirs, they have a #1 WR that is new, their starting RB is new and they had to replace many more players on defense then we did.

So what are your expectations for this game?

That part in bold is patently false. In fact, the Rams had the best pass protection in the league last year.


https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/nfl/offensive-line/2019

 

[big dog cowboy]

Take the Cowboys and give the 2 1/2.

 

[aria]

Take the Cowboys and give the 2 1/2.

Yeah, I’m gonna go pretty big on the Cowboys this weekend.

 

[Diehardblues]

I’m sensing an upset as the Rams open up So Fi stadium with a huge win spoiling McCarthys debut. But Cowboys will bounce back next week at home against Atlanta.

The two key areas of concern for the Cowboys is OL and secondary. If you’ve been watching Hard Knocks you’d of seen when Donald is in there the Rams basically can’t get a passing play off since in practice or scrimmages don’t allow contact on QB blowing the whistle killing the play. Now that might be more about their OL but my concern is Donald could be very disruptive.

Our OL will be key in establishing our running game and giving Dak time or our offensive juggernaut could struggle getting going. We shall see.

And Rams last year had one of the best receiving corps in the league which if Goff has time could leave our secondary vulnerable. The unknown is their running game .

The intangible factor is after disappointing 9-7 season missing the playoffs , which if they had been under this years new rules would have been the 7th playoff team, they appear to be motivated to return to their 2018 Super Bowl ways . But of course in the toughest division in the NFL will be very tough just to make the playoffs.

If the Cowboys OL holds up our offense should be fine and if we can cause havoc to Goff our secondary should be good. I see these two areas as the key to the game. Can we protect our QB and put pressure on theirs. Whoever wins that battle will probably win.

 

[Big D]

Aaron Donald is probably the best player in the game on offense or defense. Some say Ramsey is the best cb. It won't be a cakewalk

 

[aria]

I’m sensing an upset as the Rams open up So Fi stadium with a huge win spoiling McCarthys debut. But Cowboys will bounce back next week at home against Atlanta.

The two key areas of concern for the Cowboys is OL and secondary. If you’ve been watching Hard Knocks you’d of seen when Donald is in there the Rams basically can’t get a passing play off since in practice or scrimmages don’t allow contact on QB blowing the whistle killing the play. Now that might be more about their OL but my concern is Donald could be very disruptive.

Our OL will be key in establishing our running game and giving Dak time or our offensive juggernaut could struggle getting going. We shall see.

And Rams last year had one of the best receiving corps in the league which if Goff has time could leave our secondary vulnerable. The unknown is their running game .

The intangible factor is after disappointing 9-7 season missing the playoffs , which if they had been under this years new rules would have been the 7th playoff team, they appear to be motivated to return to their 2018 Super Bowl ways . But of course in the toughest division in the NFL will be very tough just to make the playoffs.

If the Cowboys OL holds up our offense should be fine and if we can cause havoc to Goff our secondary should be good. I see these two areas as the key to the game. Can we protect our QB and put pressure on theirs. Whoever wins that battle will probably win.

IIRC, Smith did a good job at keeping Donald in check last year. I don’t know how much they move him around, if at all, but they would he stupid as hell not to line him up over Erving.

Their receiving corps took a big hit when Cooks left and with their O line vs our D line I expect we will get a lot of pressure on Goff therefore helping out our questionable secondary.

If Garrett destroyed them when they had a better team last year than they do this year and we have a better team this year than last...we better destroy them.

 

[CowboyRoy]

The Rams are arguably worse this year than last. They had one of the worst pass blocking lines in the league yet did little to nothing to change the O line personnel. They lost Cooks and Gurley. While Gurley didn’t have a great season he is being replaced by an unproven rookie, Cam Akers and Cooks is being replaced by another rookie Van Jefferson. They also obviously lost their Pro Bowl kicker. Most analysts think the offense will be worse than last year considering the lack of proven talent and a bad O line that wasn’t really addressed.

On the defensive side they lost some key veterans in Clay Matthews, Dante Fowler, Eric Weddle and Corey Littleton.

Many analysts think this team is in more of a rebuild mode than a contender for any championships and I’m honestly shocked we’re only favored by -3 even playing “away”.

Last year, under Garrett, we beat the Rams 44-21. Dak was a respectable 15 of 23 with an 86.8 QBR, zeke ran for 117 yards on 24 carries with 2 TD’s and Pollard ran for 131 yards on 12 carries with 1 TD. That’s 2 RB’s over 100 yards each, IIRC the only other defense we did that against was one of the worst in the league, Miami, and now we are facing a defense that has lost more than it has gained.

So while the Rams have seemingly lost a lot and are quasi rebuilding, we have done the exact opposite and seem to have upgraded in most areas. I understand our O line is different but with the losses they had on defense I expect that the injuries on the O line and loss of Fred will be mitigated. I also understand that MM is a new coach but the offensive OC remains the same so there shouldn’t be that much of a learning curve for most of the players on that side of the ball.

I’m surprised to see so many people talking about what a tough game this will be when we destroyed them under Garrett, they’ve downgraded and we’ve upgraded. If McCarthy won this game with similar results, fans would be giddy and talking about how much better he is than JG. Now he has a chance to do it against a lesser team IMO. Personally, considering how we did last year and comparing the two teams now, I expect to dismantle them and anything less will be somewhat disappointing to me. JG actually set the bar pretty high vs the Rams last year so I would hope MM can at least match that with a better team vs a worse team.

Please spare me “the players haven’t had time to gel.” Neither have most of theirs, they have a #1 WR that is new, their starting RB is new and they had to replace many more players on defense then we did.

So what are your expectations for this game?

I think most of those are valid points. And certainly having MM over Garrett is a big difference. McVay is a great coach so you never know. Being on the road is a problem but that seems to be mitigated by no fans. We should win this game, but the Oline is still a concern.

FYI....I watched a rookie RB tear it up last night, but i dont expect that same thing out of Akers.

 

[Diehardblues]

IIRC, Smith did a good job at keeping Donald in check last year. I don’t know how much they move him around, if at all, but they would he stupid as hell not to line him up over Erving.

Their receiving corps took a big hit when Cooks left and with their O line vs our D line I expect we will get a lot of pressure on Goff therefore helping out our questionable secondary.

If Garrett destroyed them when they had a better team last year than they do this year and we have a better team this year than last...we better destroy them.

We have a better overall team except at these two key areas. OL which is a huge difference right now without Frederick and Collins. And our secondary.

Great coaching exploit teams weaknesses. If Dak is disrupted and Elliott is stymied it hinders our offense. This will be the key in the game.

And if we can pressure Goff it will support our secondary. Another key in the game to support our weaknesses.

I wouldn’t put too much into last years contest. The Rams finished with a better record than we did.

 

[cern]

The Rams are arguably worse this year than last. They had one of the worst pass blocking lines in the league yet did little to nothing to change the O line personnel. They lost Cooks and Gurley. While Gurley didn’t have a great season he is being replaced by an unproven rookie, Cam Akers and Cooks is being replaced by another rookie Van Jefferson. They also obviously lost their Pro Bowl kicker. Most analysts think the offense will be worse than last year considering the lack of proven talent and a bad O line that wasn’t really addressed.

On the defensive side they lost some key veterans in Clay Matthews, Dante Fowler, Eric Weddle and Corey Littleton.

Many analysts think this team is in more of a rebuild mode than a contender for any championships and I’m honestly shocked we’re only favored by -3 even playing “away”.

Last year, under Garrett, we beat the Rams 44-21. Dak was a respectable 15 of 23 with an 86.8 QBR, zeke ran for 117 yards on 24 carries with 2 TD’s and Pollard ran for 131 yards on 12 carries with 1 TD. That’s 2 RB’s over 100 yards each, IIRC the only other defense we did that against was one of the worst in the league, Miami, and now we are facing a defense that has lost more than it has gained.

So while the Rams have seemingly lost a lot and are quasi rebuilding, we have done the exact opposite and seem to have upgraded in most areas. I understand our O line is different but with the losses they had on defense I expect that the injuries on the O line and loss of Fred will be mitigated. I also understand that MM is a new coach but the offensive OC remains the same so there shouldn’t be that much of a learning curve for most of the players on that side of the ball.

I’m surprised to see so many people talking about what a tough game this will be when we destroyed them under Garrett, they’ve downgraded and we’ve upgraded. If McCarthy won this game with similar results, fans would be giddy and talking about how much better he is than JG. Now he has a chance to do it against a lesser team IMO. Personally, considering how we did last year and comparing the two teams now, I expect to dismantle them and anything less will be somewhat disappointing to me. JG actually set the bar pretty high vs the Rams last year so I would hope MM can at least match that with a better team vs a worse team.

Please spare me “the players haven’t had time to gel.” Neither have most of theirs, they have a #1 WR that is new, their starting RB is new and they had to replace many more players on defense then we did.

So what are your expectations for this game?

good post. i agree with just about everything you said. we know we have 3 outstanding wr's, but i'm looking to see how (if) we use zeke and pollard together.

 

[BigD_95]

We have a better overall team except at these two key areas. OL which is a huge difference right now without Frederick and Collins. And our secondary.

Great coaching exploit teams weaknesses. If Dak is disrupted and Elliott is stymied it hinders our offense. This will be the key in the game.

And if we can pressure Goff it will support our secondary. Another key in the game to support our weaknesses.

I wouldn’t put too much into last years contest. The Rams finished with a better record than we did.

Not so sure losing Frederick is the big lost everyone thinks...at least not last years Frederick.

Reports were he was playing bad all year to the point he himself didnt like his play and why he retired. Obviously Frederick from 3 years ago is a massive lost but Dallas hasnt had him the last 2 years.

Collins I agree is a major hit this game and the next 3. But I think Center play will be what we have had the past 2 season - maybe a little better

 

[nobody]

I have a feeling the Cowboys are going to be really amped up and ready to play.

 

[fivetwos]

I think Dallas wins the division and loses in the GC...

But I don't like the feeling of this weeks game for some reason.

Makes little sense, since I think they are much better than the Rams...and they beat the tar out of them nine months ago.

 

[cowboyec]

im sure we'll show signs of a shortened pre-season...but over all i expect this team to show up...prepared and ready.
i think we'll win because we have the better team.

 

[johneric8]

Lets don't over analyze this folks. Lets look at it based on facts. The freckled puppet was our coach last year, we had no advantages here and beat them soundly. We are better, they're slightly worse, they also have no clue what scheme we will be using. We have a QB on a mission and a super bowl winning coach, I think unless something stupid happens we got this...

 

[aria]

I think Dallas wins the division and loses in the GC...

But I don't like the feeling of this weeks game for some reason.

Makes little sense, since I think they are much better than the Rams...and they beat the tar out of them nine months ago.

Lol, that’s the only reason I don’t like it, basically superstition. I often lose the bets I feel most confident in and I feel very confident about this. Normally the Cowboys are “over” favored, like the Yankees, because of their name and hype. This line seems way too low it makes me suspicious.

Other than that, all logic points to a butt whooping.

 

[aria]

Lets don't over analyze this folks. Lets look at it based on facts. The freckled puppet was our coach last year, we had no advantages here and beat them soundly. We are better, they're slightly worse, they also have no clue what scheme we will be using. We have a QB on a mission and a super bowl winning coach, I think unless something stupid happens we got this...

Well said