How will the defense of the Cleveland Browns affect the Los Angeles Rams? See three audacious Rams forecasts for Week 13.
The Los Angeles Rams’ Week 13 matchup with the Cleveland Browns promises unexpected playoff implications. The Rams are making a comeback into the postseason after appearing to be eliminated a few weeks ago, but they will have a test this week against the formidable Browns defense. We’ll make three Rams Week 13 predictions before the game.
Can the Rams make it to the postseason? With Los Angeles leading both of their divisional opponents by a margin of two games, it appears to be the case. Among them was a startling 17-16 victory against the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks fell to 6-6 after dropping their next two games. The Rams can unseat the Seahawks for the seventh seed because they are currently 5-6 and have already swept Seattle. Los Angeles first faded from the picture at 3-6 and with an injury to Matthew Stafford, but the two NFC wildcard spots are up for grabs.
The Rams still have their core in Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp, Sean McVay, Stafford, and the team that won the Super Bowl nearly two years ago.
With the Browns, who are once again beset by quarterback problems, the Rams now aim to even their record. Following another injury that sidelined Deshaun Watson for the remainder of the season, Cleveland looked to Dorian Thompson-Robinson. However, Joe Flacco will start for the Browns this week because DTR is in the concussion protocol. Flacco is well past his prime, despite the fact that he was once a Super Bowl champion and the topic of endless debate about “is he elite?” To force the victory, the Browns are just hoping that Flacco can control the game and allow their defense to stop the Rams. More easily said than done, particularly considering that quarterback Matthew Stafford just finished with four touchdowns.
The Rams will be back in the thick of things come playoff time if they can secure this victory and improve to 6-6. A loss for the Browns, meanwhile, might be problematic in the crowded AFC playoff field. Let’s move on to our Rams Week 13 predictions now that everything is on the line.
Rams RB Kyren Williams gains more than 120 yards in sprints.
Running back Kyren Williams was a major factor in the Rams’ impressive 37-14 victory, in addition to facing the Arizona Cardinals. Williams missed more than a month of action due to an ankle injury, which hurt the Rams’ rushing attack. Williams has surpassed 100 yards in three of his last four games. He has averaged more than 7.5 yards per carry in his last two games.
The second-year back made a huge comeback in his most recent game, gaining 143 yards on 16 carries with an average of 8.9 yards per carry! He added six receptions for 61 yards and two receiving touchdowns just to be safe. The Browns defense’s “weak” point is their run defense, which allows more than 100 yards per contest. They’re not as good as their top-ranked pass defense, but they’re still above average. The Rams will take advantage of run game opportunities if they are shrewd.
Player Puka Nacua grabs ten receptions.
Early in the season, Puka Nacua was one of the biggest stories of the year, but over the last few months, he has essentially disappeared from the news. When Nacua had 25 receptions in his first two games combined, he broke rookie records for the first time. Even though he still scores several receptions each game, he has become less of a factor, particularly since Cooper Kupp made a full recovery from his injury.
Expect Cleveland to concentrate on covering Kupp against a strong Browns pass defense, which may free up Nacua for short-yardage or simple throws.
Rams bench Five times, Joe Flacco
This season, Myles Garrett, a defender for the Cleveland Browns, has been a hot topic in the NFL. He is the clear favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year. But Aaron Donald, the three-time DPOY, has an opportunity to prove who’s boss in this matchup.
Since Flacco is getting older and not nearly as mobile as he once was, the Rams defensive line will also have an advantage. Given that Flacco hasn’t played in over a year and might not be prepared to take on Darnold and NFL rushers, expect the Rams pass rush to overwhelm him.