I've been watching NFL Pregame programs today and nobody trusts Goff because of his 12 interceptions.

Meanwhile, Wilson has thrown 13 and NOBODY mentions it. It's like they never happened.

I'm curious if the narrative changes if Russ throws us 2 again and Goff plays a clean game.

Actually, I already know the answer. It wouldn't change a damn thing. The Rams defense would get the credit and Wilson's Teflon will remain intact.

Sunday Night Football: Tennessee Titans vs. Green Bay Packers

It's hard to understate the playoff implications of "Sunday Night Football" when the Tennessee Titans come to Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers. Both teams enter Sunday's game atop their division with perilous leads.

The Titans and Colts both enter Week 16 at 10-4 with the former carrying the tiebreaker. But Tenessee ends the season on the road against the Packers and Texans, while the Colts are at Pittsburgh and host the hapless Jaguars. The division might not get sewn up this weekend, but the Titans can at least clinch a playoff spot.

Green Bay, meanwhile, has already clinched its division but holds just a one-game lead over the Saints and Seahawks for the top seed in the NFC, which comes with the only first-round bye. The Packers already have a tiebreaker over New Orleans because of their Week 3 win but would likely lose it to the Seahawks due to strength of victory.

All of this means that both teams — while in good shape for the playoffs — have plenty on the line on top of this being a potential Super Bowl preview. And there's plenty of familiarity, as Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was the Titans' offensive coordinator and play-caller in 2018 before heading north. It should make for a great Saturday nightcap.

Sunday Night Football: Tennessee at Green Bay

Kickoff: Sunday, Dec. 27 at 8:20 p.m. ET

TV: NBC

Spread: Packers -3.5

Three Things to Watch

1. King Henry's quest for 2,000

Plenty of people, including yours truly, scoffed at the idea of paying a running back $50 million over four years with $25.5 million guaranteed, but Derrick Henry has been nearly unstoppable this season. Through 14 games, he's already smashed his previous career-high in rushing yards and is leading the league in carries (321), rushing yards (1,679), and rushing touchdowns (15) for the second straight campaign.

Henry has a chance to become the seventh player — and first since Adrian Peterson in 2012 to break the 2,000-yard mark. Getting 321 yards over the final two games is doable. After all, he's racked up 362 yards in his past two games.

Of course, those performances came against the Lions and Jaguars, who rank 29th and 30th against the run, but Henry has been excellent against stout defensive fronts too. Green Bay ranks 11th in rush defense, and Henry has averaged 122.3 yards in his four games against top-10 units — falling below the century mark only once (75 yards vs. Pittsburgh). And that's not just a function of volume; his 5.2 yards per carry in those games equal his season average.

Henry has been an especially big problem late in games. His yards per carry has increased from 3.8 in the first quarter to 7.1 in the fourth. If the Packers can jump out to a lead and force the Titans to make their comeback through the air, that may be their best opportunity to slow this unstoppable force.

2. Can Green Bay ride play-action to victory?

One of the key ways that Matt LaFleur's arrival in Green Bay has revitalized the Packers offense is by moving back to play-action, where Aaron Rodgers thrived early in his career and essentially every NFL team has found success. The Packers increased their usage from 20.1 percent in Mike McCarthy's final year to 26.1 percent last season, and it has continued to climb in Year Two under LaFleur.

That will be especially important on Sunday night, as the Titans are one of the worst teams in the NFL against play-action. They've been burned several times this season by it, memorably against the Browns in their only loss of the last five weeks, and haven't been particularly great against the pass in general either. They rank 29th in yards per game (276.0), 12th in yards per attempt (7.0), 20th in completion rate (66.0 percent), and 18th in passer rating allowed (93.9).

LaFleur's scheme should be nothing new to the Titans, who have plenty of holdovers from two years ago, but nearly every team has had trouble stopping the Packers' play-action game. In particular, Green Bay has leaned on it in the red zone. Rodgers has eight touchdowns on play-action inside the 3-yard line this season, the most in the NFL.

3. Can any other Packer pass catcher step up?

This is seemingly the burning question for every Packers game, potentially for the last few years too. Davante Adams' production is a given but Green Bay has not been able to develop a second wide receiver.

Marques Valdez-Scantling has shown flashes as a deep threat but has been far too inconsistent. He has as many games with a touchdown as he does with no receptions (four), three of which have come in the last four weeks. And yet he's second on the team with 60 targets.

Robert Tonyan has been a pleasant surprise at tight end, but he has more than 50 yards just three times this season — and has yet to reach 100. Allen Lazard's return also has been welcomed, but he has just 166 yards in five games after missing time due to a core-muscle injury.

The Packers' search this week will be harder than expected a few weeks ago with the return of Titans cornerback Adoree' Jackson, as well. The 2017 first-rounder missed the first 13 games of the season with a knee injury and eased back into action last week when he allowed just two completions for 13 yards on three targets.

Final Analysis

The NFC race looks wide open with flaws in nearly every team, but the Packers have to be considered the favorites, especially if they hang onto the first-round bye. Sticking to their play-action game plan and keeping the ball out of Derrick Henry's hands will go a long way towards securing that. This game should be a fascinating clash of styles and may look different if these teams meet again in February away from Lambeau Field.

Prediction: Packers 31, Titans 30

Sunday, December 27

LATE

Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 p.m. on CBS

Carolina Panthers at The Washington Football Team, 4:05 p.m. on CBS

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys, 4:25 p.m. on Fox

Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. on Fox


SNF

Tennessee Titans at Green Bay Packers, 8:20 p.m. on NBC


EARLY

Atlanta Falcons at Kansas City Chiefs, 1:00 p.m. on Fox

Cleveland Browns at New York Jets, 1:00 p.m. on CBS

Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1:00 p.m. on CBS

Chicago Bears at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1:00 p.m. on CBS

New York Giants at Baltimore Ravens, 1:00 p.m. on Fox

Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans , 1:00 p.m. on Fox

———

ALREADY PLAYED

Monday, December 28

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots, 8:15 p.m. on ESPN

Friday, December 25 – Christmas Day 2020

Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints, 4:30 p.m. on Fox/NFL Network

Saturday, December 26

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions, 1:00 p.m. on NFL Network

San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals, 4:30 p.m. on Prime Video

Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders, 8:15 p.m. on NFL Network

Sunday, December 27

EARLY

Atlanta Falcons at Kansas City Chiefs, 1:00 p.m. on Fox

Cleveland Browns at New York Jets, 1:00 p.m. on CBS

Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1:00 p.m. on CBS

Chicago Bears at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1:00 p.m. on CBS

New York Giants at Baltimore Ravens, 1:00 p.m. on Fox

Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans , 1:00 p.m. on Fox


LATE

Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 p.m. on CBS

Carolina Panthers at The Washington Football Team, 4:05 p.m. on CBS

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys, 4:25 p.m. on Fox

Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. on Fox


SNF

Tennessee Titans at Green Bay Packers, 8:20 p.m. on NBC


Monday, December 28

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots, 8:15 p.m. on ESPN

———

ALREADY PLAYED

Friday, December 25 – Christmas Day 2020

Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints, 4:30 p.m. on Fox/NFL Network

Saturday, December 26

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions, 1:00 p.m. on NFL Network

San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals, 4:30 p.m. on Prime Video

Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders, 8:15 p.m. on NFL Network

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

.

Absolutely electric true freshman who won the Pac-12 Offensive Rookie of the Year. Cause of death was a gunshot wound (police are saying accidental). Only nineteen.

Login to view embedded media

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so apple decided not to provide a charger with their new iphone 12 products. they said it was a move to save on e-waste seeing nobody apparently uses the chargers.

but one minor detail is missing in their propaganda regurgitated by seemingly every news outlet on the internet - the new cables don't have a usb anymore, they come with a type c fast charger. so every single person that buys the phone will have to buy a wall charger with the type c input themselves. at $30 each.

multiply that by the hundreds of millions new phones and apple has just made extra billions for their back pocket.

e-waste my arse.

why do so many people buy form this crappy company with crappy products?

.

Anybody up for it? I'm chilling at home and getting some things done. Dang didn't realize this whiner/Dead Bird game was on Prime only. Finally found it. lol

Link to chat.

https://ramsondemand.com/chat/

Building off the burger thread started by @Loyal

Your favorite? Below are the top 10 in the US.

Lots of great local ones, emerging chains. Pizza, like burgers... lots of ways to do it.

But, of these? I have had 5 of these.

Not sure this deserves its own thread but it is the first big blockbuster to go straight to streaming thanks to covid. Just had to mention it is a gigantic hot mess and I’m glad I didn’t pay theatre prices to go see it. Not sure what it is with DC movies having no good ebb and flow to them.

the first half of the movie was all over the place. Wife and I had to constantly ask each other wtf was going on. The second half was better but still kind of meh. Great cast and the point of the plot is meaningful but direction and writing was very poor I thought. Was very disappointed. Give it 2.5/5 stars.

PRE-GAME THREAD

• Tweets about the game, leading up to the game, players, writers, etc.
• Stats, tidbits
• Game specific insights, Rams and opposing team.
• Weather conditions
• Pregame stuff, quips, articles, previews, prediction stuff (some times there seems more than normal of this type of stuff)
• “Things on the web” that don’t feel they stand alone, but maybe fit here
• Excited about something with the game, maybe you want to shout it here
• Trash talking, general smack
• Unsure where to put something game related, maybe try here
• Going to the game? Tell us! (at least in the future)

ROD Sportsbook

2020 Week 16 Los Angeles Rams @ Seattle Seahawks

Sun, Dec 27 2020, 16:25 ET, FOX

ramsondemand.com

Miami Dolphins vs. Las Vegas Raiders

The Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders have spent much of the year as two of the AFC's big surprises. Neither organization has had a winning season since 2016, and both are nurturing young teams who have grown up much faster than expected. Just a few months ago, no one would have bet on either one sitting in playoff contention entering Week 15 of this chaotic COVID-19 NFL season.

But in the past two weeks, all bets are off for the Raiders in Sin City as they've struggled to maintain early season momentum. Four losses in five games have dropped them to 7-7 and ninth in the AFC playoff pecking order. Even their lone victory during that stretch, against the 1-13 Jets, needed a little extra help in the form of a bizarre defensive blitz on the final play to open up the deep ball. Starting quarterback Derek Carr is nursing a groin injury, and there's uncertainty over whether he'll be able to play.

That creates an opening for the Dolphins to both eliminate their AFC rival and come one step closer to holding that Biggest Surprise title all to themselves. A victory puts them at 10-5 and in position to control their own destiny heading into the season's final week. But can the Dolphins finally beat a decent team in the AFC? Their only victories against teams with winning records came while playing the NFC West's Rams (9-5) and Cardinals (8-6). Considering the Rams lost to those 1-13 Jets last week, that takes a little luster off what was a season-best performance at the time.

It also just goes to show you anything can happen in the parity-filled world of the NFL. Can the Raiders pull themselves together and find a way to keep their fading postseason hopes alive? They'll need to overcome a recent drought, as the Raiders have a 20-18-1 record in this series overall but have lost six of their last seven matchups.

Miami at Las Vegas

Kickoff: Saturday, Dec. 26 at 8:15 p.m. ET

TV: NFL Network

Spread: Dolphins -3

Three Things to Watch

1. Who will start at quarterback for the Raiders?

Chances are increasing Carr will be available to play for the Raiders on Saturday night. After pulling up lame in the first quarter of Thursday's game with the Chargers, his groin injury is healing faster than expected, and the quarterback was a full participant in Wednesday's practice.

That said, Marcus Mariota proved more than capable in a fill-in role; after all, he's the NFL's highest-paid backup at $7.5 million. Mariota showed flashes of brilliance, rushing for 88 yards on nine carries and a touchdown in his first in-game action of 2020. Mariota made some deep throws, too, although a costly fourth-quarter interception nearly cost his team the game against the Chargers. (Las Vegas lost anyway, 30-27 in OT).

Whoever starts needs to take care of the football; a Raiders quarterback has thrown a pick in five straight games. Five of Carr's seven interceptions on the year have come during this recent 1-4 Raiders skid along with six of his 20 sacks. It's been ugly, indeed, for a team whose turnover margin has slumped to -6, tied for 25th in the league and the worst for any organization with a .500 record or better.

2. Can the Dolphins' defense keep rolling?

In some categories, the Dolphins defense seems like they're middle of the pack: ranked 18th overall, 19th against the run, and 18th against the pass. But it's their ability to make the difference in key moments that stands out. Their 26 takeaways lead the NFL, a perfect recipe for the slumping Raiders; nine of those have come in the last four games. Just two weeks ago, the Dolphins' scheme forced leading NFL MVP candidate Patrick Mahomes into three interceptions (he's got just five total on the year).

The Dolphins also lead the NFL in third-down conversion rate allowed (32.63 percent). It's an underrated stat, limiting the ability of teams to sustain momentum after just two bad plays. The Raiders happen to be second in this category on offense (49.14 percent) although the team has struggled in recent weeks; they were a ho-hum 5-for-13 in Thursday's loss.

All of that adds up to one of the NFL's most stunning turnarounds. Fresh off allowing an NFL-worst 494 points last season, a franchise record, the Dolphins now lead in that category through 15 weeks (18.4 points allowed). In their last four games, they've allowed a total of one touchdown to three of those opponents (Jets, Bengals, Patriots) while giving Kansas City a run for their money.

3. Can Tua finally take it to the next level against a weaker defense?

Eight games into the Tua Tagovailoa starting quarterback experiment, the rookie is still finding his footing inside the NFL. In need of a better supporting cast, he's thrown for over 300 yards just once (two weeks ago against Kansas City) and is averaging a middling 6.47 yards per pass attempt. Most numbers are on par with, and in some cases, slightly below the man he replaced in Ryan Fitzpatrick.

The Raiders defense though offers an opportunity for a breakthrough. Two weeks ago, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther was fired after a 44-27 thumping by the Colts and little seemed to improve against the Chargers. They've given up an average of 36.0 points during their five-game streak and have sacked the quarterback just five times.

Limited pressure against Tua should help. The likely return of players such as leading rusher Myles Gaskin (COVID-19), wide receiver Devante Parker (hamstring), and tight end Mike Gesicki (shoulder) puts the Dolphins at near-maximum offensive output. Tua just needs to get them the football in what could be the first-ever NFL matchup between Hawaiian quarterbacks if Mariota starts.

Final Analysis

The Dolphins don't have the offensive firepower to go deep in the playoffs. But their defense is good enough for them to reach the postseason, making this Raiders team an easy target considering how uneven they've played for the past month.

Prediction: Dolphins 27, Raiders 10

San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals

The fight for a playoff berth continues for the Arizona Cardinals when they host their temporary stadium houseguests the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday afternoon at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. This will be the second meeting of the year between these two teams as the Cardinals beat the 49ers in Week 1 24-20 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

Arizona (8-6) survived the "Lincoln Riley Classic" last week as Kyler Murray outdueled Jalen Hurts in a battle of former Oklahoma quarterbacks as the Cardinals beat Philadelphia 33-26. Murray threw for a career-high 406 yards as the Eagles’ defense had zero answers for him. DeAndre Hopkins caught nine passes for 169 yards and a touchdown to continue his big first season out in the desert. While Hurts put up big numbers of his own (401 total yards, 4 total TDs), Arizona’s defense was able to limit Philadelphia to just six points in the second half. A big part of that was getting off the field on third down. The Cardinals held the Eagles to 6-for-18 in that critical situation.

On the other side, San Francisco (5-9) fell 41-33 to Dallas on the road. The 49ers gave up 291 total yards to the Cowboys but turned the ball over four times. Nick Mullens posted 219 passing yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions before giving way to C.J. Beathard, who completed five of seven passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. Kendrick Bourne and Brandon Aiyuk were bright spots as they combined to catch 13 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns between them, but it wasn’t enough as San Francisco lost its third in a row.

San Francisco at Arizona

Kickoff: Saturday, Dec. 26 at 4:30 p.m. ET

TV: Amazon Prime Video/Twitch

Spread: Cardinals -4

Three Things to Watch

1. Arizona offense

Kyler Murray is in an interesting spot this week with the Cardinals getting an opportunity to take a big step towards securing a wild-card berth. In the first meeting with San Francisco back in Week 1, Murray went 26-for-40 for 230 yards, a touchdown and an interception. However, it was his legs that ended up being the difference, rushing for 91 yards and a score on 13 carries in the 24-20 victory. Murray will likely have to do more of the same this time, as neither Kenyan Drake nor Chase Edmonds was that effective in the win over Philadelphia, combining for 73 yards on 21 carries. Murray also has DeAndre Hopkins to throw to. The NFL’s leading receiver (1,324 yards on 103 catches), Hopkins lit up the 49ers for 151 yards on 14 grabs in the first meeting.

2. Can San Francisco play keep away from the Cardinals?

Nick Mullens suffered an elbow injury last week and will miss the rest of the season. C.J. Beathard will take over and while he has plenty of experience under his belt, look for head coach Kyle Shanahan to run the ball a lot. With Raheem Mostert getting shut down for the rest of the season that task will largely fall on Jeff Wilson Jr., who is averaging 4.1 yards per carry and leads the team with six rushing touchdowns. Tevin Coleman and Jerick McKinnon are other possible options, but the former has dealt with injuries (played in just games) while the latter is averaging under four yards per carry, although he has scored six times, five of those coming on the ground. Whoever gets the touches needs to be on the alert for safety Budda Baker. A three-time Pro Bowler following this year's selection, Baker makes plays all over the field, as evidenced by the 15 tackles he racked up in the first meeting. Another potential difference-makers for Arizona’s D is linebacker Haason Reddick, who is among the league leaders in both sacks (11.0) and tackles for a loss (19).

3. How will Kliff Kingsbury respond to coaching in a game with huge playoff implications?

This will be a great opportunity for Arizona’s second-year head coach to show his mettle. The Cardinals have had issues on occasion under Kingsbury where the team has lost games at home that they had no business losing. The best example of this in 2020 is in Week 3, a 26-23 loss to Detroit. In that game, Arizona outgained Detroit 377-322 and had a 23-20 lead after three quarters, but three turnovers proved to be costly. Saturday’s game with San Francisco has the potential to unfold in a similar fashion if Kingsbury doesn’t have his team ready to play from the opening snap. One way to avoid a slow or flat start would be to play aggressive in all three phases of the game. If that happens, the Cardinals should win this game going away instead of having to hang on for dear life late in the fourth quarter.

Final Analysis

It will be a competitive game for a while in the first half as there is too much pride within the 49ers organization for them to completely give up. Still, the toll of being away from their normal home in Santa Clara County has to show up at some point, not to mention the cumulative effect of all the injuries San Francisco has had to deal with this season. Look for the Cardinals to break the game open in the second half by forcing a couple of turnovers with the offense cashing them in. Arizona takes another step towards a wild-card berth by picking up its ninth win of the season.

Prediction: Cardinals 30, 49ers 17

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Detroit Lions

It's a day-after-Christmas NFL tripleheader on Saturday, starting with the Detroit Lions hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. These teams ought to be familiar after also meeting last year at Ford Field when the Bucs easily won 38-17, but the Lions have actually won four of the last six meetings dating back to 2010.

Last time these teams met, Jameis Winston racked up 458 yards and four touchdowns in the win while Detroit started David Blough, who was predictably not good with no touchdown passes and two interceptions. Of course, both teams have new starting quarterbacks and have changed dramatically in the past year.

In Week 15, Tampa Bay (9-5) once again didn't look its best but managed to defeat Atlanta 31-27 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. After a slow start, Tom Brady finished with 390 passing yards as the Bucs overcame a 24-7 deficit with 7:34 left in the third quarter. Leonard Fournette had two rushing touchdowns, but the running game struggled overall. Meanwhile, the defense allowed Matt Ryan to slice them up time and time again. But a win is a win and as a result, the Bucs are just a game behind New Orleans in the NFC South and can lock up a playoff spot with a victory (or a tie) on Saturday.

Detroit, on the other hand, was officially eliminated from postseason contention last week after a 46-25 loss at Tennessee dropped the Lions to 5-9. Matthew Stafford gutted out a solid effort, finishing with 252 passing yards and a touchdown. But the defense surrendered 463 yards and six touchdowns. Detroit totaled 430 yards on offense, but the defense's woes and three turnovers helped produce a familiar result, a loss.

Tampa Bay at Detroit

Kickoff: Saturday, Dec. 26 at 1 p.m. ET

TV: FOX

Spread: Buccaneers -9.5

Three Things to Watch

1. Intangibles

Motivation should not be lacking for the Buccaneers, who have won two straight games since their bye and still have a lot to play for. Tampa is close to locking up a playoff spot, which will end the NFC's longest active playoff drought (13 seasons), but the division is still in play with New Orleans' recent struggles. It's a short week for the Bucs and a second straight road game, but they'll be ready. Detroit has lost four of five, negating the spark the team had right after the team fired Matt Patricia following the Thanksgiving loss at home to Houston. The Lions will close the season out at home against the Vikings and then prepare for a lot of changes.

2. Will the real Bucs defense please stand up?

There is plenty of talent on this Tampa defense, but the unit has struggled to show consistency. Six times this season the Bucs have allowed 20 points or fewer, but they also have surrendered 27 or more on six other occasions. Getting to the quarterback (43 sacks, tied for fourth in NFL), isn't really a problem, but overall they are 27th against the pass, including 27 touchdown passes allowed.

This defense has plenty of appealing pieces in linebackers Devin White and Shaquil Barrett, as well as defensive linemen Jason Pierre-Paul and Ndamukong Suh, but the secondary, including guys like cornerback Carlton Davis, have struggled over the past few weeks. Detroit is no offensive juggernaut, ranking in the middle of the league in both scoring (23.9 ppg) and total (357.1 ypg) offense, but the Lions have scored 20 or more points in four straight games. This offense could give Tampa problems with Stafford his usual solid self and rookie D'Andre Swift coming into his own. The Bucs' D is capable of shutting teams down so we'll see if they can rise to the occasion once more in this one.

3. Balance on offense

Every team has run on the Lions, who are 29th in the NFL at 137.3 rushing yards per game and have given up a league-high 24 touchdowns on the ground. Tennessee gouged Detroit for 195 last week with Derrick Henry (147 yds., TD) and Ryan Tannehill (2 rushing TDs) both doing damage. For Tampa, leading rusher Ronald Jones II remains on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, but he also underwent surgery last week to put in a pin in his broken finger, so he may not be available either way on Saturday.

Fournette will see an increased workload once again, but the former Jaguar is averaging less than four yards per carry, although he does have five touchdowns. LeSean McCoy and Ke'Shawn Vaughn are other options, but neither has done much to this point. Taking some pressure off Tom Brady will become more important with the playoffs and the potential for more games in cold weather both getting closer. One piece of good news for the Bucs' offense is that starting left tackle Donovan Smith was removed from the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday, so he should be back in the lineup.

Final Analysis

The Lions may make things interesting at first, but Tampa's talent will win out. I think the Bucs take care of business in this one even if they put together another slow start. A close game at halftime becomes a rout late as the visitors enjoy their post-Christmas stop in the Motor City by clinching their first playoff berth since the 2007 season.

Prediction: Buccaneers 27, Lions 13

My father in law made a terrific pot roast dinner.

My wife and I made a huge pot of split pea soup and a few jars of home-made pickles and that was our gift to her family.

But for the rest of this weekend I am not sure what we are doing.

I am hoping I can convince her to do a dutch pancake for breakfast tomorrow.

What do you all have planned for the Seahawks game? I may need inspiration.

12 time NBA Champion!

Is for the return of the Rams 2018 version of Sean McVay and Jared Goff!!!

Not real sure what has happened to the Play Calling by Sean McVay or the QB Play by Jared Goff but NOW is a GREAT TIME for the two of them to return to their 2018 Form!!’

Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints

The Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints will meet in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Christmas Day with both teams hoping to unwrap a victory. Both teams enter this special holiday get-together trying to snap two-game losing streaks.

Minnesota (6-8) fell at home to Chicago this past Sunday, losing 33-27. The Vikings not only trail the Bears in the NFC North standings, but they also are two games behind the Cardinals, who currently holds the final wild-card spot. This is a must-win game if Minnesota wants to have even a glimmer of hope of sneaking into the playoffs.

New Orleans (10-4) also has lost two in a row following Kansas City's 32-29 victory in the Superdome this past Sunday. Drew Brees returned after missing four games with a punctured lung and 11 cracked ribs, but he showed plenty of rust early and despite a late rally, the Chiefs were able to hold on. The Saints trail Green Bay for the coveted top seed and first-round bye while their lead in the NFC South over Tampa Bay has been trimmed to just one game. But the good news is that New Orleans has already punched its postseason ticket and can secure the division title with a win over Minnesota.

This will be the fourth time these teams have played each other in the last four seasons. Two of these matchups have taken place in the playoffs, including the most recent one from last season when the Vikings upset the Saints 26-20 in the Wild Card Round.

Minnesota at New Orleans

Kickoff: Friday, Dec. 25 at 4:30 p.m. ET

TV: FOX

Spread: Saints -7

Three Things to Watch

1. Does Drew Brees have any dependable wide receivers?

Due to injuries and COVID-19 protocols, the starting wide receivers have varied greatly for New Orleans. None have started every game. The Saints have been forced to elevate receivers from the practice squad but have yet to produce much success with any of them.

Tre'Quan Smith is the only wideout who has appeared in every game (made 10 starts) so far. This season, he has caught 34 passes for 448 yards and four touchdowns. He left last week's game against Kansas City with an ankle injury and his status is very much up in the air.

Emmanuel Sanders, the big offseason acquisition at the position, has appeared in 12 games this season. He's made just three starts but still ranks second on the team in receptions (48) and receiving yards (580), to go along with four touchdowns.

Michael Thomas, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, has played in just seven games up to this point. He's current on injured reserve as the team hopes he can fully recover from his ankle injury for the playoffs. Even with the injuries, Thomas is third on the team in receptions (40), underscoring the depth problem for New Orleans.

Brees has tight end Jared Cook (team-high six touchdown catches) and, of course, running back Alvin Kamara (leads in catches and yards) to throw to, but someone else on the roster needs to step up to force defenses to change up its coverage schemes. Minnesota can certainly be thrown on (252.4 ypg, 27 TDs, 12 INTs); Brees just needs to have time to find an open receiver.

2. Can any of the Saints' defensive backs contain Justin Jefferson?

On the other side, Minnesota has found its newest weapon in the passing game. Jefferson, the team's first-round pick, is making a strong case for the Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. The former LSU Tiger is putting together a historic debut with 73 catches for 1,182 yards and seven touchdowns. He's eighth in the NFL in yards and is averaging 16.2 yards per reception. He's had six 100-yard receiving games, which is two more than New Orleans as a team.

Defensively, three wide receivers have posted 100 or more receiving yards against the Saints this season — Green Bay's Allen Lazard (6 receptions, 146 yards, 1 touchdown), the Los Angeles Chargers' Mike Williams (5 receptions, 109 yards, 2 touchdowns), and Atlanta's Calvin Ridley (5 receptions, 108 yards). (Las Vegas tight end Darren Waller also has posted a 100-yard game against New Orleans.)

New Orleans has fared pretty well overall against the pass this season, ranking fifth at 210.9 yards per game allowed. But teams also have said some success through the air against the Saints, as evidenced by the 25 touchdown passes surrendered compared to 13 interceptions. Last week, Patrick Mahomes threw for 254 yards and three touchdowns as Kansas City posted 411 total yards on 92 plays, dominating time of possession by holding onto the ball for more than 41 minutes.

Minnesota's offense isn't on the same level as the defending Super Bowl champs, but Jefferson and fellow wideout Adam Thielen give Kirk Cousins two reliable, explosive options to throw to, and that's before taking Dalvin Cook, the league's No. 2 rusher, into account.

3. Will the Vikings be able to protect Cousins?

Pass protection is always a key for any team facing the Saints. New Orleans is tied for sixth in the league with 40 sacks, including four of Mahomes last Sunday. Trey Hendrickson has enjoyed a breakout season, tied for second in the NFL with 12.5 sacks. He and Cameron Jordan have made a living in opponents' backfield this season each credited with 11 tackles for a loss.

Cousins has been sacked 34 times — on 7.2 percent of his pass attempts. But in Cousins' case, it's more than just losing yards on sacks. It's the cumulative effect pressure can have on him. Cousins is having a solid season with 3,569 passing yards and 29 touchdowns, but he also has committed 18 turnovers, including 13 interceptions (tied for second-most). If the Saints are successful in closing the pocket on him more miscues could follow.

Final Analysis

Minnesota's postseason hopes are like a thin thread holding up a heavy ornament on a Christmas tree. It will not take much for that to snap and the Vikings' dreams of reaching the playoffs to shatter. In order to avoid elimination, they not only must beat the Saints in their own building but also get help from San Francisco (at Arizona) and Jacksonville (vs. Chicago).

New Orleans is slumping but remains in an enviable position. A win over the Vikings and one of their Christmas gifts will be another NFC South title. Drew Brees and company have no intention of letting Minnesota spoil their plans this time around.

Prediction: Saints 34, Vikings 24

Merry Christmas to you all. Just wanted to say I love the Rams and I love you all. Yes I’ve had a drink but fuck it thought I’d let you all know.

Come on you Rams!!!!

Opposing View: Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll says Rams defense "has been very consistent" since Week 10

Last Sunday's performance against the Jets by the Rams defense has not changed Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll's perception of the unit since they last faced them in Week 10.

Overall, Carroll sees a unit that continues "to play really consistent."

"(You look at) their numbers, they've been in control for a long time (with their) rush numbers," Carroll said on a conference call with Rams beat writers Wednesday, when asked for his evaluation L.A.'s defense since the first meeting. "And with the pass rush that they have, they've kept the passing game in check. So they've been very consistent."

When the two teams first met six weeks ago, the Rams defense held Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson to 248 passing yards – at the time his second-lowest of the season – and picked him off twice in a 23-16 Los Angeles win at SoFi Stadium. While wide receiver Tyler Lockett had five catches for 66 yards, second-year standout D.K. Metcalf caught just two passes for 28 yards.

Wilson rebounded with nine touchdowns against just three interceptions in his next five games, but his performance against L.A. remains the lone one so far this season that he has been held without a passing touchdown. Running back Alex Collins' 13-yard, first-quarter touchdown run and a trio of Jason Myers field goals accounted for Seattle's points in the first game.

Heading into that matchup, the Rams had the NFL's No. 2 pass defense (197.1 yards per game) and No. 5 rush defense (94.8), together giving them the league's No. 2 pass defense. (291.9)

Entering Week 16, they have the NFL's No. 1 pass defense, allowing a league-low 192 yards per game through the air. Their rush defense (94.1 yards per game) is second in the league, and those efforts collectively have produced the NFL's No. 1 total defense (286.1).

"This is not just a one guy setting the whole tone of this defense," said Carroll, who pointed to defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day's quickness, explosiveness and penetration as well as defensive lineman Morgan Fox's pass-rushing as examples. "The whole group plays and (defensive lineman) Aaron (Donald) is as good as there's ever been in the game. He has that factor, but you couldn't be this good unless you got a lot of guys playing ball and they've been able to do it with some guys who've been banged up and brought in some linebackers they needed to play. They've come through too. And the secondary, like I said, mentioned (safety) Jordan (Fuller) and (safety) John Johnson (III) back there, they're real big factors in how they play. Those guys add to the pass rush too. (Cornerback) Darious Williams had a fantastic game against us and continues to be a factor. So, this is a good, good group now. There's no doubt about it."

Despite those statistical rankings, only two players from Los Angeles' defense were named to the 2021 Pro Bowl – Donald and cornerback Jalen Ramsey – but Carroll indicated that doesn't reflect the way the rest of the unit has been playing.

"Well, their whole defense is playing like a Pro Bowl defense," Carroll said. "(Outside linebacker) Leonard Floyd had a great year. (Defensive lineman) Michael Brockers is always difficult. (Defensive lineman) Sebastian (Joseph-Day) is tough. I mean, their whole crew is tough to deal with. Their safeties play good, man. I mean, every part of their defense is playing well, so they should feel every bit that. It'd be frustrating to them because you can't have much of a better year than they're having."

First Look: Rams travel to Seahawks for final road game of regular season with NFC West and playoff implications at stake

The Rams (9-5) travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks (10-4) on Sunday to wrap up their 2020 road schedule, with division and playoff implications on the line. Kickoff from Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, is scheduled for 1:25 p.m. pacific time on FOX.

In advance of the contest, here is your first look at Rams-Seahawks on Dec. 27, including notable Seahawks additions, some of Seattle's top statistical performers in Week 15 and key storylines.

Notable Seahawks additions

Activated WR Josh Gordon from the Exempt/Commissioner Permission list on Monday. After being issued an indefinite suspension following Week 15 of the 2019 season, Gordon was conditionally reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Dec. 3, making him eligible to return for Seattle's final two regular season games (couldn't practice, travel with the team or attend games until Monday, December 21). Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll told reporters this week that "we're planning during the week like he has a chance to contribute," and if Gordon indeed does play as expected, he'll provide quarterback Russell Wilson with another explosive target.
Signed OT Chad Wheeler from the practice squad to the active roster on Dec. 12. With injuries depleting depth at the position, the Seahawks turned to Weaver for reinforcements. The former USC standout ended up playing 60 percent of Seattle's offensive snaps against the New York Jets that week after starter Brandon Shell left the game in the first half with an ankle injury. While Wheeler saw just four against Washington last week after regular backup Cedric Ogbuehi returned from a calf injury, he's still worth mentioning as a key reserve.
Top performers in Week 15

Wilson completed 18 of 27 pass attempts for 121 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the Seahawks' 20-15 win over the Washington Football Team, also rushing six times for 52 yards.

RB Chris Carson paced Seattle's backfield with 15 carries for 63 yards, both game-highs. RB Carlos Hyde added two carries for 55 yards, the bulk of that production coming on a 50-yard touchdown run.

WR D.K. Metcalf led the Seahawks receivers with five receptions for 43 yards. TE Jacob Hollister (two for 17) was on the receiving end of Wilson's lone touchdown pass.

Defensively, LB Bobby Wagner tallied a team-high 13 total tackles, while CBs D.J. Reed and Shaquill Griffin each finished with an interception.

On special teams, K Jason Myers made both of his field goal attempts (long of 43) and both of his extra point attempts.

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

Already in possession of a playoff berth after last week's win over Washington, the Seahawks can clinch the division title with a win. Though their hopes of potentially getting the No. 1 seed in the NFC are slim, a win would also keep those chances alive.

While the Rams can clinch a playoff berth before Sunday's 1:25 p.m. PT kickoff, a win would avoid needing to count on other teams to get them into the postseason. A victory on Sunday also keeps their division title hopes alive and moves them back into the top three seeding. If Los Angeles wins out – including this week – it would own the head-to-head tiebreaker over Seattle and win the division even if Seattle bounced back and won its Week 17 game to finish with an identical overall and division record.

Simply put, both teams have a lot to play for on Sunday.

That's it. That's the post.

Merry Christmas.

I could have sworn that we had this conversation before, but I didn't find it in a quick search! I am eating this delicious triple cheeseburger from Braums and it is so good! Great, fresh bun and tasty hamburger patties topped with melted American cheese. It's so good that I am close to breaking into song! We all know that McDonalds has the shrunken Big Mac and Burger King has the Whopper, neither of which would be probably chosen as the best. There is a twist to this poll and this tests whether you are a provincial homer of a burger joint! We'll be looking at Whataburger, In-n-Out, Braums, White Castle.

Judge for freshness. Does the bun taste like it was recently baked or stored for years? Is the meat tasty? Cheese? Are the vegetables really good? My answer is Braums, but what's your favorite, having tried them all? Or, are you a Burger chain homer, eh @RamFan503?

congrats to @Zodi for winning last weeks contest by predicting the Jets upset and putting the hex on the Rams. @CGI_Ram will handle the credit transaction if he really wants to. He may still be pissed at @Zodi also


On to this weeks matchup. The Rams playoff hopes are on the line as they travel to Seattle, who have already wrapped up a playoff spot.

Rules and prizes stay the same.


Get to guessin