If you’re an organization that wants to finish the season with six or seven wins, Jeff Fisher is the guy for you. So, I guess that’s what the Los Angeles Rams want to be. News of a contract extension for the coach came out before last Sunday’s game and the Rams promptly went out and laid an egg in a loss to New England. Losers in seven of their past eight games, the Rams will be hard pressed to reach that lofty win total, but they have the soon-to-be losingest coach in league history on the sidelines for their Week 14 battle with the Atlanta Falcons.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 14 game is set for Sunday, December 11, 2016, at 4:25 p.m. ET at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Atlanta Falcons -6
Los Angeles Rams +6
Over/Under 45
Odds Analysis
The public likes the Falcons which is why the spread spiked a half-point from its opening to the current Atlanta -6. Over 90 percent of the early spread wagers are backing the visitors and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the line go even higher. The total dropped a point after opening at 46 with nearly 65 percent of the early wagers on the under.
Injury Report
Jake Matthews – The Falcons lost their starting left tackle to a knee injury in the first half of the Chiefs game. Tom Compton replaced him as Matt Ryan’s blind side protector and could leave that part of the field open against the Rams defensive front. With double teams expected on Aaron Donald, Compton will be on an island.
E.J. Gaines – The Rams will have a tough time defending the Falcons passing attack and it could be more difficult without their starting cornerback. Gaines suffered a leg injury against the Patriots and left the field for the remainder of the game.
Key Stat
There is a good reason why the Rams waited to start Jared Goff and it wasn’t because the first overall pick wasn’t ready. It was likely because the offensive line still isn’t prepared to protect any of its quarterbacks. Case Keenum was the sacrificial lamb for the first nine games of the year and Goff watched as his teammate was constantly tormented. Now it’s Goff’s turn, and he knows first-hand what Keenum had to work with.
Goff may be the savior, but it takes a supporting cast to make the unit work. And right now the Rams simply don’t have it. The Rams are last in total offense and scoring offense, and have surrendered 31 sacks on the year. Goff was under constant pressure against the Patriots and completed just 14 of 32 attempts for 161 yards with a pair of picks. It took a late 66-yard pass to make his line look a little better. Goff was sacked four times and hit nine others. The Rams line has struggled all season and did very little without Rodger Saffold, who is out with a hand injury.
Free ATS Pick
Remember back when the Rams were in first place in the NFC West? Me neither. It seems like so long ago when the Rams won three straight to improve to 3-1 to take the lead in the division. It’s been a disaster since then with losses in seven of their past eight games, and somehow Fisher gets a contract extension. The defense was supposed to be the strength of the team and the unit was gorged again by New England, surrendering 75 points in a back-to-back road thrashings. The offense continues to be a bust and did very little against the Pats.
It’s hard to imagine the Rams playing much worse on both sides of the ball than they have the last two games, but nothing will surprise me about this team. After leading the NFC South for most of the year, the Falcons now find themselves in a tie with Tampa Bay but they have a chance to regain their footing with games against two of the worst teams in the conference coming up. It doesn’t mean anything unless the Falcons can take advantage of the soft end-of-the-year schedule, and they will.
NFL Odds: Falcons 24, Rams 16
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