You know, as I was typing this and looking at all the results and the way other teams are playing, ALL of them are facing some sort of struggles. Yet the only teams that are getting the brunt of the criticism police are the Rams, and locally the Texans.

It's so freaking frustrating that other teams seem get the "oh it's ok, they'll be fine" pass but not these teams. Anyway, hopefully you can sense my pissiness when reading.

Have fun. Maybe.

https://ramsondemand.com/powerrankings/angry-ranks-week-16.38/

The blueprint is play a quarters defense that forces Goff to throw into tighter windows and be more accurate.

Teams that do this with a good pass rush give themselves a good chance to stop us.

McVay has done a very poor job of adjusting the game plan to include audibles to shorter quick hitting throws. We typically have Gurley or someone else in the flat but we need Loren plays that force the defense to come out of that look.

Instead Goff is taking hits early, getting his timing disrupted, and then becoming even more errant on throws later as he anticipates the pressure and hits.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/ne...ine-rankings-all-32-teams-units-after-week-15

2018 NFL Offensive Line Rankings: All 32 teams' units after Week 15
BY MICHAEL RENNER



The mentee has become the mentor in Los Angeles. Rob Havenstein’s 82.2 overall grade barely edges out Andrew Whitworth’s 81.4 for the highest-graded on the Rams front. The track record of tackles drafted in the second round is not good whatsoever, but Havenstein has bucked that trend. He hasn’t had a single game grade below 60.0 on the season.

And still no Boger!! That's a plus. Although if we never see Vinobitch again it will be too soon.

I think the team will figure out some of these issues. Stop the turnovers and we will easily win. Secondly fix the oline woes.

My take I would try Kiser in at ilb. I would look at joyners play I think he has been a real link. I would use our DE/OLB to hit Tell on 3rd downs to get them off their route.

Like I said in the NO game do what the Panthers last night did double their best receiver limiting Thomas's ability to get open.

OntarioRam said:

Only Gurley, the coaching staff, and the team doctors know if this is truly a minor injury that he can play through without risking further more serious injury (see Kupp coming back too fast), or if he really should be shut down. If it's the latter, we need to hold him out and rest him for the playoffs. We've clinched the division, so even if we lose out, we know the Rams will need him for the post-season, and the unfortunate reality is that we are not getting home field at this point so it's not like we have that to play for. I don't care how bad the RB depth is. Use Cooper there if necessary. Gurley needs to be able to contribute in the playoffs far more than we need to beat Arizona and San Fran.

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They are absolutely playing for home field and a 1st round bye.They just have no realistic chance to get home field throughout the playoffs...The argument that the extra week off for the starters hurt in the 1st round last year is trumped by a firdt tound bye..I think getting Gurley and everybody's healthy and rested trumps holding them out as long as they can stay clear of playing the wild card weekend...

Here's what I say:

Both McVay and Goff took responsibility and I leave it there.

AZ is waiting in the wings...and the playoffs are fast approaching.

ON THE FIELD FOLKS...that's where the answers are gonna be!!!

Well, on the plus side it looks like we will have plenty of cap space in the offseason in order to build something better than what has become the worst scoring defense in the entire NFL.

This is becoming worse than I imagined.

So is it the defense adjusting to the scheme or is it losing individual matchups. The interior especially has been getting abused. Sully has had a bad few weeks.
I’ve read that teams are staying in their base and playing zone to take away deep stuff so the response to that is to find the lb in coverage or take the check down, which Goff hasn’t been doing. Add to that TG hasn’t been breaking off chunks like earlier in the year.
Defenses across the league are catching up, none of the big time offenses managed to score 30 points. We need Gurley to be Gurley, he can be the solution, he can grind it out inside and out run lbs and safeties outside.

Ellard80 said:

Oline and Qb play have deteriorated. is the #1 thing

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I think the latter is a result of the former, not independent issues

Farr Be It said:

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I feel so much better after watching that video. I couldn't understand how all the receivers were covered all game. Now i know Goff just screwed up. Same things probably happened in the lions game and for most of the eagles game. The last two drives of the eagles game the light bulb must have gone on in goff's head because he just dinked and dunked his way the length of the field. Maybe he has finally gotten with the program.

Thank you to these three teams for educating Goff in the reality of the nfl. Take what they give you until they try to take that away, especially when what they give you allows you to move the chains. Then you make them pay.

.

SeminoleRam said:

I guess the correct answer was NO! And, I really hate to say this but the DREADED 49’s definitely have me concerned right now! Actually, the way the Rams are playing right now the Cardinals have me concerned!!!

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Things would have to go very, very wrong to lose to Arizona.

Merlin said:

Teams have been disregarding that jet sweep motion, btw, on some snaps. And now they're rolling up their coverages tight too, well, since Kupp went out.

So yeah maybe burning dudes with it a bit more would help. But I think the greater problems are OL play and our young QB making big mistakes. The inaccuracies from time to time would be ok, but it's the turnovers he needs to fix.

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Absolutely need better O line play, I agree with you. Kupp seemed to know how to adjust his routes to be that quick outlet on blitzes or short yardage situations. I'm sure this will keep McVay up late at night this week trying to come up with the answers. Sullivan has trouble with good interior players. Cox was pushing him all over the field last night. Really highlights the importance of quality C play.

My dream is that the Rams Oline plays like it did earlier in the year, and Goff regains his confidence and poise, and Reynolds gets an Eastern Washington/Cooper Kupp talent injection....

The rest would take care of itself.

T-REX said:

I think Gurley is dealing with something other than just your usual bumps and bruises this time of the season. No one from outside the organization will know for sure while they are still playing meaningful football. I’ve seen it in his body language on the field and in his pressers. JMO.

GO RAMS

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I see the body language to but I seen it with Fisher Ball to. He’s not getting the rock and he knows it and he doesn’t want to make a huge spectical of it but he knows he’s the key to victory. You feel it as a runner, slowly grinding away at the defense and feeling their will slowly start to wilt away. Is the same kind of feeling you get working through holes and traffic, just a feeling you get upon contact and body language of the defense throughout the game.

They dont need to hold donald any more .. just double him no other defender is stepping up to help him out

this point if im wade i'm going zone and man blitz all game we need more pressure on the QB out four man isnt getting there

Well, there is cause for concern in Rams land. We have a game against a weak opponent. I feel like we should win that one. But the 49er game is iffy if we don't get some things fixed.

https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2018/12/17/18144155/the-winners-and-losers-of-nfl-week-15

Loser: The Rams’ Perception of Time

Something weird happened to the Rams Sunday—they had fewer points than the other team. Los Angeles wasn’t used to this. The Rams had trailed in the final five minutes of only four games this season and hadn’t really needed to run a two-minute drill yet. They kicked a go-ahead field goal with 2:05 remaining against the Packers, scored a go-ahead touchdown with 1:49 remaining against the Chiefs, and weren’t within a score of the Bears or Saints.

So when they needed to score quickly against the Eagles, they were befuddled. Down 17 points with 14 minutes remaining, the Rams went on a five-minute long drive that ended in a field goal. Next, the Rams went on a touchdown drive that featured three checkdown passes for 10 or fewer yards in the middle of the field.

Somehow, it worked. The Rams got the ball back with 1:08 left down seven points … and seemed blissfully unaware of their circumstances. Here’s Todd Gurley catching a pass near the sideline and, instead of going out of bounds to stop the clock, cutting back upfield to fight for a few extra yards.

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Yes, this is the same Gurley who has a habit of stopping short of the end zone tohelp his team run out the clock. Clearly, he’s capable of spur-of-the-moment decisions regarding which boundaries he should cross in order to manage the clock most wisely. Why didn’t he go out of bounds?

But Gurley wasn’t alone. Tight end Gerald Everett did the same thing. If one player makes a dumb decision to stay inbounds, I’ll call them dumb. If two players on the same team make the same dumb decision to stay inbounds on the same drive, the dumb one is whoever failed to coach his players on basic situational awareness.
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https://www.profootballfocus.com/ne...15-philadelphia-eagles-30-los-angeles-rams-23

Refocused, NFL Week 15: Philadelphia Eagles 30, Los Angeles Rams 23
BY PFF ANALYSIS TEAM





Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh were neutralized to a degree. Donald recorded a hit and few pressures, but with the number of double teams he was facing, it was going to be a tall task for him to have a significant impact.

Aqib Talib came up with a great interception at the beginning of the fourth quarter, breaking on an out route and jumping in front of Zach Ertz. To that point, Talib had a tough time holding Jefferey in check and was liable for a busted coverage which resulted in a 50-yard completion.

Goff was off target all game. This was never more on display than the last pass of the game, where he was unable to keep the ball low enough to give his wide receiver even a chance to bring in the ball. On top of that, Goff also threw two interceptions, one being a throw that he should never have tried after falling down after his foot was stood on and was trying to save five yards on third down instead of taking the sack and living for another day

Todd Gurley was the leading receiver for the Rams and it was all on check downs, as the Eagles’ defense took away anything downfield. Unfortunately for the Rams, Gurley never got enough on the ground to force the Eagles out of their soft coverage and was unable to make defenders miss on a frequent basis to make the offense be effective with the check down passes.

The Rams may have outgained the Eagles, but the three turnovers put the game too far out of their reach.

BriansRams said:

OK, so next week if the Chiefs beat the Seadicks.... what are we looking at?

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He was my guy for "player with a breakout year" on the defense.

LesBaker said:

I'm in a condo, so I don't decorate outside.

Only inside.

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Oh come on, Les! Get with the program!

LesBaker said:

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Oops. All Adrians sound alike. It also shows my age.

Dog said:

I’d go Brees and Peterson.

Both QB’s have 2 weeks of less than average numbers. It just depends on which one you think balls out.

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Here we have a perfect example of why not to take my advice. D.Henry going off today, hope you played him.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/eagles-rams-nfl-week-15-predictions

Eagles-Rams NFL Week 15 predictions
By NBC Sports Philadelphia Staff

Reuben Frank (7-6)
The Rams are averaging 33 points per game and 38 at home. With all the injuries the Eagles have on defense, they’re certainly not going to shut down the Rams. So their only shot Sunday is getting into a shootout and scoring last. Kind of like last year, when the Eagles won 43-35 to clinch a playoff spot. But this is a different team, and they’re not equipped to get into a shootout with anybody. Last time they tried they lost by 41 points in New Orleans.

Now, maybe a healthy Nick Foles can recapture his Super Bowl magic and put up a ton of points on a very average Rams defense. Stranger things have happened. And some of them have happened with Foles at quarterback. But it’s just too much to ask. Foles hasn’t played since Sept. 16 and wasn’t particularly sharp when he did play. If the Eagles can steal a win in L.A. they would give themselves a real shot at that No. 2 wild card. But I don’t see it. So I’ll go with the Eagles falling to 6-8.

Rams 33, Eagles 23

Dave Zangaro (5-8)
Hey, maybe Nick Foles will come out and be the Super Bowl MVP and come out of L.A. after winning a shootout. I just don’t see it. This offense hasn’t been able to get going all season and they’re going to start with their backup quarterback going against one of the best teams in the league? Nah, not buying it.

This seems like a perfect storm for the Eagles to get crushed in this game. Backup quarterback on the road against a team that’s coming off a rare loss and has been really good, especially at home. And the Eagles have a ton of injuries at key spots. Sorry, Eagles fans. Not seeing it.

Rams 42, Eagles 19

Derrick Gunn (7-6)
When it rains it pours, and the Eagles have been flooded with injuries all season long. This week, Corey Clement and Josh Sweat were both placed on injured reserve. If that’s not bad enough, Wentz is dealing with a back issue and is doubtful for Sunday’s encounter with the Rams. The Eagles’ playoff hopes are on life support and they need a lot of help elsewhere.

The Birds’ theme has been consistent all season long: sluggish on offense and breakdowns on defense at crucial points of games. Their run defense continues to be porous. The Birds’ D has given up an average of 143.2 yards rushing over the last five games.

Of their seven losses, six have been decided by six points or fewer, and two of them were in overtime. Oh! And it gets worse! They now take to the road (2-4 away from home ) to face a Rams squad that’s 6-0 at home, and is ticked off about getting embarrassed by the Bears on national TV.

The Eagles need to stay committed to the run this week against a generous Rams' run defense ranked 23rd in the NFL (123 yds allowed per outing).

To think it was a year ago against the Rams out west where the legend of Foles began. Foles will under center this Sunday with Wentz out. But not even Foles can save the Birds’ season this time.

Rams 31 Eagles 21

Ray Didinger (7-6)
There is no point in doing the "well, they're still alive for a wild card" because while that remains a mathematical possibility it is so far-fetched, why bother? Everything — and I mean everything — would have to break the Eagles' way and it just hasn't been that kind of year for the defending champs. The news about Wentz is just the latest gut punch in a long, painful season.

Yes, Foles is taking over in the same place he took over last year, the Los Angeles Coliseum, and perhaps there are still some true believers out there who see the stars aligning for another magical run, but I'm not among them. The Eagles are too weakened and too battered to defeat a team as talented and explosive as the 11-2 Rams.

It would be smart for the Eagles to run the ball to take some pressure off Foles and control the clock — plus the Rams are allowing opposing rushers 5.1 yards per carry, 31st in the league — but that's not usually Doug Pederson's style. I see the Rams bouncing back in a big way after their loss in Chicago.

Rams 31, Eagles 21

Andrew Kulp (7-6)
The Wentz news will make it difficult for the Eagles to pull off the upset, but it's reasonable to think they could cover the spread. The Rams are an extremely talented team, but they haven't exactly been blowing opponents out, and once Foles shakes off the cobwebs, the offense should score some points.

As far as picking the Eagles to win, Foles will probably need a quarter or so to find a rhythm, and the Rams simply aren't a team they can afford to give a head start, especially given the state of the secondary. High scoring game, but one where the Birds are playing catch-up the whole time.

Rams 31, Eagles 24

Corey Seidman (6-7)
Forgetting for a second about the Carson Wentz situation, the Rams just have so many ways to attack a beat-up Eagles secondary — wheel routes to Todd Gurley, a deep shot or two to Brandin Cooks (with the accompanying DPI call), Robert Woods on deep crosses.

It’s going to take a tremendous team-wide effort for the Eagles to just stay with the Rams, much less pull out winning plays at the end of a close game on the road against a team clearly better than them.

The Rams just got punched in the mouth by the Bears, an ill-timed wake-up call from the Eagles’ perspective.

Rams 37, Eagles 20