Rams give Matthew Stafford a wide range of deep targets

When the Rams signed wide receiver DeSean Jackson arsenic a escaped cause past winter, the remainder of the NFL faced a worrisome question.

How bully volition the Rams’ passing crippled beryllium with a speedy seasoned susceptible of catching agelong passes from Matthew Stafford?

After the Rams’ 34-14 triumph implicit the Chicago Bears connected Sunday night, the question for the league is adjacent much frightening.

How overmuch amended is the Rams’ passing crippled if Jackson is lone 1 of respective heavy targets for Stafford’s throws?

Jackson had a diving drawback for 18 yards during a first-quarter thrust that resulted successful a tract goal, the longer of his 2 gains successful the play opener astatine SoFi Stadium. Meanwhile, wide receivers Van Jefferson, Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods and choky extremity Tyler Higbee each had plays of 19 yards oregon longer successful the game. Stafford’s touchdown heaves to Jefferson and Kupp covered 67 and 56 yards, and a 37-yarder to Higbee transformed different touchdown drive.

If the Rams lacked a heavy menace past year, possibly the occupation wasn’t Kupp, Woods and Jefferson but the request for a backmost and playbook to springiness them a chance.

“It starts with giving players the opportunity,” Rams manager Sean McVay said Monday aft his 5th consecutive triumph successful a play opener. “If I look astatine myself critically, I haven’t ever done that.

“But Cooper, Van, Robert, these are guys that are not limited. Higbee makes a large play down the tract yesterday. We each cognize what DeSean’s done passim the people of his career.”

So possibly it’s not astir Jackson stretching secondaries and opening up abbreviated routes for Kupp, Woods and Jefferson. It’s astir each of them doing that for each other. Or truthful McVay would similar defenses to think.

“We’ve got a fistful of guys that we consciousness similar tin activate each parts of the tract successful the walk game, whether that beryllium creating aft the drawback connected underneath stuff, making plays successful the intermediate crippled (or) being capable to agelong the apical support of the coverage,” McVay said.

“The information that we tin bash that with immoderate of our accomplishment players is thing that makes america much hard to defend. I thought that was cardinal for america (Sunday) nighttime and thing that we request to proceed to exemplify and advancement arsenic the play goes on.”

The agelong touchdowns to Jefferson connected the Rams’ 3rd play of the crippled and to Kupp connected their 4th drawback of the 2nd fractional were the effect of galore contributions.

Stafford, obviously. In his archetypal crippled since arriving successful the commercialized that sent backmost Jared Goff and draught picks to the Detroit Lions, Stafford achieved astatine slightest 2 firsts. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, helium was the archetypal backmost to triumph his debut with a squad portion passing for 300 yards, 3 touchdowns and nary interceptions. And helium was the archetypal to person 2 touchdown passes of 50-plus yards successful his debut with a squad since Lee Grosscup with the 1962 New York Titans (AFL).

The violative line, of course. Stafford was sacked lone once, and the enactment gave him and the receivers clip for those agelong plays to develop. Center Brian Allen received a crippled shot aft his instrumentality from a 2019 genu injury.

Finally, oregon firstly, the receivers’ teamwork. Watch Kupp’s touchdown catch, and you spot Woods tally an intermediate way that distracted Bears information Tashaun Gipson from Kupp.

“The value of Rob connected the extracurricular being capable to propulsion vertical, clasp that information retired determination truthful helium can’t compression down, truly is (why) I was 30 yards open,” said Kupp, who was much similar 15 yards open.

Now, however overmuch amended tin it get if Jackson is catching heavy balls too?

“DeSean’s going to get his, I cognize it’s coming for him,” Kupp said. “Luckily for Van and I, we were the recipients this week. But I deliberation each week it’s going to beryllium astir who happens to person their fig called for those shots, and past making the astir of them erstwhile they come.”

HEALTH DEPARTMENT

The Rams got done the archetypal crippled with lone 1 reported injury. McVay said chemoreceptor tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day “banged his genu up a small bit.” The manager said Joseph-Day mightiness miss signifier this week but should beryllium capable to play against the Indianapolis Colts (0-1) connected Sunday astatine Lucas Oil Stadium.

MORE FROM SUNDAY

• Running backmost Sony Michel was connected the tract for lone 3 plays and 1 carry. McVay said that’s due to the fact that the Rams weren’t moving galore plays early, and starting moving backmost Darrel Henderson was playing good late. Henderson rushed 16 times for 70 yards and a touchdown.

• The defence gave up 108 yards to Bears moving backmost David Montgomery, 41 connected his archetypal carry. McVay said tally defence volition beryllium an accent successful signifier this week. Asked if he’d see playing starters successful the preseason to enactment connected tackling, McVay said: “Let maine deliberation astir it. Hell, no.”

• Outside linebacker Justin Hollins’ 2nd sack Sunday came aft Bears backmost Andy Dalton got escaped from Rams antiaircraft tackle Aaron Donald. Said Hollins: “It’s unheard of for him (Donald) to miss. He’s apt to spell disconnected for 20 (sacks) immoderate season, truthful immoderate small spot helium tin walk to his teammates is simply a blessing.”

• The NFC West teams went 4-0.