Top NFL Week 11 player matchups: Can Jared Goff keep Rams rolling vs. Vikings?
The Los Angeles Rams might be staring down the best indicator yet of Jared Goff's development.
Coming off back-to-back performances in which he set career highs for passing yardage, Goff has helped vault the Rams to the top of the NFC West. While the league's top-scoring offense hasn't been reliant solely on him, Goff could make the difference in the outcome of Sunday's clash against the Minnesota Vikings.
For the second-year quarterback, it could all come down to pressure.
Goff has been sacked just 13 times in nine games, a marked improvement for both him and the Rams offensive line after a rookie season in which he was sacked 26 times in seven games. Capitalizing on first-year coach Sean McVay's reworked offense, Goff has the fifth-highest passer rating of any healthy quarterback.
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But struggles up front rattled the Rams early last week, as Jadeveon Clowney and the Houston Texans threw Goff off his rhythm and shut down running back Todd Gurley. With Gurley facing the NFL's third-ranked run defense (81.3 yards per game) and a speedy set of linebackers capable of staying with him in coverage, Goff could be forced to look to his outside receivers more often.
Minnesota allowed a season-high 30 points to the Washington Redskins last week, but defensive player of the year candidate Everson Griffen said he will return after sitting out with a foot injury. Griffen and Danielle Hunter have combined for 14 of the Vikings' 25 sacks and will give Rams offensive tackles Andrew Whitworth and Rob Havenstein plenty to handle.
The Vikings' secondary, led by Pro Bowl cornerback Xavier Rhodes, has allowed just 10 touchdowns this year. But Rams wide receivers Robert Woods and Sammy Watkins have hauled in six scores in the last two games.
Here are four other matchups that will define Week 11 in the NFL:
Dallas Cowboys LT Byron Bell vs. Philadelphia Eagles' pass rushers
The absence of all-pro left tackle Tyron Smith proved to be a crippling blow to the Cowboys' offense, which allowed eight sacks in last week's loss to the Falcons. With Smith looking unlikely to return in Sunday's prime-time clash, Dallas needs to address its glaring issue on Dak Prescott's blind side.
Bell slides in for Chaz Green, who allowed six of the sacks last week. But the veteran has never been a reliable starter at left tackle, and he gave up two sacks when subbed in against the Falcons. Dallas likely will have to divert from its traditional approach by offering at least some form of help on the left side. It's the latest adjustment for an offense already forced to shift by the implementation of Ezekiel Elliott's six-game suspension.
The Cowboys will need to be innovative to keep the Eagles' defensive line at bay. Philadelphia has four defensive ends (Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry, Derek Barnett and Chris Long) who all have at least 2½ sacks this year. The group could rotate frequently to keep fresh and find the best matchups to exploit Bell as a pass protector.
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Washington Redskins RB Chris Thompson vs. New Orleans Saints' linebackers
Two games back in the NFC wild-card picture, Washington can't afford to falter down the stretch. After going 1-3 in a brutal run against some of the conference's top contenders, the Redskins face perhaps their toughest challenge yet in trying snap the Saints' seven-game win streak.
Though Kirk Cousins has been solid, Washington too often has asked him to cover for a lackluster defense and inconsistent run game. Making the same demands of him against New Orleans is likely a losing strategy. The Saints' Marshon Lattimore and the rest of the secondary could pose a difficult matchup for the Redskins' receivers.
But Thompson could be the key to alleviating the pressure on the passing game. The shifty target has had his early-season pace slowed, with just one 100-yard outing in his last four games. But the Saints don't have the same set of rangy linebackers that have stymied him in recent weeks, and Thompson could find space to operate both on screens and pass routes.
New England Patriots LT Nate Solder vs. Oakland Raiders DE Khalil Mack
The Patriots' offense has more than the altitude in Mexico City to worry about on Sunday. Though the top-ranked attack has been difficult to slow, New England can't afford to slip against the game-altering Mack.
Solder didn't fare well in his first matchup with Mack in 2014, when the then-rookie consistently beat the left tackle off the edge despite not recording any sacks in a Patriots win. New England, however, has been triumphant in taking on the league's elite pass rushers in recent weeks, neutralizing the Denver Broncos' Von Miller and keeping Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa of the Los Angeles Chargers in check. Tom Brady likely will again rely on running backs Rex Burkhead and James White to create favorable matchups for quick-hit passes.
Mack is one of the lone bright spots on a Raiders defense that ranks 26th in the NFL. The pass rush is tied for last with just 13 sacks, of which 4½ belong to Mack. If the reigning defensive player of the year can't rattle Brady, a secondary that has yet to record an interception on the season could be in for a long day.
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Atlanta Falcons WR Julio Jones vs. Seattle Seahawks' secondary
There will be no rematch of Jones against Richard Sherman after the Seahawks' Pro Bowl cornerback tore his Achilles last Thursday. Now, Seattle's once-sound secondary looks like it could be a problem in a critical matchup for the NFC wild-card picture.
The Seahawks face uncharted territory in moving on without Sherman, as Monday will mark the first time the star defender has missed a game in his seven-year career. His absence will have a ripple effect, as quarterbacks seldom tested him, even when he was matched up against top receivers. Safety Kam Chancellor is also expected to miss the rest of the season, though Earl Thomas is on track to return after missing the last two games.
All that should shape up for a favorable outlook for Jones. The all-pro wide receiver hasn't enjoyed the same prolific production he posted last season, but he has 30 catches for 392 yards and two touchdowns in four career games against the Seahawks - all with Sherman on the field. No matter whether he's lined up against Jeremy Lane, Shaquill Griffin or Byron Maxwell, Jones will demand additional help.
Follow Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz on Twitter @MikeMSchwartz.
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