First Look: Rams host Cardinals looking to clinch playoff berth

The Rams (9-6) host the Cardinals (8-7) on Sunday at SoFi Stadium, with both teams fighting to clinch a playoff spot. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:25 p.m. pacific time on CBS.

In advance of the contest, here is your first look at Rams-Cardinals presented by SoFi:

Notable Cardinals additions

• Signed K Mike Nugent to their 53-man roster. Originally signed as a COVID-19 "insurance policy" in mid-September, Nugent would later be elevated from the practice squad twice. After reaching that individual max for elevations, he was signed to the 53-man roster on Dec. 25, less than one week after starter Zane Gonzalez was placed on injured reserve with a back injury. A 15-year veteran, Nugent has made all 13 of his place kicks so far – 7 fo 7 on field goal attempts, 6 for 6 on extra point attempts – in three games played this season.
• Signed TE Seth DeValve to their 53-man roster. Like Nugent and the kicker position, injuries at tight end – plus DeValve hitting the individual maximum of two elevations – led the Cardinals to promoting DeValve on Dec. 25. Dan Arnold (36 of 82) and Darrell Daniels (30) saw the majority of snaps at the position in Week 16, but DeValve did receive 19 plus nine special teams snaps.

Top performers in Week 16

QB Kyler Murray completed 31 of 50 pass attempts for 247 yards with an interception in Arizona's 20-12 loss to San Francisco.

Murray also rushed for a team-high 75 yards on eight carries, but RB Kenyan Drake had the most rushing attempts with 18 for 45 yards.

WR Christian Kirk led all Cardinals receivers with 76 yards on seven receptions, with WR DeAndre Hopkins adding eight for 48.

S Budda Baker paced Arizona's defense with nine total tackles, while LB Haason Reddick added a forced fumble and LB Isaiah Simmons a fumble recovery.

On special teams, Nugent made both of his field goal attempts (long of 43).

Early storylines to watch, and what they mean for the Rams

Last week, the Cardinals needed a win against the 49ers and a Bears loss to the Jaguars to clinch a playoff spot. The Rams, meanwhile, had multiple ways to secure their playoff berth: A win over the Seahawks, a Bears loss to the Jaguars, or a Cardinals win over the 49ers.

All of those results went the opposite direction.

Neither team saw their playoff clinching scenarios fall correctly into place in Week 16, thus setting up a win-and-in scenario for both in Week 17. At least, for the simplest possible route.

For the complete picture this week, the Cardinals can get into the postseason with a win, or a tie and a Bears loss. The Rams need a win or tie, or a Bears loss or tie. But since both Arizona and Los Angeles remain in control of their own fate – and Bears-Packers kicks off at the same time – winning on Sunday remains the easiest way for either team to punch its wild card ticket.

Focusing more on the Rams, they will look to accomplish that with John Wolford starting in place of the injured Jared Goff. It will be the first NFL regular season snaps for Wolford, who showed a strong command of the offense in the 2019 preseason and scrimmages this preseason.

Meanwhile, Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury is "hopeful" his own starting quarterback, Kyler Murray, will be ready to go for Sunday's game after sustaining a lower leg injury in last Saturday's loss to the 49ers. If Murray cannot go, Chris Streveler or Brett Hundley would be the next man up.

There's a lot on the line on Sunday, and it could come down to a battle between two backup quarterbacks.

I know they owe him a lot of money but this is a fair question imo. I think they shorten the leash and give him one more season, but they draft a guy early (2nd or 3rd). What you guys think?

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Noooooo!

Man, back to back weeks and with everything on the line... we didnt show up on O... again.. Check it here.


or on iTunes "Rampage Radio"

In past seasons, I've hated having to wait for other teams to play to see whether or not we've made the Playoffs or not. This season, even with our recent losses, we at least control our own destiny. We win? We're in!



So assuming we handle our business against the Cardinals, here is who we'd play in "Round 2" on the road (according to Playoff Machine), based on the outcome of the GB, NO, and Seattle game results (all playing at the same time Sunday afternoon)...

EDIT: TB added to mix.

If TB loses, we play WFT regardless if any of these games. If TB wins,

GB wins and NO wins and Seattle wins? We play Seattle.
GB wins and NO wins and Seattle loses? We play Seattle.
GB wins and NO loses and Seattle wins? We play NO.
GB wins and NO loses and Seattle loses? We play Seattle.
GB loses and NO wins and Seattle wins? We play GB.
GB loses and NO wins and Seattle loses? We play Seattle.
GB loses and NO loses and Seattle wins? We play NO.
GB loses and NO loses and Seattle loses? We play Seattle.

I think this is right, but my confidence is shaken like a former All-Pro QB at this point.

I've always had a paradoxical emotional reaction to the Rams' success and failure.

When the Rams are winning and start most games as the favorite, I tend to get tense and a bit anxious. I worry that the team won't live up to expectations or will falter against an inferior opponent due to a few untimely mistakes.

By contrast, when the Rams are not expected to win, I'm much more relaxed and am able to go into each game with a vision of a strong performance and an upset victory.

Its why I enjoyed 1999, when we are an upstart nobody expected to go anywhere, so much more than 2001, when we were the prohibitive favorites throughout the season.

This year, we've experienced both. Early in the year, the expectations were tempered, growing with each win. Then, as the season wore on, the expectations grew. With them, so did my stress level (perhaps because, even at our best, I still had misgivings about an offense that can't seem to score 30 points with any regularity).

Now, in the blink of an eye, everything has changed. Our starting QB is down. We could be without out top 2 RBs. And we just lost the division title.

Only one thing... it ain't over. We still have one (very winnable) game left and multiple paths to the playoffs.

But there's no pressure in it. If we falter, nobody will be surprised given our injuries. If we succeed, though....

Don't get me wrong, even an optimist like me can't see this team contending for a title.

But, at least, in the next (hopefully) two weeks and (even more hopefully) beyond, I may not be screaming at the TV quite as much on Sunday. I may have a bit more of a peaceful easy feeling, confident that the Rams won't let me down.

I guess I'm already standing on the ground.

Was lifting when youtube decided to introduce me to this band. This song is freaking epic. Wanted to share.

After The Burial - Lost In The Static

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And if your into pinch harmonics lol they go Wee wuuu wee

After The Burial - Behold The Crown

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Are the injuries the underlying cause of this team falling from the team that got ripped off by the refs against the Bills? The team the dismantled the Pats? The team that beat the Bucs on the road?

Personally, I like the Rams signing (Or, Near Signing) of Blake Bortles! While, He might not be the best QB in the NFL he might just be the best available QB for the Rams to continue/end their season! He has both NFL experience and experience with the Rams! Start Wolford and let him play unless he has major problems and hopefully Bortles will get enough time to catch up with the Rams playbook and practice time with the Offense to give the Rams a fighting chance with their remaining (Hopefully, Several!) games IF he is needed!

Can Stan go to Spanos and offer free rent in exchange for Justin Herbert?

I'll start with Xavier Jones. It's time to give this young man a shot to be our featured back. He's not explosive like Hendy and Akers, but he's got a nice all-around RB game going on with good vision and contact balance. The guy flashed in camp and it's why they kept 4 backs. It's also why they kept him even after they added a return game option to the RB room in Calais.

So let's play him. Give the dude a shot. His squirrely and strong run style leads me to think he might be a solid success-rate type back at this level and there's only one way to find out. Up until the point Akers returns Jones represents potential to help settle down this offense a bit. Now obviously we don't know a thing about his mental grasp of the offense which is crucial for us to do this but he's had all season watching from the sidelines so if he's a competitor the guy will be hungry to get in there and execute.

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The second guy I want to see more of is Jefferson. Reynolds is gone man. The guy had a great opportunity this season to be the WR3 and the dropoff from Cooks in 2018 remains as a cloud over this unit. Continuing to trot Reynolds out there is fucking insanity. He doesn't move the needle at all.

Jefferson offers a potential boost in the passing game. That right now is our greatest need. We can survive the rest of the schedule I think with one of the WRs not being a plus blocker. Promote his ass over Reynolds in terms of snaps please and I think he will give us a few extra instances of wide open and easy throw options per game with his natural separation/route running ability.

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The third rook I want to see is Brycen Hopkins. Rams took this guy 100% due to his advanced route running and passing game benefit, knowing he needs time to develop in the run blocking side of things. But what we need now is passing game potency so maybe it's time to sit another veteran who we know is leaving in FA (i.e. Everett) and give the kid a good strong look to see what he's learned this season.

The Rams' TE group has been very disappointing this season. Queue up the tape and there's a lot of snuffed out TE options with separation being a rarity and that has added to the offense's problems. This kid might be able to help us out there and he sure does look good on slants doesn't he....

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Last but not least is Terrell Lewis. Rams have proceeded carefully with him but he's been injured constantly through his career and we need to give him primary snaps on the blindside in this last game and see what he's got. Now granted Staley has proven to be very bold with rooks and will play the best guy. But I think the "let's be careful with this guy" approach isn't going to work he's either gonna adapt to the pro game and find a way to stay healthy or he's going to join the endless masses of guys who couldn't do it. Put his ass out there and again let's see what he's got.

I vaguely remember something about the Rams offense averaging 30 pts a game for a couple of years there...

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Unless I’m doing something wrong, there’s a chance the RAMS could end up playing the winner of the NFC East. The keys are a RAMS win obviously and a Falcons win over Tampa Bay. This scenario will have the RAMS playing either Washington, Giants, or Cowboys depending on how the NFC East shakes out. The outcome of the Packers Bears game wouldn't matter. Are the RAMS playoff worthy?...but hey, a man can dream right?

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Scenario #1


Scenario #2



Scenario #3

Just to clarify, I don't think Haskins is good. But the Rams are going to need someone to back up Wolford. It's not going to be pretty no matter who they add.

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The Rams' defense is ranked #1 in the NFL. They have truly played great football this year.

Can we keep this going next year? Here's an early look:

Defensive Line
Signed for 2021: Aaron Donald, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Michael Brockers, A'Shawn Robinson, Greg Gaines, Justin Hollins
Free Agents: Morgan Fox (UFA)
We're in great shape here. Almost all the pieces are locked in, and Fox could likely be had for a reasonable price (or replaced by a rookie, if need be).

Linebackers
Signed for 2021: Micah Kiser, Troy Reeder, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Terrell Lewis, Kenny Young
Free Agents: Leonard Floyd (UFA), Samson Ebukam (UFA), Derek Rivers (UFA)
Leonard Floyd is the key here. I'd really like to have him back, but I'm sure he can get more than the $10M we're currently paying him on a 1 year deal on the open market. Perhaps he'll recognize the benefit of continuing his career with Aaron Donald opening things up for him (he's already achieved career highs in tackles, sacks, tackles for loss and QB hits) and sign a friendly deal. If not, I suppose there are others who could thrive with Donald in front of them. Heck, if they could stay healthy, maybe Obo and Lewis are those guys.

Defensive Backfield
Signed for 2021: Jalen Ramsey, David Long, Jordan Fuller, Taylor Rapp, Terrell Burgess, Nick Scott
Free Agents: Troy Hill (UFA), Darious Williams (RFA), John Johnson (UFA)
Re-signing (or, at least, giving a high tender offer to) Darious Williams is a no-brainer. Hill likely departs. That leaves Johnson as the question mark. I really want him back, but he could be too pricey. If the Rams have enough confidence in Fuller, Rapp and Burgess filling the role (or their ability to find another Fuller in the draft), perhaps this is a necessary cut.

In all, I think we're in pretty good shape. We're in a position to bring back at least 8 starters (if you count Ebukam as a starter) and most of the key rotation players (Hill being the most significant loss). Hopefully, we'll keep Brandon Staley too, and the 2021 defense will continue to be a strength of the team.

1. You know the nearer your destination, the more you're slip sliding away...

2. I have no regrets about my guarantee that did not come to pass. I felt it, I said it, I own it.

3. As usual after a loss, the Goff Buzzards are circling. They are not without their right to do so - Goff made some very bad plays that had a major impact on the game - but I fear they are also overlooking the real problem...

4. The OL is bad. There's no way around it. Earlier in the season (when our best lineman was playing), McVay masked the problem with misdirection and surprise (not to mention some favorable match-ups). That only lasts so long. We're not fooling anyone now, and the OL is not winning when it has to just beat its opposition.

5. The goal line stand was a clear example. McVay wanted to just punch it in (I'd say his failure to mix in a pass was misguided and cowardly), and the OL could not make a hole. Blame Goff for a lot of things, but that one is not on him.

6. Defenses have figured out that the deep pass is not really a threat, as Goff has little time to set up and step up, and deep speed is not our WR corps forte. So that's one part of the field they don't have to defend.

7. Defenses have also figured out the roll out plays (which we run because we CAN'T protect Goff in the pocket). They (with good reason) don't fear Goff running the ball, and the DBs are reading the pass options.

8. If McVay wants to run this offense, the only hope in the future is to improve the OL play (particularly between the tackles), so the Rams can win at the LOS, run the ball, set up play action, and give Goff time to do the things that he does well.

9. The injury bug has now really hit. At the time of this writing, Goff's status is unknown, but in doubt. Akers is almost certainly out for the finale, and Henderson may be as well.

10. Time to look up highlight films for Xavier Jones and Raymond Calais.

11. The bigger question mark, of course, is John Wolford. If you say you think you have a handle on how he'd do if pressed into action, you're either a Wake Forest fan, or a liar.

12. If we can get the win (or if the Bears lose to the Packers), will there be reinforcements for the playoffs? A quick return for Goff and Henderson? Akers? Whit? Kiser?

13. The real shame of yesterday is that we still have the Hawks' number - at least when our defense is on the field. With a half-decent offensive performance, we beat them again.

14. Which brings me to an intriguing possibility... a THREE-MATCH? We very well could be seeing that in two weeks, as Seattle could end up with the 3 seed, and we could slot in at No. 6.

15. You have to feel bad for the defense - possibly the best one we've had in 20 years.

16. Can we keep John Johnson and Leonard Floyd? Probably not, but cap management is a funny thing in the NFL.

17. Matt Gay looks like a viable option at PK for next year. Nsimba Webster at KR/PR does not.

18. I'm not going make a guarantee this week, but the Cardinals are really struggling, so I can see us winning and advancing to the postseason next Sunday. The defense is going to have to win this one for us, though.

19. As fans, we get spoiled at times by success, and its screws with our expectations. Kurt Warner's 1999 campaign was a once in a lifetime story - don't put that on Wolford. McVay isn't really a genius - he's a good young coach who took the league by storm, but is still learning his craft.

20. Still, as fans (derived from the word "fanatic"), there's always that spark of hope that something magical is just about to happen...

https://nflcdns.nfl.com/liveupdate/gamecenter/58404/SEA_Gamebook.pdf


Offense

Defense

ST

Going into week 17...

We'd destroy the Pats
We'd beat Brady
We'd have a top 3 Defense
and.....

If we win week 17 we'd be in the playoffs.....

Would you all take it?

Monday Night Football: Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots

Buffalo Bills fans patiently waited, seeing their team bumble through the 21st century while the New England Patriots forged an NFL dynasty. The Patriots won 16 AFC East titles in the past 17 seasons, only losing out to the Miami Dolphins once when Tom Brady tore his ACL in 2008. Through it all, the Bills stumbled through an 18-year playoff drought of their own, failing to win 10 games from 2000-17 while the Patriots did it 16 times.

My, how the tables have turned.

The Bills clinched their first AFC East title since 1995 last weekend; at 11-3, they’re currently in position to earn the No. 2 seed in the conference. The Patriots, meanwhile, were eliminated from postseason contention two weeks early, losing 22-12 to the Dolphins in a game where they couldn’t even muster an offensive touchdown. At 6-8, they’re on pace for their first losing record since 2000, future Hall of Famer Bill Belichick’s first year as head coach.

Certainly, the chaos of COVID-19 wreaked havoc on a Patriots team who struggled to find consistency on offense after Brady’s offseason departure. Across the way, the Bills have seen the value of when your star quarterback clicks; Josh Allen has already passed for 4,000 yards and was rewarded this week with his first career Pro Bowl appearance. It’s a well-built roster stocked for postseason success in the way the Patriots were just a few short years ago.

The Bills come in having much more to play for, but they know all too well a trip to Foxborough is never easy. Can they find a way to put some demons behind them and continue their steady march to the playoffs?

Monday Night Football: Buffalo at New England

Kickoff: Monday, Dec. 28 at 8:15 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN/ABC

Spread: Buffalo -7

Three Things to Watch

1. Will Cam Newton play the whole game?

The Patriots, after a 45-0 explosion against the Los Angeles Chargers, have failed to score an offensive touchdown the past two weeks. That has put Newton's hold on the starting role in jeopardy; he’s thrown for less than 100 yards in two of the last four games, only has five touchdown passes on the year and doesn’t appear to be in the team’s long-term plans.

“I’m not going to get caught up into it or feed into that, knowing that I’m still on a job interview, to be honest with you,” Newton said this week on local Boston radio. “It’s my job to put the best version of me on film and that’s what I plan on doing.”

It would make sense to give Jarrett Stidham another shot soon, considering the second-year player and 2019 fourth-round draft pick has a four-year contract with New England. It’s hard to do worse with Newton lately, who has struggled to get going against playoff teams the past two weeks with solid defenses. Despite his legs, he’s gotten sacked seven times against the Los Angeles Rams and Miami, showing his age while failing to establish the run part of his game. It’s hard to see that trajectory changing against a Bills defense that’s allowed 20 points or fewer in three of the past four games, produced five interceptions during that stretch, and held Ben Roethlisberger to less than 200 passing yards.

If the Bills jump out to a quick lead, will Belichick have a short leash? That adds a small layer of unpredictability here although Stidham has hardly been steady; he’s yet to throw more than a single touchdown in any game this year.

2. Will Josh Allen bounce back from an uneven November performance?

The Patriots defense was pretty effective against Allen despite a 24-21 losing effort on Nov. 1. Allen’s 65.5 QB rating from that game is his worst of the season and he was just 11-for-18, throwing for only 154 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. Top wide receiving target Stefon Diggs caught six of those passes but everyone else struggled to get open.

However, the second time around should be easier without Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore on the field. The 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year was placed on injured reserve this week with a quadriceps injury, further draining an already thin Patriots defense. Allen also is playing better than he has since September, throwing for just eight touchdowns and one interception the last three games while adding two more touchdowns on the ground.

Last week, the Bills totaled a season-high 534 yards against the Denver Broncos and the offense was clicking on all cylinders: passing, rushing, and third-down conversions (9-for-13) while racking up 48 points. It’s hard to see the Patriots stopping that train.

3. Can the Bills establish the run?

The Bills remain Allen-driven on offense, ranked second in the NFL in passing yards per game but just 21st in rushing. However, the Broncos offered a glimmer of hope; running back Zack Moss tied his season high with 81 yards while Devin Singletary added 68 more, including a 51-yarder for a touchdown in garbage time.

It’s important for the Bills to add another facet to their offense as they tune up for the playoffs and a potential matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs' scoring machine. Against the Chiefs on Oct. 19, they had just 84 total rushing yards, 42 of those from Allen, and could only drudge up 17 points. It was a reminder that to win the Super Bowl, it can’t just be Allen, then Allen-to-Diggs all the time.

Considering the weakness in the Patriots’ D, expect the Bills to tinker a bit offensively and try and build on last week's performance against the Broncos. Depending on results elsewhere, it could be the last regular-season game starters play if the Bills “lock” into a seed and choose to use Week 17 as a bye week of sorts.

Final Analysis

The Bills come into the week with momentum, four straight wins, and an infinitesimal chance (however small) at the top seed. The Patriots are simply trying to play for pride, a position neither their team nor Belichick has rarely encountered.

Add in Buffalo’s motivation at kicking the Pats while they’re down and it’s not hard to handicap this one. A win would give the Bills their first sweep of their division rival since Doug Flutie was the starting quarterback in 1999.

Prediction: Bills 35, Patriots 10

First, I don't want to beat a dead horse, but Goff is playing with his head up his arse. The biggest Goff apologist on the planet (his mom/dad/gf?) has to admit he is in a funk.

I will also avoid the fact we need more balanced calls by the refs, because this is a lost cause. Key plays in both the Seahawks and Jets game were only made due to DL being held and/or pulled down with no call. Then to add insult to injury, we get TD runs and other long plays called back for ticky-tack holding calls that even McVay said he'd never seen called like that. This is a fight you can't win, so I won't put it in my list.

With that said, there are other factors that have to change in order for us to get into and play well in the playoffs.

I'll start with offense. The injuries to RB have really hurt us. We need this to get back to Patriots game level (or close) immediately to have any chance. Some of this is luck (quick healing), some of this is improved OL play, some is getting clever in the run scheme, or grabbing a CJ Anderson type to give us that 2018 boost if our guys don't heal up quick. No matter the details, plan and simple, if the run game doesn't improve, we're toast.

The offense also needs answers to the new defensive meta teams use when facing us. If it's throw more, then do it. The problem I see is that this goes against what McVay has instilled in his offensive system and personality. He is dumbing down the offense and rolling Goff out to minimize his reads/mistakes and is preaching to avoid turnovers. However, because the adjustment needed against the defenses that shut down his system include lower percentage plays, Goff is overthinking EVERYTHING as he tries NOT to throw a pick. Which as you see recently, achieves the opposite. McVay needs a plan B. And C.

Next, our special teams are anything but special, unless you mean it in the politically correct sense for those "challenged". At least we're trending up with a FG kicker who kicks high and straight, and can even get distance on kickoffs and hit FGs over 50 as a bonus! Everything else is trending down, even Hekker. We need to clean this up or we will lose most close playoff games.

Our D is fantastic and I have nothing to improve. I just hope they can stay at this level. Only then do we have a chance.

The interest thing about the last two games/losses is the perfect play of our opponents (at least in terms of turnovers). Not. One. Turnover. Hard to win when we give the ball away, and the teams we play never give it up. We had a chance early in this one and dropped a perfect pick six ball that could not have been easier to catch. That has to change as well.

One more thought and a question. I hate the Seahawks, so if GB beats Chicago next week to assure us a playoff game, I will be hoping we take care of the Cardinals because I'd rather play the Seahawks than the Saints right now. Who would you rather play?

Not sure where to go from here. People gonna get their wish for Wolford

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Fuck the seacocks! I need to know what our playoff scenarios are. How do we make it and what keeps us out. Please someone make my night more bearable....

Yesterday's thread went over like a Led Balloon. lol This is GD tho. If you haven't been in there, it's a good place to cheer or vent. As CGI sated in GDT it is less moderated and spontaneous, but all is asked is you be respectful of each other in the room, even if you disagree. No wizzing contests. That's the key.

Also, with many different broadcast forms these days, some may be delayed more than others. If that's the case, and you are a head of others, please refrain from commenting just a bit so others can catch up with their feed.

There are regulars that always show up and are good people. We use to refer to it as Tron's tavern, but I haven't been in that much this year due to work. I'm assuming it's still referred to as that. lol C'mon in and check it out. I'll definitely see my regular friends in there. WHOOOOO ARE WE? RAAAAAAAMMMSSSS ! lol

Linkage for chat room:

https://ramsondemand.com/chat/