2 qbs injured going into the Superbowl. both playing so it's not that bad, but it concerns me that in order to have a winning season you need a good backup qb to step in and even a third (see 9ers and rams.) Stafford won't last a whole year, so we need to make a good decision on backup this year. hell may be someone will make a change in thinking on that position that is revolutionary. go rams.

We all hate bad officiating.

When it helps your team, it can diminish the joy of winning and gives naysayers an excuse to deny credit for the accomplishment.

When it hurts your team, it’s just downright infuriating.

But there’s a big difference between human error (or even incompetence) and deliberate skewing of results.

Those who take to social media (ie PFT) and spread the mantra of “NFL RIGGED”… I have no use for you.

The league is not rigged. It’s, frankly, downright silly to think the NFL would do the one thing that could destroy its multi-billion dollar golden goose.

So…if you’re advocating better training, more officials, enhanced replay usage…I’m all ears.

If you’re looking to undermine the game we love with unfounded accusations, count me out.

Warner got his bell rung?

The one thing that drives me crazy is hearing people say we should trade Aaron Donald to create cap space. I don't care how much cap space he takes up, I want him to only play for the Rams, and retire as a Ram! When he decides to retire..... We retire his jersey number, and build a big statue of him outside of SoFi. It would break my heart to see him play for another team. I don't care if it's a business, we need to stay loyal to that man. DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT McSnead!!!

Let’s see what ROD thinks… YOUR PICK for Superbowl 57:


What is YOUR prediction?

AFC Championship Game: Cincinnati and Kansas City Clash in High-Stakes Rematch​

So, which of these things are you most tired of?

• The Patrick Mahomes "Ankle Watch"
• "The Bengals have three offensive linemen out this week"
• Andy Reid drawing mustaches on his players in that insurance commercial

Well, one thing we should never get tired of is another Cincinnati-Kansas City playoff game to decide who goes to the Super Bowl. These two have cultivated a helluva rivalry over the last few years that has defined the AFC. Once again, it all culminates at Arrowhead Stadium this Sunday.

The Bengals are here after overcoming a very pedestrian 4-4 start by winning their next 10 games, including a dominant 27-10 rout in the snow at Buffalo last week. Joe Burrow might be the only person who found that to be a very surprising outcome as Cincy scored two touchdowns early on and essentially spent the rest of the game making snow angels and putting the kibosh on the dreams of Josh Allen and his Bills.

As for the Chiefs, remarkably this will be their fifth straight home AFC Championship Game, an incredible achievement in this day and age. But the Chiefs labored their way past Jacksonville, escaping with a seven-point win. All the while they watched as franchise QB Patrick Mahomes got his ankle rolled up on and backup Chad Henne had to come in for a series (albeit a 98-yard touchdown drive) before Mahomes was able to come back and hobble his way to a win. But again, I'm sure you all saw that drama play out.

AFC Championship Game: Cincinnati (12-4) at Kansas City (14-3)

Kickoff: Sunday, Jan. 29 at 6:30 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Live Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
Spread: Chiefs -1
Tickets: As low as $271 on SITickets.com*

Three Things to Watch

1. OK, let's go there. The Bengals O-line vs. the Chiefs' pass rush

Only ex-Viking Wade Wilson had suffered more postseason sacks through his first five postseason games (25) than Joe Burrow had (23), so this Bengal offensive line has a history of poor play. But as Tony Romo said during the broadcast, they "imposed their will" on the Bills in pass protection and in the running game. Cincy pounded them for 175 rushing yards… in the SNOW! They also allowed only one sack and three hits on Burrow. Wow. So can the Chiefs dent this front wall and actually halt the run game? Or turn "Joe Cool" into Joe Fool? Chris Jones is the obvious stud here, leading the Chiefs with 15.5 sacks this season. But the Chiefs are not second in the NFL in sacks due to one guy. Look for rookie George Karlaftis, Khalen Saunders, and Frank Clark to amp up the pressure too. And before we fawn all over the Bengals' revamped O-line, remember that the Ravens put on a ton of pressure (including four sacks) against the Bengals the week before. Can't wait to see how this matchup turns out.

2. The supporting actors

Now that we are in awards season, it's time to spotlight some of the players who may not win the Oscar but will play a bigger part in this week's game. First off, let's go back to Joe Mixon for the Bengals. He only rushed for 100 yards in one game this season until last week. But man alive, he went off in the snow at Buffalo, going over the river and through the hills for 105 yards on 20 carries. He and Samaje Perine could be leaned on a bit more in this one.

Also watch for tight end Hayden Hurst, who could be hobbled with a calf injury, but if he's 100 percent, he'll be another big target for Burrow, who connected with him five times for 59 yards and a touchdown last week.

On the other side, Chiefs rookie running back Isaih Pacheco is an explosive runner and has the piston-popping legs to allow KC to emphasize the running game this week. Obviously, a good running game will take some pressure off their injured QB, and most importantly, Pacheco having a good ground day will keep the ball out of Joe Burrow's hands too. Oh, and an interesting side note: the Chiefs are 10-1 this year in games where they have run for 100-plus yards. So this is a no-brainer.

3. Lou Anarumo's defense

This dude wrote the blueprint on how to stop (or slow down) Patrick Mahomes. I'm sure you all recall the Chiefs taking a 21-3 lead on the Bengals in last year's AFC Championship Game, only to see Mahomes and Co. get shut down the rest of the game while the Bengal offense charged back for a three-point win in overtime. After halftime, Mahomes was just 8-of-18 for 55 yards in the second half with two interceptions and four sacks. It was the worst second half of Mahomes' NFL career. Ney, his entire life. You can thank Anarumo, the Bengals' defensive coordinator, for that one. Mahomes may not scramble and improvise much this week, but we also must note that from passes thrown while in the pocket, he still ranked first in the NFL in QBR and in 20-plus yard throws. And if they blitz him, remember that Mahomes went 7-of-10, including a touchdown and a 122.9 passer rating when the Jaguars blitzed him last week.

Final Analysis

Before we wrap this preview up, one thing to keep in mind that wasn't listed above is to watch how this game gets going from early on. In their last five first quarters, the Black and Orange have outscored their opponents by a healthy 46-0. On top of that, their defense has an even more impressive stat in that they have not allowed a single touchdown in the first quarter of their last 12 games. THAT's what you call getting off to a good start, people.

As mentioned, the Bengals are kryptonite for Patrick Mahomes, having beaten him three straight times. That's why the biggest factor of all is the level of confidence that the Bengals are playing at. They beat the Chiefs in Arrowhead in last season's AFC Championship Game, 27-24 (in overtime). And they beat the Chiefs this year at home in Week 13, 27-24.

I just think this is the Bengals' time... again.

Prediction: Bengals 27, Chiefs 24

NFC Championship Game: San Francisco and Philadelphia Battle for a Spot in the Super Bowl​

The San Francisco 49ers lost not one, but two starting quarterbacks throughout the course of the 2022 NFL season. The Philadelphia Eagles found themselves floundering at the end of the year, losing their own starting quarterback to an injury and finishing 1-2 while critics wondered if they'd flame out as another top seed who failed to make the NFC Championship Game.

They thought wrong.

Both teams, the cream of the crop in the NFC all season, come into this Championship Sunday at the top of their games. The Eagles mauled the New York Giants in their divisional playoff matchup, 38-7, never flinching from the opening kickoff. Jalen Hurts, coming off a shoulder injury, played mistake-free football and looked every bit as healthy as he did a month earlier.

Now, San Francisco comes to town riding a 12-game winning streak built on exceptional defense and the success of their third starting QB, Brock Purdy. A 19-12 win over Dallas last weekend in the Divisional Round was built off the NFL's top-ranked defense, the 49ers forcing the Cowboys into two interceptions and just 76 yards on the ground.

Bright young coaching defines these two teams, second-year Eagles head man Nick Sirianni searching for his first Super Bowl appearance against the 49ers' Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan has had his heart broken twice in the big game, losing as the 49ers' head coach to Kansas City three years ago while serving as the Falcons' offensive coordinator during Tom Brady's infamous Super Bowl comeback in 2017.

His offensive scheme, like Sirianni's, has put the team on the precipice of getting there.

"It fits like a puzzle when it's right," 49ers' run game coordinator/offensive line coach Chris Foerster said during these playoffs. "It all ties together. It's a cool process."

For Sirianni, his coaching style has become the embodiment of Philadelphia, revered in this city less than two years after Super Bowl-winning coach Doug Pederson left it. He earns accolades for his fiery sideline support of his team, whether it's going after the refs or openly defending defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon to criticism from a local radio station. (Keep in mind he did that after the Divisional Round win, passion mixed in with celebration.)

Both San Francisco and Philadelphia have the talent to win the Super Bowl. But just one will get a chance to play in it.

Who will it be?

NFC Championship Game: San Francisco (13-4) at Philadelphia (14-3)

Kickoff: Sunday, Jan. 29 at 3 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Live Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
Spread: Eagles -2.5
Tickets: As low as $645 on SITickets.com*

Three Things to Watch

1. Can Brock Purdy keep it going?

A dominant game from the 49ers' defense last week against the Cowboys covered up an average game by Purdy. Yes, when it mattered, the 2022 NFL Draft's Mr. Irrelevant made all the right throws, including two big ones to George Kittle in the fourth quarter that helped eat up some clock. But Purdy's line was pedestrian by his standards: 19-for-29 for 214 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. It was the first time he didn't throw for a score as the starter while his passer rating (87.4) was his career low for a full game played.

Can the Eagles shut Purdy down? They're hoping prized cornerback Avonte Maddox makes his return Sunday after missing three games with a toe injury. A unit that had 17 interceptions during the regular season, trailing only San Francisco in the NFC, managed just one in last weekend's win over the Giants in his absence. The defense plans to change that Sunday by getting aggressive, knowing history is on their side: no rookie quarterback has ever started a Super Bowl game.

The Eagles themselves have a little inside knowledge of what damage Purdy can do. When Jalen Hurts was at Oklahoma, he and Purdy engaged in a phenomenal back-and-forth affair. In November 2019, Hurts' Sooners jumped out to a 42-21 lead before Purdy led his Iowa State Cyclones roaring back during the fourth quarter. A failed two-point conversion in the final minute left them just short, 42-41, with Oklahoma forced to breathe a sigh of relief.

"I have a lot of respect for him," Hurts said of Purdy. "He's always been a really good player, has a lot of moxie. He makes plays. And he's been doing that since college, so there's no surprise when he was given this opportunity, to see the success he's having now."

The Eagles were successful last week against Daniel Jones by limiting his time to throw and getting through their offensive line; their five sacks are the most by any team this NFL postseason except Miami. It's one area they had a leg up on the 49ers' defense this season, and putting pressure on Purdy is crucial considering that offense has so many speedy weapons, from running back Christian McCaffrey to Kittle to wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

Ultimately, this defense will be the toughest Purdy has faced all season. Can he stand up to the pressure and make history?

2. Philadelphia offense vs. 49ers' defense

The Eagles' offense was exceptional last week in every phase of the game. They piled up 268 yards rushing, the second-highest total in the team's postseason history, with change-of-pace back Kenneth Gainwell leading the charge. His 112 rushing yards eclipsed even Eagles featured back Miles Sanders (90 yards) and Hurts as this team showed their speed will be unlike any the 49ers have faced this season.

But the 49ers' run defense won't back down. Allowing an NFL-best 77.1 yards a game this season, they limited the Cowboys to just those 76 yards on the ground, a team that was completely ineffective after running back Tony Pollard got hurt midway through. They know what a key it is to stop this Eagles ground game.

"When you take away the run game and you don't have to be too risky in your coverages," head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the Cowboys win, "It makes it hard to get explosives."

By explosives, Shanahan could refer to the Eagles' speedy outside receivers in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Burning offenses with deep passes all season, those throws become impossible if Hurts doesn't have the time (don't forget about Nick Bosa and his league-leading 18.5 sacks) and Sanders gets stuffed at the line of scrimmage. It's simple as that.

3. Taking care of the football

Both these teams excel at causing takeaways. San Francisco ended the regular season with an NFL-best plus-13 turnover margin, and their 30 takeaways ranked second in the NFL. Philadelphia slotted in right behind, posting a plus-eight turnover margin (third) and 27 takeaways which ranked tied for fourth in the league.

In these playoff games, all it takes is just one mistake to change the momentum. During the Giants game, the Eagles' defense picked off Jones in their second possession, then drove the ball down the field and made it 14-0. With the Giants on the road, you could see the air let out of the balloon after that.

On the 49ers' side, it was a Dak Prescott interception just before halftime that tilted the momentum when the Cowboys were about to make it 13-6. Instead, the resulting drive for a field goal left the 49ers up 9-6 at halftime; they never gave up the lead the rest of the game.

A week earlier, playing Seattle, the game turned on a strip sack and fumble deep in 49ers territory where Geno Smith was poised to give the Seahawks the lead. From that point on, the 49ers outscored Seattle 18-6 and cruised to an easy win.

For the Eagles, the path to victory couldn't be clearer. A team that takes care of the football has seen nine of their 19 turnovers occur during their three losses. San Francisco had just 17 giveaways total, the third fewest in the NFL, and have coughed up the ball just six times during their 12-game winning streak. That's an exceptional run of 0.5 turnovers per game.

Which defense will wind up causing a fateful mistake?

Final Analysis

Despite two incredible defenses, I do expect the offenses to take center stage as we enter the fourth quarter and stamina takes over. The question is: if we get into a shootout, will Purdy be able to keep up with Hurts down the stretch?

Considering it's the potential NFL MVP, you have to put your money on Hurts to come through. But Purdy has proven the doubters wrong, each and every time in the past two months. A victory would give him the keys to the starting role in San Francisco long-term.

I'll go with the Eagles in a squeaker. But it's one of the most evenly-matched NFC Championship Games we've seen in years.

Prediction: Philadelphia 27, San Francisco 24

Matt Skura, Oday Aboushi and Ty Nsekhe stepped up when called into action​

With injuries continuing to mount along the offensive line, the Rams turned to a trio of veterans to plug those vacated holes.

In stepped ninth-year pro Oday Aboushi and sixth-year pro Matt Skura, both of whom had been signed to the practice squad at the beginning of the season, at guard. Then came eighth-year pro Ty Nsekhe, a mid-season practice squad signee, at left tackle.

Collectively, they not only provided much-needed depth, but eventually stability to an offensive line that lost starters at every position but right tackle to injury.

However, all three are also scheduled to become free agents when the new league year begins on March 15.
So, what are the options for the Rams and Aboushi, Skura and Nsekhe?

The Rams could re-sign one, two or all three of them. Bringing back any of them would provide veteran depth Los Angeles hasn't had on the offensive line in some time. Skura offers positional flexibility, with experience at center and both guard spots throughout his career. Aboushi played guard for the Rams, but also has tackle experience from previous stops in his career.

If the Rams don't re-sign any of them, they could pivot to retaining Chandler Brewer – who played well at guard when healthy last season – as a replacement option. Brewer is scheduled to become a restricted free agent. Another internal option could include Logan Bruss, who missed his rookie season with a torn ACL sustained in the preseason.

Like any other position, L.A. could also explore free agent or the draft for external replacements.

In 2021 the Rams broke the NFL when they traded two 1st’s and Goff for Matt Stafford. The move worked beautifully as the Rams won the 2021-2022 Superbowl.

In 2022 the Broncos made their version of “the Stafford trade” sending two 1st’s and two 2nd’s for Wussell Wilson.

This year… Aaron Rodgers and Lamar Jackson are rumored to be available for multiple 1st rounders +.

Does either of them get traded? Would you do it?

Stafford worked.

Wilson, so far, hasn’t worked out.

What do you think? Do we see a Stafford-like trade this year?

We like to think that we, as fans, can generally explain things that happen on the field. Even in the case of apparent anomalies, we can generally glean enough information to postulate why players succeed or fail.

In the case of Cam Akers’ 2022 campaign, however, I have to admit… I’m somewhat stumped.

Let’s review…

Cam, though almost certainly less than 100%, was sufficiently recovered from his torn Achilles to play in the 2021-22 playoffs. And, while he was not overly effective, he had his moments, particularly against Arizona, when he had 95 yards from scrimmage, including a big 40 yard reception on a throw from OBJ.

With several additional months to complete his recovery, we had high hopes for Cam in 2022. Instead, his first half of the season could only be described as a nightmare. His numbers were poor: 60 carries (8.6 per game) for 186 yards (26.6 per game), a 3.1 ypc, 1 TD and 2 receptions for 3 yards. To make matters worse, he was supplanted by Darrell Henderson as the primary ball carrier, benched, and nearly traded (apparently, nobody wanted him).

Was it a lingering issue with his Achilles? Pouting about playing time? A side-effect of the OL disaster? Some other off-field issue? All of the above?

I would have just filed it in the “oh well” file and assumed he’d be gone this offseason.

Then, unexpectedly and inexplicably… everything changed.

In the final eight games, Cam had 126 carries (15.8 per game) for 610 yards (76.3 per game), a 4.8 ypc, 6 TDs and 11 receptions for 99 yards. He finished particularly strong, with three consecutive 100+ yard games.

To put that in perspective, if you project his rushing totals to a full season, that’s 1,296 yards, which would have ranked 5th in the NFL this year.

So… will the real Cam Akers please stand up?

The mystery continues. Can the Rams count on Akers to continue his late season production and focus on bolstering other parts of the roster, or is RB still a need position?

My gut is… we can’t trust him entirely, and we need another RB to compete. I say that, however, with no real understanding of, or explanation for, Cam’s 2022 season.

It remains a mystery.

I like it. Bring McVay more running game knowledge!

Who's to blame for the Bills' playoff shortcomings?​

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Hours after the Buffalo Bills' blowout 27-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals ended the team’s season, Stefon Diggs was talking with fellow wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie and asked a simple question without a simple answer.

“How? Every year it’s the same thing. How? What do we need to do?” McKenzie recalled Diggs saying about the team's struggles in the playoffs.

“I don’t know, bro,” McKenzie replied. “What do you think is the problem?”

As the Bills look back and break down where things went wrong, falling short in the postseason -- after a 13-3 season in which the offense and defense ranked No. 2 in scoring -- makes the question that much harder to answer and the issue that much harder to get corrected.

The Bills' front office and coaching staff have work to do to figure out how the team can win when the stakes are highest.

In each of the past four seasons, the Bills have reached the playoffs. In the first year, 2019, a young Bills team lost in the wild-card round to the Houston Texans. In 2020, they took a big step forward but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. Last season, the Bills lost once again to the Chiefs, but in overtime of the divisional round after giving up a lead with 13 seconds left in regulation.

Then came Sunday's loss at Highmark Stadium that made the Bills the first Super Bowl favorites not to advance to a conference championship game since the 2015 Seattle Seahawks. A loss that, as McKenzie and Diggs discussed, leaves more questions than answers.

After an unprecedented season that took a significant emotional toll from start to finish, the storybook ending never came. What went wrong?

Lack of offensive support

Against the Bengals, the Bills looked unprepared and outmatched. That falls on coach Sean McDermott, who on Monday said, “I'm a big believer in you are who you are in the last game of the season, in terms of what you saw on the field. And that's what you have to address.”

The offense was limited to a season-low 10 points, and quarterback Josh Allen did not throw a touchdown pass for only the second time this season.

The inability to score was not representative of season-long problems, but the Bengals limited Allen’s ability to connect with his receivers and use his legs. The quarterback was sacked only once but hit 15 times (tied for Allen's fourth most this season). During the regular season, Allen was the third-most-hit player in the league (209).

It's a byproduct of Allen's physical style of play. But general manager Brandon Beane addressed the punishment Allen takes in his end-of-season news conference for the second straight year.

“[Allen] gets out there, and he thinks he’s a linebacker sometimes,” Beane said when asked what the Bills can do to limit his hits. “... I think this year there was some times and some games where he felt for whatever reason, maybe we weren’t rolling the way we wanted to in the passing game and he was like, I’m going to put it in my hands, and he trusts himself. ... He’s got to trust our playmakers and then our playmakers have to make plays.”

The team's overreliance on Allen to put the team on his back and save the day is partly due to its inability to run the ball consistently. While there was improvement during the second half of the season -- finishing the season second in yards per rush by running backs (4.9) -- Allen was still the team’s leading rusher against the Bengals (eight carries for 26 yards). The team’s running backs combined on 11 carries for 37 yards. Allen finished the year as the team’s rushing touchdowns leader (seven).

The passing game couldn't get on track against the Bengals, either.

Allen connected with Diggs, the Bills' No. 1 receiver, on just four of 11 targets, a season-low catch percentage (36%). A hot start for Diggs, in what was on pace to be a career year, ended on a flat note with two 100-yard receiving performances in the last nine games of the year. When defenses took Diggs out of the game, the offense struggled to attack with other receivers.

Receiver Gabe Davis, who had just two catches for 34 yards in the Bengals loss, struggled all season to make the jump from No. 4 receiver (his role in 2021) to the No. 2. The Bills led the league in drops (34), and Davis led the team with nine of them.

Meanwhile, running back Nyheim Hines -- whom the Bills traded for right before the deadline -- had just one reception for 4 yards against the Bengals.

It was only his 13th offensive touch with the Bills despite the team's longstanding search for a back who could contribute as a receiver.

“That's something that our offense looked at, and sometimes it takes time to learn the playbook,” McDermott said. “After that point, really, it's something that I felt we could have done a better job with right there and make him more involved in the passing game."

McDermott gets his share of the blame, getting too conservative at times with his decision-making against the Bengals. He elected to punt on fourth-and-10 from the Bengals' 41-yard line with less than a minute remaining in the second quarter and on fourth-and-2 from the Bills' 20-yard line at the end of the third quarter despite being down 14 points.

His first-year offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey went through some growing pains too, making some questionable playcalls throughout the season. While the offense had good moments, it too often felt out of sync.

“There’s a first year for everyone. And I thought Dorsey really did some good things, and there's some things that he can learn from as well,” McDermott said. “And I know this -- when you're committed to a cause, and you work hard at things, and you put the team first, that you learn from experiences. And so, like all of us, we have to learn from the experience.”

Defensive line inconsistency

The Bills had what seemed like an advantage against the Bengals: Cincinnati's offensive line was missing three starters. But the Bills' defense struggled to pressure Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who was hit seven times but got the ball out quickly and efficiently, leading the offense to 30 first downs, the exact same number the Bills gave up in the playoffs vs. the Chiefs last year. Buffalo has allowed 30 or more first downs in a game only nine times since 2000.

The Bills' defense was plagued by injuries all season -- especially with the loss of pass-rusher Von Miller, who was brought in to be a difference-maker in big games. The Bills' inability to consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks was a major problem. The Bills finished the season in a four-way tie for 14th in sacks with 40. But their pressure fell off after losing Miller to an ACL injury in his right knee. With Miller, the Bills were averaging 10 quarterback hits per game. Without him, it was just 8.2.

The team has invested extensively in the defensive line, with multiple first- and second-round picks over the past four years, but the Day 2 picks have fallen short with defensive ends AJ Epenesa (16 tackles in 15 games) and Boogie Basham (2.0 sacks) not taking enough steps forward. Beane also said that they expect 2019 first-round pick Ed Oliver to "find a little bit more" going into his fifth-year option season.

“I thought we were probably more inconsistent than I would have liked to have seen this year, particularly after Von went down,” McDermott said. “I thought each one of those guys had their games where they played well, just overall as a group, I felt like we were a little bit too inconsistent.”

Going the free agent route to get help is about to get much harder. Allen’s cap hit is going to rise from $16.4 million in 2022 to $39.8 million in 2023. That will affect what the Bills can do.

Unlike last year, when the front office made a splash by signing Miller, it will have the difficult task of trying to add to the roster while working to be cap-compliant. The biggest free agent decisions to impact the roster will come with safety Jordan Poyer and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.

“Von's that ticket for this year too because we still got to pay him,” Beane said. “And so, when we made that move, that was, 'All right, here's your big-ticket expense.'”

Emotionally unprecedented year

Here is where statistics are thrown out the window.

The Buffalo community dealt with far more than what happened on a football field over the past eight to nine months. In May 2022, a racially motivated mass shooting took place at a Tops grocery store in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo, killing 10. Historic blizzards hit the city of Buffalo, killing at least 47 in Erie and Niagara counties, with downtown Buffalo hit especially hard.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of a team that has had to deal with so much on and off the football field, whether it’s injuries or natural disasters, weather -- I’ve never been a part of a team that had to deal with so much, and we handled that," Miller said.

The Bills also dealt with safety Damar Hamlin nearly dying on the field after suffering cardiac arrest during the middle of the first quarter of the Bills-Bengals regular-season game, with Hamlin's condition uncertain for multiple days. Fortunately, his recovery continues to progress.

"I feel honored and I feel privileged to be associated with the Buffalo Bills," Miller added. "From the Damar Hamlin situation, the way that the training staff and everybody reacted, and the way my teammates were able to push through that, and the Tops shooting and to see everybody’s heart and mind go to the community."

Guard Rodger Saffold said the tumultuous season took a toll.

"This was a tough season, it was a lot of adversity. I mean, it was emotionally draining for obvious reasons, you guys all saw that," he said. "... I just kind of feel like we were tired. You know, guys were exhausted during the week and our coaches did the best they could to try to modify the week to get us back to snuff. But it was just uncharacteristic things that were kind of happening. So I have to kind of put that into a factor, not as an excuse. Just, you know, this team has been fighting for so long and fighting through all this adversity, you run out of gas at some point."

Safety Micah Hyde also said the team just ran out of gas, and the tired feeling was prevalent throughout the locker room cleanout day. There was no guideline for dealing with so many difficult events so quickly. Minding everyone's mental health is something that has been openly discussed at One Bills Drive over the past month. But despite the traumatic final month and disappointing ending to the season, McDermott was proud of his team.

“I think just the resilient nature of our team, winning 13 games in the regular season,” McDermott said on what will stick out from the season. “I think that says a lot about our players, that says a lot about our coaches."

Riley Dixon enjoyed career season with Rams | Free Agent Spotlight​

After moving on from longtime punter Johnny Hekker following the 2021 season, the Rams turned to another veteran in Riley Dixon as his replacement.

Dixon, in turn, gave Los Angeles a career-best season, averaging a career-high 48.4 yards per punt, also landing landing 19 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

Now, after playing on a one-year deal last season, Dixon is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins March 15.

So, what's next for Dixon and the Rams?

L.A. could choose to re-sign Dixon. Beyond his career year in terms of yards-per-punt average – which was also second-highest in a single season in franchise history – he also did well as the primary holder on field goals for kicker Matt Gay, who made at least 93.3 percent of his field goals for the second-straight season.

If the Rams don't re-sign Dixon, they would likely go the route of free agency or the draft to find his replacement. They did have Brock Miller on their practice squad late in the 2022 season, but Miller was re-signed by the USFL's New Jersey Generals on Tuesday after playing for them last spring.

Matt Gay brought stability and consistency to special teams | Free Agent Spotlight​

In 2020, Matt Gay had been on the Colts practice squad after being unexpectedly cut by the Buccaneers – the team that drafted him in 2019 – and the Rams were looking for an answer at kicker.

When Los Angeles claimed him, it would find the consistent and reliable player they had been searching for since moving on from longtime starter Greg Zuerlein.

Across two and a half seasons with the Rams, Gay made 74 of 80 field goal attempts – including 12 of 15 from at least 50 yards and 17 of 19 from at least 40 yards – plus 95 of 97 extra point attempts. Now, after playing on his one-year restricted free agent tender signed last offseason, Gay is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins on March 15.

So, what are the options for Gay and the Rams?

Los Angeles could, of course, re-sign him. Last season alone, Gay made 28 of 30 field goal attempts, including a career-best 7 of 9 makes from 50-plus yards, and it marked the second-straight year his accuracy on such kicks was 93.3 percent or higher. Given how the aforementioned search for Zuerlein's replacement went during the preseason and regular season, the Rams are likely well aware of how difficult it can be to find that stability.

If Gay and the Rams go in different directions, the Rams would likely explore finding his replacement via free agency or the draft – or perhaps both, if they were to decide to hold another competition like they did in 2020.

Besides Direct TV ?
I am dumping them, been a customer since 1995 when the Rams left.

So obviously we made a few changes with the sportsbook this season.

We started off with a set maximum of winnings per wager and have increased it as the year went along.
In my eyes it has led to stiffer competition towards the end of the season (ends in March)


so looking for your opinions to start the next season

Saw this topic on twitter, so I thought I'd bring it here... My first choice would be Coach Norman Dale in Hoosiers, followed by Coach Herman Boone in Remember the Titans. The funniest would be Coach Lou Brown in Major League.

What are choices? I bet @den-the-coach picks Vermeil in Invincible!

Analyzing Every NFL Playoff Team, Projecting Their Futures​

Now that we’ve reached the final four of the NFL postseason, it’s a good time to take a look at all the teams that reached the playoffs.

These are my general takes on those clubs and what the future entails for each one:

NFC Conference Finalists

Philadelphia Eagles

They’re the most solid team in the NFC. They’re good on both sides of the ball. They have a young quarterback in Jalen Hurts, and they ask him to do quite a few things. Durability is always a question with quarterbacks who do a lot of running. I don’t know if the run-to-pass ratio in the NFC is greater than in the AFC because that’s the intent or because Dallas, San Francisco and Philadelphia had their quarterbacks injured at some point, so they were a little more conservative.

San Francisco 49ers

They’ve done a tremendous coaching job. They’re kind of like a chess game. They have chess pieces, including Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel, and they know how to use them. They integrate their quarterback, Brock Purdy, into the offense. They’re good on defense, and that’s why they’re in contention. The uncertainty about San Francisco is, do they have the answer at quarterback? Now, Purdy certainly looks like he’s capable up to this point. They used a lot of draft capital to acquire Trey Lance, but I haven’t seen anything from him that lets me know he’s the answer going forward.

Lost in NFC Divisional Round

Dallas Cowboys

I think they’re a good team. They don’t have the top, top-quality quarterback in Dak Prescott, but I do think he’s good enough to win with. I just think they have to put more pieces around him. They just have to be more reliant on the overall scheme. Their defense is pretty good, but their overall offensive scheme has to be more balanced. I also think they’re going to have to invest in some new running backs. Tony Pollard had a great year (career highs of 1,378 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns). I don’t know if he can hold up for too long physically, and he’s a free agent this offseason. I think Ezekiel Elliott is near the end.

New York Giants

I thought they had a great year. They have some decisions to make with their quarterback, Daniel Jones, and their running back, Saquon Barkley. They’ll try to hold onto those guys and build from there. But the one thing I’ll say about the Giants on the negative side is they haven’t beaten the heavyweights in their division. They lost to Dallas twice, and they lost to Philadelphia three times. So, they’ve got to get a better foothold in their own division if they want to expect improvement next year.

Lost in NFC Wild Card Round

Minnesota Vikings

They won a lot of games, but I don’t think the way they won this year is sustainable. I give them all the credit in the world. I give their team and their coaching staff credit. They had a lot of one-score games, but their defense is not going to allow them to continue to win. I don’t think they’ll win as many games next year as they did this year if they’re stuck with the same ratio offensively to defensively (-3 point differential despite a 13-4 regular-season record). They must absolutely improve their defense if they’re going to be a serious contender.

Seattle Seahawks

Another excellent coaching job was done here. They had a reclamation project at quarterback in Geno Smith. I don’t underestimate these guys. Looking at the NFC West, with Arizona uncertain, and the Rams not looking like they have enough players, I think Seattle could be a contender to start working up toward San Francisco with another good draft. I have confidence in the people who work in Seattle, both the coach (Pete Carroll) and the general manager (John Schneider), to recognize that.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I think they’re probably the worst off of all the playoff teams, and they could lose their quarterback, Tom Brady. They’re an older team, too. I think they’re in rebuild mode. They’ve got a lot to do to stay competitive next season.

AFC Conference Finalists

Kansas City Chiefs

They’re a good team that has been in contention for a long, long time. They’ve probably got one of the best two or three coaches in football in Andy Reid. They’re a little vulnerable on defense, especially if the right team comes along. And they might be facing the right team in the AFC Championship Game because Cincinnati has given them a little bit of a hard time, and they’re balanced enough to win.

The Chiefs obviously didn’t take a backward step without Tyreek Hill, but I think they will be looking for additional receiver help. Travis Kelce isn’t getting any younger. He’s been around for a while, and he’s a high producer, but I do think they’ll be looking for receiver help.

Cincinnati Bengals

Both the Chiefs and Bengals have outstanding quarterbacks in Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow. Without question, Burrow is an up-and-coming, potential giant of a quarterback in the league. He’s smooth, he won in college, and he obviously knows how to win in the NFL. He’s a good passer. And he’s got his guy, Ja’Marr Chase. They’ve been together for a long time, and it shows up. They can talk to each other without speaking.

Mahomes is careful with the ball, and he can run if he has to. He doesn’t do it all the time, but if he has to run, he can, which we saw against Buffalo. I love Joe Mixon. I think he could be the wild card in this playoff situation. He’s a terrific runner. He can run, block and catch, and he runs with his fangs out. I like their defense. They’ve probably got the best combination of a top head coach and top defensive coordinator in Zac Taylor and Lou Anarumo.

Lost in AFC Divisional Round

Buffalo Bills

I love their team. I think they need a lot of work on defense. However they, conceptually, need a different style of running game and maybe even different personnel in their running game if they’re going to improve. They need to improve their offensive line as well. I think Tampa Bay and Buffalo were similar teams. Each was a one-man show. Buffalo has a great receiver in Stefon Diggs. Tampa has a great receiver in Mike Evans. But it was too much on Brady, and it was too much on Josh Allen. You just can’t play solitaire in the NFL and expect to win.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars are up and coming. They have a good young quarterback in Trevor Lawrence. The thing that concerns me about Jacksonville is what I saw in the game against Kansas City: their inability to do something about Kelce. You just can’t let the top weapon on the other team do what he did in that game and not take some action, whether it be double coverage or zoning into him all the time. You just try to eliminate him from the game as best you can, but they just played their coverages, and Kelce’s too crafty for that.

Lost in AFC Wild Card Round

Baltimore Ravens

There’s a little uncertainty with this team. Obviously, they’re going to try to re-sign Lamar Jackson. They have a pretty solid defense, they run the ball reasonably well, and they have a very good tight end in Mark Andrews. My only question is if they re-sign Jackson, is he the same player with the same abilities that he had four or five years ago?

And they’re going to have to commit a lot of dollars to find out the answer. They might already feel like they know it. But with that style of quarterback, the tread gets off the tire pretty quickly when you’re asking him to do as much as they did in Baltimore.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers’ loss against Jacksonville was the most disappointing loss in the playoffs that I’ve seen in several years. When you have a 27-point lead, the clock is an asset, and you have to use it to help you win. The only way you can lose a game like that is if you help the other team beat you. And not using time as an asset is part of that help. All you have to do is make a couple of first downs each quarter, and their possession number is prohibitive because they need to score five touchdowns in six possessions to beat you.

I do think the Chargers’ future looks good. They have a young, up-and-coming quarterback in Justin Herbert. Their defense needs work, but I think it can improve. I like their running back, Austin Ekeler. He caught 107 passes, which is very unusual for a running back these days. I think they’ve got some assets, but that loss to the Jaguars makes you wonder.

Miami Dolphins

They had a good year. I’m not certain they have stability at the quarterback position. They seem to think they do. Tua Tagovailoa looks good from time to time, but he was hurt in college, and he’s been hurt a couple of times in the pros. I’m not sure they can rely on him.

Bill Parcells is a former NFL head coach and executive whose career in football spanned five decades. He won two Super Bowls as the coach of the New York Giants and a pair of NFL Coach of the Year Awards.

As told to Vic Carucci