Him and McVay together can win multiple Superbowls with this D and Offensive schemes. Sign him to 5 year extension ASAP.

I know....Frozen Pizza sucks in comparison to the real deal fresh stuff. But I was curious what everyone's favorite go-to Frozen Pizza was. We all live all over the place so chances are, we will get some different answers.

For Large Name FP i would go with Red Barron. I like the brick oven pepperoni.

But for me, if I get to choose, I'm going with my St.Louis Style pizza...usually Dog Town is tops for what I can get. Followed by Lena's and I love Mama Lucia as well if those are not available. Something about being from the St.Louis Metropolitan Area....that STL Style just hits the sweet spot. I wish Imos did Frozen at stores.

For @JackKirbyFan

Gonna try to limit this post to things that others have not covered in their reviews or points that I wanted to further emphasize.

My biggest takeaway is that I think this Akers/Hendy duo is gonna be a very effective one for a few years. They’re both really starting to ‘get it’ and I foresee both continuing to improve with experience. I have a peaceful easy feeling about RB, that’s for sure.

Goff looked so relaxed in this game. Going through progressions, making nice throws, etc. If only that Goff could show up every week. Sigh...

I intentionally watched a lot of Blythe because Rams must make a decision on him this offseason. I thought he played a ‘pretty good’ game. Nothing impressive but nothing to embarrass himself, either. IOW, pretty much how we all have been rating him. I have no idea what direction the Rams will pursue at C for ‘21.

Despite the missed FG, I feel reasonably comfortable with Gay as kicker indefinitely. But the coverage units and their penalties are an anchor on this team. I’m very afraid that they will bite us in the butt at a critical time in the playoffs. Doubt that it’s fixable midseason. McVay must allow the new ST Coordinator to stock his units with better ST players next year. See what I did there? Lol.

I’m warming up to Reeder, at least as a backup ILB. Still hope a quality player falls into Rams lap in next draft at ILB, but if not then I think we may be in better shape with our top 4 than I had thought previously.

Okay, call me a broken record, but edge is definitely our biggest need and should be our top off-season priority. If Floyd walks then Edge becomes our top TWO priorities. It is my hope that Rams can somehow extend Floyd. Limited cap room for potential suitors might help for one more year. In any case, that edge opposite Floyd is still unsettled after 12 darned games. Too many candidates can’t stay healthy, get caught in the wash, forget contain responsibilities, or just seem to stand up rather than pressuring and/or tackling. IOW, too often our edge players seemed overmatched. Honestly, I think Hollins is our best bet there as of right now.

Having said all that, Staley did a great job of somehow bringing guys toward Murray in such a way as to largely deny him places to run and eventually forcing him to throw the ball away due to excellent coverage by the secondary. So, Staley had success via scheme since he didn’t have top drawer talent. But remember, Murray is a young QB with limitations. Limitations that elite playoff QB’s don’t have.

Speaking of the Rams secondary, I will just say this. If all Ram units were as good at their jobs as this Ram secondary then the Rams would never lose another game. I’m serious.

After 12 games it’s still hard to get a bead on this ‘20 Rams team. Sometimes I think that they’re in a rebuilding year while prepping for ‘21. Other times I think that they could go all the way to the SB this year. On paper, I see no other NFC team that looks better. Certainly none are better balanced. Rams could be 11-1 today if only they had played to their potential against Dolphins and 49ers twice. I would LOVE to have do-overs in those 3 games. That’s the maddening thing to me.

Then again, maybe this young team is settling down now and playing closer to their potential. The wins against the Seahawks, Bucs, and Cards were pretty danged impressive.

All I can say is stay tuned because this could be a bumpy but very exciting ride from here on in.

Just wondering what everyone will be getting. Not a whole lot of fun matchups to see. Hopefully all the prime time matchups live up to the expectations.

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

.

I'm sorry. I am fresh off of a dinner in which we made home ravioli stuffed with sausage/eggplant/ricotta, then egg washed and breaded before frying. Serving with a homemade red sauce. My wife also used the left over noodle dough to make butter noodles.

Let's just say my pallet is right there. . . . right now.

We plan to do New England Clam Chowder (premade) and hopefully our sour dough start is ready to make homemade sourdough.

It's gonna be a smash mouth type of game.

We need Goff to come and play a composed game.

What do you all have planned for your meals?

Go Rams!

A new year. A new uni. A new ornament! Bobble head Ram rules the tree.

We posted about notorious friends and it was amazing. Now, I was thinking, some of us must know some well known or famous folks....
*cough* @rdlkgliders *cough*

I'll go first. Besides my Buddy Don having his own IMBD page. I went to school with a Playboy Playmate. Jill Harper is her name. She was a year under me. We had gym and a few classes together, we were in the same program in college for Physical Education. Nice chick. Friendly, never stuck up. Stupid hot. Well after she turned 18-19 her mom somehow got her on Howard Stern and he was doing some shit for playboy. He loved her and she became a bunny. She dated Pauly Shore....We laughed at her for that. Then she had a kid with David Spade. I havent seen her in probably 10 years. She was on Howard's show a couple times and one time he called her boyfriend, his name was David, he was my age. He broke up with him for her on the air. He killed himself a few months later. Kinda fucked up.

Anyway, her professional name is Jillian Grace.





Login to view embedded media View: https://youtu.be/II5RXhAsAKQ

This one deserves it's own thread, enjoy.


Jared Goff is ready to fight
Everyone loves piling on the Rams quarterback whenever anything goes wrong but, believe it or not, Goff is his own man. He's finding himself in 2020. And he is ready for another Super Bowl moment.


Illustration by Brave Buffalo

Jared Goff still radiates so much cool, so much calm.

He sounds like the same quarterback. A quarterback who — back when everybody was calling him a bust off an 0-7 rookie campaign — kicked his legs up on a desk at his football camp, backwards hat tilted upward, and all but predicted precisely what happened next. Wins. So many wins. Since promising that summer day in 2017 that he’s someone who will “fight until I can’t fight anymore,” Goff has the second most victories (43) in the NFL. Only Tom Brady has more.

Today, Goff still speaks with such breezy, yet point-blank conviction. And yet so much has changed in the last 3 ½ years.

The kid who said then he’s trying to approach the job with a What would Tom Brady do? What would Drew Brees do? mentality is his own man now. Goff led the Rams to the Super Bowl. Goff signed a four-year, $134 million contract. Goff’s Rams are 8-4, thinking Super Bowl and he is a major reason why. Not that anybody can really tell. The perception, per usual, is that there’s a virtual string attached from Goff’s hip to his head coach. It’s fascinating, really. Any time the Rams do well, Sean McVay is a genius. Any time the Rams struggle, it’s Goff’s fault.

That’s not hyperbole. That’s the universally sanctioned narrative spewed everywhere.

Vultures circle this 6-foot-4, 222-pounder from Novato, Calif., game to game to game and, damn, doesn’t everyone desire to be recognized for what they do to some degree? It’s human nature.

Goff, never one to BS an answer, sincerely does not care. Who’s the hero? Who’s crucified? Such a blame game is “irrelevant” to him, occupying zero square feet of residency in his mind. And, no, that is not the case for all quarterbacks. Goff does know this: he is the man for the job. He has grown immensely in Year 5 of his career. He relishes the pressure and absolutely can vault these Rams back to that Super Bowl moment, back to the stage on which they all choked so badly Feb. 3, 2019. A win Thursday night would be a massive step in that direction. The Rams face those Bill Belichick-led Patriots for the first time since the Hoodie essentially put all 11 players on offense in straightjackets, since Goff juuust missed a throw that could’ve defined his career forever.

The NFC is wide open.

The NFC is theirs — if Goff takes it.

So, right at this critical moment in his career, Go Long chatted at length with Goff to see how he’s processing this all. It is abundantly clear the quarterback has not lost one iota of conviction. He doesn’t “dwell” on that Super Bowl misfire. That night made him more of a fighter and he’s still fighting.
“You always have to fight through some sort of adversity,” Goff says. “And you end up facing it pretty often in this league. It’s a tough league. It’s a tough place to be successful. If you are successful, you’re one of the greats. And that’s my goal. I think the Super Bowl is something you use as motivation — absolutely. … I would love to get back there and get another shot at it. Every year, that’s what the goal is.

“You’re working toward winning that championship.”

He doesn’t feel trapped in any sort of public-opinion vice. He doesn’t care if everyone seems to have made up their minds about him. Goff insists he gets along great with McVay. One week after the head coach publicly blamed him for a loss to the 49ers, Goff authored a masterpiece. Goff sliced ‘n diced the Cardinals. And, sure enough, there was McVay wrapping Goff in a hug after that 38-28 win. Even with a mask on, you could tell McVay’s face was stretched into a huge smile.
Goff is his own man. Goff is in a fantastic mental space.

Goff does not hesitate for one second when this 2020 season is presented in Super Bowl-or-Bust terms, when he’s told it’s really all up to him.
“You don’t play the game if you’re not ready for those expectations,” Goff says. “That’s how we prepare every day. That’s how I prepare every day — to win a championship. At the same time, it’s one week at a time and we’ve got to win each week. You’re not wired right if that’s not how you’re thinking every day.”
If things do go south, the quarterback here will again get all the blame.

Goff isn’t counting on things going south, though.

“What you’re called to do”
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The California cool can throw you off. Jared Goff can appear emotionless.
Utterly emotionless.

When nothing went right his rookie year, when he was essentially a punching bag in a No. 16 jersey, at least one teammate was a bit worried. Something would go very wrong — he’d throw a bad pick, he’d take a sack — and Goff simply did not react. At all. Obviously, amnesia is a great quality for any NFL quarterback to possess. Goff wears that No. 16 for Joe Montana, “Joe Cool” himself, but this was… odd. Extreme.

As tight end Tyler Higbee explains, it was almost like the play didn’t happen at all.

“At first, I was kind of concerned,” Higbee says. “I was like, ‘This guy just threw a pick and he doesn’t care.’ … Like, ‘Does this guy even care?’ It’s proven that he is, ‘Wipe it. Next play. I’ll learn from it later.’ I’ve always thought that was cool about him, how he keeps his cool. He’s never too high, never too low.”
And those closest to Goff say that’s how he’s been his entire life. When he got the snot beat out of him as an 18-year-old freshman at Cal, Mom and Dad could never tell anything was wrong.

So, no, the Super Bowl loss would never doom Goff. That isn’t the case for other quarterbacks who lose this game. In the last five years alone, we’ve seen league MVPs Cam Newton and Matt Ryan descend to earth after Super Bowl thuds. Neither has recovered. While Higbee knows Goff was “pissed” about that 13-3 loss to the Patriots, he also knew that night would never, ever stunt his growth. Because of how he reacts to disaster. There’s even a coolness to what Goff would say to anyone out there dismissing him as a McRobot.

“My job,” Goff says, “is to win games and lead our offense to points. I’ve done a pretty good job of that throughout my career and expect to continue to do that.”
Consider where this franchise was when it drafted Goff first overall. Owner Stan Kroenke relocated the Rams from St. Louis to L.A. and ponied up for the most expensive stadium in world history — a utopian $5.5 billion palace — smack dab in a new market. In theory, it’d work. More than four million people live in L.A. Problem is, America’s second-most populated city is also its most distracted city. You don’t just have options in sports. You have options in life. This is the land of the Lakers and Hollywood and unlimited beaches, and averting eyeballs to a new football team is a much more gargantuan task than anyone in the NFL offices could’ve realized.

Thanks to Goff, there’s hope. Win and people have no choice but to pay attention.

The pressure of this all was never suffocating because nothing rattles Goff.

Now, there’s no need to think how Brady or Brees attack the profession. He has his own process and he has found new ways to push himself this season with offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell. Goff believes sharper footwork has led to his big jump in accuracy. His current completion percentage of 68.4 is by far the best of his career and even better than the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers. Another reason? Goff is decoding defenses and anticipating better than ever.

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It’s not all smacking us across the face in the form of highlights we must re-watch 30 times to believe but this 2020 season feels like a breakthrough to Goff.
On the field, of course. (“My understanding of the whole game has gotten better.”) But off the field, too. Back when we hung out for a weekend in ’17, Goff didn’t seem sure how his personality would fit in L.A. He didn’t possess one fraction of the flamboyancy you see in other star athletes here. He wasn’t jonesing for a celebrity relationship, saying bluntly, “Do you think Tom Brady is with Gisele if he doesn't win a Super Bowl?” Hollywood wasn’t that appealing — he turned down all but two invites to movie premieres, only seeing Beauty and the Beast because his Mom and sister wanted to go. And outside of a really good sushi spot downtown, he didn’t feel the urge to soak in that L.A. nightlife.

For a while, so many locals thought Goff was Ryan Gosling. But if his blonde locks and hazel eyes screamed L.A., his disposition never did. In a city that rewards self-promotion, Goff never gave a damn about massaging an IG-friendly brand.

And this year, he found his niche. His calling.

Another reason Goff is so at peace this season is that he’s found so much purpose in changing the lives of kids in Los Angeles. Specifically, in Inglewood. In one month alone, he helped raise $20,000 for Inglewood Unified School District, donated a library to one school in need and, every Tuesday, he’s been reading to kids via Zoom. Because, frankly, Goff knows he comes from a place of “privilege” with his parents providing him private education and pushing him to go to college. Sadly, he learned, so many kids in Los Angeles don’t even know that college options exist. If they do, too often, it’s only a dream. They can’t afford it.
Pre-pandemic, Goff made a point to see the rougher neighborhoods for himself. He knows what life’s like here. His goal? Send as many kids to college for free as humanly possible. So, he never looked up to any Hollywood starlets. He looked up to a teammate, Andrew Whitworth, whose work with L.A.’s youth is unparalleled.
Now, Goff has never been so comfortable in his own skin. He’s making a difference.

“That’s part of the job,” he says. “That’s part of who I am — wanting to help. But I think also, being the quarterback in this city, that is what you’re called to do.”

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Back at the Rams facility, he’s in a groove too. Goff runs the same questions through his mind daily: How do I eat the right foods? How do I take care of my body? How do I get the most sleep I can get? He has to consciously make sure he’s getting enough sleep, too, because he’s obsessed with gameplanning and film sessions ‘round the clock. Any attempt in this conversation to pull Goff away from football — to see, for example, if he’s still listening to Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber — is redirected to the mindset Goff says drives him: “How do I get better today?” He’s pushing himself mentally more than ever, which as detailed by the Rams’ best QB ever, Kurt Warner is how a quarterback truly reaches his ceiling.

“There’s a million things,” Goff says. “It’s every minute of every day. You try to get your rest but — at the same time — you only get a handful of shots at this. I want to make the most of it.”

This season is as good a shot at a ring as most quarterbacks get in a lifetime. He’s heating up, too. (And still listening to Swift, Higbee confirms.)

Goff shredded the Buccaneers, on the road, for 376 yards on 39-of-51 passing (76.5 percent) with three scores. And after a nightmarish outing against the 49ers, after McVay ripped him and all Goff said was “I’m a big boy, I can handle it” … he responded. He picked himself up off the canvas to throw for 351 yards on 37-of-47 passing (78.7 percent) in Arizona. That win magnified exactly how Goff is his own man. On one third and 4, he moved from read… to read… to read… before — Zip! — hitting Cooper Kupp for 12 yards and then — Whack! — taking a smack to the facemask from 320-pounder Angelo Blackson. Goff’s head was yanked more than 90 degrees to the left. The Rams scored the next play.

On a third and goal at the one-yard line, with 51 seconds left in the half, Goff lofted a beautiful fade to Higbee for six.
And back at the one again, Goff plowed through the teeth of the Cardinals’ defense for another touchdown. There was emotion after this, too. Goff handed the ball to his center to spike and glided past McVay with a high-five and a smile.

“Reaching for perfection”
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Other quarterbacks hog all the headlines. Rightfully so, too. This 2020 season has read like a thriller novel with gripping cliffhangers and valiant protagonists. We cannot wait to flip the pages every Sunday.

First, Russell Wilson is “cooking.” To everyone’s delight, the Seahawks fully unleash their quarterback on the world. Bomb after bomb, we can’t enough. Then, Josh Allen bursts onto the scene with his Wild West brand of quarterbacking and Kyler Murray hypnotizes defenses for a good 2 ½ months with one surreal Hail Murray in the desert. At age 37, Aaron Rodgers is enjoying his finest Eff You Tour yet. It’s as if his 36-touchdown, four-interception season is a direct response to his bosses drafting his replacement.

Baker Mayfield was “dangerous” once again on Sunday.

Obviously, there’s Mahomes. The MVP frontrunner boggles our minds weekly.

And here’s Goff. Other QBs are making noise and he isn’t paying much attention. He’s the character mentioned every fourth chapter in this thriller, loitering outside of the plot. Outside everyone’s minds. But by page 578, Goff just may supply the mind-bending twist.
“You handle your business,” he says. “You win games. You take care of the ball. You score touchdowns. Everything will take care of itself. Up to this point in my career, that’s worked for me and always will.”

Goff’s season is hardly registering nationally, but it should be. From digging the Rams out of a 28-3 hole and nearly stunning the Bills (you be the judge on this fourth-and-9 DPI) to KO’ing the Cardinals after near-decapitation, we’ve seen one trait persist: toughness. When I first met Goff, in ’17, this stood out most. Beneath that veneer of cool is more ruggedness than anyone realizes. He needed to make that clear to everyone on his team as a rookie, too. Amid a 42-7 shellacking to the Super Bowl-bound Falcons, he hurled his slender frame over the goal line knowing damn well he’d get “absolutely sandwiched.”
Sure enough, his chinstrap detached and his nose was bleeding. But he scored. As Goff said then, he’s “more afraid that people will be like, 'He's a little b----,’” than he ever is of actually getting drilled.

That grit has endured.

It’s not as noticeable as a Mahomes no-looker, a Kyler juke or an Allen missile but this is the Goff difference. “That’s part of my game and that’s always been part of my game,” Goff says, “To be mentally and physically tough. … You hope to be strong in every situation. On the field, it’s being able to take any hit I can take. It goes back to that preparation of taking care of your body, being good in the offseason, taking care of everything you need to take care of and then, during the season, it’s just playing and allowing your preparation to take over. That’s something I’ve tried to pride myself on this year. And just continue to be better at it. It’s never-ending. It’s always a building thing.

“You’re never there. You’re always reaching for perfection. You’re probably never going to get it but it’s the journey.”

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That mental toughness has been needed most.

Losing a Super Bowl, period, can crush any quarterback’s psyche for good. Losing one in that fashion — scoring three points after lighting the NFL on fire for 32.9 per game all season — absolutely could. Probably should. With each win since, McVay’s the savant. With each loss, Goff is deemed the problem. Now, the temperature climbs each day we inch closer to the playoffs. This Rams defense is loaded with a legit star up front (Aaron Donald could win his third DPOY award), a legit star at cornerback (Jalen Ramsey is shutting No. 1’s down weekly) and playmakers everywhere. Leonard Floyd has been a revelation off the edge, with seven sacks. Darious Williams is defying gravity, with four picks.

If any defense has a shot at shutting down all those thrilling QBs, it’s this one with 20 takeaways (third in NFL), 36 sacks (third) that ranks No. 2 overall.
Yet as talented as this Rams defense is, history shows your quarterback must deliver.
Make no mistake: It’s on Goff. And that’s fine by him.

“Everybody can play quarterback and be happy and talk to the media when you’re winning games and throwing for a million touchdowns and everything’s going your way,” Goff says. “I think that’s the easy part. It’s when things aren’t going your way, the offense is struggling, you’re struggling, the team’s struggling and there’s some divisiveness maybe going on within the team. At that point, how do you make it right? How do you take care of business and do what you’re supposed to do as the quarterback? I think that’s the part I’ve always enjoyed — making things right and being that backbone for the team when they need it.
“Off the field, you’re the leader of 53 guys. You’re the leader of the organization. You have to be able to handle those situations gracefully. And at the same time, it’s being the person you are and being genuine.”

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That’s someone who was never afraid to jump on teammates from Day 1. Upon taking over, Goff viewed playing quarterback like “being a parent.” Cooper Kupp is so detailed, so meticulous with every route that Goff knew right away he could be hard on him. And, by now, the QB knows how to handle all of his “kids” individually.

This core has been together for four years.

Higbee is quick to swat away the narrative that Goff is simply his coach’s puppet. He points to Goff dropping a deep ball to tight end Gerald Everett in a near-impossible window. He points to a corner route he ran himself where, Higbee says, “the ball’s on the money, I’m catching it in stride, I’m able to run.” All the big plays to Kupp. To Robert Woods. As Higbee says, Goff does everything in his power to ensure you don’t have to do too much thinking. More than ever, he’s taking ownership of getting everyone else lined up correctly pre-snap.

“You hear it from the news, the media — ‘system QB,’” Higbee says. “I think when you have continued success, you can’t call that card. You’re either getting better or getting worse. And he is always getting better. I don’t think it’s fair to claim when we do have success it’s Sean. Because he is part of this offense. He is making his own calls and getting guys lined up and doing his thing.”
Of course, there is one way to silence everyone forever.

“That’s the hope, the Super Bowl”
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Before they even had one training camp practice together, Goff’s cell phone lit up all the time with messages from McVay. This was the first coach Goff ever had who texted back instantly. When we grabbed dinner at Chick-fil-A that summer in ’17 — precisely when Goff made this point — McVay checked in.

No, this head coach did not draft this QB. He inherited this QB. And you always wonder where loyalties lie when that happens. But four seasons and one whopping contract into this, Goff insists the partnership only strengthens with time. He calls McVay “extremely unselfish” and “extremely driven” and they’re still exchanging ideas all the time. They still get together several times throughout the week to devise a game plan. Together. McVay tells Goff which matchups he likes and Goff tells McVay which matchups he likes. It’s collaborative.

As Goff looks around the NFL — at all the coaches on hot seats — he feels blessed.

“We’re always working toward the same goal,” Goff says. “I’m lucky to have him and I know he feels the same way about me.”

The points are not coming as easily as they once did but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

In Super Bowl LIII, Belichick exposed McVay.

Some in the NFL scouting community are blunt: they no longer view McVay as a “genius” after that game. As one AFC personnel exec explains, Belichick played a “6-1” front to take away the Rams’ wide-zone, Todd Gurley-fueled running scheme. Belichick covered up everyone on the line except for the center and constricted the edges. The whole point of McVay’s scheme was to get defenders moving to create a one-cut lane. And Belichick killed the timing of it all. Belichick made it seem like a lane was open and it’d close shut — he made everything “cloudy” up front.

On the back end, the Patriots played man coverage so there was no confusion in the play-action game.

And whenever the Rams passed? The Patriots sent the house right at center John Sullivan, who Belichick deemed the weak link.

The result: Three points, 14 first downs, 62 rushing yards.

“McVay didn’t have an answer,” the AFC exec says. “Literally the whole game, he had no answer. The Patriots were like, ‘Alright, we’re going to just keep doing it.’ He had no answer. … Halftime. Third quarter. Fourth quarter. Eventually, you have to be like, ‘Alright, this is what they’re doing.’ You don’t need a whole new gameplan but you can tweak it. ‘We’ll put this wrinkle in there.’ He just didn’t. He had legit no answers. It was crazy.

“I don’t think McVay is a genius. The thing is always ‘He’s held back by his quarterback.’ Aren’t all offenses held back by their quarterback?”

McVay did dial up one play, the deep shot to Brandin Cooks, and Goff was a hair late.

That one throw essentially opened the floodgates of skepticism around the quarterback. L.A. missed the playoffs in ’19 and, no, the skepticism isn’t completely unfounded. Goff’s passer rating dipping from 101.1 to 86.5. He had 16 picks, 10 fumbles and just didn’t seem nearly as nimble as the playmakers redefining his position. Better pocket movement has helped in 2020. Now, that rating is up to 93.7 and, while it’s taken 1 ½ seasons, these Rams seem to be finding a counterpunch.

Out is Gurley. In is a three-headed monster. Darrell Henderson (5-8, 208), Malcolm Brown (5-11, 222) and Cam Akers (5-10, 217) all keep defenses guessing with different skills unleashed in totally different ways. They’ve combined for 1,284 yards. The video-game, 2018-like statistics aren’t there but, Higbee believes, this now is a better offense and a better quarterback than what we saw that Super Bowl season. Higbee praises Goff’s unselfishness, the fact that he’s OK handing the ball off all game if that’s what that game takes. He believes the Super Bowl taught the Rams there are three speeds — Regular Season Speed, Playoff Speed and “Super Bowl Speed.”

Those Rams were not ready.

These Rams — now capable of grinding out a different type of game — may be.

“We’ve adjusted. We’ve adapted,” Higbee says. “We’ve shown we can control the game and win games in different ways. We’ve won games throwing the ball. We’ve won games running the ball. Heavily. We’ve won games where it’s very balanced and we’re doing both very well. That’s all part of it. Defenses will adjust to combat certain things that we do. It’s about having a balanced offense so when teams take something away, we can do something else.”

Adds Goff: “It’s always different. It’s always evolving.”

Evolving just like the quarterback himself. Goff knows what he wants his legacy off the field to be — “changing lives.” Giving more kids in Inglewood a chance. The more he wins, the bigger that platform becomes to give those kids hope.

A defining moment in his career is coming. The spotlight will steer right back on Goff this postseason and everyone’s criticism will likely run red-hot again.

Goff cannot stress it enough — he isn’t getting too far ahead of himself. He’s taking this day to day. But getting another shot at that game and that throw? Getting a shot at hitting a receiver in the end zone with all of America watching? He can’t lie. That opportunity absolutely drives him.

“Being there once, you want to be great,” Goff says. “That’s the hope. The Super Bowl. That’s what you’re always driven to do. Striving for greatness — striving to be your best at all times — is what you do every day.”

Exacting some revenge Thursday, against Belichick, would be a step for Sean McVay, sure.

But it’d be a step for Jared Goff, too.

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

To Be Posted

Rams seek to play complementary football over final four weeks of regular season

For Rams head coach Sean McVay, sustaining what has led to an 8-4 record over their first 12 games during the final quarter of the regular season starts with a connected effort between offense, defense and special teams.

"I want to see us play complementary football," McVay said during a video conference Monday morning. "I was pleased with the offense and the defense (against the Cardinals). Clearly there's some things in the kicking game that we have to get better at. That's not a secret to anybody from yesterday. But the beauty of it is, is you get a chance on a short week to be able to respond."

Los Angeles has come close to such performances this season.

Perhaps the closest was against the Bears on Monday Night Football in Week 7, when all five of L.A. punter Johnny Hekker's punts landed at or inside Chicago's 10-yard line. That created advantageous situations for the Rams defense, and its stops via that short field consequently helped set up four of the five scoring drives by the Rams offense. The only things that got in the way of Los Angeles playing a clean, complementary game was fumbling twice and losing one of them, as well as getting a field goal blocked.

Against Washington in Week 5, it was a similar story: Four of Hekker's five punts landed inside the 20, L.A.'s defense pitched a second-half shutout, but a fumble (which it recovered) and a missed extra point attempt prevented them from a flawless complementary effort.

Currently the No. 3 seed in the NFC playoff picture and in first place in the NFC West, the Rams have plenty of motivation to put together a complete performance in all three phases over these next four games.

"Just keep playing good ball together, playing consistent, but it's all about going one week at a time," Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald said during a video conference Tuesday. "This week, Thursday night, we got the Patriots. We got to try to find a way to come out, play as a team, dominate, play physical and start by winning this game this week."

For as well as Donald and the Rams defense has played through the first 12 games, even they still recognize there's areas where they can improve and better hold up their end of playing complementary football.

Given the magnitude of December games as the weeks progress, defensive coordinator Brandon Staley said it's critical for any defense to execute in "gotta-have-it" situations – or key moments where the defense needs to make a stand – such as the red zone, two-minute scenarios, toward the end of game and near the end of the first half. While Staley has been pleased with his unit's execution in two-minute situations, he would like to see improvement in the red zone after last week's performance in Arizona.

"When there's more at stake, especially against all the quarterbacks that we're going to be defending down the stretch, we have to be at our best when our best is required in those gotta-have-it situations," Staley said during a video conference Tuesday.

The Rams' first test comes Thursday night (5:20 p.m. PT, FOX/NFL Network/Amazon Prime Video) against a Patriots team coming off an example-setting 45-0 shutout victory over the Chargers, sparked by a synergetic performance between their offense, defense and special teams for their fourth win in their last five games.

McVay knows a similar effort will be required for the Rams to maintain momentum over the final final four weeks of the regular season.

"The teams that I think are going have the most success are the ones that are playing the best in December," McVay said. "It's all you can ask for is being involved in games that matter. Our guys have done a good enough job to put themselves in a position to be relevant right now, but it's only about what we can do this Thursday and see if we can go give ourselves a chance to get our ninth win and then have a couple of days of rest and come back for the last three (games)."

expect some big news when it comes to Disney Plus

first it is expected Disney will have some news concerning both Marvel and Star Wars shows and movies , releasing the schedule for the next few years

expect to here about some new shows for both

also..............

it is expected that Disney Plus will be adding an adult section to their Disney Plus streaming channel

with Disney Plus now owning the 20th Century Fox library , along with ABC

expect both to be joining Disney Plus , but you'll need a pin code or something to access the Adult Stuff

not sure if you'll have to pay more , but my guess is that you will , but adding 80 years of 20th Century Fox titles , will probably be pretty huge

not sure what Disney's plans are for Hulu

guess we'll find out on Thursday

Wow!!

The Eagles have given up on Carson Wentz for now.

Jalen Hurts will start for the Eagles on Sunday against the Saints, the team announced, sending the former No. 2 pick Wentz to the bench.

“I have come to a decision and I am going to go with Jalen Hurts this week against New Orleans. I looked at the whole thing and decided that for this week to look for that spark again to try to get the team over the hump,” head coach Doug Pederson said in a quote released by the team.

First off congrats to @Corbin for winning last weeks contest. @CGI_Ram will handle the transfer of 20k credits.(upper management afraid I will gamble it away)


On to this weeks contest

Rams are coming off a big division win over the Cardinals and the Patriots embarrassed the Chargers in SoFi

You know the rules. 20k for closest score or 40k for exact. First person to post a score claims it.

Get to guessing

We have the 6th most turnovers in the entire NFL, with a turnover differential of 0. I don't believe any other team in the top 10 has a winning record.

You could say that we've just been giving away points and games as a result. If we get that cleaned up for the rest of the season I think we can beat anybody.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Baltimore Ravens

The Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens, a pair of NFL teams that are muddling through disappointing seasons, will wrap up Week 13 on Tuesday night in a game that was moved because of the Ravens' COVID-19 issues.

For the Cowboys, their collapse is understandable. Starting quarterback Dak Prescott suffered an ankle injury in Week 5 and should have taken any dreams of the postseason along with it. The Cowboys have lost five of their past six games, slumping to 3-8, and own the NFC's worst record despite playing in its easiest division.

I use the word should here because the Cowboys remain in playoff contention despite it all. A win could bring them back into a tie with Washington and the New York Giants for the NFC East lead. Games left against Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and the Giants give hope a 7-9 record would be enough to create an unlikely playoff appearance behind the play of the few offensive stars they have left on the field: running back Ezekiel Elliott and wide receiver Amari Cooper.

Believe it or not, that's more than the Ravens can say about their own chances. At 6-5, last year's top seed in the AFC was eliminated from their divisional race with a 19-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers Wednesday afternoon. They'll now try to make the Super Bowl as a wild-card team although they're on the outside looking in heading to Week 13. On paper, the schedule looks promising to catch up: Cleveland Browns aside, the combined record of their other four opponents remaining is an abysmal 10-33-1.

But the Ravens can't capitalize without their top players on the field. A COVID-19 outbreak has combined with injuries and inconsistency to put their season in peril. They're 1-4 in their past five games and may be without their top two quarterbacks for Tuesday night. While four of five losses this season are to the Steelers, Chiefs and Titans, the AFC's top three teams, the quality of the opponent you're playing doesn't matter. A loss is a loss, period, and the Ravens can only afford one more if they hope to simply make the postseason in 2020.

So can the Ravens get healthy in time to deliver a crucial home win? Or will the Cowboys defy the odds and catch a lucky break at the right time?

Dallas at Baltimore

Kickoff: Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 8:05 p.m. ET
TV: FOX/NFL Network
Spread: Ravens -7.5

Three Things to Watch

1. Who will be healthy for the Ravens come Tuesday night?

If you're betting on the Ravens, or simply just a fan, expect to be checking your phone constantly for notifications all the way up until game time. The Ravens' outbreak may have subsided, with no new players added to the COVID-19 list since Wednesday, but several remain in quarantine and unlikely to be activated for Tuesday night's game. ESPN.com reported four different strains of the coronavirus were found within the Ravens organization, including a highly infectious one that spread quickly enough to put 23 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list at one point.

That list had been reduced to 10 by Saturday, with the biggest variable among them Lamar Jackson. The most likely scenario is the quarterback gets activated this weekend after testing positive 10 days earlier. But even if he suits up against the Cowboys, it's uncertain how the loss of both practice and game time will affect him.

Just take a look at another former NFL MVP, Cam Newton, in his recovery from COVID-19 with the Patriots. In Newton's first four games back from the sidelines, he failed to throw a touchdown pass after leading the team to a 2-1 record in his first three games pre-virus. (The Patriots lost all four of those contests). Newton, like Jackson, is a running quarterback and you wonder how his stamina will be affected.

Tight end and leading pass catcher Mark Andrews also remains sidelined with COVID-19 symptoms. He's less likely to be at full strength Tuesday or even part of the active roster due to a preexisting condition as a Type I diabetic. Thankfully, the team expects no long-term effects from Andrews contracting COVID-19.

"I have not heard of any negative consequences of the diabetes with Mark up until this point," head coach John Harbaugh said earlier this week. "So that's a positive."

What if Jackson can't go or has problems completing the game? Backup Robert Griffin III was placed on injured reserve this week after tweaking his hamstring against the Steelers. It leaves 2019 sixth-round draft pick Trace McSorley as the only active quarterback on the roster, a major question mark after going 2-for-6 (although a 70-yard touchdown pass was one of those completions) against the Steelers in the second half.

2. Dez Bryant vs. the Cowboys

In a matchup with two underperforming teams, Bryant's first game against his former Cowboys teammates is grabbing a lot of the front-page headlines. He didn't even catch a single pass on two targets against the Steelers although I'd expect him to have a larger offensive presence Tuesday night.

"Whatever they have for me, I'm going to be prepared for it," Bryant said about his role. "I'm excited. I'm going to let the coaches do what they feel is best and I am just going to follow their lead."

Bryant, who has a lot of good friends still on the Cowboys, caught 531 passes for more than 7,000 yards with his former team. Can he thread through their defense and capture some of that old magic? It's just his third game back after three years away from the NFL's pace of play. Even with a leaky defense on the other side, it's hard to see Bryant making a substantial impact.

But you never know. Both Jackson and McSorley want to throw the deep ball and Bryant's speed gives them a new dimension to the offense. Especially if Andrews and others fail to suit up, Bryant will be given a few chances to strut his stuff.

3. Can the Cowboys show up?

There's no end to the Cowboys' problems on both sides of the ball. Their defense is giving up a league-high 32.6 points per game and is dead last in rushing yards allowed. The offense has scored more than 20 points just once since Dak Prescott went down while his fill-ins have thrown six touchdowns in six games. They've been picked off six times and failed to throw for 300 yards in any game (by comparison, Prescott threw for more than 450 yards three times before getting hurt).

There's a lot to dislike here. But in the past two games, there have been tepid signs of life. The defense sacked Alex Smith three times and held Washington to 156 passing yards on Thanksgiving. The week before, the team gained 376 yards on offense against the Vikings, the most in any game since Prescott was hurt while snapping a four-game losing streak. Andy Dalton, after missing time due to a concussion and COVID-19 protocols, seems to have a better grasp of the offense. On Thanksgiving, Amari Cooper topped 100 receiving yards for the first time in two months.

All of those are glimmers of hope. For the Cowboys to pull off the upset, though they need a complete game on all fronts. In particular, Ezekiel Elliott will need to get going against a Ravens defense that's shown some cracks; Derrick Henry ran for 133 yards and a touchdown against them just a few weeks ago.

Dalton also will need help from an underperforming supporting cast that includes wide receivers Michael Gallup (just 20 catches the last six weeks) and CeeDee Lamb. Lamb, in particular, has struggled to find chemistry with the QB change: he's totaled 217 receiving yards over the past six games.

Final Analysis

The Cowboys will find themselves on a more level playing field through COVID-19. Andy Dalton also appears to be finding his footing just a little bit within the offensive scheme. They're capable of covering a touchdown-plus point spread which seems high considering the uncertainty that continues around the Ravens' outbreak.

That said, Baltimore's defense is still plenty good enough while the offense works through its inconsistency. All it might take is one big play by former Cowboy Dez Bryant, turnover-free football, and a couple of nicely-timed plays on defense for the Ravens to prevail in a must-win game at home.

Prediction: Ravens 24, Cowboys 20

This is nuts.
Chargers, Rams could be forced out of California like 49ers | Pro Football Talk | NBC Sports - YouTube

Thinking Rams could drop one of their remaining games.
While I have Seattle and Cardinals dropping 2 each.
My apologies to SF fans for omitting the 9er's, But
Ya'll ain't winnin shit!!!!!!!!!!! LMAO





RED= stronger loss possibility
Blue = Games that could spell trouble for west division teams.



Rams 11-5 Tempted to put us @ 12-4 , but the cheatriots will be no walk in the park and Division games can be tough at times








Seattle - 10-6 Russell continues to conceal Seattle's bad drafting






Cardinals - 8-8 LMAO @ the bobble heads who in preseason hailed Murray and the Cards the new Kings of the west.








What are you guy's prediction on remaining games??

Someone tell me.... I have a feeling what we did effectively against Tampa Bay and the Cardinals - that there is no way the Hoodie is going to let us do this...

Throw deep a lot? Go wildcat? I'm being a bit sarcastic but what do we do to get an edge?

If this was posted please delete mods..

I'm a little caught of guard by Keyshawn Johnson's take on Jared Goff.

He's done a 180 on our QB since 2016 and plenty of 2017 if you ever listened to his talk shows.


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I don't really make post after a game cause I really want to take the time to analyzed and to think clearly. I like to spend some time looking into the little details about each game win or lose. Since I'm a new member, I plan on staring this thread after every game. I think it give ways for conversations and to allow you guys to chime in as well. So without further ado let begin shall we...

Matt Gay:
Matt Gay has trouble making field goals 40 yards or under. If you notice his 37 yards field goal miss, had that been 38 yards or more, it would have went through the upright. Now if we take a look at the bigger picture, if that was from 50+ yards, it would have been close to the center of the upright, the trajectory was slowly moving toward the center. Most kickers have trouble kicking long field goals, Matt Gay seem to be the opposite. I hope McVay paid attention because I was actually hoping we didn't move the ball closer to our goal line. That something to be aware off moving forward. Gay need to work on it and if he can get his touch corrected, he could be an elite kicker in the NFL.

Jared Goff:
Jared Goff was impressive today and not because he had a flawless game in regards to turnovers. Jared Goff was going through multiple reads on almost every play. You can see his head turn multiple times and often back and forth and knew exactly where his safety outlet was. Its important to note that his safety outlet was his last option instead of his first option. When Goff can see the whole field, its a thing of beauty.

Another point I want to mention is how Goff was one step faster than the pass rush. There were quite a few plays where if he had hold onto the ball a little bit longer, it could have been strip sack. I remember a particular play where a pass rusher manage to get into the backfield and Goff did not see him but I think he felt him and threw the ball out in time to a receiver. If Goff can see the field, read the blitz, have pocket awareness, and limit turnovers, we could actually go all the way this year.

This thread is for details you notices that isn't as talked about so I would love to hear what observations you noticed (good or bad) and if you want to add anything to what I wrote or your thoughts on the thread overall. Look forward to your comments!

#Ramson3

1. The Rams have won 2 out of 3 games on average this year, and that ain't bad.

2. Jared Goff has exceeded a passer rating of 95 in 2 out of 3 games this year, and that ain't bad.

3. The Rams played well in 2 out of 3 phases of the game yesterday, and that ain't bad.

4. Okay, about those special teams. One missed FG (doink!), a fumbled punt return and a 54 yard kick return allowed. Take away those three plays and the rams may have won by 27, rather than 10 points. These types of errors can't happen.

5. There has been some fair criticism of Goff, but its also fair to say that in games against Russell Wilson, Tom Brady and Kyler Murray this year, he was the best QB on the field.

6. I really don't get the Murray hype. Yes, he's an exciting athlete. But, particularly in the games I've seen him play against the Rams, he's hardly a complete QB at this point.

7. So much confirmation bias in the way that the media treats its "darlings," like Murray and Baker Mayfield, as opposed to Goff, who they wrote off as a rookie.

8. Truth is, I'd take Goff over all of the other first overall selection QBs in the league today (hint: there are 7 others).

9. And, at least Goff isn't being replaced by a 2nd round pick with multiple years left on a franchise QB deal like some other QBs...

10. I knew that Darrell Henderson would eventually break a long run.

11. Cam Akers did some good things, but the Rams need to find a better way of dealing with those 3rd/4th and 1 scenarios. He has NO CHANCE on multiple plays in that circumstance.

12. Jalen Ramsey makes DeAndre Hopkins look fairly pedestrian.

13. Games 1-10: Darious Williams "allow me to introduce myself!" Games 11-12: Troy Hill "remember me?"

14. Troy Reeder has done a credible job in Micah Kiser's absence.

15. Johnny Hekker had only one punt yesterday. Wow.

16. Russell Wilson has turned the ball over 12 times in the last 7 games, and the Seahawks are 3-4 over that stretch. I wonder what they're discussing on Seahawks forums today...

17. This Thursday's game provides such a great opportunity. If the Rams can win, they will hold the top spot in the NFC West while gaining a mini-bye to get ready for the final stretch run, which consists of 2 divisional games (@Seattle, Arizona) and a home game against the Jets.

18. Oh, and I f#%*$ HATE the Patriots.

19. Gregg Williams was just fired by the Jets. Yes... he's a former Rams coach, but I never liked that guy.

20. Sean McVay, by winning yesterday, moved to 41-19. That's one game BETTER than 2 out of 3... and that ain't bad.

Just saw this on NFLN.....BRUTAL!

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