- 2 hours ago
Brock Vereen talks about the Rams defense and the possibility of the absence of Miles Garrett and how Aaron Donald comeback has not panned out.
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00:00Brock Vereen on the Rude Guest Hotline.
00:03You can listen to Brock every day, weekdays, 10 to 2.
00:07Brock and Alex on 97.1 The Fan in L.A.
00:11Brock, what's up, man? Thanks for making time for us.
00:13Thanks for having me. Happy to be here.
00:16Obviously a big matchup in this part of the world
00:18with the Rams coming to Washington to take on the Commanders.
00:22You know, it's crazy when you look at the stats for the Rams.
00:26Rams, the stats suggest this is like a 6-2, 7-1 team.
00:32You're talking about the 4th best offense in the NFL,
00:34the 5th best defense in the NFL,
00:37and yet they're 4-4 on the season.
00:40What's going on with this Rams team?
00:43A Sean McVay special of a slow starting season.
00:47You know, it is fascinating to follow along with the Rams
00:52because it seems like every single year,
00:54the first month just doesn't matter.
00:55They kind of play like it doesn't matter,
00:58and fans, regardless of the record, don't freak out.
01:01There are some insane numbers regarding Sean McVay
01:04and how slow his teams come out the gates.
01:07But what happens is middle October comes around leading into November,
01:11and now it's okay, let's see what we have, right?
01:14So it's almost as if for the Rams,
01:16the season starts, we'll say, the week before Halloween.
01:20And, you know, Miles Garrett, of course,
01:22hasn't been on the field since the Australia game.
01:25Trent McDuffie's banged up.
01:27Jalen Watson is out for the year.
01:28Devontae Adams is out with that hamstring.
01:30And this team is just bogged down by injuries.
01:34But at the end of the day, even with all of these injuries,
01:37man for man, this is still among the most talented teams in the NFL.
01:41So the record is disappointing,
01:43but no one in that locker room or any fans in L.A. are freaking out.
01:48It's more so here we go again.
01:50So I think a part of the record being disappointing
01:53seemed like McVay punted on the trip to Australia.
01:57And I can kind of wrap my brain around that.
02:01The lost eye circle was the Cardinals.
02:03When you just can't score, you lose to the Cardinals
02:06who kicked six field goals in a game.
02:08And I just wonder, the level of play we saw from Stafford last year
02:13was really, really high.
02:15Won the MVP award.
02:17And this year, it doesn't seem the same.
02:19He's got eight picks through eight games,
02:21only through eight all of last year.
02:23We're hearing about his elbow soreness.
02:24I think, you know, Stafford is beat up a lot.
02:27Where is Matt Stafford's game?
02:30I think Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford
02:33are the last ones to realize
02:36that he's just not going to be at an MVP level this year.
02:39You know, you mentioned the Cardinals game.
02:42I'll bring up the Broncos game a couple weeks prior
02:45where they're up going into the half in Denver.
02:50Denver's fans are booing their Broncos team
02:53as they go to the locker room
02:54because they haven't scored a single point.
02:57And then the Rams come out in the second half
02:59and throw the ball 30 times.
03:03It's almost as if winning isn't enough for McVay sometimes.
03:08He has to win in a sexy way by throwing the football.
03:12And Matthew Stafford just doesn't have it this year.
03:15And maybe when you're 38 years old
03:17coming off an MVP year,
03:19it's unrealistic to ask him
03:21to be able to throw the ball 50 times a game.
03:23Now, in recent games,
03:24they've been leaning into the run game
03:27because without Devontae Adams,
03:28they've kind of been forced to rely
03:30on Kyron Williams and Blake Corum.
03:32But it should not have taken injuries.
03:35It should not have taken this long
03:37for them to realize,
03:38oh, this year we're going to win
03:40by running the football.
03:41We're going to win by playing in the fine margins.
03:43We're going to let our dominant defense do their thing.
03:46And we're going to win the time of possession game.
03:48I think they've finally come around on that.
03:51But to answer your question,
03:53I just feel that it took them way too long
03:56to realize, you know,
03:58this year's Stafford is not last year's Stafford.
04:00He's 38.
04:01And is there anything about this elbow thing
04:05we've been hearing?
04:06I don't worry about it too much.
04:09I see it as he's 38 years old
04:12and he's had a career of being able
04:15to throw the ball a mile.
04:17Matthew Stafford has taken more hits
04:19than just about anyone.
04:20Some of those old Detroit Lions years
04:24where he is getting blindside smoked
04:26every single third down.
04:27I see all this as just a culmination
04:30of a guy who's played the quarterback position
04:32as tough as anyone has played it.
04:35And on the flip side of it,
04:37if there is elbow soreness
04:39and it indirectly forces them
04:41to have to run the ball more,
04:42I'm kind of all for it.
04:45Yeah, maybe they will run the ball.
04:46How do you think the run game is going right now?
04:49Obviously two good backs
04:50in Corum and Robinson.
04:51It's a bit of a homecoming for Corum.
04:53He's a DMV guy.
04:56Where is this Rams run game?
04:58Because at his core,
04:59I feel like McVay is a downhill running coach.
05:03And Washington,
05:03that's kind of been their strength defensively
05:05is shutting down the run.
05:07I can't wait for that matchup for that reason.
05:10You know, I know the Washington season,
05:12really the whole NFC East season
05:15is kind of up in the air.
05:16No one really knows what to make heads or tails of.
05:19But one of the more consistent facts
05:21is that Washington linebacker room
05:23is going to have something to say
05:25about any stable of running backs.
05:28What the Rams run game is,
05:29is really two RB1s.
05:32What McVay does,
05:34and it's really kind of fun,
05:35like Kyron Williams is the main guy.
05:38He's the one getting paid a lot of money.
05:40I'm sure Corum will get cashed out soon.
05:43But Corum is the opener
05:44and then Kyron is the closer.
05:46So, for the past couple of games,
05:48the first two or three series of each half,
05:51Blake Corum leads the way.
05:53He has a quicker first step.
05:55Kyron is more,
05:56it probably has more top speed
05:58and is the better receiver.
05:59So, he'll take from the fourth series onward
06:03with Corum sprinkled in.
06:05And my thinking of what McVay is thinking is,
06:08Corum has more burst,
06:09so he's going to set the tone.
06:11And then Kyron,
06:12we can rely on his ability
06:13to catch out of the backfield
06:14in two-minute situations.
06:16And once the defense is a little worn down
06:19and they have to spread out a little bit,
06:21then Kyron's going to hit him.
06:22So, following along there,
06:24you know,
06:24you have two running backs
06:25who could both be RB1
06:27on a lot of NFL teams,
06:30and they're both going to be fresh
06:31in the second half
06:33because of their ability
06:34to split carries.
06:35Switching over to the defense,
06:37Aaron Donald and Miles Garrett
06:39was supposed to be this tandem.
06:41And Miles Garrett's been out for a minute.
06:44Aaron Donald has been better against the pass.
06:47I mean, a run as he's been against the pass.
06:49But are we expecting Miles
06:52to be back this week?
06:54It's not looking like it.
06:55At this point,
06:56I would consider it a surprise
06:58if we see Miles Garrett out there.
07:01And the Rams philosophy here
07:03is probably,
07:05we're tied with the Seattle Seahawks.
07:07If Miles is not 100%,
07:09let's give it another week
07:11because we're firmly
07:12in this wild card race.
07:14The 49ers have probably run away
07:16with the division already anyway.
07:18As far as Aaron Donald,
07:20he's playing some dang good football.
07:22The issue is he's not playing
07:24Aaron Donald style of football
07:25that we're used to playing.
07:26So, is Aaron Donald playing
07:29like a Hall of Famer right now?
07:30No.
07:30Is he playing like a perennial first team
07:33all defense?
07:34No.
07:34Far from it.
07:35But he is contributing significantly
07:38on that defensive front.
07:39And then when you factor in that
07:41Kobe Turner has been out,
07:42Puna Ford has been out,
07:44and we're not going to see
07:45one of them back
07:46until next year.
07:48You know,
07:49Miles Garrett is going to add
07:51a ton to this defensive front
07:52and maybe his presence
07:54will allow Aaron Donald
07:56to be more effective
07:57in the pass rush.
07:58But as you mentioned,
07:59for right now,
07:59as far as run defense goes,
08:01he's been phenomenal.
08:04Just so I'm clear,
08:05you said you'd be surprised
08:06if you saw Aaron,
08:07Miles Garrett this week?
08:09I would.
08:10I would.
08:11Only because he has yet
08:14to fully participate
08:16with the team.
08:17We'll see what the practice report
08:19is now.
08:20And the Rams aren't
08:23the best at being accurate
08:25with their injury reporting.
08:26You know,
08:26they'll say,
08:27so-and-so practiced,
08:29and then you see a report
08:30that says,
08:30actually they were
08:31on a separate field
08:32just stretching
08:33for two hours.
08:34So I'll believe it
08:35when Sean McVay
08:37comes out and says,
08:38Miles Garrett
08:38is playing this Sunday.
08:40Until then,
08:41I think they're going to
08:42try and slow walk this.
08:44What does your gut tell you
08:46just the way
08:48the Rams DBs
08:49kind of fly around?
08:50I saw Cam Curl
08:51has mispracticed
08:52the last two days.
08:53I don't know
08:54where McDuffie is.
08:55He's obviously
08:56a great player.
08:57I really like,
08:59what's the dude's name?
09:01Landman?
09:01They have a...
09:02Yeah,
09:03Nate Landman.
09:04He's a middle linebacker,
09:07yeah.
09:07But like,
09:08obviously Aaron Donald
09:09is the major discussion point.
09:11He's arguably
09:11the best defensive football player
09:13of this millennia.
09:15And Miles Garrett,
09:16you add him in
09:17and everybody's waiting
09:18for him to pop,
09:18right?
09:19But what about
09:20the rest of that defense?
09:21Because there's still
09:22some players.
09:24Tons of them.
09:24And the secondary
09:26is what makes
09:28Chris Shula's defense
09:29tick.
09:30He wants six of them
09:31on the field
09:32at all times.
09:32Their base
09:33is six defensive backs
09:35on the field.
09:36The only way
09:37you can do that
09:38is if you have DBs
09:39who are willing participants
09:40in the run game.
09:41You go back
09:42and look at that film
09:43from the Rams
09:44and Chargers,
09:45the best tackler
09:47out there
09:47was Trent McDuffie.
09:48He is knifing down
09:50running backs
09:50in the hole
09:52and essentially
09:52playing linebacker.
09:53Quinton Lake
09:54is probably
09:55one of the more
09:56versatile defenders
09:58in the NFL.
09:58I would put him
10:00behind Derwin James
10:02and Nick Emanwari
10:03over in Seattle
10:04and I think
10:05Quinton Lake
10:06is probably third
10:06in that conversation
10:08with his ability
10:08to play safety
10:10one down,
10:10corner another down
10:11and then outside
10:12linebacker the next down.
10:13And what Chris Shula
10:15has done
10:16is just found
10:17a group of guys
10:18who can do
10:18a bunch of different things.
10:20So if Trent McDuffie
10:21isn't able to go,
10:22that's a massive blow.
10:23If either of the safeties
10:25aren't able to go,
10:26that's a massive blow
10:27because the depth
10:28that you have
10:29behind those guys
10:30may not be as versatile.
10:32So Jalen Watson
10:33out for the year,
10:34it's not a killer,
10:35but if Jalen Watson
10:37and two of those
10:38other guys are out,
10:39now the secondary
10:40can get pretty exposed.
10:43What does your gut
10:44tell you about this game?
10:46The Rams have won
10:47their last two games
10:48by double digits.
10:49You do have the West Coast
10:51traveling to the East Coast
10:52for a one o'clock start.
10:53I mean,
10:54historically,
10:54that has been a factor
10:55in some of these games.
10:57The Commanders were able
10:58to take down the Seahawks
10:59earlier in the year
11:00and that was largely
11:01driven by turnovers.
11:02The Rams are turning
11:03the ball over more
11:04than we're accustomed to.
11:05Just kind of,
11:06how do you feel
11:06on this one?
11:08My gut says that the game
11:10is going to be much closer
11:12than Rams fans expect
11:15to your point of traveling
11:17West to East
11:18and to your point of,
11:19you know,
11:20Washington against Seattle
11:22and Washington maybe
11:25are still trying to find a way
11:27to play a full four quarters.
11:28But I feel in every game,
11:30there is at least one quarter
11:33where you watch Washington
11:34and you say,
11:34whoa,
11:34where's this team been?
11:35Because this team can beat
11:37almost anyone,
11:37right?
11:38So I do not see the Rams
11:40walking in there
11:41and treating,
11:44not treating,
11:45but having the success
11:46that they've had
11:47in the previous two games.
11:48I do expect the Rams to win,
11:50but I also expect this
11:51to be a four quarter game.
11:53How big of a deal
11:54is them not having Devontae?
11:56It should be a big deal,
12:00but because of the depth
12:01of the tight end room,
12:03they've been able
12:04to work around it
12:05and you go back last year
12:06and it's kind of a deja vu.
12:08Devontae Adams leaves
12:09early in the season
12:10with a devastating
12:11hamstring injury.
12:12Sean McVay pivots
12:13and says,
12:14you know,
12:14Pukenaku is kind of
12:15the only receiver I trust,
12:16so we're going to put
12:17three tight ends on the field
12:18and run 13.
12:19And that's really
12:20what they were forced
12:21to do two weeks ago.
12:23The problem is last week,
12:24two of their tight ends
12:25were hurt,
12:26so they couldn't rely
12:27on that tight end depth
12:28and it was more
12:29of a 12 personnel situation.
12:31So it's going to come down
12:33to the tight end health
12:34and if they have
12:36three tight ends
12:36that they trust,
12:37the Devontae Adams injury
12:38isn't a big deal.
12:39If they only have two,
12:41then it really does limit
12:42what the Rams can do
12:43offensively.
12:44What are the weaknesses
12:46of the Rams
12:47in your mind?
12:48The weaknesses
12:49of the Rams are,
12:50I will call it,
12:52selfish play calling,
12:53looking for that big play
12:55and that's probably
12:56equal parts McVay
12:58and Stafford.
12:59There are so many times
13:00where they want to go big
13:02when they don't have to.
13:04A perfect example I'll use,
13:05last week against the Chargers.
13:08Game is a little close there
13:10coming down the stretch
13:11of the first half.
13:12Blake Corum and Kyron Williams
13:14have a combined five carries
13:15in the first half.
13:17Five carries.
13:17In the second half,
13:19the very first series
13:20for the Rams,
13:21it's an eight play series,
13:22they run the ball five times
13:24and the series is capped off
13:26with a Blake Corum touchdown run.
13:28And then they run the ball
13:29for the rest of the second half.
13:30If you were just running
13:31the ball in the first half,
13:32the game is not close
13:34at any point.
13:35The play calling
13:36is their own worst enemy
13:38and it is driving us crazy
13:39out here in LA.
13:41That's interesting, man.
13:44I feel like Sean's at his best
13:45when they're just running
13:46the ball a lot
13:48and then Stafford off play action
13:49can really hurt folks.
13:52It will be interesting
13:53to see how they game it up
13:54for Sunday's game.
13:55Listen, Brock,
13:57really appreciate the time, man.
13:58And what's going on
13:59with the Dodgers?
14:00Mark Walter's going down.
14:01I'm rooting against him
14:02just so you know.
14:05Mark Walter claims
14:06that he's not selling
14:07the Dodgers.
14:08I'll let you know right now.
14:09All of LA has mentally prepared
14:11for Mark Walter
14:13to sell the Dodgers.
14:14We're not going to believe
14:14a single thing that man says.
14:16Yeah, he seems like
14:17a straight up snake oil salesman
14:19at this point.
14:21Brock, appreciate the time, man.
14:22I hope the new show
14:23is going great.
14:23You don't think he's not.
14:25No, Tiny.
14:26He's going to have
14:26the rest of that money.
14:28For sure.
14:28I appreciate you guys.
14:30Anytime.
14:30Best of luck this Sunday.
14:32Thank you, man.
14:32Appreciate you.
14:33Brock Vereen,
14:34midday host on 97.1 The Fan
14:36out in LA.
14:37Check him out
14:38at Brock Vereen.
14:39V-E-R-E-E-N.
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