Las Vegas vs. Los Angeles: Raiders Look to Stay Hot Against Reeling Rams on TNF​

Both the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams enter their "Thursday Night Football" matchup as two of the NFL’s big disappointments of 2022. But these struggling franchises, both of whom have spent most of the year under .500, are also heading in wildly different directions.

Things have gotten so bad for the Rams that they were willing to claim quarterback Baker Mayfield off waivers this week. Mayfield, 1-5 this year as a starter for the Carolina Panthers, was released after posting a passer rating of 74.4, ranked 33rd in the NFL among qualifying players (only the Jets’ Zach Wilson is worse). He was benched for good as a starter after the Carolina offense produced an average of 16.7 points, bottoming out in a 13-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens last month.

That still might be good enough for Mayfield to be the Rams’ starter in just a few days’ time. With Matthew Stafford on injured reserve, backup John Wolford is nursing a neck injury which leaves Bryce Perkins as the only other healthy option on the roster. It’s the latest blow to a team that has also lost All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp, resulting in an NFL-low 16.8 points per game on offense.

Whether Perkins or Mayfield take the helm, they’ll man a sinking 3-9 Rams ship producing one of the worst seasons by a defending Super Bowl champion in recent memory. At 5-7, the Raiders haven’t been much better but enter the final five weeks with momentum after a three-game win streak. In just that stretch alone, Raiders starter Derek Carr has more touchdown passes (seven) than Mayfield (six) produced over the entire 2022 season to date.

Need I say more? This mismatch on paper has resulted in a six-point spread the Raiders’ way, fairly high for a team who started the year losing seven of their first nine games. Can Las Vegas live up to those lofty expectations and lift itself back into the playoff race? Or can the Rams conjure some magic from someone to turn the tide of an otherwise catastrophic year?

Thursday Night Football: Las Vegas (5-7) at Los Angeles (3-9)

Kickoff: Thursday, Dec. 8 at 8:15 p.m. ET
Broadcast Outlet: Prime Video
Live Stream: fuboTV (only available in Los Angeles and Las Vegas
markets)
Spread: Raiders -6
Tickets: As low as $146 on SITickets.com*

Three Things to Watch

1. Davante Adams as Batman, Josh Jacobs as Robin

After a sluggish start with his new Raiders team, Adams has turned around and put the entire offense into overdrive, pairing with Jacobs to produce one of the most potent 1-2 punches in football.

Over the last five games alone, Adams has totaled four 100-yard receiving games, seven touchdowns and 41 catches. His 1,176 total yards now rank fourth in the NFL behind Tyreek Hill, Justin Jefferson and Stefon Diggs.

“The stats mean a lot to me in the sense that I’m holding up my end of the bargain,” Adams said after a win against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 13. “I’m doing what I’ve got to do… ultimately, I wanted to get the ball so I can put the team in position to win games.”

The passing game has gotten a major assist from Jacobs, who leads the NFL with 482 rushing yards during this three-game stretch. Just that total alone would be good enough for 16th in the AFC over the entire season. His 1,303 rushing yards overall lead the league while his 10 rushing touchdowns are tied for third, behind only the Lions’ Jamaal Williams and the Browns’ Nick Chubb.

It’s runs like this dramatic 86-yarder to beat the Seahawks two weeks ago in overtime that showcase how difficult Jacobs is to stop. And as this duo peaks, they’re running into a Rams defense that will likely be without top playmaker Aaron Donald (ankle) for the second straight game. It’s a unit that’s given up 26 points or more in four straight games, all losses, while allowing some of their opponents’ main offensive stars to put up the following numbers…

Seattle WR Tyler Lockett: 9 rec, 128 yards, TD

Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes: 27/42, 320 yards, TD, INT

New Orleans WR Chris Olave: 5 rec, 102 yards, TD

Arizona WR DeAndre Hopkins: 10 rec, 98 yards

Considering that pattern, it’s hard to believe L.A. is primed to stop either one of the Adams/Jacobs combination.

2. Can the Rams find a playmaker on offense?

Long before their quarterback drama, the Rams were having a problem finding anyone to complement the Matthew Stafford-Cooper Kupp connection on offense. Free-agent pickup Allen Robinson II never had more than 63 yards in any game and is now out for the year with a foot injury. Ben Skowronek started out promising but has just seven catches for 53 yards in his last five games.

The focus then turned to running back Cam Akers, who was benched earlier this season after a falling out with head coach Sean McVay. He led the scoring for this team in last week’s game against the Seahawks, rushing for 60 yards and two touchdowns.

The problem is, Akers isn’t really lighting the world on fire. His 3.3 yards per carry don’t rank inside the top 50 of NFL running backs this season. He hasn’t rushed for more than 100 yards in a game since December 2020 and now has defenses making him their primary focus.

That leaves Bryce Perkins or Baker Mayfield with limited options when they’re already handicapped under center. How is either one going to spark the offense?

3. Can the Rams make something happen on special teams?

There’s one hope for the Rams: they can turn the game into a defensive battle. Both punter Riley Dixon and kicker Matt Gay have been bright spots within a tough year. Dixon ranks inside the top 10 in both punting yards (49.4) and net average (43.6). His performance two weeks ago against the Chiefs included a muffed punt that was perhaps the lone highlight of a 26-10 disaster on the road.

Gay, meanwhile, has built upon his first-ever Pro Bowl selection last year. He has hit all but one of his field goals this season (18/19) along with all 21 of his extra points. Of course, for Gay to score… the Rams' offense has to actually march down the field into field goal range.

Enough said.

Final Analysis

It’s been a couple of weeks since an emotional speech from the Raiders’ Derek Carr that ended in tears, accusing some of his Raiders teammates of not being “all in” on the new regime led by head coach Josh McDaniels. Since then, they’re 3-0 and rolling with the type of rhythm people expected from this organization to start the year.

The Rams are like putting a little Micro Machines car in front of that bulldozer. It’s hard to see anything other than their team getting run right over.

Prediction: Raiders 34, Rams 10

I just took a look at their contract situation for next season.

I knew Trent Williams had signed a big deal but I didn't realize they had structured it so his cap number jumps $17m next year.

The same goes for Armstead, his cap hit jumps almost $15m

Then you get to Bosa and his jumps $7m and he's a UFA (32dn highest paid edge) so they will have to pay him more than the current top edge is getting, which is Myles Garrett on $25m averaged out.

Warner's increases by $10.5m

And CMC's by $11.5m.

Then Kittle rounds it out by jumping almost $4m

That is an additional $65m they have to find for just 6 players.

Then they have a QB they bet the farm on who they don't know has it or not and how to factor in potentially extending him at the end of next season if he plays well.

They could be utterly fucked!

Unless I am reading Under the Cap totally wrong, they haven't just gone all in, they have gone all in and thrown their house, car, wife, and dog onto the table too.

Dude was the face of boxing as a ref in the 80's and 90's. He was even a Claymation figure in Hollywood Death Match.

"Lets Get It On!"

That was quick. Here we go fellow Rammers, ... will our OL remain the same for week 14 as 13, can we actually build some chemistry here ? Will we see our new QB getting a few snaps ?
Guess the correct score & win $10,000 ROD dollars or be the closest to the exact score & win $5,000 Rod Dollars. All entries must be posted before the game begins. Good Luck !

Rams - 17

Raiders - 14

I will be putting together a confidence pool for this years playoffs.

It will be 10k to enter (place wager in sportsbook)

Participants will rank each team from 1 -14..with the higher ranking going to the team most likely to win the SB

Each playoff week you will get the amount of points based on your team rankings ( i.e.) if team you ranked an 8 gets the win over team you ranked 3, you get 8 points. If Team ranked 3 wins, you get 3 points)

each week will have 1 tiebreaker game and you pick the total points scored

After the Super Bowl, player with the most win totals will win. Ties will be broken by lowest point differential in tie breaker games

Prizes determined by amount of entrys

Winner- 60%

2nd place- 30%

3rd place- 10%

I have to admit, for the first time in my TOO MANY decades of watching every Rams game, I actually was slightly thankful we got to see another Raheem Meltdown and lose that game.

We aren't the best at using our draft picks, but even a broken clock is correct twice a day! So the higher up we pick for all those rounds, the better.

I don't feel great about it, and am using this forum to assuage my guilt.

Thanks.

Can we not turn this into a vent about the DC thread please

We're going to need a new RB coach.

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We lost a funny actor today. Reports are she dealt with cancer privately. RIP Miss Alley and thank you for the laughs

We are in the dead part of a lost season. Our Super Bowl winning QB is on IR and his injuries are concerning. After watching Perkins and Wolfy stink up the season, it makes you long to see the Stafford to Kupp connection from last year, again. Simply replacing Stafford with a warm body who can throw a little bit, isn't that easy to do with any success. Kurt Warner and Matthew Stafford have proven they had/have "IT". For me, "IT" is that rising to the moment, ability, on the biggest stage. Both proved it by winning a Super Bowl and no other Rams QB was able to do it. Both had help. Stafford had Kupp and Warner had Bruce, Holt and Faulk, but even so, the teams would have lost Super Bowl 34 and 56 without them. For these reasons, I have Warner and Stafford as number one and number two on my rankings. Those below them could be disputed in the order for which I placed them. I tried to place them in their prime. Everett may be a surprise for some, but I remember how much promise he had and the trades needed to land him on the team, well before the Phantom Sack and the "Chrissy" Everett moment with Jim Rome.

1. Kurt Warner
2. Matthew Stafford
3. Jim Everett
4. Roman Gabriel
5. Marc Bulger

The Rest
6. Vince Ferragamo
7. Jared Goff
8. Pat Haden

Sean McVay: Matthew Stafford not throwing in offseason affected 2022​

The Rams, at 3-9, are unofficially the worst defending Super Bowl champions in NFL history. It’s a title that includes something very good, but part of it is not good at all — especially with the next three games in non-flexed standalone windows.

There was no reason to believe the Rams would be this bad, based on the unbridled optimism of folks like coach Sean McVay. Now that the season has crashed and burned, McVay has become more willing to acknowledge the factors that contributed to the Rams winning 25 percent of their games, so far.

In a Monday press conference, McVay was asked whether quarterback Matthew Stafford not throwing in the 2022 offseason affected the team.

“I definitely think it had an impact because you talk about rapport, establishing a rapport, a rhythm, a comfort not only with, everybody wants to talk about he and Cooper [Kupp], but even just some of the newer pieces,” McVay said. “Yeah, otherwise I’d say, ‘Why the hell do we practice?’ I think it definitely had an impact without a doubt.”

That’s a far cry from the endless “everything is fine” vibe that McVay created during an offseason that saw no throwing by Stafford due to an elbow problem.

The decision to put Stafford on injured reserve, with the apparent expectation that he won’t play again this year, was motivated by a desire to ensure that Stafford won’t have a repeat of 2022.

“It’s more about having a healthy offseason,” McVay said within a longer answer as to Stafford’s current status.

It will also help that the Rams didn’t have the kind of year that resulted in the pilfering of the coaching staff by other teams. Asked whether the turnover in the coaching staff impacted the season, McVay gave a meandering answer that included multiple references to the limited downtime following a Super Bowl run, before he landed the plane.

“Ultimately to answer your original question, that is a factor,” McVay said. “I think the turnaround, the timing of it, but ultimately it falls on my leadership and for that I’ve learned and I will continue to learn from the mistakes and make sure we don’t repeat them.”

There are other factors, too. But the Rams likely won’t embrace those, at least not publicly. The invoice came due quickly on the all-in, “eff them picks” approach of the past couple of seasons. Yes, it delivered a championship. But there’s too much money invested in too few great players and not enough cheap, young, talented players to complement the stars and provide depth when they are injured.

With major, market-level contracts given to the likes of Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Jalen Ramsey, and Aaron Donald (three of whom got new deals after the Super Bowl win), cap dollars had to be sacrificed elsewhere. The backup quarterback is John Wolford, for crying out loud. The offensive line became a mess this year once the injuries began to happen. Not surprisingly, the offense fell apart.

Yes, they have a Lombardi Trophy. They have swanky new rings to help take their minds off of the current mess. (McVay’s new mega-deal likely helps, too.) But they’ll have plenty of work to do to get back to high-end contender status. Especially since one of the rewards of having such a bad season — a high first-round draft pick — will be going to Detroit as the last installment of the “eff them picks” trade that not only brought Stafford to town but also offloaded Jared Goff‘s horrendous second contract.

If I were Snead, and knowing how bold he can be, you have to know he sees the likelihood of Stafford retiring in January or sometime next year. I've been serious in my comments that Stafford is one hit away from ending his career. Understanding this I think Snead and McVay will have to have a very frank discussion about Matt's future. Stafford achieved all his goals when he came to LA. I don't really see him putting his wife through the anguish he felt when she was sick. I think the likelihood of Stafford's retirement next month is high.

Snead understands he must consider not just Stafford but McVay's future as well. I meant it when I said last year that I don't think McVay is cut out for developing rookie QBs as a head coach. He's too impatient and inflexible. Snead is not going to lose both his starting QB and his HC tool.

I think Snead will make a very bold move. I think he will target a young established QB who is a scheme fit for McVay's passing offense. I think he will approach Telesco and Spanos about trading for Justin Herbert. The Chargers are basically one loss away from not making the playoffs. Spanos is under a lot of financial pressure and already the rumblings of discontent among the fanbase is beginning to show. Both Telesco and Spanos felt that drafting Herbert and signing Staley was punching their Super Bowl ticket.

The Chargers are looking at having to exercise Herbert's 5th year option next year. That is $43M per year they don't have. Dean is going to look at the bump in attendance when they drafted Herbert. So along comes Snead offering 3 first round picks, and second and third picks this year. Telesco has learned a hard lesson. It doesn't matter if you have a superstar QB if you have holes all over the team and no depth. With those picks, this year and two first round picks the following 3 years Telesco can fast track his team building including getting another QB. Spanos will just see how he avoids paying his QB $43 M per year.

The Rams will get a young Stafford with the arm talent and smarts to run McVay's offense immediately. Herbert gets out of a bad situation with the Chargers and moves to a true championship-caliber organization where he can play the rest of his career. Also if the Chargers don't make the playoffs I think they fire Staley. If they do the Rams need to fire Morris and hire Staley immediately. With Herbert and Staley, this will be a true Super Bowl contender.

Also, as much as anything having a QB like Herbert will ensure McVay stays for years.

This is the perfect time to share a pet peeve of mine since a) I'm not a Wolford fan, and b) it didn't impact Rams chances of making playoffs.

Here it is: How can the helmet to the face of Wolford not get called (or even mentioned by the announcers), while the "potentially flagrant" call in the secondary against the Rams gets penalized and discussed ad nauseum?

The league is supposed to watch out for QBs, yet refs and broadcast crew ignored the hit on Wolford. While the penalty against the Rams was only caused because the receiver bobbled the ball and dipped his head before contact. When the defender made the tackle, he was aiming for the dude's torso...

How can we possibly have a 10 minute discussion about whether this "obvious" penalty should be flagrant or not and whether there will be a fine? While the backup QB playing a position the league has gone out of its way to protect (and in for the billion dollar QB who is out due to concussion and spine issues) not only doesn't get a penalty, but nobody on the broadcast even points it out???

I continue to be baffled by shit like this.

I was impressed with the fight in this undermanned Ram team. It was good to see, even made me proud.

Maybe Wolford understands McVay’s O, but he simply can’t execute it fully with that weak arm. His noodle arm and inaccuracy were embarrassingly exposed for all to see.

Sadly, Perkins could have done no better. Rams simply lack even a decent NFL caliber backup QB. It’s a corner that Snead/McVay painted themselves into years ago and now they’re trapped.

I saw a few plays by promising youngsters that made me smile. Atwell, Hoecht, Durant, Yeast, Bobby Brown III, and Trammel, for example. More please.

I have to wonder why it took Rams coaches so long to give Atwell, Hoecht, Durant, and Yeast so long to show what they can do. It’s not as if the players ahead of them were playing well. Brandon Powell certainly shined, too.

It was a joy to watch Bobby Wagner in this game. What a warrior.

Yeah, missing AD is not a good thing. Lol.

I’m so done with Morris. Hope some team is foolish enough to offer him a HC gig.

I’m underwhelmed by several of our Ram asst positional coaches, too. Results, baby. Hope McVay feels the same way.

I remain confident that if Snead/McVay can pull off 6 shrewd FA/draft moves so that Rams will be back in SB conversation.

Gonna be some new faces in Rams secondary next year, no doubt. Hopefully, one or 2 that can be starters. Upgrades at CB and Safety needed desperately.

1. This week, I’m going to ask the question that I think is the key to evaluating this season…

2. Is this a bad team, or a good team decimated by injuries?

3. SPOILER ALERT: I think it’s the latter.

4. Here’s the key to my analysis: I believe all of our injured players will be back.

5. Franchise QB? Check. Matthew Stafford will be back next year, probably healthier than he was this season, and he has demonstrated his ability to win when it counts.

6. Weapons? Check. Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson, Van Jefferson and Tyler Higbee are certainly more than adequate for a QB with time.

7. Defensive difference-makers? Check. Aaron Donald, Bobby Wagner, Leonard Floyd (sometimes) and Jalen Ramsey (when locked in).

8. I also see some supporting cast players who can be key, including Rob Havenstein, Greg Gaines, Ernest Jones and Nick Scott.

9. If there’s one benefit of this wind-down period it’s the opportunity for some young players to get some needed reps.

10. On offense, Cam Akers will make or break his future in the next few weeks, and Kyren Williams and Tutu Atwell will get try-outs for roles in 2023.

11. On defense, we’ll test our depth on the DL and in the defensive backfield, and hopefully find some keepers.

12. Are there holes in the roster? No doubt. The OL, in particular. But I think we can make some serious dents in those areas in FA and the draft.

13. So, yes, I do think this is a good team that will turn things around quickly in 2023.

14. As for yesterday… ugh. The real disappointment was seeing the defense again allow a game winning TD in the final minute.

15. Atwell, though, is finally starting to show something. He would have had even more of an impact if John Wolford could throw the ball more than 25 yards.

16. Wagner really deserved a better outcome. He really played his heart out against his old team.

17. Cobie Durant, back healthy, made a couple of nice plays. He’s a guy I’d like to see developed.

18. On the flip side, David Long’s time with the Rams should end with his contract this offseason.

19. Two weeks until I go to Lambeau. Already buying warm clothes.

20. So, there you have it… still hopeful for the future. Seriously… what’s the alternative?

FMIA Week 13: Brock Purdy Gets the Save and the Starting Job; Burrow Still Owns Mahomes and the Chiefs​

SANTA CLARA, Calif.—Midway through the second quarter, while one of the most intense games of his six-year reign as 49ers coach was playing out on the Levi’s Stadium turf in front of him, coach Kyle Shanahan felt someone at his side, wanting to talk. It was head athletic trainer Dustin Little, waiting for a break in the action to brief Shanahan about starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Garoppolo has a break in his foot, Little said.

“How long’s he out for?” Shanahan said.

“It’s probably six months, at least,” Little told Shanahan. “It’ll be the whole season.”

The rest:

New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: NFC South Rivals Meet on MNF​

Week 13 of the NFL season ends with a game between a pair of teams with a losing record, but it's still a critical "Monday Night Football" matchup between the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Even though New Orleans (4-8) currently falls 14th in the NFC standings (due to tiebreakers), the Saints are still very much alive when it comes to playoffs because Tampa leads the NFC South with a 5-6 record. The Buccaneers defeated the Saints 20-10 back in Week 2, so this is pretty much a must-win situation for Dennis Allen's team.

It doesn't help that New Orleans is trying to bounce back from a 13-0 loss out on the West Coast to San Francisco. The Saints were shut out for the first time since their regular-season finale during the 2001 season, as the offense couldn't get anything going against the 49ers' top-ranked defense. That wasted another solid effort by New Orleans' defense.

Tampa Bay also came up short on the road last week, falling 23-17 in overtime at Cleveland. The Buccaneers led 17-10 with a little more than seven minutes left in the third quarter but didn't score again, punting on their next four possessions before the clock expired on the final one of regulation right after the Browns tied the game on a touchdown with 32 seconds remaining. Tampa had the ball twice in overtime but managed just 34 total yards as Cleveland put together a drive in the waning seconds and Nick Chubb sealed the victory with a three-yard touchdown.

New Orleans leads the head-to-head series 39-23, but Tampa Bay's home win in Week 2 snapped the Saints' streak of eight straight wins in the regular season. Now the Buccaneers aim for their first home win over the division rivals since Week 17 of the 2017 season. Current Saints backup quarterback Jameis Winston led Tampa to that win, beating Drew Brees and Co. 31-24, despite throwing three interceptions.

Monday Night Football: New Orleans (4-8) at Tampa Bay (5-6)

Kickoff: Monday, Dec. 5 at 8:15 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
Spread: Buccaneers -3.5
Tickets: As low as $92 on SITickets.com*

Three Things to Watch

1. Can the Saints pressure Tom Brady?

Brady may not be having an MVP-caliber season to this point, but he can't blame this offensive line for that. Tampa Bay has allowed just 17 sacks (all of Brady), the second fewest of any team in the NFL. Opponents have sacked Brady only on 3.5 percent of his pass attempts, the lowest rate in the league. Brady is certainly known for getting rid of the ball quickly, but given the Buccaneers' struggles running the ball (last in the league at 73 rushing yards per game), and the fact that the team had to reshuffle its line this offseason due to some key departures, that makes their pass protection success look even more impressive. However, the line will be tested in the weeks ahead with starting right tackle Tristan Wirfs expected to miss several games after suffering an ankle injury during overtime last week.

On the other side, New Orleans' defensive struggles cannot be blamed on a lack of a pass rush. The Saints have 33 sacks, which places them among the top 10 in the league. They have done this despite blitzing only 17.8 percent of the time on passing attempts, the ninth-lowest rate. In the first meeting in Week 2, New Orleans only sacked Brady once but did a good job of not letting him get too comfortable in the pocket, as he went just 18-of-34 for 190 yards and a touchdown. He didn't throw an interception, but he did lose a fumble. The Saints will try to apply even more pressure on Monday night against what will be a shorthanded Tampa line.

2. Will the Buccaneers be able to run the ball effectively?

As mentioned earlier, Tampa Bay has not been able to run the ball with any consistency. Besides averaging the fewest rushing yards per game of any team in the NFL, the Buccaneers also have just four rushing touchdowns all season. Seventeen different players have more than that themselves, including New Orleans' Taysom Hill (five).

Tampa has tried several different options to cobble together some sort of a running game, but most of the work has been handled by Leonard Fournette and Rachaad White. Fournette leads the way with 462 rushing yards and three of the four touchdowns on the ground, but he missed last week's game because of a hip injury. He's been a full practice participant, so there's a good chance he'll be back on Monday night. Fournette ran for 65 yards on 24 carries in the teams' first meeting as the Bucs totaled just 72 yards on the ground (2.7 ypc). White is next with 286 yards and the other rushing touchdown, but he's had more success as a receiver (29 rec., 6.2 ypr) than a runner (74 att., 3.9 ypc) thus far. Brady is the only other player on the roster who has logged double-digit carries, although his lack of mobility is no secret.

New Orleans' efforts against the run have been a bit of a mixed bag this season. The Saints have given up more than 200 rushing yards in a game twice, but they also have held three teams to 75 or fewer, including Tampa in Week 2. Overall, New Orleans ranks 22nd in the league at 129.1 rushing yards allowed per game. Given each team's body of work in this matchup, the Saints should have the advantage on Monday night even if Fournette returns to tag-team with White in the backfield. This is another area where Wirfs' absence at right tackle could show up.

3. Who will win the turnover margin?

When a team has stumbled through a season, coming up on the wrong end of the turnover margin is nearly always one of the causes. In this case, the Saints have given away the ball like Santa Claus handing out candy canes in a shopping mall. Their quarterbacks have combined to throw 12 interceptions, the second most in the league. Their nine lost fumbles are the second-highest total of any team.

The number of giveaways by the Saints has a strong causation in the outcomes of their games. They have won two of the three contests in which they did not turn over the ball. They split the two matchups when they only gave away the ball once. However, they lost six of the seven times when they had two or more turnovers.

Although Tampa Bay's offense has struggled during the season, turnovers are not a frequent problem. The Buccaneers are tied for the fewest interceptions thrown with just three. They also have fumbled away the ball just six times.

Final Analysis

The abysmal state of the NFC South should make fans question if anyone can win the division. After Week 12, all four members have a losing record. Its status should serve as the deciding impetus for the NFL to eliminate divisional winners from automatically receiving a home game for Wild Card Weekend.

With a victory, the Buccaneers would kill any realistic chance of the Saints' winning the division as it would give them the season sweep. It also would get them back to .500 overall.

New Orleans has twice as many losses as victories. Nevertheless, the Saints only trail the Bucs by a game and a half for the lead in the division. If they are still clinging to any fantasies of winning the NFC South, they must win this contest.

Prediction: Buccaneers 24, Saints 13

I can only guess after this very disappointing season the Rams will be making a lot of changes during the offseason?! In addition to losing players to Free Agency and trades I am guessing the Rams will be letting go of some of the players and probably a few coaches as well. Going to be very interesting what some of the Rams veteran players (Stafford, Donald, etc) decide to do.

We may not recognize the 2023 Rams!

“..that Raheem Morris’ defense is the best because this offense is so Ornery with no toothbrush!”

-Bobby Boshae

God another game this soft shell defense gave away. As bad as the offense has been this shows you who carried who last year with this ‘ bend but don’t break’ defense, my ass.

Hope he gets a HC spot and we get a 3rd from it.

After 5 winnings seasons and a ring.

ThEy MoRtgAgeD tHeIr FuTuRe!!!



But they have 2 - 7 round picks in 2023??

And starting in 2024 get picks in all 7 rounds again? Sean and Les just signed long term deals what?

What exactly was MoRtgAgeD??

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The NFL’s salary cap could exceed $220 million for 2023​

The NFL faces plenty of challenges, but making ends meet isn’t one of them.

Via NFL Media, the 2023 salary cap could exceed $220 million per team. That’s more than $7 billion, just for the players.

Which means there will a lot more where that came from, just for the owners.

In 2022, the cap was $208 million per team.

The final number for next year will be the subject of negotiation between the league and the NFL Players Association. One of the issues relates to the lingering impact of the 2020 season, which was played largely without fans present due to the pandemic — and the financial hit resulting therefrom.

Owners meet later this month, as they do every December. In past years, the union has expressed concern regarding the cap estimates provided at that time. The lower the number given, the more likely teams will be to set spending budgets based on that number.

Regardless, things are going well, for everyone. When the cap was first introduced in 1994, it was only $34 million per team. Sooner than later, that number will hit $340 million.

What is on your GAME DAY menu?

Me…

Man Meal #32 - Sausage and sauerkraut

200gm Kolbassa or Polish sausage
500gm Crispy/Deli Sauerkraut
1/2 Sweet Onion
1Tbs Brown Sugar
Almost 1Tbs dijon mustard
1 Chicken bouillon cube
About 2 cups water but start with 1

Feeds 2-3 comfortably.

I like to cube up the sausage and brown it. Gives it that salty outside and helps heat up the crockpot. Sometimes I just cut it up and bypass the browning.

Pour it all in a crockpot.




I like to make it a meal, so I cube up some potatoes. I use these petites as there is no peeling, just cube them up. About 1 potato piece per piece of sausage, more or less to your taste.



Stir it all up. You’ll need to add water as you go depending on how much liquid you get with the sauerkraut. Add enough to just barely submerge all potatoes when pressing down on them. You can always add more later.

Cook this at least 2hrs once it all is hot and bubbly. That usually means 4hrs total cook time - minimum.

Once bubbling and hot… taste the sweetness… you may need to add up to one more 1Tbs Brown Sugar to taste, it depends on the sweetness of your kraut. Cook another 2hrs minimum.

This tastes better the longer you cook it. I got mine all in the crock by 10am. I will probably eat some around halftime of the early games; 3:30ish my time. So, about 5.5hrs.

Damn good! The house smells great too once it gets hot and cooking real good.

Sunday December 4, 2022

Game Day Thread

The GDT is a live thread tradition here at ROD.

While we all get fired up watching the game, please remember our core principles;we always show respect for our team and each other.

Despite the emotional highs and lows watching a game, we will moderate this thread with that in mind, however please refrain from name calling. This applies to players, the Rams organization, and others.

This is the core rule of the GDT. Moderators are tasked to issue thread bans, at a minimum, to maintain this standard.

This is our team. Win or lose. Good days and bad. We are here for FUN, not to be dragged down.

A more loosely moderated atmosphere can be found in the chat room.

Go Rams!

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ROD Chat Room;

Game Day Room

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Indianapolis vs. Dallas: Cowboys Look to Keep Things Rolling on SNF Against the Colts​

The Dallas Cowboys enter their "Sunday Night Football" matchup (Dec. 4) against the Indianapolis Colts as one of the hottest teams in the NFL. Since quarterback Dak Prescott's return from injury, America's Team is 4-1 while scoring an NFL-best 169 points.

Compare that to the Colts, a struggling organization that's put up 190 points for the entire season. Interim head coach Jeff Saturday has lost two in a row as the team continues to struggle to move the ball despite the presence of All-Pro running back Johnathan Taylor. Unsettled play at quarterback combined with a minus-10 turnover margin (31st in the NFL) has left them failing to reach expectations at 4-7-1.

With an 8-3 record, the Cowboys are in a much better spot, sitting with a real shot to earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC. They'd need a little help, sitting two games behind the Philadelphia Eagles, but face them on Christmas Eve with a chance to win both the game and division tiebreaker. Add in a head-to-head victory over the Minnesota Vikings, sitting at 9-2, and it's not inconceivable to see Dallas rising all the way to the top.

To do so, the Cowboys need to take care of business on nights like these. Can they live up to a lofty 10.5-point spread against the Colts? Or will an Indianapolis team that's been in nine one-score games this season (producing a 4-4-1 record in them) find themselves fighting through another one, and in a position to pull off the upset?

Sunday Night Football: Indianapolis (4-7) at Dallas (8-3)

Kickoff: Sunday, Dec. 4 at 8:20 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Live Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
Spread: Cowboys -10.5
Tickets: As low as $26 on SITickets.com*

Three Things to Watch

1. Can Matt Ryan get the Colts' offense going?

Since being installed as head coach, Saturday's biggest move has been to reinstall the veteran Ryan as the starting quarterback. The decision has come with mixed results, a 1-2 record with the offense producing just 19.3 points per game. That's upped their average only slightly, to 15.8 overall, second worst in the NFL ahead of only the Denver Broncos.

Ryan also was charged with two turnovers in a 24-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night, bringing his total to a league-leading 23 fumbles and interceptions on the year. Despite those glaring red flags, Saturday made clear this week that he still feels the former Pro Bowler gives the Colts the best chance to win over unproven Sam Ehlinger.

"Matt is going to continue to be the guy," Saturday said. "We're going to keep moving forward, pressing forward with what we've got."

To Ryan's credit, the quarterback has tried to keep the troops motivated despite a tough hill to climb. Four of the Colts' final five games are against teams with winning records; three of those are on the road, including Sunday night.

"It still matters," Ryan explained this week when discussing the Colts' remaining schedule. "We've got a young team. We've got a lot of guys who this might be their first time kind of going through that experience [of playing in the NFL] … every time you [step out on the field] it's your résumé. There's a lot to play for."

That leadership off the field can only go so far on it, as Ryan's presence should leave the Cowboys' defense licking their chops. In the past five games alone, they've forced a dozen fumbles, recovering seven, turnovers that have led to 24 points. Add in the Cowboys' league-leading 45 sacks and you'd expect Ryan to have a tough day at the office Sunday night.

2. Will Dak Prescott take better care of the football?

It's hard to criticize the Cowboys' signal-caller after a successful return to the field. The Dallas offense has been clicking on all cylinders, spreading the ball around as Prescott's 10 touchdown passes in the last five games have gone to five different receivers. Everyone from rising superstar CeeDee Lamb (31 catches) to a recovering Michael Gallup (63 yards last week against the Giants) has gotten their fair share of targets.

Where Prescott could be better is by reducing the number of careless turnovers. His six interceptions in just six games leave him on pace for a career high. In the only loss since his return, the Packers picked him off twice in the first half on route to 14 crucial points.

Can the Colts' defense give Prescott a run for his money? They're fifth in the NFL against the pass and held potential MVP candidate Jalen Hurts to 190 yards just two weeks ago. The problem has come in forcing turnovers; Indianapolis has only four interceptions all year and none have come in the last four games. In order for the Colts to hang around, they need that type of momentum-changing play early in the game.

3. Johnathan Taylor vs. Ezekiel Elliott/Tony Pollard

This one's just going to be fun. Taylor still ranks 10th in the NFL with 779 rushing yards despite missing three games due to injury. Pollard sits just behind him, posting 761 yards this season on an impressive 5.6 yards per carry.

Everyone knows about Taylor, perhaps the best running back in the league right now. But Pollard has come into his own this season, outstanding during this stretch when Elliott had to miss two games due to injury (two 100-yard rushing performances). With both defenses middling at best against the run, expect some quality fantasy performances during this game, especially from the Dallas duo if they're padding a comfortable lead late in the fourth quarter.

Final Analysis

Some around the Colts are still scratching their heads over Saturday, who had minimal coaching experience before being picked by owner Jim Irsay to lead the team on an interim basis. So far, the team has played hard around him and took the Eagles down to the final minutes before a letdown against the Steelers last week.

But the more Saturday settles in, the less surprising his game plan becomes to potential opponents and Sunday night might be a dose of reality. The Colts are hitting the Cowboys at the wrong time and without the talent level needed to stay competitive on the road.

Prediction: Cowboys 34, Colts 14