EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The florescent inexperienced cleats of Kyren Williams could possibly be seen from house.
But it surely was the ft inside these sneakers that set the tone Sunday within the Rams’ 19-9 victory over the New York Jets.
On this remaining stretch earlier than the NFL playoffs, when the climate turns as bitter chilly because it was at MetLife Stadium, it’s important for groups to have the ability to run the soccer. Williams did that for the Rams, gaining 122 yards in 23 carries at a strong common of 5.3 yards a pop.
“It’s a security blanket,” Rams proper sort out Rob Havenstein stated. “There’s a ton of good rush fronts out there in the league, but to be able to run the ball and kind of dictate how we want to play offense because we can run the ball, that’s something that doesn’t just show up on game day. It’s something we work really hard on during the week.”
The numbers weren’t splashy. The highlights have been sparse. However for the Rams to journey throughout the nation for a ten a.m. body-clock kickoff, with temperatures within the teenagers, this workmanlike win was a convincing assertion: This crew is able to doing a little harm within the playoffs.
Twenty-three carries is a full plate — the Rams solely had a 50 offensive performs — however it was fewer than Williams had in his earlier two video games, when he had 29 and 29.
“Not quite 29,” coach Sean McVay quipped, “so he’s fresh.”
Recent because the alternatives unfurling earlier than the crew. With the Rams successful, and Arizona shedding at Carolina, the once-surging Cardinals have been eradicated from the playoff image. They play the Rams at SoFi Stadium on Saturday evening, and determine to be much less formidable with working again James Conner coping with an obvious knee harm that sidelined him within the second half Sunday.
So the NFC West race comes right down to the Rams and Seattle, who play in a season finale in Los Angeles. The Rams have the higher hand at this level, with a greater document after the Seahawks misplaced to the Vikings on Sunday and already having gained at Seattle.
They’ve fired their coach and basic supervisor, and appear to have handed the decision-making to quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who went for it on fourth down 5 instances and transformed two in opposition to the Rams.
Based on ESPN, the Jets are the primary crew in 25 years to not punt in a sport and nonetheless be held to fewer than 10 factors.
Rams working again Kyren Williams carried the ball 23 instances in opposition to the Jets after carrying it 29 instances in every of his final two video games.
(Seth Wenig / Related Press)
What’s extra, each considered one of their offensive linemen was flagged for a penalty, and there have been six of these gamers because the Jets needed to sub in a alternative for his or her injured left sort out. Dutifully, fill-in Max Mitchell checked the field with a false begin simply earlier than the two-minute warning.
And to assume the sport started with such promise for the house crew, the Jets assembling their first 99-yard scoring drive in eight years on their opening possession.
The Rams tightened the screws after that and surrendered solely a area purpose. To not say it was a pristine defensive efficiency, although, because the tackling nonetheless must be higher to extend the possibility of survival within the postseason.
In lots of respects, it was a bizarre sport that — due to all of the working — passed by with the pace of time-lapse pictures. The Rams have been already within the fourth quarter whereas some groups have been nonetheless ready to begin the second half.
The sport went so shortly, in truth, that the NFL needed to pump the brakes with commercials. The league doesn’t wish to go commercial-kickoff-commercial, but it had to do this 3 times in Rams-Jets with a purpose to fill the three-hour window.
Rams Braden Fiske (55) and Jared Verse (8) converge to sack Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8).
(Adam Starvation / Related Press)
The Jets had the ball for the ultimate 6 minutes, 22 seconds of the primary half, then — as a result of they acquired the kickoff to begin the second half — held it for the primary 10 minutes of the third quarter.
“I was like, ‘I haven’t played football in 30 minutes,’” Havenstein stated. “This wasn’t the game to get tight out there. You ain’t gonna get warmed up any time.”
That was undoubtedly the sensation on the guests’ sideline.
“We were huddled up against that heater on the sideline, that’s all you could do,” Rams guard Kevin Dotson stated. “We’re not used to it. It was like 12 degrees, 13, and it seemed to get even colder at the end. I’m from Louisiana, so I’m thin-skinned. That cold is different.
“As offensive linemen they tell you, ‘Don’t wear sleeves.’ I gotta wear sleeves. I won’t be the same person if I don’t wear sleeves. I put my sleeves on and just go hard enough where they can’t say, ‘Oh, he’s soft.’”
The robust efficiency on the bottom was a testomony not solely to Williams but additionally to a stalwart Rams offensive line that solely lately has come collectively as meant with the starters all getting wholesome (sufficient) to function in lockstep.
As for these vivid inexperienced sneakers Williams was sporting? They have been the Nike Vapor Edge Kobe “Grinch” cleats, an homage to considered one of his all-time favourite athletes.
Grinch is smart. For the Jets, he unquestionably stole Christmas.
