Sammy Watkins, the receiving savior that was supposed to imbue the Rams with vertical talent, didn't garner one reception last Sunday and was only the target of four Jared Goff passes.
It makes sense, because watching the Los Angeles Rams isn’t unlike enjoying a horror movie. It’s understood that some major frights are just around the corner. Ask any Rams fan, and they’ll tell you pessimism is passed out alongside your Dickerson jersey at the team store.
So while the 2017 season has shined a light on all that is good in Ram country, we still expect the franchise to turn into a giant pumpkin momentarily. On Thursday, we received a pumpkin patch of words from that very receiver who was barely a blip against the Seahawks.
Watkins explained that he was growing frustrated in the offense, via The L.A. Daily News:
As a player, of course you’re going to be frustrated. I don’t know a player, a wide receiver, that’s not frustrated throughout the game if you’re not getting the ball. Each week, it could change. They had certain coverage that kind of took me out of the game, and that’s part of the game.
Watkins has been known to go full NFL diva before, demanding more touches during his tenure in Buffalo. Back in 2015, he literally demanded that he get more targets, stating, via CBS Sports: "When I have one-on-one coverage, go to me. I don't care what's going on over there. I don't care if he's open. When I get one on one, just target me."
This week's quotes should strike at least a modicum of fear into the hearts of loyal Angelenos who suddenly had hope for a winner just a week ago. But then Sunday happened.
Los Angeles, playing before the 60,000 football hipsters who made it out to the Coliseum, dropped a close one to the Seattle Seahawks.
The loss not only followed strong wins versus the 49ers and Cowboys but also came after nationwide acceptance that the Rams were finally entering the conversation as a playoff team.
One of the NFL’s more prolific and enjoyable offenses sputtered and stalled, producing just 10 points in a 16-10 loss to Seattle.
Offensive gaffes can be blamed, to be sure. Jared Goff was far more the shaky rookie of last year than the stout sophomore he has been this season.
His two interceptions disrupted the team’s momentum and allowed Seattle to take a game in which the Rams dominated on total yards, 375-241.
Goff’s passes were befuddling considering how crisp they had been in the first few weeks. Receiver Sammy Watkins seemed to get the glut of the imprecise passes. Again, the star receiver was targeted just four times on the day and came away with zero receptions. This follows a Cowboys game wherein he enjoyed just one reception, a 17-yard catch that he had to savor for a couple weeks it would seem.
The first sign of a faltering team, of course, is discontent amid the ranks. On Thursday, we received what might be the first signs that the Rams are once again aimed for the bottom of the NFL barrel.
The Rams take on the Jacksonville Jaguars this week, a road test that will certainly gauge whether the offense is firing as it should.
The Jags are also 3-2 on the season and have allowed just 16.6 points per game on the season. As for passing yards, opposing teams have procured just 165.4 yards per contest.
It’s a very real possibility that the Rams are staring at a 3-3 record just a couple of days from now. While it's adept at spreading the ball to all corners of the field, the Jaguars are that stingy defense to weigh and measure this budding Ram attack. As for Todd Gurley, he will also have to contend with a defense that allows 146.4 yards on the ground per game. All facets of the offense will be tested.
What exacerbates things for L.A. is the demanding schedule that follows. which means regrouping as they endure an exhausting schedule to London to take on the division rival Arizona Cardinals and then to New York to play the Giants.
If L.A. loses, it will have to regroup on the road, which includes exhausting trip to London to take on division rival Arizona Cardinals and its rejuvenated running game as it tests out new toy Adrian Peterson. After that, they continue on the road with a game against the Giants. New York is beaten and battered to be sure, but a bit of home cooking after a couple of taxing weeks would be nice.
That is all the bad news, which is best served as an appetizer to some good. The Rams are at a crossroads in this resurgent season. The next three weeks will prove whether they can withstand the rigors of a massive road test or fold and slide back to the back of the division and out of the scrutiny as a top-10 team in this league.
With all of that said, the Rams are a beast of a team, boasting superb talent on both sides of the ball — parts of the team, by the way, that are still getting used to new schemes from what was employed last season.
Back to the Seahawks game: Save five bumbling turnovers, the Rams could very well have won on a late drive that saw Cooper Kupp fail to catch a Goff pass in the end zone.
L.A. procured more first downs, was more efficient on third-down conversions and bested Seattle on the ground and in the air.
The defense also proved that it had turned a corner and stifled the Seahawks for most of the game. It was porous in the first half against the Cowboys, but L.A. has already illustrated its resiliance as it mounted a late comeback in that game.
Also, Watkins’ comments are not a sign of a discontented star ready to make waves. The L.A. Daily News writes: “No ego, no demands, no lashing out. Sammy Watkins said all the proper things Wednesday, when asked about his minimal role as a receiver in the Rams’ offense this month.”
Watkins then continued, proving that he has the right mindset heading into an arduous portion of the season, via The Daily News: “We’re going to compete. We’re going to be open. We’re going to make plays. For me, it’s just to continue to show Jared that I can gain his confidence, to keep getting open and show McVay that I’m open. Hopefully everything will start working out.”
The great news is the Rams, after the game with the Jaguars, face an aging Cardinals team, a maligned and injured Giants squad and a Texans team that is now 2-3 on the season.
While the Rams can certainly lose their footing immediately, signs point to a team that is every bit the success story it has been so far this year. Watkins has turned a corner as a team-first receiver, just as L.A. has turned a corner as a bonafide winner.
