Switched TB-LAR...after occupying the top spot last week he has the Rams at two and Bucs at one.

And all four NFC West teams still in the top 10 (AZ #6, SF #5 Sea #10).

Will post when available...

Captain Obvious, I know.

But think about it. Bucs are firing on all cylinders in all 3 phases. They are better than their SB version at this time last year. Not hard to make the case that they’re the best team in the league right now. Far as I know, they’re still healthy and enjoying all 22 healthy starters from their SB winning roster.

Meanwhile, Rams seem thin at RB with Hendo extremely doubtful.

This Morris D has sputtered at times against teams that are no match for what the Bucs bring to bear. Allowed far to many big gash plays both run and pass. But for those 2 amazing goal line stands vs Colts we lose that game.

And Rams various ST units, except for Gay, have sputtered. I mean, they’ve embarrassed themselves multiple times.

Only way I see Rams beating these current Bucs is by playing an inspired and mistake free game from start to finish executing a helluva gameplan created by these fine Ram coaches. Nothing less will do.

And pray that Michel does not suffer any injury. Gulp…

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it" - Ferris Bueller

I'm going to really try to live by these words this year and enjoy each moment of what could be a special season.

The Rams have a team that is talented enough to compete for a title. Can they do it in a season in which they have captured headlines by trading for a new franchise QB, can look forward to playing the Super Bowl (if they make it) in their new stadium (in the first year in which fans can attend), and do so just as Hollywood celebrates the greatest Rams season ever with a biopic about Kurt Warner?

There are no guarantees, but I'm going to try to savor every moment along the way.

That can be harder to do than to say. As a fan, I'm always a bit worried, concerned about personnel issues, and tempering my optimism with caution. I agonize during close games, and brood a bit when the losses come. I know I can't change all that, but I really want to try to stop, look around, and appreciate the ride that we may be on.

If it doesn't work out, so be it.

But if it does, I don't want to miss it.

It seems that Raheem Morris' defense is about limiting explosive passing plays and is willing to give up running plays and short passes. I don't think this will work against Tom Brady, since he can dink & dunk with the best of them. Brady also has Gronk as his relief valve, which is infuriating. Aaron Donald will have trouble getting to Brady because the Tampa oline is pretty good AND Brady will get rid of the ball too fast for AD to get there. Morris is going to have to return to Staley's defense a bit more by NOT giving 10 yards to Buc WR's, as we have seen them do vs Chicago and Indy.

The Buc defense has not been lights out, thus far, plus they have never played against a Stafford led, Rams offense. If Brady and Stafford get rolling, this could be a shoot out. I have to admit that I am a little concerned about this game, and I hope Rams fans show up big time in SoFi and make Tommy shyte his pants.... This is a huge game, imo.

.

Josh Allen has completed 33.3 percent of his pass attempts of 10-25 yards through Week 2.​

That marks a massive drop off from Allen's intermediate passing accuracy in 2020, a key to his development as a passer. Last year, Allen completed 62.5 percent of his attempts between 10 and 25 yards beyond the line of scrimmage -- a 12 percent improvement over his 2019 numbers. "This has been, by far, the most significant swing of Allen’s passing profile," said The Athletic's Joe Buscaglia. "While some throwaways need to be accounted for, this is still not what you want to see." Allen's adjusted completion rate, as measured by Pro Football Focus, has also dipped in the young 2021 season. His adjusted completion rate stands at 69.4 percent, about 10 percent lower than his 2020 rate. The results of his early-season passing regression are evident in his fantasy output. Allen is the QB19 through Week 2.

SOURCE: The Athletic
Sep 21, 2021, 9:20 AM ET

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Last night after JG had fumbled and threw an INT...Detroit had fallen apart and Aaron Rodgers is still throwing 14 yard completions, like a 15 point lead wasn't enough midway through the 4th quarter. I found myself thinking...

"What a dick."

I know that the Rams would have started running the ball almost exclusively to run out the clock. Rodgers and the Packers are in the same circumstance would like to run up the score, it seems. If I was a betting man, the Rams would always scare me because Sean doesn't care if he wins by one point or by twenty, and will give up the ball with a vanilla running attack instead of risking an INT when the game is in hand.

Which is better, assuming that you don't have real money on the table or need fantasy points?

Troy Reeder picks good time for first NFL interception​

INDIANAPOLIS – The Colts appeared on the verge of breaking through and scoring their first touchdown of the game, but Rams linebacker Troy Reeder had other ideas.

Watching Colts quarterback Carson Wentz before and during the snap on 3rd and goal from the Rams 3 early in the second quarter, Reeder moved to his left, then dove in front of Wentz's shovel pass toward tight end Jack Doyle for the interception.

"They were running kind of a tricky goal line play with the option with the shovel pass, so we were pretty excited that it was a scouted look, we saw it," Reeder said. "The last thing you're thinking about is making the pick. I think sometimes that's how big plays happen, is you're in the right place at the right time and then get the big play out."

For Reeder, it marked the first interception of his NFL career. He also added four total tackles and one pass breakup to his stat line in Sunday's 27-24 win at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Picking off a quarterback isn't necessarily knew to Reeder, given his four career interceptions during his three seasons at Delaware. He also had eight pass breakups, so making plays in coverage isn't out of the ordinary for him.

In this instance, his first pick as a pro not only prevented the Colts from reaching the endzone, but also directly led to points for the Rams: Kicker Matt Gay drilled a 34-yard field goal at the end of the ensuing series to give the Rams a 10-3 lead nearly eight and a half minutes later.

"That was dope. I didn't even realize that was his first interception of his career, because he's had good games since I've been here," Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey said. "I know he had a great game last year when he was asked to step up in roles. Honestly, every time he's been asked to step up, he stepped up, so I didn't even really notice that that was his first career interception. But definitely happy for him. It came in a key moment in the redzone. It was an amazing call by coach, and we executed it."

It was also emblematic of the Rams defense's ability to come up with key plays at opportune times throughout a chaotic road game.

"In a perfect world, you're just really stopping people and stuffing them, and giving them no life and choking them out, but ultimately they came away with no points," Rams head coach Sean McVay said. "I think that at some point, you're going to have to be able to display that toughness and that ability to just continue to play each and every single snap, move on from one snap to the next. Our guys have done that."

Who’s up, who’s down?

Up?

Reeder (ILB): It’s more than the goal line pick. His trajectory has steadily gone up since he first started sniffing playing time. He tended to be late to the party but made the occasional good play and was a good tackler. The more he plays, the faster he’s reading and reacting. He’s already (IMO) an anchor out there on defense.

Kupp (WR): Duh! We as Rams fans know all about him, but really, all you would hear elsewhere was a QB’s preference to throw to him on 3rd down. The YAC, man. Not only has he been leading the NFL for years, but most of those yards are earned with defenders in front of him. It’s not always about getting behind everybody. Did you see that spin move to get that last couple yards for a late, critical 1rst down?

Ramsey (DB): another Duh! But every week I watch this guy two 1rst rounders looks like a no brainer. A shutdown corner is one thing, but he’s a lot more.

Michel (RB): He’s looking good. Thank the football Gods. We’d be up against it, otherwise.

Hollins (OLB): A very steady player. Not one criticism has been tossed his way and for good reason.

Allen (C): I always felt he was thrown into the starting role too early. This might’ve been the guy we’d have seen had the Rams been able to wait until his 3rd season


Down?

Jefferson (WR): He isn’t doing anything to show me he’s better than last year. It’s not just a key drop, but even his big TD catch in the opener bounced off of his face mask. He’s just not impressing me so far.

Floyd (Edge): now, now, just hear me out. Despite a big 4th down sack, he’s been pretty invisible. He hasn’t shown he’s up to speed yet. That’s ok if he’s just starting slow, he can put it together next week in a game when we’ll really need him. I have faith he will jump to the other list at some point. I hope it IS next week.

Fuller (DB): Is it the new scheme? He still makes an occasional “reminder” play, but he’s just not making enough. Again, not really worried because I know he’s better and is gonna show it at some point.

Hekker (P): We traded the right guy, right? C’mon Johnny, snap out of it. You’re better than this.

Anybody else you would like to add to these lists? I’m keeping in mind it’s only 2 games in and there’s a lotta football left, so there’s no reason why things can’t change.

I’d love for Tank Bigsby to be on the Rams roster right now. Unfortunately he is only a sophomore. He is a tough runner with good vision.

Jarquez Hunter is only a Freshman.

These two are worth watching. If you have a chance check out a little Auburn football. I bet Snead is looking with interest.

He would look good helping AD. He’s got 8 QB pressures for the Panthers. One of which led to a turnover.

He was a relatively cheap signing. It’s too bad the Rams didn’t value him more.
Who would you rather have? Fox or A’shawn Robinson right now? Or maybe Fox and Brockers over Robinson? Fox’s early return for Carolina is looking like a great investment, while the Rams likely 6 th round comp pick for losing him is looking like a bad one.

So far JG is goin toe to toe with Rodgers, boy if he beats the packers, a) packer fans and the media will lose their shit, and ,b) Ram fans and media will be givin McVay the side eye.

New Kurt Warner , American Underdog trailer tonight on on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Battle of Heavyweights....

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I didn't agree with the ejection. Simply put... I think intent needs to be considered when tossing a player for "contact with an official". I don't believe that Kenny meant to touch that ref's hat in the slightest... he grazed his hat after the official came up behind him and started grabbing at KENNY. The ref made contact with KENNY from behind as there was all kinds of extra curricular activity going on in that pile of players. Obviously Kenny was HIGHLY PISSED about something that happened at the end of that play. Players don't freak like that over normal game violence.

When that ref made contact with Kenny from behind, he had no idea that it was a ref grabbing him. Hell, there were colt players all around him and it could have been one of them for all he knew. Helmets do restrict your peripheral vision. Once he realized finally that it was a zebra grabbing him... Kenny walked away immediately.

Grazing a refs hat as he physically grabs YOU from behind during an obvious dust-up should not be something a player is tossed for. Kenny clearly did not mean to graze his hat and I think he thought it was a colt player who was grabbing him.

Refs shouldn't jump into shit like that and not expect to receive some incidental contact from highly agitated players in the heat of the moment. If they are permitted to physically grab players... it should be understood that incidental contact could come to them as a result. Either that... or they shouldn't be allowed to touch a player at all.

It's completely different when a player means to make contact with an official. That shit is bush-league and should never be tolerated. What Kenny did yesterday was nothing like that if you're asking me. He did not intentionally make contact with that dumpy ref... he accidentally grazed his hat after being grabbed from behind by the ref first. Reasonable judgement needs to be used in cases like that. No fucking way did he purposefully make contact with that ref. It's very easy to see the difference.

For those of you who are going to disagree with my stance here... you should know that my oldest son @Ramrasta didn't agree with me yesterday while we watched it together either. His wife however, agreed with me. She didn't see Kenny meaning to graze the hat either.

I'm not trying to change anyone's opinion on this as far as if his ejection was justified... but I am saying that refs should NOT be permitted to make purposeful contact with a player at all if reasonaable judgment is not going to be used if a player makes incidental contact with a ref afterwards.


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Hopefully, McVay has been saving a few things for the Bucs that he didn’t want on film vs Bears and Colts.

I’m praying that Morris has, too.

Sloppy tackling in these first 2 games will kill us if continues against the Bucs. This may be Job One for Morris this week.

DeCamillus has got lots of work to do, huh? Other than Gay, our ST have been underwhelming. Scarcely better than Bonamego, tbh.

Stafford will need all his skills vs the Bucs. Not that he can’t do it, but that his A game will be required in this one.

Michel kinda impressed me when he was thrown in there. Lots to be said for a RB that gets 4 yards a pop consistently.

Hendo just can’t stay healthy, can he? Lasted just 7 quarters into the season. Hopefully, it’s nothing major. But is it time for Snead to go to Plan C for this RB room?

Our OL is playing well. Ironic since that was a big offseason concern. If McVay turns them loose I think we could have a helluva running game and they’re already good in pass pro.

Anybody missing Blythe? Me neither.

Bucs will no doubt sell out to contain Kupp so others must pick up the slack. Might get a taste of DJ going deep this week.

More Higbee targets, please. Unleash the Higbeast!

The immobile Brady will not do well if Rams can pressure him as they did Wentz. Like, about 5 sacks, don’t you think?

I applaud Morris for his scoring D but I dislike the bend not break aspect of his D. Takes away too many possessions from Stafford and this potent Ram O. More attacking, please. This Ram D is loaded with players built for aggression so why not take full advantage? Yeah, 2-0 is nice but it would be so much nicer with less drama. I crave Ram blowouts, dammit!

Is Hekker injured? Nothing else would properly explain his performance. And that fubar of a punt attempt was one for the record books. Screwups simultaneously by Orzech, Scott, and Hekker. Not to mention that Hekker did not enthusiastically attempt to fall on that ball in the end zone. That could have been the ballgame right there. Sigh…

Did I mention that Ram tackling has GOT to improve?

Thank goodness this Buc game is at home.

I understand that refs can’t call holding on AD every single play. I get that. But the blatant chokehold ones are not being called either? Really? It’s a travesty.

Kenny Young learned a hard lesson in a very public venue, didn’t he? Doubt he ever forgets it, either.

No disrespect intended to other Ram players, but where would we be without Stafford, AD, Kupp, and Ramsey yesterday? Think about it.

Well, on a positive note, Rams did beat 2 ‘pretty good’ teams in the Bears and Colts. That’s no small thing, certainly. But the Bucs are the defending SB champs and a whole different order of magnitude as a challenge. IOW, this test will tell us a lot about where Rams stand in the NFC pecking order in terms of coaching, players, and gametime adjustments. Can’t wait.

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Got to love how all these take ownership to be better to help the other guy. And Stafford man this guy is just cool under pressure. Been there done that so lets do it again!

This one comes from the folks at ProFootballReference.

Pressure %, defined as hurries/QB hits/sacks allowed, as a percentage of pass attempts.

2020: 20.0%
2021: 6.8%

Of course, 2021 is a small sample size, but this is a trend that bodes well for the Rams.

Is it because of better OL play, better QB play, or a more credible deep threat keeping defenders out of the box? Answer: yes.

Another reason I chose this as the Stat of the Week is that there is only one team in the NFL that is allowing a lower pressure rate than the Rams: Tampa Bay Bucs at 6.7%.

QB pressure will be a huge factor in next week's showdown against the defending champs.

Here are the snap counts on each side of the ball from the Rams’ Week 2 win.

Offense




Defense

Hey All,

Just a quick post to give my grades based on reviewing each snap from Yesterdays game. No hard data here just a mostly subjective grade with my reasons.

Overall the Oline played an excellent game. Buckner was tough to deal with when he made his inside moves on Havenstein and Corbs. Other than a few pressures by him there was very little else to complain about with the exception of big Whit getting beat on the inside move for the sack. Luckily Staff took it like a champ and held onto the ball. A lot could be said about the run game and the role of WR's and TE's and the role of the RB's which heavily affects each running play. I am mainly giving grades on the Pass Pro I observed from the 5 O-lineman.

Whit - B+ - Whit cannot be beat around the edge. He still has it. He is still stonewalling edge rushers in the passing game and is still a great technician in the run game. Still getting out and landing key blocks on the RB screens and WR bubble screens such as the big one Kupp had. Whit did get beat inside for a sack but seriously, watch each snap and you will see that was an anomaly to his overall very strong performance.

Edwards - A - I did not see Edwards give up a pressure. He is also getting quicker and more efficient on the stunt tradeoffs. It appears to me he is showing more push in the run game as well. When you watch him it's very difficult to see him blocking the wrong guy or getting pushed back. I think his game has improved a tick from last year.

Allen - B - Allen had a solid game. It was even better than the opener vs the Bears in which he got beat twice. I did not see him beat once in this game. He tends to give up just a tad in pass pro getting pushed back a little, but his technique is really solid. He is also quickly locating and sliding to the pressure and allowing for a solid pocket. I am so happy with how he has improved from 2019 when it was quite the shitshow at times. I guess Mcvay and Carberry knew what they were talking about. I guess I can be wrong once in a blue moon :}

Corbs - B - Corbs was really strong. Had a huge assignment with Buckner and held up pretty good. Got beat one time when Buckner split him and Havenstein and one other time by Buckner when Buck made an inside move then circled back to the QB for a pressure. Corbs continued to show strong run game push. He is in my opinion our strongest run game lineman outside of Havenstein. Lots of great quick response by Corbs on stunts and moving Dlineman.

Havs - B+ - Havenstein cannot get beat outside right now and I swear his technique is improved with his hand usage. Whit must have really got through to him this year because he shows the ability to lock on and stonewall the edge defender most snaps. He can get beat inside and actually was - on at least one play I saw - and then was beat on the Buckner move mentioned above where Buck split Havs and Corbs. Havs gets a B+ because he is also very good in the run game and he is just allowing for a perfect pocket consistently.

Here are my compiled scores from week1 and week2:

Player - Week1/Week2
Whitworth - B+/B+
Edwards - B/A
Allen - B minus/B
Corbett - B/B
Havenstein - A minus/B+

By the way - A massive test next week against Vita Vea, Suh and all those pro bowl LBer's blitzing.

What did the rest of you see?

Monday Night Football: Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers​

A pair of 0-1 teams take the field for "Monday Night Football" as the Packers host the Lions. Green Bay has won four straight in the series, including a 42-21 home win last September and a 31-24 road meeting in mid-December. Aaron Rodgers has had two or more touchdown passes against his division rival in five of the last six meetings.

The Lions made things very interesting last week in their 41-33 loss to the 49ers. The team scored two touchdowns in the last two minutes and had the ball with a chance to tie after recovering a pair of onside kicks. They racked up 430 yards of offense with Jared Goff throwing three touchdown passes and two two-point conversions. Still, for as close as the final score was, the 49ers were able to do whatever they wanted to on offense as they outgained the Lions.

Meanwhile, the Packers were downright embarrassing in their 38-3 loss to the Saints in Jacksonville, Florida. The game was moved out of New Orleans after Hurricane Ida went through the city. Rodgers was just 15-for-28 for 133 yards and two interceptions. He got nothing from his run game, and the whole team looked lackluster on both sides of the ball. New Orleans outgained them by almost 100 yards, and Jameis Winston threw five touchdown passes as well.

Monday Night Football: Detroit at Green Bay

Kickoff: Monday, Sept. 20 at 8:25 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Spread: Green Bay -11

Three Things to Watch

1. Intangibles

With it being Week 2, there aren't a ton of scheduling spots to be aware of. Green Bay is in San Francisco next week for "Sunday Night Football" while the Lions host the Ravens. Weather will not be as much of an issue in Green Bay, as it's projected to be around 68 degrees with a small chance for precipitation. The Lions have not played on a Monday night since Oct. 14, 2019, when they lost 23-22 to Green Bay in Lambeau Field.

2. Week 1 mirage?

Both of these teams are eager to prove their Week 1 results were a mirage and not a foretelling of how the season will go. Obviously, the Packers have a lot more expectations for where their year is supposed to head. All signs are pointing to this being Rodgers' last season in Green Bay, so it's really playoffs or bust for them. The offense won't always be that bad, and they figure to find their footing and a lot more success on Monday. Last year Rodgers threw for fewer than 200 yards twice and followed those efforts up with eight combined touchdowns in two double-digit victories.

3. Week 1 mirage, part two?

When the Lions traded franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford away and brought in Goff, not a lot was expected from the former Rams quarterback who was leaving Sean McVay. Last year, Goff threw for over 300 yards six times and had only two contests in which he had 50 attempts or more. He's already done both of those things once this season, and I don't know how sustainable that is. It feels like a broken record, but the Lions need to establish a run game to keep teams honest and to keep the ball away from them. D'Andre Swift had just 11 carries for 39 yards, while former Packer Jamaal Williams put up 54 yards on nine carries. If they hope to pull off an upset, the run game has to work.

Final Analysis

Let's not take too long to think about this. Green Bay was embarrassed this week and returns home for MNF to a full crowd and the TV spotlight. Detroit acquitted itself well last week, but the Lions won't this week. Rodgers throws for four touchdown passes in an easy victory and all will be good in Green Bay for one week. As Rodgers has said in the past, "R-E-L-A-X relax."

Prediction: Packers 35, Lions 20

Tampa Brady +1.5
O/U 52

Rams -130
Tampa +110

… against us.

Watching him and the OL work against a Seahawk stacked box, and without Saffold playing.

So did I get this right?

UCLA can’t stop a QB at Fresno St that could barely walk but still threw for about 500 yds. He was only playing at Fresno St because Eason beat him out at QB at UW…

Rams were about to get beaten by a QB they couldn’t stop, but he goes out and is replaced by the same Eason, who looked like crap?

I felt like I was watching the UCLA game again until Eason came in. Weird coincidence…