As expected I guess.
Login to view embedded media View: https://x.com/RapSheet/status/1846190918279270545

I go to the bar this weekend with a friend. He’s a Broncos fan, I have my LA hat on. The waitress says something like “oh you two are friends? That’s funny”. This goes right over my head and my only response is “huh?”. She goes “oh, aren’t they playing each other today?”

My friend speaks up and says “no, Broncos play the chargers today”

I realize the confusion I feel like throwing my drink down and saying “motherfucker” like Joe Pesci in the shine box scene from Goodfellas

“This isn’t a chargers hat. This isn’t a “C”, and this isn’t a lightning bolt. It’s a horn. A Ram’s horn”

“Oh.”

I have been more impressed this year with our special teams.

I am not trying to be controversial with this topic.

I was watching Lions/Cowboys yesterday and I noticed that Fassell had a totally different way of lining up for the new kick off.

I have not noticed any other team do this particular way of lining up.

Rather than having two guys back to receive the ball. . . it was just one guy - with the other staggered closer to the blockers. Multiple times this player ran like it was a revere on the kick return - once allowing a huge return because it froze the tackler.

I do miss Fassell and his creativity.

Wondering if anyone else has noticed this? Are other teams also doing so and I just haven't noticed?

Having the "extra" return man so close to line of scrimmage makes a blocking mismatch as well. Extra blocker.

Monday Night Football October 14, 2024

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets, 8:15 PM on ESPN

RamsOnDemand Sportsbook

If the Rams were to win out the rest of their games, they'd be guaranteed NFC West champs.

Being only 1 game back in loss column, they can win tiebreak over SF and SEA if they sweep. And now that AZ has dropped to 2-4 today with a loss to GB, Rams could leap ahead of them with a head-to-head rematch win.

Just sayin.

Rams are missing almost half their starters on offense. When Higbee, Kupp, Puka, J Jackson and Avila come back, Rams could go on a run. Yeah the D is still a liability, but an elite offense could help offset that.

I'm not saying the Rams will go 12-0 the rest of the way. Just reminding us that the NFC West leaders are only 3-3 and within striking distance.

It takes forever to wait for a new season, so I'll look for silver linings anywhere I can. Let's start with a W against the Raiders and see if it's not too late to turn this season around.

No Rams today! Anybody still watching football and making some foods?

Wife requested that I make Cullen Skink for dinner - it's a soup we learned about while visiting Scotland this summer.

Whittington has been averaging 4.8 yards of separation with only a 6.1 yard cushion average. The separation stat is #2 in the league while the cushion is that given to guys like Tyreek Hill. Here's some screenshots for comparison.

Who is the most overrated QB right now?

Trevor Lawrence? He’s not much better than Daniel Jones, is he?

Sunday Night Football - October 13, 2024

Cincinnati Bengals at New York Giants, 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock

RamsOnDemand Sportsbook

NFL Week 6 - Sunday October 13, 2024

*All times are listed as ET

LATE GAMES
Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos, 4:05 p.m. on CBS
Pittsburgh Steelers at Las Vegas Raiders, 4:05 p.m. on CBS
Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers, 4:25 p.m. on Fox
Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys, 4:25 p.m. on Fox

MEGA EARLY
Jacksonville Jaguars vs Chicago Bears (at Tottenham, London), 9:30 a.m. on NFL Network

EARLY GAMES
Washington Commodes at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m. on CBS
Arizona Cardinals at Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m. on Fox
Houston Texans at New England Patriots, 1 p.m. on CBS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. on Fox
Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m. on Fox
Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m. on CBS

SNF
Cincinnati Bengals at New York Giants, 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock

Monday October 14, 2024

MNF
Buffalo Bills at New York Jets, 8:15 PM on ESPN

NFL Week 6 - Sunday October 13, 2024

*All times are listed as ET

MEGA EARLY
Jacksonville Jaguars vs Chicago Bears (at Tottenham, London), 9:30 a.m. on NFL Network

EARLY GAMES
Washington Commodes at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m. on CBS
Arizona Cardinals at Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m. on Fox
Houston Texans at New England Patriots, 1 p.m. on CBS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. on Fox
Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m. on Fox
Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m. on CBS

LATE GAMES
Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos, 4:05 p.m. on CBS
Pittsburgh Steelers at Las Vegas Raiders, 4:05 p.m. on CBS
Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers, 4:25 p.m. on Fox
Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys, 4:25 p.m. on Fox

SNF
Cincinnati Bengals at New York Giants, 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock

Monday October 14, 2024

MNF
Buffalo Bills at New York Jets, 8:15 PM on ESPN

What an exciting game! Great for me. I took USC with the points (7) as I thought it would be close. A little worried at the half but the Lions had a helluva second half.

Btw, since Les likes team mates, figure out a way to get Aller and Warren!!!

Man… I don’t know? Injuries seem to be piling up everywhere…

Does 18 games make sense if we’re watching a bunch of backups?

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/58...nal-games-goodell/?source=user_shared_article

Roger Goodell envisions 16 international games if league expands to 18-game season

It should be a fun weekend of games. Which ones are you looking forward to?

Commodes / Ravens and Lions / Cowboys should be the highlight!

Cardinals and Packers could be entertaining as well.

NFL Week 6: Sunday game schedule

All times Eastern

MEGA EARLY

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Chicago Bears
Time: 9:30 a.m.
TV: NFL Network
Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London

EARLY GAMES

Washington Commodes at Baltimore Ravens
Time: 1 p.m.
TV: CBS
Location: M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore

Arizona Cardinals at Green Bay Packers
Time: 1 p.m.
TV: FOX
Location: Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin

Houston Texans at New England Patriots
Time: 1 p.m.
TV: CBS
Location: Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints
Time: 1 p.m.
TV: FOX
Location: Caesars Superdome in New Orleans

Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles
Time: 1 p.m.
TV: FOX
Location: Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans
Time: 1 p.m.
TV: CBS
Location: Nissan Stadium in Nashville

LATE GAMES

Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos
Time: 4:05 p.m.
TV: CBS
Location: Empower Field at Mile High in Denver

Pittsburgh Steelers at Las Vegas Raiders
Time: 4:05 p.m.
TV: CBS
Location: Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas

Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers
Time: 4:25 p.m.
TV: FOX
Location: Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina

Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys
Time: 4:25 p.m.
TV: FOX
Location: AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas

SNF

Cincinnati Bengals at New York Giants
Time: 8:20 p.m.
TV: NBC
Location: MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey

Jared Verse named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for September​

Rams outside linebacker Jared Verse's knack for pressuring quarterbacks has garnered league-wide recognition.

Verse on Thursday was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for September, as announced by the league.

According to TruMedia, Verse is tied for 5th in tackles for loss (5) and tied for ninth in QB hurries (12) through the first four weeks of the season. Additionally, he has the sixth-highest pressure rate (defined as total number of pressures divided by total pass rush snaps) in the league at 18%, per the NFL's Next Gen Stats.

Overall, he has 19 total tackles (5 for loss) and 1 sack through his first four games. His tackles are fifth-most among all Rams defensive players, while his 4 QB hits lead the team.

Verse is the sixth Rams rookie to receive Rookie of the Month honors and just the second defensive player to earn the honors, joining Kobie Turner (Dec. 2023).

Checking in on the Rams' 2024 draft class at the bye week​

Back in late April, the Rams used 10 picks to assemble their draft class this year. A couple have contributed immediately, while others have ascended into expanded roles due to injuries within their positions or primarily contributed on special teams.

Here's how each of those selections have fared through the first five weeks of the season.

OLB Jared Verse (Round 1, No. 19 overall)

Verse has started in each of Los Angeles' first five games this season, producing 22 total tackles (5 for loss), four QB hits and one sack while playing at least 66% of L.A.'s defensive snaps in those games.

Entering Week 6, his quarterback pressure rate of 18% is fourth-highest in the league, per the NFL's Next Gen Stats, trailing only Cincinnati's Trey Hendrickson (18.4), Houston's Danielle Hunter (19.5), Cleveland's Myles Garrett (20.5) and the New York Jets' Will McDonald IV (21.0).

His performance through the first four weeks of the season garnered league-wide honors as the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for September.

DE Braden Fiske (Round 2, No. 39 overall)

Fiske has started in each of the Rams' first five games, collecting 17 total tackles (two for loss), one forced fumble and one sack. He has played at least 51% of their defensive snaps in those games.

Entering Week 6, his quarterback pressure rate of 14.2% is 18th-highest in the league.

RB Blake Corum (Round 3, No. 83 overall)

Up until Week 5, Corum had been sparingly used in the running back rotation – his most extensive action came toward the end of the Rams' 41-10 road loss to the Cardinals in Week 2 when he had 8 carries for 28 yards in an effort to avoid quarterback Matthew Stafford taking more hits (per head coach Sean McVay).

Against the Packers, he had five carries for 25 yards, bringing his season totals to 13 carries for 53 yards. He also has four kickoff returns for 115 yards, good for 28.75 yards per return.

So far, the majority of his playing time has come on special teams – he has 56 snaps in that phase compared to 19 on offense.

S Kam Kinchens (Round 3, No. 99 overall)

John Johnson III's shoulder injury initially afforded Kinchens a bigger role, playing 41% of the Rams' defensive snaps in Week 3 against the 49ers then 63% against the Bears. However, after the Rams made some personnel adjustments to the secondary for last Sunday's game against the Packers, he didn't play one defensive snap in Week 5.

Kinchens has played in four games so far, collecting 13 total tackles in a reserve role.

OLB Brennan Jackson (Round 5, No. 154 overall)

Jackson has been inactive for the Rams' first five games. He appeared in the preseason finale against the Texans after dealing with a soft tissue injury sustained in the later stages of training camp.

DT Tyler Davis (Round 6, No. 196 overall)

Davis has appeared in four of the Rams' first five games (inactive for Week 2 against the Cardinals), recording 5 total tackles. His playing time has varied: he's played as much as 30% (Week 3) and as few as 12% (Week 5) of Los Angeles' defensive snaps so far, but his playing time has come exclusively with that unit.

K Joshua Karty (Round 6, No. 209 overall)

Making 9 of 10 field goal attempts (long of 52) and 7 of 8 extra point attempts, Karty has been steady for L.A.'s special teams.

WR Jordan Whittington (Round 6, No. 213 overall)

Initially contributing on special teams, early-season injuries to Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua have afforded Whittington more snaps in the wide receiver rotation in recent weeks.

He played 92% of the Rams' offensive snaps last week against the Packers and 97% against the Bears in Week 4, and that translated to 7 catches for 89 yards and 6 catches for 62 yards in each of those games, respectively.

Whittington has started in each of Los Angeles' last two games and played in their first five overall, recording 18 catches for 201 yards.

OL Beaux Limmer (Round 6, No. 217 overall)

Similar to Whittington, injuries within his position group thrust Limmer into a larger role than what was likely anticipated for his rookie season, serving as the Rams' starting center since Jonah Jackson re-aggravated his training camp shoulder injury in Week 2.

According to The 33rd Team, Limmer has allowed the 8th-lowest pressure rate among all rookies (excluding MNF) at 5.5%, with just nine allowed across 165 pass snaps. In Week 5, he allowed just one on 48 pass snaps.

OL KT Leveston (Round 7, No. 254 overall)

A preseason ankle injury landed Leveston on Injured Reserve prior to the 53-man roster cutdown; he remains on IR and has yet to appear a game this season.

NFL rumors: Matthew Stafford's Rams situation is 'one to watch' ahead of trade deadline​

The Los Angeles Rams have had a terrible start to the 2024 NFL season. Los Angeles has dealt with a ton of injuries on the offensive side of the ball, which has kept them from winning games. The Rams are 1-4 and at the bottom of the NFC West heading into their Week 6 bye. Now trade rumors are beginning to bubble surrounding the Rams.

Rams QB Matthew Stafford is someone the rumor mill is talking about, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano. In their most recent article, Graziano pitches the idea that Matthew Stafford could be traded at the deadline if the Rams can't start winning games. Fowler had an emphatic response to the question.

“Definitely,” Fowler began. “The Rams have looked at Stafford's future as a year-to-year proposition. His reworked contract last offseason reflects that, pushing his 2024 pay into the $40 million range but lessening his guarantees in 2025, essentially allowing both sides to decide whether they want to remain married at that point.”

Those same contract moves could make Stafford an easy QB to trade. Any team trading for him could easily view him as a one-year rental who could become more depending on how things pans out.

“This is a situation to watch closely, because neither player nor team seems to know how or when it will end,” Fowler continued. “Stafford is 36 and has dealt with injuries recently. Does he want to play after this season?”

The injuries that the Rams have suffered on offense have nearly wrecked the season already. Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua are the main offensive weapons who are hurt, as well as multiple offensive linemen.

Fowler notes that it is unclear who would be interested in Stafford. However, the Las Vegas Raiders jump to mind as a team with a glaring need at QB.

Sean McVay explains Rams decision to bench Tre’Davious White in Week 5​

After spending the first month of the 2024 NFL season with a cornerbacks room that struggled mightily against the pass, Sean McVay made a pretty major change in Week 5, benching former All-Pro Tre'Davious White in favor of a returning Darious Williams.

Earning his first snaps of the season following a spot on IR and his first snaps with the Rams since all the way back in 2021, Williams provided hope at a position that was largely hopeless and played pretty well, allowing just one catch in his debut. But why didn't White play at all? Why was he inactive for the game when an injury could have thrust him back into action?

Asked this very question by reporters after the game, McVay broke down the decision, which ultimately came down to special teams and the presence of another former starter, Ahkello Witherspoon.

“Not sure about those things quite yet. Once we reconnect, I'll have a better answer for you. My mind has been on this group, where we're at and we'll be excited when we do get those guys back,” McVay told reporters. “With Tre'Davious White, it was a coaching decision. He's been a pro in every sense of the word, but [we] get Darious [Williams] back [and] we felt like we were going to have a larger role for Ahkello [Witherspoon]. There are some special teams considerations that go into it. That was what resulted in him being inactive today.”

Was White's benching just a Week 5 thing? Or will he be out of action for the foreseeable future, even if he is fully healthy? Could the Rams release White like the Eagles just did with Devin White? Or is there a world where one of White, Williams, or Cobie Durant kicks it inside now that Quentin Lake is expected to play safety full-time? Unless things take a major turn moving forward, it unfortunately looks like the White signing will go down as a bust for the Rams.

I'm admittedly very worried about the lattermost. The spasms are a bitch and a half; morphine, oxy, Flexeril, none of it has helped with the pain (morphine actually made me feel worse), and it just lances up my left leg and groin without warning and without knowledge of where the pain (which I liken to a hot knife slicing through those parts of my body). I'm running 100.1, feel too weak to sit up on my own, can't eat because I've vomited, getting fluids through IVs. But I nearly died from sepsis the last time I had it (2016), and I'm...scared.

I've never been one for prayers, but please guys, I'm scared and in horrifying pain.

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1844424404073406963?t=day-X0c_GWIIW-W7fUJsMQ&s=19


I like Banks and Campbell LSU.

1. Yankees vs Dodgers
2. Yankees vs Mets
3. Yankees vs San Diego
4. Dodgers vs Tigers
5. Dodgers vs Cleveland
6. Dodgers vs Kansas City
7. Mets vs Kansas City
8. Mets vs Tigers
9. Mets vs Cleveland
10. San Diego vs Tigers
11. San Diego vs Kansas City
12. San Diego vs Cleveland

Repeat of 2015
Repeat of 2000
Repeat of 1998
Repeat of 1984
Repeat of 1981
Repeat of 1920

I know what are #1 and #2 on my list.

Citing the fact the teams with byes were all struggling....Philly, Cleveland, LAD, NYY......he said the layoff is too long. The bye is a reward but those teams had 5 days off and it's hard to simulate game speed and timing for hitters, so it ends up a bigger detriment than a reward. His proposal.....and I'm all for it.....is give the 4 teams with the bye 2 days off (Monday and Tuesday). The Wild Card games should be set up the same way....all games in the higher seed's park....but the first day (Monday) is a doubleheader. Sweep and you get a day off before the LDS. Split and you play the next day, then the next day if you win.

Too much penalty for teams fighting through the weekend to make the postseason? Not really. You played yourselves into that position over 6 months. Hell, the Mets had that exact set up this year.....in a way.....doubleheader on Monday, game on Tuesday. Kudos to them, they're in the LCS. The only problem would be a situation like the Mets this year, where they had to play a doubleheader on Monday vs Atlanta to see who (NY, Atl, Ariz) made the postseason. So it would be 2 doubleheaders back to back? So what, don't put yourself in that position.

This is going to be a very important NFC West game….. agh what am I saying

Wow
Login to view embedded media

An interesting, if not terribly in-depth, piece about how kicking has improved in the NFL.