Cowboys at Rams: Breaking down Los Angeles in all 3 phases
By Jack Baker
The Dallas Cowboys will face the Los Angeles Rams Saturday night in the NFL Divisional round. Here is an in-depth view about what makes the Rams so potent.
With a win versus the Seattle Seahawks last Saturday, the Dallas Cowboys will have a tough task in facing the NFC West champions. The Los Angeles Rams are known for their star-power on both sides of the football.
Let’s take a closer look into the LA Rams via their three phases of football: Offense, Defense, and Special teams.
Offense
The L.A. Rams have the one of, if not the best offense in the NFL. The offense starts with MVP candidate and All-Pro running back Todd Gurley.
Gurley totaled 1,251 rushing yards this year and added a whopping 17 touchdowns. What makes Gurley so dynamic is what he can also do in the passing game.
In the regular season, he totaled 580 receiving yards and added four more touchdowns, for a grand total of 21 touchdowns while only playing in 15 games. The fourth-year rusher out of Georgia has not played since Week 15 due to an ankle injury, so the Cowboys should expect Gurley to be 100%.
Quarterback Jared Goff leads the passing attack for the Rams. Coming off a 32 touchdown season, it is safe to say Goff is one of the elite throwers of the football. The former first overall pick has plenty of weapons in the passing game.
Wide receivers Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods create a duo that the Cowboys will have a tough time handling. Brandin Cooks caught 80 balls for 1204 yards and five touchdowns. Brandin Cooks is known for his speed, so the Cowboys need to make sure he does not take the top off of the defense.
On the other side, Robert Woods totaled 86 receptions for 1219 yards and six touchdowns. The Cowboys defense will have their hands full this Saturday with Jared Goff, Todd Gurley and two 1,000 yard receivers leading the offensive attack. The Rams offense averaged 32.9 points a game, which finished second in the NFL.
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