Starts @ 4:33. And let me say, if the final score is anything as close as he predicts, I won't start a celly thread b/c I'll be in the bathroom vomiting with joy.

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Did anyone else like me worry that when they scored they would go for 2?
I couldn't believe Michaels and Collinsworth didn't even bring it up. At the time I thought it would be lethal. In hindsight we still could have done what we did like KC and won on a FG but at the time I was happy to see Brady leaving the field after they scored.

Already we have to hear how someone wants him now. And of all teams the Chiefs really need him lol?
We should prioritize keeping him even if it means moving on from Woods as he is younger and will only get better in this offense.


ODELL BECKHAMWR, LOS ANGELES RAMS

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said "it wouldn't shock" him if the Chiefs pursued Odell Beckham in free agency this offseason.​

Fowler said Beckham returning to the "cash-strapped Rams appears difficult" since the team has committed so much money to Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp for the foreseeable future. That could leave Beckham -- after restarting his fledgling career in LA -- to seek a contender this offseason. "Most agree Beckham fits better on a contender with a strong culture," Fowler said. "Going to the Jacksonville Jaguars or Chicago Bears for the biggest check could backfire." Kansas City expressed interest in OBJ in 2021 and could woo him as a much-needed third option in their highly-concentrated passing offense.

I know we're all pretty hype for the game on Sunday and I thought I would take the opportunity to promote the LA RAMS UK podcast again

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We have a few UK based fans heading out to LA this weekend and I'm hoping we can pull together an official trip next season.

Horns Up

I honestly think the Rams defense was embarrassed by that last Niners game. Watch the difference in intensity between that game and the next vs the Cardinals. They came out with a different sense of urgency, a different level of energy. They carried that over into the Tampa game where they dominated Tom and company. If it wasn't for the four fumbles, this game wouldn't have been close. I think they clamp down on the Niners run game Sunday and force Jimmy to carry the team. I see a Rams 24-13 victory.

Watching the 49ers take our manhood in the trenches in our last matchup was gut wrenching. There is nothing worse for me, as a fan, to know what is coming and the opposing team is able to impose their will regardless. In our last game against the Whiners, it was clear to me they were more physical on the OL.

I will be watching to see if Morris adjusts. Is he going to continue to trot out a front consisting of Leonard, Donald, Gaines, and Miller on first down/likely running downs? Will he adjust by putting more beef up front in those situations at the cost of having Floyd or Miller take a few plays off to assure we don't have it run down our throats?

Personally, I am hoping to see a counter of some sort. It's rather obvious to me we can't hold up at the point of attack against this team with those four in the run game. I am hoping for some added beef situationally and am willing to sacrifice a handful of snaps from Miller/Floyd to not avoid what we have witnessed recently against this team. I just can't stomach a game of such proportions that results in the line of scrimmage being moved back 2-3 yards two seconds after the snap.

Would such an adjustment be too much for our players in terms of scheme? Thoughts?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crim...-9-year-old-daughter/ar-AATdRBw?ocid=msedgntp

Basically, these two brothers and their friend found out that their stepfather had molested his own nine-year-old daughter, and beat him to death. Yes, they searched him out three times, yes, it was premeditated, but I'd do the same for my sisters.

It breaks my heart to see these three boys charged as criminals for doing something any sane and goodhearted person would do.

Heard a guy on the radio predicting that the defensive minded new coach of the bears would want an offensive guy like O’Connell to help young qb Justin Fields. It would be a lateral move but once again he would get the chance to call plays.
O’Connell is already on the HC track he’ll probably get one next year, what is it about these guys?

It was January 14, 1990. I was 22. I had been a Rams fan for over a decade at that point. And the team let me down.

Sure, the opponent was a juggernaut 49ers team that had only lost 2 games all season, but one of those defeats was at the hands of our Rams, and they had only managed a 3 point victory in the other match-up. We had a potent offense with Jim Everett, Greg Bell, Henry Ellard and Flipper Anderson. The defense was lead by future HOF Kevin Greene, LeRoy Irvin and Jerry Gray. It was not unreasonable to hope for an upset that would send our Rams back to the Super Bowl.

And, for 15 minutes, we held our own. After one quarter, the Rams were up 3-0. But then, the wheels fell off and we were blown out 30-3. The term "phantom sack" would forever be in our vernacular, and our hopes turned to embarrassment.

But I stayed.

It would take a decade to recover from this defeat. Over the next 9 seasons, the Rams failed to post a winning record, and went 1-17 against the hated 49ers. We were taunted with the term "SOSAR," and our stature as a franchise was diminished.

But I stayed.

Three glorious years followed, but the GSOT was short-lived. Then came another 15 years of struggles... only one winning season and one playoff win in that span, and the 49ers - past the Montana/Young dynasty - still got the better of us more often than not.

But I stayed.

And now, here we are. Finally a chance to avenge that 1989 defeat. Finally a chance to break the hearts of 49ers fans and regain our stature as the best in the West.

I don't care how we do it. I don't care if its 2-0 or 51-49. Just win this one, Rams.

Damnit... you owe me.

From 'love of the game' to Rams' game-winner: Inside the Matthew Stafford-Cooper Kupp pass​

TAMPA, Fla. -- Cooper Kupp didn't think he was going to be the hero on the play that set up the winning score, sending the Los Angeles Rams to the NFC Championship Game.

The All-Pro receiver thought he was merely a decoy.

It was one more thing that didn't go as planned for the Rams during a second half in which they lost three fumbles and a 27-3 lead to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before escaping Raymond James Stadium with a 30-27 divisional-round win.

Except quarterback Matthew Stafford's 44-yard completion to Kupp, which set up Matt Gay's 30-yard, winning field goal, was a happy accident and not another costly mistake that nearly led to an all-time playoff collapse.

"We call the route that I ran, we call it a 'love of the game' route," Kupp said, "because you're really just trying to draw coverage."

To put it another way: Kupp wasn't supposed to get the ball on that play, so his job is to run his vertical route all out, for the love of the game and for the benefit of whatever teammate is left open underneath thanks to the defender he's occupying deep.

That was the idea anyway. The plan changed when the Bucs, who had the highest blitz rate in the NFL this season, sent what was supposed to be an all-out blitz that left Kupp and the Rams' other three pass-catchers with one-on-one matchups and no help from a deep safety, which is known as zero coverage.

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"The route that Cooper's running there ... you're really never getting the ball," Stafford said. "You're just clearing out some area, working for some other routes. They decided to bring everybody and that's really the best option at that point. Felt it after the snap, kind of recognized it was going to be an all-out pressure and was able to put it to a good spot. Coop made a great catch, and then we just clocked it with enough time and Matt [Gay] came in and did his thing, which was awesome."

The Bucs had just tied the game at 27-27 with 42 seconds left in the fourth quarter on a 9-yard Leonard Fournette touchdown run, taking advantage of the short field they got after recovering the Rams' fourth lost fumble of the game.

The Rams began their ensuing drive at their own 25 after an ensuing touchback with one timeout remaining. All the momentum -- not to mention the greatest quarterback in NFL history -- was on the other side. And with Gay having come up short on a 47-yard attempt earlier in the fourth quarter, a miss that Stafford believed was affected by the incoming wind, they had to figure any attempt from that distance or longer would be dicey.

First-and-10 from the Rams' 25: Stafford took a shotgun snap, saw an opening up the middle and immediately took off running. He was sacked for a 1-yard loss, nearly fumbling the ball on his way to the turf. That forced the Rams to use their final timeout to stop the clock with 35 seconds left.

Said Stafford: "The first-down play, I don't know. I was thinking I was going to run it. That was a poor idea."

Second-and-11 from the Rams' 24: Stafford got a clean pocket against a four-man rush and threw toward the left sideline to Kupp, who had gotten by cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting with an inside release, then shook him at the top of his deep out route with a double move. Kupp got out of bounds after his 20-yard catch, stopping the clock with 28 seconds left. The Rams still hurried to the line at coach Sean McVay's urging.

"Cooper did a great job on the second one of winning," Stafford said. "Fought through some contact at the top of his route and did a great job of getting out of bounds. Then we just kind of jumped the ball, which I thought was great. Sean was in my ear telling me, 'Hey, let's go fast. Let's not let them set their pressure, whatever it is.' They decided to bring the house and go to zero."

First-and-10 from the Rams' 44: With Ndamukong Suh bearing down on him and Murphy-Bunting also approaching on a blitz off the edge, Stafford stood tall in the pocket and threw deep to Kupp, who won his one-on-one matchup with safety Antoine Winfield Jr. Stafford's pass traveled 46.7 yards in the air, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, even though he didn't fully step into the throw. Kupp hauled it in and carried it to the Tampa Bay 12 before being tackled by Winfield. Stafford and the Rams raced to the ball to spike it with five seconds left, setting up Gay's game winner.

Bucs coach Bruce Arians did not second-guess the decision to call an all-out blitz and said not all of Tampa Bay's defenders got the playcall.

The field goal capped the 43rd winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime of Stafford's career, the most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2009. The 42 that preceded it were in the regular season, as Stafford was winless in his three trips to the playoffs during his first 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions.

"It means a lot," Stafford said of pulling out a late win in the playoffs. "That's a lot of hard work for a lot of years going into a short amount of time. A lot of hard work this year, too, with some great teammates. That's the thing I've loved and I've really appreciated [in] being a part of this team is how many guys we have pulling the rope in the right direction, doing everything they can to be prepared for those moments.

"Like I said, that's the last guy that I would have thought would have gotten that ball before the snap was snapped. He was ready, he was running and he made a great play."

Has anyone heard an explanation for that shitshow? They were on the plus side of the field with potential to score and that happened. Was the guard picking his nose and Allen thought it was the signal or something? They were using the silent count right? So how do you have confusion, it should be more reliable than listening shouldn’t it.

Worth a listen. Normally these things are empty words and canned responses but this one, man Von is authentic. It sounds like everyone really is dialed in. I mean I'm sure they were, but sounds 100% top to bottom everyone is on the same page and realizes what's at stake. His responses really got some confidence back in me. To 60/40. Gotta win. Have to win. LFG.

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Just saw a post about that.

Pretty doggone cool!!! More should step up and do this....

Those are pretty cool!



Oh…you were expecting something else? Shame on you!




(Sorry….just a little whimsical levity to break the pre-game tension!)

Decided to go on over to a 69ers forum to see what the chatter looked like and the douchbagery is out of control. Click only after a good dose of pepto if you dare.


https://www.49erswebzone.com/forum/...pregame-thread-2021-season-championship-game/

Michael Silver: Why Rams ‘take risks’ to win now​

Michael Silver, Special to Bally Sports



Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (3) celebrates with quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Arizona Cardinals in Inglewood, Calif., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

LOS ANGELES — Midway through an iced coffee while sitting at an outdoor cafe on the border of Brentwood and Santa Monica last Friday afternoon, Los Angeles Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff wanted to make two things clear.

First, despite the common perception that the Rams are all in for the 2021 season, losing to Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an upcoming divisional-round playoff game would not constitute a calamitous crash from which the franchise would struggle to recover.

And secondly, though L.A.’s star-heavy, go-for-broke approach had worked out well so far, Demoff said, “We don’t think we’re smarter than everybody else. We don’t think we’re better than anybody else. We’re just willing to think in a different way. And by the way, I don’t know if our model is right or replicable or sustainable. But those are all questions for a different day.”

Two days later, the Rams would pull out a dramatic, 30-27 road victory over the Bucs fueled by many of the high-profile players they’ve landed over the past three seasons. The team that hosts the rival San Francisco 49ers in Sunday’s NFC championship game at SoFi Stadium — with a chance to return to SoFi two weeks later for Super Bowl LVI — has benefitted greatly from the presence of quarterback Matthew Stafford, cornerback Jalen Ramsey, edge rusher Von Miller and wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr., validating, at least in the short term, the aggressive acquisition strategy that brought them to Los Angeles.

Each time the Rams deal draft picks or strain to squeeze another big contract under the salary cap, there’s an accompanying outcry, with skeptics insisting that impending organizational comeuppance is a certainty. This is especially true each spring, when millions of viewers tune in for the league’s annual Player Selection Meeting: The Rams, thanks largely to Demoff’s efforts, may have the coolest draft pad in America, but L.A. hasn’t had a first-round pick since it selected quarterback Jared Goff first overall in 2016. That trend is likely to continue, as the Rams dealt away their 2022 and 2023 first-round selections a year ago in the blockbuster trade that sent Goff to the Detroit Lions for Stafford.

The Stafford trade, which came on the heels of last January’s divisional-round defeat to the Green Bay Packers, underscored the franchise’s commitment to the here and now. The aligned approach employed by Demoff, general manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay — made possible by owner Stan Kroenke’s blessing and checkbook — is derided by critics as desperate, reckless and shortsighted. In Demoff’s eyes, it’s merely strategic.

“I think the great thing about our team is we’re opportunistic,” Demoff said. “It’s not like we go on Craigslist and say, ‘We have two first-round picks for sale, and what will you give us for them?’ Jalen Ramsey is an elite All-Pro player at one of the most important positions in football, who (was almost) 25. For some reason, he was available. Matthew Stafford, an elite, All-Pro-caliber quarterback, was available. I think you have to take each case individually and decide whether they make you better, and what are the alternatives that you’d get with the capital that you’re giving up.”

For example: The Rams sent two first-round picks and a fourth-round selection to the Jacksonville Jaguars for Ramsey in October of 2019. The Jags have since used those first-round picks on edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson in 2020 and running back Travis Etienne last April, with very little (so far) to show for it.

This is not to say that the Rams haven’t made their share of mistakes, too. Signing running back Todd Gurley to a top-of-the-market contract extension in July of 2018, only to have his career short-circuited due to lingering knee issues, was one of those ill-advised moves, and Goff’s 2019 contract extension when he was coming off a Super Bowl LIII appearance was, by definition (as evidenced by last year’s trade), a decision they came to regret.

Being willing to risk embarrassment — and to cut their losses, when necessary — is a key tenet behind the Rams’ philosophy. Another is to view each opportunity to add a key veteran as a supplemental transaction, rather than as a cure-all. When the price seems right, they don’t hesitate: L.A. has made a multitude of trades in the five years since McVay’s hiring as the youngest head coach in modern NFL history, acquiring players such as wide receivers Brandin Cooks and Sammy Watkins, cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters, edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr., guard Austin Corbett and running back Sony Michel. The Rams have also rejected plenty of proposed deals that were deemed overly steep in price.

L.A. owns the league’s third-best record during that span, so McVay, Snead and Demoff are obviously doing something right.
“This league is designed for you to go .500,” Demoff said. “The draft is; the schedule is; the salary cap is. So you have to try to find your advantage any way possible. But the best way to do it is to do something different that other people aren’t doing and then hope that that actually works.

“There is no proven formula that works, proven over time. The sooner you admit that, the better. How arrogant do you have to be to (say), ‘You know what — we’re gonna do it like everybody else, but we’re better at it’? That’s arrogance. You have to think about your world differently. You have to take risks. And you have to be willing to live with the downside.”

For the Rams’ approach to flourish, several things have to happen. First and foremost, the players they acquire have to like the organizational environment enough to stay with the team once their contracts expire. Snead and his fellow talent evaluators also have to be adept at filling out the roster with young players on rookie contracts who can contribute right away, in order to make a top-heavy salary cap work. The Rams had the league’s youngest roster coming out of the 2021 draft and entered the season with the seventh-youngest 53-man squad, with an average age of 25.76 years.

Though lampooned for their lack of first-rounders, the Rams have made a concerted effort to stockpile late-round selections, via their shrewd use of the league’s compensatory-pick formula to their advantage, and their propensity for trading down. And clearly, McVay and his assistants can coach up their less-decorated players, as evidenced by the postseason contributions of safety Nick Scott (a seventh-round draft pick in 2017), linebackers Troy Reeder (undrafted in 2019) and Travin Howard (a 2018 seventh-round selection), nose tackle Greg Gaines (a 2019 fourth-rounder) and guard David Edwards (a 2019 fifth-rounder), among others.
That the Rams’ boldness quotient increased after the franchise’s 2016 move from St. Louis to Los Angeles is no coincidence. A fan base smitten with star power tends to applaud live-for-the-moment moves such as the Nov. 1 trade for Miller, a perennial Denver Broncos All-Pro and Super Bowl 50 MVP whose contract expires after this season, and the free-agent signing of Beckham after his release by the Cleveland Browns less than two weeks later.

It should also be noted that the Rams play in football’s toughest division — against franchises with similarly aggressive tendencies. After the 49ers unsuccessfully tried to trade for Stafford, they made a blockbuster deal to move up nine spots in the draft and select former North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance as the third overall selection. Kyle Shanahan, during training camp, told me that trade had been influenced by the Rams’ recent history, as well as that of the Seattle Seahawks (who sent two first-round picks and more to the New York Jets for All-Pro safety Jamal Adams in July of 2020). The Arizona Cardinals, who lost to the Rams in a first-round playoff game, have also taken big swings, such as using top-10 picks on quarterbacks in consecutive drafts.
Said Demoff, laughing: “The NFC West isn’t wired for, ‘Hey, we’re gonna draft and develop.’”

With the Rams now a victory away from securing their second Super Bowl appearance in four seasons, Demoff isn’t second-guessing the model that got them this far. If nothing else, in a league where the risk-averse traditionalists are often celebrated, he and his fellow decision-makers have plotted an unconventional course that they believe has created a competitive edge.

“There are so many different ways to do it,” Demoff said. “Ultimately, you have to do what you think is best for your franchise. The most important thing is, have a formula that is not someone else’s formula. Because the likelihood is, if you’re executing the same plan, you’re not going to be that much better at it than they are.”

Where do the Rams rate in the wake of what was perhaps the most thrilling divisional-round playoff weekend in NFL history? It’s a great question — one we’ve answered via this ordered listing of the four teams still in play for a Lombardi Trophy, with an accompanying quartet of additional queries for your entertainment.



Sep 19, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey (5) celebrates his interception with Rams defensive back Darious Williams (11) in the second half against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Four questions​

1. Kansas City Chiefs (14-5, Last week: 3): Who had a more punishing 13 seconds — Conor McGregor against Jose Aldo, or Patrick Mahomes against the Bills defense on Sunday night?

2. San Francisco 49ers (12-7, LW: 6): Has Kyle Shanahan’s “No. 1 goal” been upgraded after Saturday’s wild win at Lambeau Field?

3. Los Angeles Rams (14-5, LW: 7): After learning that Matthew Stafford has stolen his patented “steal somebody’s soul” line, will 49ers tight end George Kittle be extra motivated to “flat back” the Rams on Sunday?

4. Cincinnati Bengals (12-7, LW: 8): Since Joe Burrow no longer wants the Bengals to be depicted as underdogs, can you all kindly oblige him by seeing “American Underdog” in theaters and reaffirming Kurt Warner’s stronghold on that title?

For a change of pace:

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I think most of us saw this fan-atic LIon's fan of Matthew Stafford. He's wearing his Lion's Stafford jersey, losing his mind in the final seconds of the game vs Tampa Bay...
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The Ramily found him on twitter and raised enough money to send him and his girlfriend to SoFi this weekend, hotel and airfare included, to see his hero beat the Niners...... Welcome to the Ramily, homey... There was room for you when Poppinfresh revealed who he was....

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I'm having trouble sleeping. I can't eat. My fingernails are almost gone.

I've done some mighty stressful shit in my life. Disarming anit-personel mines. Guard duty on the DMZ in Korea. Driving my Kaw Mach III 130mph on I-5. Getting married.

After all the nail biting games this year, culminating in Sunday's last second FG, I'm stressed out.

I'm done with the "do this, run that, play it this way". I'm too old for this shit.

JUST WIN THE FUCKING GAME!!!!!!!!!!!

View: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/177605-remembering-rubley-t-j-rubleys-blunder-with-the-1995-packers


Didn't know he ever played again after his amazing stint as an LA Ram...

Four times, the Ram have won the NFC Championship Game. In each instance, there was one player who, in my mind, stood out as achieving legendary status for the Rams. Not necessarily the best player on the team, or the one who accumulated the most stats in the game. Just the guy I remember the most.

1979: Jack Youngblood
Just the fact that he played in this game at all gets him the nod. As many recall, he fractured his fibula in the previous week against the Cowboys, and played anyway. No DNP on Wednesday, "limited" on Thursday, and "Questionable" going into the game. Just suited up and helped the Rams shut out the Buccaneers to make the Super Bowl.

1999: Ricky Proehl
The GSOT had so many weapons, from HOFers Isaac Bruce and Marshall Faulk and likely future HOF Torry Holt, to the speedy Az Hakim. But, with the game on the line, it was Ricky Proehl, who had not scored a TD all year, who made the great catch to help ensure that the 1999 Cinderella run didn't end with a defeat. A forever moment for Rams fans.

2001: Aeneas Williams
Williams had a great career with the Cardinals before joining the Rams, and quickly became a leader on our defense. After years of personal success, but little team glory, it was great to see Williams seal the game with an INT at the Rams' 35 yard line with under two minutes remaining and the Rams clinging to a five point lead. Still sad that he didn't get a ring, but he'll always have that moment.

2018: Greg Zuerlein
This was a strange one. Of course, Nickel Robey-Coleman nearly became a legend of infamy with a hit that should have been flagged, and John Johnson's overtime interception is noteworthy, but it was Zuerelein's 57 yard walk-off FG that stands out in my mind. FGs may not be the most exciting plays in football, but that one was clutch.

Who will be the next legend?

Stay tuned.