Sunday, December 5

LATE GAMES
Washington Football Team at Las Vegas Raiders, 4:05 pm (FOX)
Jacksonville Jaguars at Los Angeles Rams, 4:05 pm (FOX)
*Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers, 4:25 pm (CBS)
*San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks, 4:25 pm (CBS)

EARLY GAMES
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons, 1 pm (FOX)
Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears, 1 pm (FOX)
Los Angeles Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 pm (FOX)
Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions, 1 pm (CBS)
Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans, 1 pm (CBS)
New York Giants at Miami Dolphins, 1 pm (FOX)
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets, 1 pm (CBS)

SNF
*Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs, 8:20 pm (NBC)

Monday, Dec. 6

MNF
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills, 8:15 pm (ESPN)

---

ALREADY PLAYED

Thursday, Dec. 2
Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints, 8:20 pm (FOX, NFL Network, Amazon)

Sunday, December 5

EARLY GAMES
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons, 1 pm (FOX)
Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears, 1 pm (FOX)
Los Angeles Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 pm (FOX)
Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions, 1 pm (CBS)
Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans, 1 pm (CBS)
New York Giants at Miami Dolphins, 1 pm (FOX)
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets, 1 pm (CBS)

LATE GAMES
Washington Football Team at Las Vegas Raiders, 4:05 pm (FOX)
Jacksonville Jaguars at Los Angeles Rams, 4:05 pm (FOX)
*Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers, 4:25 pm (CBS)
*San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks, 4:25 pm (CBS)

SNF
*Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs, 8:20 pm (NBC)

Monday, Dec. 6

MNF
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills, 8:15 pm (ESPN)

---

ALREADY PLAYED

Thursday, Dec. 2
Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints, 8:20 pm (FOX, NFL Network, Amazon)

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!

———

ROD Chat Room;

Game Day Room

.

Source: https://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stats/
Key: 1-8 8-14 15-23 24-31

Record: 7-4 (most important stat btw which is pretty good considering how shit we've been of late).

OFFENSE

Scoring Offense: 27.2 (8th).

Passer Rating: 103.1 (3rd). Stafford is one tenth of a point ahead of Brady who is 4th. Murray is 1st and Wilson has dropped to 5th.
Yards per Pass Attempt: 8.2 (T-4th).
Pass First Down Percentage: 68.10% (1st).

Yards per Rush Attempt: 4.0 (25th).
Rush Attempts per Game: 23.9 (22nd).
Rush First Down Percentage: 25.86% (27th).

Third Down Conversion: 41.09% (12th).
Yards Per Play: 6.2 (1st).

DEFENSE

Scoring Defense: 23.9 (21st).

Passer Rating: 87.2 (7th).
Yards per Pass Attempt: 6.6 (12th).
Pass First Down Percentage: 61.18% (25th).

Yards per Rush Attempt: 3.9 (T-2nd).
Rush Attempts per Game: 26.5 (17th).
Rush First Down Percentage: 31.65% (13th).

Third Down Conversion: 42.07% (24th).
Yards Per Play: 5.3 (7th).

SPECIAL TEAMS

Net Yards per Punt: 41.2 (18th).
Field Goal Conversion: 95.24% (2nd).

Opponent Net Yards per Punt: 43.2 (30th).

CONCLUSIONS

As expected...

1. Offensively the lack of a run game is killing us.
2. Defensively we are surrendering underneath too easily in the pass game.
3. Special Teams we lack a returner.

This year has shown many departures from former excellence, imo.

In no particular order of importance but just a stream of consciousness thing…

The Morris hire.
The DeCamillis hire.
The Atwell pick at 57 with Humphrey on the board.
Not having a single run blocking TE behind Mundt.
Not using Higbee more after loss of Woods.
Keeping Hekker over Bojo despite Bono’s clearly outplaying him in preseason.
Not having a single halfway decent PR on the roster. Inexcusable.
Using Kupp as an occasional PR. Seriously?
Depth at RB was suspect even before the Akers injury. How did THAT work out?
McVay with often puzzling playcalling, including not taking what D is giving him and getting away from running game too often.
McVay has apparently become too predictable and opponents have been taking advantage.
Stafford is very good, but being asked to do too much.
The Miller trade is now looking a little iffy to me. He’s not impressing and we’re gonna really miss those 2 premium picks next year.
I thought DW would be a team strength paired with Ramsey but he’s been neutered.
Burgess can’t get on the field despite impressing late last year pre-injury. This on a team with crying needs at both nickel and Safety, dammit!
The Kenny Young trade is looking like we shot ourselves in the foot as we watch Reeder flailing. Gawd!

These are just some highlights off the top of my head, but I will say this. Both Snead and McVay need to put their respective ‘genius’ trophies back into the closet until further notice.

This team should be in the SB conversation but now they’re no lock to even make a wildcard appearance. Color me extremely disappointed.

How the mighty have fallen, huh?

It's obvious most of the NFL talking heads as of 12/03/2021 believe the Cardinals and Packers will likely face off in the NFC Championship game.

Surely there are a many that believe the Bucs will knock off one of the Cards or the Packers and end up in the NFC Championship game.

The likely consensus is the Packers, Cardinals or Bucs will meet up in the NFC Championship game.

There are 6 games left to play to sort out the NFC seedings.

As it looks today, it appears the best the Rams can do is hold the fort and lock in the #5 wildcard seed.

As far as NFC playoff upsets go, it wouldn't shock the world if the Cowboys or Rams upset one of the big 3 and end up in the NFC Championship game.

The 49ers, Vikings or the surging Washington football team could also play spoilers as teams that might make a push as one of the NFC Championship surprise contenders. (Probably not but I wouldn't be totally stunned.)

The logical thinking with 6 games left to play is the Packers, Cardinals and Bucs are the front runners to represent the NFC Championship game.

Unless the Rams fold vs the Jaguars on Sunday and fail to make the playoffs, they will clearly be one of the most intriguing NFC teams down the home stretch that the NFL talking heads talk about.

I have no predictions. I just think the Rams are the most fascinating team in the NFL and it's not because I'm a fan. I think the Patriots are the second most fascinating team at this juncture of the NFL season.

A whole lot can change over the next 3, 4, 5 and 6 games, but that's what makes the NFL the best sport in America from my recliner chair and big screen TV.

There is a lot more left to enjoy over these last 6 games of the 2021 NFL season.

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Thursday Night Football: Dallas Cowboys vs. New Orleans Saints​

After each losing on Thanksgiving, the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans will have a chance for redemption one Thursday later when they meet at the Caesars Superdome in prime time.

Fortunately for the Cowboys (7-4), they have finished their matchups with the AFC West. On Thanksgiving Day, Dallas dropped its third game against members of that division. That loss accounted for the Cowboys' third defeat in less than four weeks.

Meanwhile, the Saints (5-6) only scored six points against the Bills. That equaled their lowest total during Asshole Face's tenure. The Texans held them to just two field goals at Houston on Nov. 29, 2015. New Orleans has now lost four in a row to fall below .500 for the first time this season.

Despite their losses, both teams are squarely in the NFC playoff picture. Dallas has a two-game cushion over Washington in the NFC East, while New Orleans is one of four 5-6 teams in a virtual tie for the seventh seed.

The Cowboys lead the all-time series, 17-13, although the Saints hold a 9-6 advantage in New Orleans. The franchises faced each other eight times in the previous 12 seasons, with the Saints winning five of those matchups.

Thursday Night Football: Dallas (7-4) vs. New Orleans (5-6)

Kickoff: Thursday, Dec. 2 at 8:20 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Spread: Cowboys -5.5

Three Things to Watch

1. How will the absence of some members affect the Cowboys?

The Cowboys will travel to New Orleans without head coach Mike McCarthy, offensive line coach Joe Philbin, assistant offensive line coach Jeff Blasko, and right tackle Terence Steele. All tested positive for COVID-19. They have already had to deal with eight other players and another assistant coach missing at least one game this season.

The Saints faced a similar problem in September when heading to play at Carolina. Eight assistant coaches had to miss the game against the Panthers, including five involved with the offense. Those absences contributed to the offense gaining only 159 yards and not scoring until the fourth quarter. As a result, they suffered a 26-7 debacle.

Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will serve as Dallas' head coach. He should be able to handle that role due to his 85 games of experience directing an NFL team. He led the Falcons to a 43-42 record from 2015 to '20. He has plenty of experience coaching head-to-head against Payton, compiling a 4-6 record.

2. Can Taysom Hill spark the Saints' offense?

Trevor Siemian had started the four games since Jameis Winston's season-ending injury versus Tampa Bay. Since all of those ended in defeat, he has received much of the blame. His critics overlook the injuries plaguing a few starting offensive linemen, resulting in eight sacks. He lacked the offense's most valuable player, Alvin Kamara, in the last three contests. Additionally, the wide receivers have largely responded to the absence of All-Pro Michael Thomas by routinely dropping easily catchable passes. Nevertheless, Payton is looking for someone to re-energize the Saints' offense.

Hill is expected to start instead of Siemian despite a lingering foot injury that has limited him to just seven games in his multi-purpose role during this season. However, he has attempted only eight passes, completing seven of those for 56 yards, an interception, and no touchdowns. In 2020, he replaced Drew Brees in four games, completing 82 of 114 pass attempts for 834 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions.

The Cowboys have been more vulnerable through the air than on the ground, and they rank 27th in the league with 262.3 passing yards allowed per game. However, they do rank third in the NFL with 15 interceptions, eight of which come from Trevon Diggs. This should be a great opportunity for Hill to show whether he can be a starter going forward.

3. What is Ezekiel Elliott's level of availability?

Elliott has been suffering from a bruised knee since the Week 4 win over Carolina in early October. His rushing contributions have declined over the course of the seven games after the injury. He did compile 41 carries for 253 yards and two scores in that and the following game against the Giants. Then, he rushed 17 times for 69 yards at New England. His workload diminished in the next three games while his yardage peaked at 51. He carried the ball only nine times in each of the last two games for just 32 and 25 yards, respectively.

In contrast, his receiving statistics have increased, starting with that contest in New England. He had caught only nine passes in the five games before facing the Patriots. In New England, he hauled in seven passes for 50 yards in his most productive game as a receiver. In the five contests since then, he had at least three receptions for an average of 24.6 yards per game. Will the Cowboys shift their game planning to use him more as a receiver and leave most of the carries to someone else?

If the Cowboys do limit Elliott's workload, they have a rather capable backup in Tony Pollard, who has out-performed Elliott in each of his three years in Dallas. Pollard is averaging 5.3 yards per attempt, which is fifth in the NFL among players with at least 100 carries. However, both running backs should have a tough challenge ahead against the Saints, who hold opponents to a league-low 3.4 yards per attempt.

Final Analysis

Despite losses in three of their four most recent games, the Cowboys' postseason aspirations remain realistic. They hold a two-game lead over Washington and a 2-0 record in divisional games. However, they cannot afford to look past this matchup and ahead to the two games versus Washington in the next three weeks.

The Saints' hopes for the playoffs are fading. They trail Tampa Bay in the NFC South by three games. If the regular season were already completed after last weekend, they would not have qualified for the playoffs. They would have lost the tiebreaker for the final playoff spot due to an inferior record in conference games. Therefore, they need to win this game to boost their record versus NFC teams.

Prediction: Cowboys 20, Saints 17

Hats off to @ottoman89 for correctly predicting the beat down of the Rams last week. 10k sportsbook credits coming you way from @CGI_Ram overstuffed wallet.


On to this weeks game. Nothing left to say here except Let's Fucking Go Rams

As per rams-wire.com..

Justin Hollins can return to practice immidiately. They have 21 days to return him to 53 man active roster.

Lets take a look at our players on injured reserve....

RB
Cam Akers - maybe back for playoffs
Raymond Calais - done for year
Xavier Jones - done for year
Jake Funk - done for year

WR
Robert Woods - done for year
Tutu Atwell - done for year
Jacob Harris - done for year

TE
Johnny Mundt - done for year

LB
Justin Hollins - expected back week 13-15
Travin Howard - was expected back around week 13

DL
Sebastian Joseph Day - possibly back by playoffs

We have some light at the end of the season tunnel possibly... mostly for the defense and coverage units.

For running backs, Cam Akers being back would be a huge boost for our offense but I think expectations should be light for that. Calais, Jones, and Funk were all expected to be return men at some point and has left us in a funk in that regards and helped us lose the game against Packers thanks to Koski's fumble.

Wide receivers we have no light here unfortunately. To add to this OBJ, Skow, and Koski are all dealing with nagging/lingering injuries now. If we have no more serious injuries we can get by with what we have but has also hurt special teams. There is no room left for injuries here.

Tight End we're learning how important Mundt was as our only option as a blocking TE behind Higbee. Our offense has been handicapped since he went down and there's no help in sight. Higbee goes down we're so beyond screwed here. Unless the mystery of the disappearing Hopkins can be resolved this is a scary ticking timebomb.

Linebacker might see an improvement soon. We'll get Howard back who is a very good core special teams guy which we all know can use a serious influx in talent. Hollins was our second best LB'er before Miller came over and will only help our defense. I know the experiment with him at ILB didn't go well in Denver but he was still raw/young. Maybe being well versed in this defense and being a veteran now he can step in and take over for Reeder majority of the time when Von Miller is on the field? Upgraded play there would be huge. And with Obo playing very well as of late and Lewis there is a much bigger need in the middle than outside.

Sebastian Joseph Day is another quiet hit to our defense. He's probably our best run defender on the line and was having a decent impact in pass rushing as well. Gaines is having a great year which has helped ease this but it's forced us to rely on Robinson a lot more which, at times has shown flashes, I think overall our DL play would be much better off with SJD back in the lineup for the playoffs.

Overall, not great but at least we should get better by end of season if we can avoid anymore major injuries. The loss of Akers, Mundt, and Woods seriously killed what McVay wants to do on offense though. Hopefully they can figure something different out soon.

Yes, another dusty opinion from an old codger, but listen to me for a spell, my younger friends. When I was really young in 1970, I couldn't be bothered with any television show without action. Even if I didn't have a bedtime by 8pm at six years old, I would have been bored stiff by the following interview of actor, director, writer, Orson Welles on the Dick Cavett Show.

Cavett had been an accomplished comedic writer and personality for quite a few years by 1970. He had been a writer for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show, before branching out to become Johnny's competitor on late night, on a different network. Cavett was witty and smart. Carson had a more fun show than Cavett, but I think Cavett was a better interviewer than Johnny. The thing about Dick Cavett, was that he LISTENED and was interested in a guest's responses to his questions and wasn't locked into a set of questions. He made conversations interesting, and a case in point is the interview with Orson Welles.

Orson was the grandson of Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles from the Civil War. He was a cerebral Forest Gump, well before that movie. His mother died when he was seven and his father died when he was fifteen years old, but he knew people that you wouldn't guess. He knew Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt as a young boy and as a young adult. He backpacked through Austria and Germany as a young lad and by chance saw Adolph Hitler at a Nazi rally, when the Nazis were an insignificant backwater group. He sat right next to Hitler on the dais, but could remember nothing about him. He described Hitler as as a colorless, empty suit. This all came out in an interview that lasted almost 60 minutes without commercials, on a show that lasted 90 minutes when it originally aired. What a fascinating man Welles was!

Do yourself a favor; pour yourself a drink and watch the first 15 minutes of this video and I would wager that you would end up watching the whole show. I am a historian and so I am fascinated by his first hand stories concerning important people of his time and some other stories from those you wouldn't know but were even more interesting than the famous ones! I have the patience now to thoroughly enjoy a show like this one, now that I am older. What experiences do you value now, but couldn't when you were young?

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In 2018, a funny thing happened on the way to the Super Bowl…

Todd Gurley, was on an MVP pace for much of the season. Then, during the latter stages of the season and into the playoffs, he succumbed to a combination of injury/wear and tear, and his usage dropped substantially.

In came CJ Anderson off the scrap heap and, with fresh legs, he replaced Gurley in the final two games, and out-carried him 46 attempts to Gurley’s 24 in the playoffs.

This year, Darrell Henderson has held up reasonably well in a feature role, but is showing signs of wearing down. Meanwhile, Cam Akers is potentially nearing a point where he could return.

Could Cam provide a late season spark with fresh legs and urgency and, if he does, could that move the needle on the Rams’ playoff odds?

I, for one, am hoping to watch the Rams rally around Cam and play good football.

I just wanted to say I’m truly sorry about the loss of Otis Anderson. I heard what happened and our thoughts and prayers are with you guys.

When the Rams get the ball, they are productive.

Don't believe me?

Here are the Rams' yards/drive and points/drive #s (and rankings):

Yards/Drive: 38.05 (3rd/tied)
Points/Drive: 2.69 (3rd)

So why are the Rams not scoring more? Well...

Average Time of Possession: 27.5 minutes (29th)
Total Offensive Drives: 111 (27th/tied)

While some of these stats can be explained by a positive factor - quick scoring drives - I think that overall, and particularly in recent weeks, it has been due to the "bend don't break" defensive approach that is allowing teams to eat up yards and clock. Its keeping the offense off the field.

Look at last Sunday. The Packers' first drive lasted 15 plays and ate up more than half a quarter (8:08). Even though it didn't result in points, it kept the Rams' offense from getting back on the field and getting into a rhythm. Even worse was the opening drive of the second half, which ate up over half the quarter (7:42), and resulted in a Packer TD.

The Rams need to alter their approach and pressure defenses with tighter man coverage (particularly on 3rd down). While this could result in the occasional big play over the top, that would be better than the "death by a 1,000 cuts" we've been seeing.

At least the offense would get more chances which, statistically speaking, would lead to good things.

To combat the gloom and doom, I've chosen to focus on the positive, and hope it begins an uplifting tread leading up to and after we smoke the Jags.

So here I go.

Remember Greg the Leg? Remember how when he kicked it, your heart skipped a beat since it looked way off, but sometimes would curve back in? Remember the other times it curved outside the posts?

Well my positivity is focused on Gay, who has a strangely comforting impact on me as he consistently hits a perfect ball dead center nearly EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

God Bless him.

NOTE: Sorry, I'm late with these due to traveling.

1. Disappointing Sunday at the end of what was otherwise a great sports weekend for me (Michigan - son's alma mater - beat OSU, Virginia Tech - daughter's alma mater - beat Virginia, Miami Heat beat Bulls).

2. The Rams are good enough to beat the Packers, but not with mistakes that give them three drives that start inside the 30 and a pick 6.

3. The defensive scheme is a big problem. Its almost like we play prevent for the entire game.

4. If you think of it, that scheme is the worst possible scheme for this team. It keeps our offense, which is more potent than recent scores would suggest, off the field. Moreover, it keeps our pass rushers, who were getting into the Packers' backfield consistently, from getting home.

5. As many have noted, Troy Reeder was just awful. His coverage was terrible and he missed several tackles. There needs to be a change there.

6. OBJ showed us a flash of what he could be and, thankfully, his back is okay.

7. It is more than fair to suggest that we kept the wrong punter this offseason.

8. The 3rd and 1 running play to Henderson on the final scoring drive was downright embarrassing. How someone as smart as McVay could do something that stupid is beyond me.

9. I like Van Jefferson, and he made some plays on Sunday, but he needs to learn to come back for the ball and make DBs play through him.

10. That said, the refs were keeping their flags in their pockets on DB infractions all day for both teams, so I'm not sure he would have drawn penalties if he had boxed out more.

11. Injuries have been a particularly big factor this year. Obviously, it starts with Cam Akers, who would have made a big difference this season, and continues with SJD and Robert Woods.

12. It does not end there, though. The decimation of our rookie class has impacted key depth areas and special teams. That is a big problem for a team that relies on late round picks for those roles.

13. As for the Stafford "injury" reports, I really have nothing to say. I don't know how he is truly feeling, and neither do you. I don't know how it is impacting his game, and neither do you. Let's be honest... he's been making "wow" throws (all 3 TDs) and head-scratchers lately. Is that the result of "injuries," or just pressure. Feel free to guess. I'm not going to bother.

14. The negativity from the world of talking heads is not surprising. They are weather vanes. They point where the wind blows. If, in 3 weeks, the Rams are 10-4, the same people mocking our team will be lauding the "all in" approach.

15. As for the fans (particularly those active on internet forums), the dread and dismay is also not surprising. The question is... can you handle what this team is right now?

16. And what is this team? Well, for one, its a playoff team. That is simple math. Even if we split the final 6 games, we'll make the playoffs.

17. I'll take it one step further. In a few days, the Rams will be 8-4 after easily beating the Jaguars (who are tailor-made for our team and will be playing in our house). The team will be feeling relief and added confidence, and will be poised to clinch a playoff spot well before the final week. So, the question is... how good can the Rams be in a month?

18. I'm fine with that. I'm resigned to the fact that, absent a collapse by the Cardinals, the division title is probably out of reach. I'm okay with going into the playoffs as an underdog. I still have hope for a "lightning in a bottle" run.

19. I also realize that, just one month ago, my aspirations were much higher. But there are no sure things, and I'm just glad to still be in the mix (ask Seahawk fans how they feel).

20. So, if the bandwagon has fewer riders, that's fine. I don't mind the leg room.

By his own father:

Again, if you care about such things. Not many surprises here other than maybe Scott. Tyler Higbee had a really bad November... him having a December like he did a couple of seasons ago would go a long way in helping this offense. Offensive line seems to be grading out well in the run game. Obo has had a really nice November in his limited pass rushing role.

Rams PFF grades: Best and worst performers in Week 12 loss to Packers​

Despite throwing a pick-six, losing two fumbles and failing on fourth-and-1 from their own 29-yard line, the Rams still managed to only lose by eight points to the Packers on Sunday. It’s not a moral victory in the slightest, but it’s an example of just many mistakes they made in a game that they could’ve won.
Matthew Stafford played poorly, the defense struggled to slow down Green Bay and the running game never really got going, leading to lower grades from top to bottom on Pro Football Focus’ scale.
There were only a few standout performers in Week 12 and a bunch of players who disappointed by failing to step up in the biggest game of the season.

Top 3 offense

• WR Cooper Kupp: 90.1
• C Brian Allen: 84.8
• RT Rob Havenstein: 69.3

Kupp didn’t catch a pass until late in the second quarter but he still finished with seven receptions for 96 yards. He didn’t have any drops and gained 42 yards after the catch, leading the team in that department.
Allen allowed just one pressure on 42 pass-blocking snaps, but where he really excelled was in the running game where he earned an 88.2 grade. Though he’s had his share of underwhelming performances, Allen has played surprisingly well this season.
Havenstein gave up five pressures and didn’t seem to have a particularly good game against the Packers, but his 80.5 run-blocking grade helped. He had some trouble with Preston Smith on the right side of the line.
Top 3 defense

• DT Aaron Donald: 90.8
• OLB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo: 85.7
• S Nick Scott: 83.9

Donald tied for the team-high with four stops and also had five pressures, second only to Von Miller. He was a force as a pass rusher, continuing to prove he hasn’t dropped off at all in that department since turning 30.
Okoronkwo only played 18 snaps and rushed the passer eight times, but he generated three pressures and made two stops. That’s a highly productive game for a guy who barely played.
Scott surprisingly graded out well for PFF, making four tackles and allowing just one catch for 8 yards in coverage. He did drop an interception, though, which would’ve been a big play in the game.
Bottom 3 offense

• RB Darrell Henderson Jr.: 56.8
• LG David Edwards: 54.4
• TE Tyler Higbee: 52.4

Henderson forced only one missed tackle on his 16 carries, gaining a respectable 55 yards. He’s struggled to break tackles all season and he didn’t do much to impress against Green Bay.
Edwards gave up three pressures and was given a pass-blocking grade of 48.6, the lowest of the Rams’ offensive linemen.
Higbee earned the highest pass-blocking grade on the team with a 74.2 mark, but he only caught one pass for 3 yards on five targets – though that wasn’t necessarily his fault. Matthew Stafford missed him badly on a perfect corner route where Higbee broke wide open behind the second level of the defense.
Bottom 3 defense

• OLB Terrell Lewis: 54.1
• S Taylor Rapp: 48.4
• LB Troy Reeder: 46.6

Lewis rushed the passer eight times on his 22 snaps but didn’t record a single pressure and only assisted on one tackle.
Rapp made a big mistake when he took a terrible angle on Randall Cobb’s 54-yard reception, allowing a huge gain to the veteran receiver. He also missed one tackle and allowed four catches on five targets.
Reeder was the weak link on defense and was clearly the focus of Green Bay’s offense. He allowed six catches for 65 yards and a touchdown on seven targets in coverage and missed three tackles on the day. He’s become a liability in the middle of the field and teams are targeting him with a great deal of success.
Other notables

• S Jordan Fuller: 74.3
• OLB Von Miller: 72.2
• WR Odell Beckham Jr.: 61.5
• QB Matthew Stafford: 58.8
• CB Jalen Ramsey: 56.1

Fuller hasn’t really made any spectacular plays but he’s been steady and reliable as the last line of defense. He made seven total tackles in the game and broke up two passes, including a deep shot over the middle.
Miller led the team with six pressures and had an 81.7 run defense grade, the best on the Rams this week. He’s showing why the Rams paid up to acquire him mid-season.
Beckham made one big play, a 54-yard touchdown, but wasn’t much of a factor otherwise. He’s still learning the offense and will need time to get fully acclimated.
Stafford had his second-worst game of the season with a 58.8 grade, throwing a pick-six, losing a fumble and making three bad throws, according to PFF. It felt like far more than that, especially considering the Packers dropped two interceptions and he threw behind his receiver about four times.
Ramsey’s 56.1 grade was also his second-lowest of the year, allowing seven catches on seven targets for 48 yards. PFF pinned him with two missed tackles, as well, so it was a game he’d probably like to forget.

Lincoln Riley bolting Oklahoma for USC
And now word is out that Brian Kelly is leaving the Irish for LSU
Wow!

Listening to this interview with Demarco Farr and JB Long McVay sounded insincere to me. Using the same typical McVay lingo - his face seems defeated to me. Where is the passion? Where is - I am going to kick their asses all this week. He needs to say something.

He defaults to:

Lot of things we can takeaway from yesterday some of the similiar themes hurt us and hurt our ability to get the outcome we desired
Love this group love this team
During these tough times you need to look inside out more than ever our guys stay connected
Love the energy on the sideline
Our football philosophy our way of winning football games
We expect to go play and get the result we desire

Blah Blah Blah

All typical McVay speak nothing has changed. Very rarely does he says the team needs to improve.

Me I am benching Reeder he is an absolute liability

I am firing Morris - should have been gone before bye - he has no ability to adjust. He puts his players in bad positions and is too soft and too predictable. Watch a Belichick Defense they are always moving around hugging the LOS and you never know who is coming.

I am firing DeCamilla he puts Koski in why. Fake FG why when we have 8 yards to go and no time on the clock just dumb. No returns this year we have a punter who has declined in yardage not to mention shanks.

McVay needs to be way more deciplined immediately with his players he is so young he he is trying to bro with them instead of run the team hence all the stupid penalties, bad tackling, poor run d, not making adjustments before the bye. Thinking OBJ and Miller would right the ship is fools gold when it is clear there are way bigger issues.

To do nothing and think we are going to right the ship is ridiculous the problems aren't going away.

What would you do today?

Been waiting since 67 to attend a Ram game in Lambeau. Became a fan when we blocked Donnie Andersons punt in comeback win with Gabriel hitting Casey for winning TD. Roman became my favorite Ram that day.
Attended the game with entire family of 9 and it was an incredible experience.

Flew into Chi town from So Fla Friday night and spent the night there eating, drinking and playing pool as the city was buzzing on thanksgiving Friday.

Saturday got up and drove around for a bit stopping by Wrigley and Navy pier before heading to Green Bay in 2 cars.
20 minutes from Green Bay it started snowing, perfect.
Went on stadium tour for 90 minutes at 3:30 after eating bratwurst and having some cold ones in atrium there. Tour was awesome and then to their hall of fame area which was also awesome.
Off to packed sports bar for late Saturday college football games. Then over to title town where we tossed a football for hours on a lit up full sized field right next to Lambeau with fireworks going off from Lambeau roof top.

Sunday arrived at Johnsonville tailgate village at 11 for a tremendous tailgate experience. Inside there was a band, more bratwurst and 35 large screens to watch the early games. Went outside at half time as it was packed with fans and music on a sun soaked afternoon. It was literally at the base of the steps to the stadium. Tossing a football wearing my Roman Gabriel jersey where I got a lot of fellow Ram fans as well as Packer fans acknowledging and had a beer with a fan wearing a Deacon jersey.

Went in at 2 for a 3:25 start. Field was bright green and sun flowed over stadium as players started coming out to warm up. Sat 5 rows behind Packer bench on 40 yard line. Game was great despite our inability to play consistent error free football again. Fans were awesome, many Ram fans there and just an electric day.
Obviously would have opted for a better outcome but the experience was one that we will all remember forever. My oldest son is a die hard Packer fan so I was happy for him and glad I got to cross off one of the top of the bucket list items for me. We waited for what seemed like the prefect year to go as both teams were primed coming in.

I highly recommend for anyone to attend a game there as the history is like no other and the fans there know how to throw a party. I even had to yell Go Pack Go during the tour but not during the game lol.

If you get the chance, find a way to make it there.