I grabbed this snippet from the attached article. There is more, but this is the topic I want to hear from members.

What do you do? $25-$30M? Gulp. Feels like he just went on a Foles run, earning an overpriced contract?

———


All the things he accomplished in his brief time with Tennessee will make him attractive to teams in need of an upgrade at quarterback. In his eight-year career, he never has earned more than $18 million in a season. Estimates are that he now can command $25 million-$30 million (possibly more) per year in his next deal.

The Titans will have the wherewithal to pay market value and – presumably – will want to bring him back. If necessary, they could ensure his return with the use of a franchise tag, but they might need that for another high-profile free agent.

So, now that there are no more games to be played, it is time to start the waiting game while Tannehill figures out what he wants to do and where he wants to be.

“I think that we started something special here,” Tannehill said. “A lot of belief in one another in what we can do when we buy in and believe in each other and play together. And we did that throughout the whole season.

Eli Manning leaning toward retirement?

As recently as December, we heard that Eli Manning wanted to continue his playing career in 2020. We knew that opportunities may be limited, given that he does not want to serve as a backup/mentor, but it seemed that the longtime Giants signal-caller would at least take a look to see what might be out there.

Now, that may no longer be the case. Paul Schwartz of the New York Post says all signs indicate that Manning, 39, is headed for retirement.

Recent reports have suggested that the Giants would welcome Manning back as the backup to Daniel Jones, but not only does Manning not want that, the team itself does not really believe that’s a great idea either, per Schwartz. The team’s new head coach, Joe Judge, is nearly a full year younger than Manning, and Big Blue wants to usher in a new era.

Manning is not hindering the Giants by continuing to take his time with his decision, as he is not under contract and New York is not carving out any salary cap space for him. He is expected to be in Miami, the site of this year’s Super Bowl, for some promotional appearances, and he is unlikely to make any announcement prior to the big game.

Schwartz said those close to Manning believed that, as the 2019 season drew to a close, he realized it would be his last. And if so, it makes plenty of sense. He is remarkably healthy, he has earned $252.3MM in his career — the most ever for an NFL player — and he has captured two Super Bowls. He has often expressed a desire to spend his entire career with the Giants, a franchise he truly loves, and he has never been interested in suiting up for another club.

He has also indicated that he is not interested in becoming a coach, so if he does hang up the cleats in the next few weeks, we may not hear much from him until he is being fitted for a gold jacket.

What would’ve happened if Ford lines up correctly?
I’ve heard people assuming that KC would be trying to repeat in Miami instead of breaking a 50 year drought, but I think the Rams have pretty good odds to win that game. The 2 teams played the “ game of the year” earlier and the Rams prevailed, and the Rams outstanding defensive performance in the SB was forgotten cuz they lost.
I know it’s all hypothetical and supposition but hey, we got 2 weeks.

This is kind of a combination of what I think will happen and what I would do. I've made it clear in other threads I'm not a fan of Sherff for the money he'll command with his recent injury history. Some of the other G free agents are appealing but there are a lot of OLine needy teams with a whole lot more money than we have.

Waive/options not picked up:

Clay Matthews
Eric Weddle

Resign:

Andrew Whitwroth 2 years guaranteed in the first year. Insurance at LT for Noteboom to come back from injury. Pretty standard here.

Corey Littleton I think he's going to get about what Kwon Alexander got. Personally that's more than I want to pay an ILB but I think if he's not resigned people around here will riot.

Greg Zeurlein I think his inconsistency this year will cost him and he signs for very near what his last contract was, 3 years $6.75 million possible a slight raise is in there so he doesn't have to test free agency and we keep our guy.
The usual suspects are brought back as well Morgan Fox (who could see more PT in rotation at DE with Brockers walking), Donte Deayon and Marqui Christian. Carraway, Mundt, Shelton and Webster are ERFA brought back as well.

I also think during the season we extend Ramsey, Kupp and Johnson III.

Free agents:

Reggie Ragland Reggie has been mostly a backup this year in KC in a 4-3 though he did get some good snaps vs the run heavy offense in the Titans this past weekend. I think he's a classic buy low type signing. He'll come in and compete with Kiser and Kenny Young for the spot next to CL. This was kind of a last minute idea. I'd originally planned on drafting a guy in the 4th or 5th round for the other ILB spot.

Derek Wolfe Derek is a free agent and isn't likely going back to Denver after they drafted Dre'Mont Jones last year to be his successor. He's 29 and has had a pretty solid career. Very good against the run and still able to provide some pass rush. With AD on the other side and commanding most of the double team action I think Wolfe will provide what we always wanted Brockers to give opposite AD. I think he can be had for less than his last contracts $9 million aav.

Vic Beasley Vic is a free agent and the Falcons tried to move him at the deadline and had no bites at all. He comes in on a 1 year prove it deal to see if he can generate some numbers lining up with AD in front of him. He was a very hot prospect as a draft pick and has faded over the past few years.

Trades:

I'm not going to do a lot of trades I know people like them but it's just too hard to predict. We could see a few moved like NRC and as much as some people don't want to admit it Robert Woods (sell high not low like people want with Cooks and Gurley who also aren't likely with financial implications).

I do think we stay put in the 2nd and trade back in the 3rd Pick 84 (3rd round pick 20) is moved to Green Bay for pick 94 and 126(3rd #30 and 4th #30). I think we also move one of our now 3 4th rounders back to lets say Pitt for a 5th and a 6th. After these we'll have 2-20, 3-30, 4-20 4th comp, 5-8, 6-19, 6-20 and 7-20 so we picked up two extra picks. Not signing Fowler and Brockers put us in line for a couple comp picks in 2021 also.

Draft:

Pick 2-20:

Cesar Ruiz C Michigan



6'4 320 lbs he's a big man in the middle. Lots of strength and plenty of mobility. Not a technician but will learn and will get on the job training against some very good DLines in our division. Comes in starts day 1 IMO and upgrades our run game.

Pick 3-30:

Ben Bredeson G Michigan



Double dipping from Michigan and taking the guy who lined up next to Ruiz. Another road grader who can get to the 2nd level. Him dropping to this spot may be wishful thinking. But put him and Ruiz in the middle next to Whitworth at LT with Corbett, Evans and Edwards battling for RG and Havenstein manning the RT (or Evans if Hav fails to hold the spot) improves our OLine immensely.

Pick 4-20:

Donovan Peoples-Jones WR Michigan



What sort of madness is this? Three straight Michigan players? Meh it's the first mock of the year and we'll see what happens. DPJ if I remember correct was the #1 WR recruit in the nation when he committed to the Wolverines. He however did not put up the numbers though has some nice game footage. He's a big WR at 6-2 210 lbs. His testing during the draft process will be key but this is an extremely deep WR draft and he'll come in as the 5th WR with a year to learn behind Kupp, Woods, Cooks and Reynolds. He'll battle Webster for the return job and hope to grow and take on a larger role in year two when I think it's possible we move on from Cooks after this coming season. Might not be a popular pick but I think this is an eye to the future and he'll line up with Kupp at WR.

Pick 4th round comp:

Michael Warren RB Cincinnati



This might be a new name for some. I caught a couple of his games just by chance last year. He's a shorter powerful guy at 5'-10" and 222lbs. Not a burner but a tackle breaker with some good vision. With his injury history I think Malcolm Brown could find himself on the outs after this pick is made. Along with Gurley and Henderson this is a nice 3 headed monster in the backfield.

Pick 5-8 (from Pitt in an earlier trade down)

Levonta Taylor CB Florida State (stealing this from Jrry)



NRC and Hill will be entering the last year of their contracts. We think Long will succeed Hill opposite Ramsey but this gives us somebody to groom to take over in the slot from NRC. Smaller guy but I've seen a few people talk him up.

Pick 6-19:
Logan Wilson ILB Wyoming



Absolutely love this guy. Ok I said in the free agent spot I wasn't going to do it but here he is. A 6'2" 250 lbs tackle machine. All the guy does is make tackles. He's adequate for now in coverage but with resigning CL he might not be asked to do that much. Yes again it's lesser comp but that's fine in my book. Only guy I'll link a highlight reel on.

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6bjubnL1y8


I think he could make the Ragland signing irrelevant. And if we wait until after the draft he might not be signed at all.

Pick 6-20:

Brendon Hayes DE UCF



Depth and development behind Fox and Wolfe.

Pick 7-20:

Scott Franz LT Kansas



Could transition inside to Guard if he's able to stick around but he's a 3 year starter at LT for Kansas. A 7th round pick to develop via the practice squad. This is a lottery pick who needs to gain some strength. I thought about going a QB here but just don't know enough about any of the possible late targets so we'll likely go in to camp with Wolford backing up Jared unless we sign a vet on the cheap.

Depth Chart:

QB: Goff, Wolford (vet?)
RB: Gurley, Brown, Henderson, Warren, Kelly
WR: Woods, Kupp, Cooks, Reynolds, Webster, Peoples-Jones
TE: Higbee, Everett, Mundt, Blanton
LT: Whitworth, Noteboom, Franz, Brewer, Edwards
LG: Bredeson, Corbett, Brewer
C: Ruiz, Allen, Shelton
RG: Edwards, Corbett, Brewer
RT: Havenstein, Evans

DE: Donald, Hayes
NT: Joseph-Day, Gaines, Smart
DE: Wolfe, Fox
EDGE: Beasley, Polite, Obo
ILB: Littleton, Howard, Reeder
ILB: Ragland, Wilson, Kiser, Young
OLB: Ebukam, Patrick
CB: Ramsey, Hill, Long, Deayon, Williams, NRC Taylor
S: Johnson, Kupp, Christian, Scott, Gervase

Not sure in the end how I feel about this. We've addressed the OLine with some power. Added some vets to the defensive front 7. I love Ruiz, Bredeson, Warren and Wilson. I like Peoples-Jones as a lottery pick. We're rolling the dice letting Fowler walk but IMO it's going to come down to him or Littleton and I didn't want to face the wrath of this board letting him walk. I think it's an overpay but hell we're used to our FO doing that. Lets not forget we picked up off waivers another lottery pick in Polite. Our new DC has done some good work with the Bronco's LB corp lets see what he can do with him. In fact I'm going to copy a comment from a Bronco's poster on another forum about our DC and end this mock with it:

FWIW, the work he did in coaching up our OLB & ILB corps, Staley should get kudos for. Jewell is a fit in a conventional 3-4 D, but a terrible fit in a Fangio D, as it calls for more sideline-to-sideline, dynamic play. Jewell was drafted to be the Davis replacement and be a better pass cover guy than Davis was. Alexander Johnson did a great job as the best ILB, and his pass cover weaknesses improved (although he's still not the alpha Fangio needs for the D to thrive).

Attachou, Malik Reed & Justin Hollins all fit in better as OLB's than anyone could have imagined. Even if Von's sack #'s went down, the unit's play in the 2H was impressive. Staley didn't do the run stopping part of ILB work, but the ILB's improvements in pass rush and coverage, have to believe Staley had a hand in that.

I have no idea on his play call / adjustment abilities, but on talent development, Staley deserves a huge A+ for his 2019 work, and his prior body of work. We'll miss that next year in DEN for sure.

One other comment - apparently McVay wanted a guy who would be more flexible in adapting the D in-game, and change the way the D played, instead of trying to simply beat guys straight up (what Wade believed in). The changes DEN made in-season suggest that Donatell & Staley really followed the latter philosophy. Maybe it was all Donatell, but that probably factored in.

Click to expand...

Thoughts comments or concerns? Let me hear it.

We're 5 days out from a very important step in the pre-draft process. And you can bet we're going to see some picks based on how these guys match up vs their counterparts.

I see annual dogfights for the division crown for the foreseeable future. I mean knock-downs and drag-outs. Lol.

All 3 teams have the following:

Good FO’s.
Good HC’s.
Good to very good rosters.
Good QB’s.

I will say this about the Rams...

I expect a better scoring D this season under Staley. Call it Fangio lite.

I expect a much better OL than last years version. Low bar, I know.

I expect a top 5 scoring O next year.

I expect the Ram ST units will improve to at least top third, a significant improvement.

I expect that offseason moves will be made with an eye to primarily countering the strengths of the 49ers and the Seahawks. It’s now imperative to win the division before any thoughts of playoffs against outsider teams. This can’t be overstated. Rams are now playing in the toughest division in football and it’s not even close.

Can’t believe I’m posting this, but an 11-5 record kinda looks like a goal for next year for the Rams. And at least a 4-2 division record in order to have a chance at tiebreaker advantages.

Oh, and btw, don’t go to sleep on the Cards, either. A solid offseason for them makes them a real handful. Geez...

BTW, not easy for a Head Coach to lose a Super Bowl and come back win one, it's happened twice since the 70's with Dick Vermeil coming back to win with the Rams after losing to the Raiders as Eagle Head Coach and then Bill Cowher did losing in 1995 to Dallas and coming back to win it in 2005 against Seattle, so just twice since 1978, when Landry won another one against the Broncos...Now there have been plenty, to win their first one and then get back and lose, but not the other way around, so let's hope that Andy Reid gets it done because Sean McVay is now in this category.

Philip Rivers 'permanently' moves out of San Diego, signaling possible split with Chargers

Philip Rivers has moved "permanently" from San Diego to Florida to be closer to his family, the free-agent quarterback texted to ESPN on Sunday morning.

"What this means football-wise is to be determined but it was time for us to move back closer to home," Rivers said in the text message.

While his family settles in in the South, Rivers' football future is unsettled. He is a free agent this offseason, and it appears that he and the Los Angeles Chargersare going their own directions.

Rivers' contract is up, and he will be one of the top quarterbacks in a market that also could include Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Ryan Tannehill, Teddy Bridgewater, Jameis Winstonand Marcus Mariota, among others.

The Chargers have Tyrod Taylorunder contract for next season and have been impressed with his play throughout the past season, and he could wind up as Los Angeles' starting quarterback.

Rivers did not speak to reporters on Dec. 30 when he cleaned out his locker. He tearfully said after the Chargers' final game of the season that he wanted to continue playing but acknowledged it might not be with the Chargers.

"I plan to play football, so yes," Rivers said on Dec. 29. "Where that is going to be will get sorted out over the next few months. I've never been in this position. ... I'm very thankful for the 16 years, and if there is another, I'll be thankful for that."

Rivers, 38, passed for 4,615 yards and 23 touchdowns -- his fewest since 2007 -- with 20 interceptions this season, his 16th with the Chargers. The eight-time Pro Bowler is sixth in NFL history in both career passing yards (59,271) and touchdown passes (397).

Sean McVay gives up a piece of Rams' offense, grows as a head coach

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Coach Sean McVay often sounded like a broken record when he spoke this past season about the Los Angeles Rams' offense.

The unit needed to play with more consistency. The players needed to develop a rhythm. The Rams needed to solidify their run game, be less reliant on their passing game.

Although the offense appeared efficient, if not outstanding at times, it ultimately did not perform to standard. The unit's down season was a major contributing factor in a 9-7 record that failed to earn the Rams a third consecutive playoff berth.

"Our inconsistency as a team ended up hurting us," McVay said following the Rams' elimination from playoff contention in Week 16. "We saw what we were capable of when the things were going well, and we saw how it can look when they're not going well."

McVay wasted little time making staff changes following the season. He replaced veteran defensive coordinator Wade Phillips with newcomer Brandon Staley, and hired Kevin O'Connell as offensive coordinator, two moves the team has yet to announce. He remains in search of a new running backs coach and special-teams coordinator after firing Skip Peete and watching John Fassel move on to the Dallas Cowboys.

It's uncertain whether O'Connell and Staley will make additional changes to their offensive and defensive staffing.

By hiring O'Connell, McVay signaled that he's aware the offense's status quo must be improved and that he can't resolve the issues alone.

That's not a bad thing.

As head coach, the offense-minded McVay must continue to evolve, focus on the entire team and most of the dealings that surround it -- including matters beyond X's and O's.

"You get to go through a lot of good and some bad this season," McVay said as the year came to an end. "I think that's forced us to learn a lot about ourselves. I know it has for me personally."

By hiring O'Connell, McVay returns to having an offensive coordinator -- a position he went without the past two seasons after current Green Bay Packerscoach Matt LaFleur left the post in 2018 to take the same role with the Tennessee Titans, where he could also call plays.

Even as he prepares to delegate offensive game planning, McVay is expected to maintain his role as the playcaller next season. But preparation throughout the week and even in-game adjustments will now include the helpful eye of a dedicated coordinator.

"The one thing, for myself in this role, is that you're constantly evaluating all the elements that this role entails and you always want to continue to do it at a high level," McVay said before the season ended, when asked if he was comfortable with the offensive staffing. "The way that you do get better is you surround yourself with people that are better than you. We've got a lot of good people here, but I think it's always continuing to find that good balance of, what does it look like structurally, really, for our organization, in terms of that setup. Want to be able to get the best people here."

O'Connell, 34, spent the past three seasons as an offensive assistant with the Washington Redskins, where he was hired by Jay Gruden, a champion of McVay when he spent seven seasons climbing the ranks in Washington before the Rams named him head coach in 2017.

A former NFL quarterback, O'Connell's first NFL gig came in Cleveland, where he coached quarterbacks in 2015. He spent the following season as an offensive assistant with the San Francisco 49ers, and then in 2017 joined the Redskins (a season after McVay departed), where he coached quarterbacks and was promoted after two seasons to offensive coordinator.

Last season, O'Connell took over as the playcaller after Gruden was fired following an 0-5 start. He helped develop rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins, who demonstrated drastic improvement in his final two starts of the season as the Redskins posted more than 40 points in consecutive losses.

O'Connell departed the Redskins following the season when new coach Ron Rivera hired Scott Turner as offensive coordinator.

With the Rams, O'Connell will be tasked with correcting the course of an offense that last season lost its identity and did not consistently perform to the standard set the previous two seasons.

The reasons for the Rams' offensive downturn were multifaceted. Several defenses copied the model shown by the Chicago Bears and by the New England Patriots, who shut down the Rams' offense last season in the Super Bowl.

The offensive line was inexperienced and then injury-riddled. The playcalling relied too much on the arm of quarterback Jared Goff and not enough on the legs of the running backs, as McVay attempted to deploy a three-back rotation.

The Rams' offense ranked 11th in the NFL in scoring, averaging 24.6 points, a drop-off from the 32.9 points it averaged in 2018 (second). A season after the run game ranked third in the league, rushing for an average of 134.4 yards per game, the average this season plummeted to 93.7 yards, which ranked 26th. Goff boasted a total QBR of 63.7 (10th) last season, but fell to 48.4 (23rd) in 2019.

The hiring of O'Connell and Staley, who is 37, ensures that the Rams will feature the youngest trio of head coach and offensive and defensive coordinators.

As he prepared for his longest offseason since taking over as head coach, McVay expressed confidence about his ability to evaluate and evolve.

"I'm continuing to try and figure out what's the best rhythm to operate with on a day-to-day basis for our football team," McVay said. "Because ultimately that is your job, is to make sure that you have a good feel for everything that is going on and then putting your players in a position on all three phases to try to have success week in and week out."

The move to hire O'Connell proves McVay is growing as a head coach, even if that means yielding some power over his offense.

Did I think that the Rams would miss the playoffs this year after making it to the Super Bowl. BUT, I never in a million years would have guessed that the 49ers would go instead. They had been so bad, I didn’t see this meteoric rise at all. It stinks, and I hope that it hurts all the way down to the water boy. Our doomed belief that we could feather the clutch on Todd Gurleys usage by using him just enough to help us win, but not too much to harm him more. We played scared football by not getting a vet pounder to soften our opponents. Yes I’m angry, and watching the Niners take over after the Pats beat us doesn’t help. Just a missing the playoffs vent.

Just read an article somewhere (Fansided?) saying that there are a lot of RUMORS about Todd Gurley not returning to the Rams next season! With his current salary cap situation I would think it would be very difficult to trade him and I am guessing the Cap Hit (And, I admit I know nothing about how his release would effect the Rams salary cap but I am GUESSING it would NOT be very good?) the Rams would take would be pretty significant?! The only way I would think Gurley will not be a Ram would be if he retires due to Health Concerns.

I went to the Tampa RV Supershow at the Florida Fairgrounds on both Friday and Sunday.

Was a blast. Not ready to make the move, but we’re only a few years from the 4 grown kids potentially being flung to the four winds.

Kinda stuck between a Class A and a fifth wheel.

If we go fifth wheel we’ll likely go with the Redwood 3951MB.

If we go the Class A route, likely a used Newell or Newmar King Aire. Like them both.

Love the idea of the wife and I on the open road. We do well in that setting and are kinda stagnating doing the home thing.

I’d love to see friends, national parks and do some tailgating at events like a Ram game.

Anyway, anyone else into or have an RV? Love to chat with others either looking to make the plunge or who are doing it.

I am going back to what I made on opening Sunday...

Chili

Complimented by beer... and... whatever else the refrigerator has to offer. I am jazzing the base of this chili differently with a taquera sauce, and it will be all ground beef. Luscious.

We have a snowstorm all day... got a fire going already... football... food... beer... hunkered down. PERFECT lazy football day!

NFC Championship: Green Bay Packers vs. San Francisco 49ers

The Green Bay Packers will make their way to Levi's Stadium to face the San Francisco 49ers for the second time this season on Sunday. Only this time around, the stakes are much higher for two legendary NFL teams that boast nine Super Bowl titles between them. One will be crowned NFC champions and earn a trip to Miami, while the other will be watching Super Bowl LIV at home.

The No. 2-seeded Packers (14-3) held off a late charge by the Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Round to secure a 28-23 victory last Sunday in front of the Lambeau Field faithful, earning them a return trip to Santa Clara to face the Niners in the NFC title game. Unfortunately, Green Bay's first trip west to face San Francisco didn't go so well. And that might be an understatement, as the 49ers dominated the Nov. 24 matchup from start to finish, holding Aaron Rodgers and the Packer offense to just 198 yards en route to a 37-8 blowout.

The silver lining is that the embarrassment of that Week 12 loss seems to have stoked a fire under a Green Bay squad that has not lost a game since. First-year head coach Matt LaFleur and his Packers will now look to ride the momentum of a six-game winning streak back into Levi's Stadium in search of redemption and their first NFC championship since 2011.

The top-seeded 49ers (14-3) are riding high after scoring their first playoff win in six years last Saturday at home in the NFC Divisional Round. San Francisco leaned heavily on its potent rushing attack and a rejuvenated defense to earn a decisive 27-10 victory over the Vikings.

San Francisco's dominance against Green Bay in the regular-season matchup was palpable, giving the favored 49ers every reason to be supremely confident heading into the NFC title game. But you'd be ill-advised to mention that to head coach Kyle Shanahan, who has no intention of letting his Niners underestimate the red-hot Packers based on something that happened in November. Shanahan's message to his team — "Don't be that stupid." — seems like sound advice ahead of Sunday's all-important rematch with a trip to Super Bowl LIV on the line.

Sunday night's NFC Championship Game will mark the 69th meeting all-time between Green Bay and San Francisco. The Packers lead the series 36-31-1 and hold a slight 4-3 edge in postseason matchups. The 49ers have won the last two meetings in the playoffs, the most recent in 2014.

NFC Championship: Green Bay at San Francisco

Kickoff: Sunday, Jan. 19 at 6:40 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Spread: 49ers -7.5

Three Things to Watch

1. Pressure will pay dividends

A rejuvenated San Francisco pass rush led by Nick Bosa (11 sacks), Arik Armstead (11 sacks), DeForest Buckner (8.5 sacks), and Dee Ford (7.5 sacks) looked to be back in top-flight form last week against the Vikings. Consistent pressure from the vaunted Niners' defensive front made life miserable for Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins, who was sacked six times and hit several more times in the losing effort.

It was very reminiscent of the 49ers' performance against the Packers on Nov. 24. San Francisco dominated in the trenches on that night as well, routinely overpowering one of the NFL's better offensive lines to rack up five sacks and 10 QB hits. The relentless pressure generated by the San Francisco pass rush also played a pivotal role in the Packers converting on just one of 15 third-down attempts, as Aaron Rodgers finished with a season-low 104 passing yards in the lopsided Week 12 game.

As a result, you can probably expect to see Rodgers roll out of the pocket more often on Sunday, relying more on quick hitters and screen passes to running backs Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams to help alleviate some of the pressure this time around. But the Packers will still need a much-improved effort from the offensive line. And unfortunately, there is no surefire solution to pacify San Francisco's pass rush when it's hitting on all cylinders.

That also rings true for a formidable Packers pass rush, led by Za'Darius and Preston Smith. Green Bay's dynamic pass rush duo has combined for 29.5 sacks this season, including two sacks a piece in last week's playoff win against Seattle. "The Smith Bros." (no actual relation), as they are affectionately known, also made their presence felt against Jimmy Garoppolo and company in Week 12, combining for two sacks and four QB hits. They will likely be a force to reckoned with again in the NFC Championship Game.

2. The run game

One area in which the Packers might be able to glean an advantage on Sunday is in the run game. The San Francisco run defense ranked 17th in the NFL overall (112.6 ypg) in the regular season and just 23rd in regard to yards per carry (4.5) allowed. Green Bay features a special talent at running back in Jones. Not only did Jones eclipse the magical 1,000-yard rushing mark during the regular season, he also has scored more touchdowns (21) than any other skill position player in the NFL if you include his two trips to the end zone last week against Seattle.

While that bodes well, there's also room for skepticism. Jones only managed to run for 38 yards on 13 carries and failed to get in the end zone against San Francisco in Week 12. Furthermore, the 49ers are coming off a spectacular performance against Minnesota in which they held star running back Dalvin Cook to just 18 yards on nine carries. The healthy return of linebacker Kwon Alexander to go along with tackling machine Fred Warner could further complicate matters for Jones and the Green Bay ground attack on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, San Francisco will turn to its three-headed monster to take advantage of a favorable matchup on the ground against Green Bay on Sunday night. Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman, and Matt Breida have combined for more than 2,000 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns to lead the way for a ground attack that ranked second in the NFL during the regular season, averaging 144.1 rushing yards per contest.

And following last week's impressive 186-yard, two-touchdown performance against Minnesota, it's easy to like the 49ers' chances against a Green Bay run defense that finished the regular season tied for 23rd, allowing 120.1 rushing yards per game and 4.7 yards per carry. The 49ers averaged 5.1 yards per attempt against the Packers in Week 12, adding two rushing touchdowns in the process.

3. Key matchups in the passing game

Davante Adams stole the show last week against Seattle with eight catches for 160 yards and a pair of scores. And despite missing four games, the Packers' star wide receiver still managed to lead Green Bay in receptions (83) and receiving yards (997) by a wide margin during the regular season. That leaves little doubt that Adams will once again be the top target of choice for Rodgers in the NFC Championship Game. But how does this potent combination stack up against the best pass defense in the NFL?

Adams was the lone bright spot for the Packer offense in the regular-season matchup against San Francisco, scoring Green Bay's only touchdown in the loss. But his 43 receiving yards on seven catches against the vaunted 49er pass defense still left plenty to be desired. Interestingly enough, six of Adams' seven catches in that game (including the touchdown) came on 19 routes run against defensive backs not named Richard Sherman.

When paired against Sherman on 16 routes, Adams caught just one pass for seven yards. Even more interesting is Rodgers' career track record against Sherman. Rodgers has completed 11 of 17 passes for 107 yards with no touchdowns and one interception for a career passer rating of just 57.7 when targeting Sherman — not good. Since Sherman almost exclusively lines up on the right side of the field instead of following one receiver all game, the Packers may exploit that by lining Adams up across the field from Sherman.

Jimmy Garoppolo's go-to target is unquestionably All-Pro tight end George Kittle. Like Adams, Kittle led his team in both receptions (85) and receiving yards (1,053) during the regular season despite missing time due to injury. One game that he didn't miss was the Nov. 24 matchup against the Packers. Kittle hauled in all six of his targets for a team-high 129 receiving yards, highlighted by a 61-yard touchdown reception.

It's safe to say that the NFL's best tight end stands a pretty good chance to do some damage in the NFC title game as well. But Kittle might just have a worthy adversary in the form of a tweaked ankle. He popped up on the 49ers' injury report after sitting out practice on Wednesday but he returned on Thursday and was listed as a full participant. Anyone who has watched Kittle play knows it will take more than a sore ankle to keep the tough-as-nails tight end away from a favorable matchup in the NFC Championship Game.

Final Analysis

It's not unprecedented for a team to bounce back in the postseason with a win against a team that previously blew them out during the regular season. In fact, it's happened many times. And for a Green Bay team riding a six-game win streak, led by a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, it's not hard to understand why some like the Packers chances to come away with an upset on Sunday night.

That being said, the 49ers' Week 12 win against the Packers was no fluke. It was a one-sided affair, clearly dominated by a better football team. And I can't see where the circumstances have changed much since Nov. 24. If anything, San Francisco might even be more potent now with the recent return of several top players that missed the first matchup due to injury and the emergence of dynamic rookie wideout Deebo Samuel.

Green Bay is sure to employ a better game plan this time around, and those corrections should make for a slightly more competitive matchup. However, it won't be enough to overcome a superior San Francisco team playing in front of the home crowd. The 49ers simply have too much firepower across the board, which is why they will punch their ticket to Super Bowl LIV as NFC champs.

Prediction: 49ers 31, Packers 20

AFC Championship: Tennessee Titans vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Raise your hand if you had the Tennessee Titans playing the Kansas City Chiefs in your AFC Championship bracket. Maybe one hand in the corner there? Is that all? After becoming the final AFC team to clinch a postseason spot and entering the playoffs with 60/1 Super Bowl odds, winning one playoff game was a worthy achievement. And when the Chiefs fell behind 24-0 at home last weekend against the Houston Texans, advancing to the AFC title game seemed a virtual impossibility for them.

But here we are. The Chiefs, completing the first such 24-point comeback in Andy Reid's 21 years as an NFL head coach, are on the verge of their first Super Bowl appearance since before the AFL-NFL merger (1970). The Titans, meanwhile, are seeking their second-ever Super Bowl appearance (2000) and their first NFL championship in team history. They'd be the first team since the 2005 Steelers to make the NFL Championship game as the No. 6 seed in the AFC.

Both teams boast a player making a case for league MVP. Derrick Henry has had the most prolific three-game rushing total in league history; Patrick Mahomes took his team on a blowout 51-7 run to finish the Chiefs' Divisional Round game. Each is seeking their first Super Bowl as the NFL continues its shift from Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and its ageless legends to a new generation of budding superstars.

Can Mahomes complete his comeback from a midseason injury, guiding the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl under Andy Reid? Or will Henry continue to rewrite the history books as he carries the Titans on his back straight toward Miami? The Chiefs hold a narrow edge in the all-time series — which has featured a number of exciting games — 29-24.

AFC Championship: Tennessee at Kansas City

Kickoff: Sunday, Jan. 19 at 3:05 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Spread: Chiefs -7

Three Things To Watch

1. Can the Chiefs' defense stop Derrick Henry?

There's not much to say here that hasn't already been said. Henry has been unstoppable this postseason, rushing for 377 yards and a 5.9-yard average, a total that includes a 66-yard run against the Ravens last weekend. Surprisingly enough, he's scored just one touchdown during that stretch; the Titans use his dominance on the ground to keep opposing defenses on their heels in the passing game.

But make no mistake — this stretch is record-setting. Henry's the first NFL running back in its 100-year history to rush for 180-plus yards in three straight games. His performance leaves the Titans on the precipice of another first: defeating each of the AFC division winners (Texans, Patriots, Ravens, Chiefs) in four straight games to reach the Super Bowl.

Before his 211-yard coup de grace in the regular-season finale, Henry's best game of 2019 came... against the Chiefs. That's right. A 188-yard, two-touchdown performance (on 23 carries) included a 68-yard run in the third quarter that shifted momentum back the Titans' way after a lead change.

What's the Chiefs' plan against Henry this time? Hit him lower, a plan to knock his legs out and keep Henry from gaining those four or five extra yards on stiff arms and missed tackles. But the Chiefs know they can only do so much to slow this guy on offense.

"Even when they're down, they're still feeding him the ball, so it's kind of like playing basketball and your coach tells you, 'Keep shooting,'" All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu said. "And so you feel that confidence. You know that your team believes in you. I think that's the kind of confidence they're playing with."

It's up to the Chiefs' defense to shut that confidence down. Henry, the first rushing leader since LaDanian Tomlinson in 2007 to reach a conference championship game, is in position to pad those stats.

2. Can Patrick Mahomes continue his MVP-caliber performances?

Mahomes has been magical during his postseason career. In three games thus far, he has yet to throw an interception, posting eight touchdowns, 893 yards, and a 61.7 percent completion rate.

And this season against the Titans? He was absolutely incredible, considering it was the first game back from a dislocated kneecap initially expected to knock him out for a month or more. Mahomes threw for a season-high 446 yards, three touchdowns (including a 63-yard bomb) and a 119.2 quarterback rating.

What's scariest for the Titans is how quickly Mahomes can turn a game back around. The longest scoring drive for any of their scores last weekend was 3:55. Four of the Chiefs' touchdown drives took 92 seconds or less. It's that type of explosiveness that means this team is never out of any game they play in.

The key for the Titans may not come in stopping Mahomes but some of his weapons. Tight end Travis Kelce, who had 134 receiving yards and three touchdowns last week, will again be Mahomes' primary target. But don't count out Tyreek Hill, who ran up 157 yards of his own against the Titans during the regular season.

3. Which defense can force turnovers? In particular, will the Chiefs get it together on special teams?

Sneaking under the radar in the midst of Henry's dream postseason has been the way the Titans' defense has forced takeaways. Two games into the playoffs, their turnover margin of plus-four leads all 12 postseason teams; no one else is better than plus-one.

The Titans' total includes a pick-six of Tom Brady to end the Wild Card game and potentially his NFL career; then they picked up a forced fumble and two interceptions from Lamar Jackson, arguably the leading candidate for NFL MVP. In a span of four quarters, from the second half of the Patriots game through the first half against the Ravens, they held opposing offenses to only a pair of field goals.

The Chiefs, despite their slow start last weekend, had just one giveaway on paper: a first-quarter Hill fumble on a punt return. But they also had a punt blocked, suffered through a missed extra point by Harrison Butker, and saw Mahomes fumble the ball after a run deep in Houston territory. If that ball bounced differently, Houston would have gotten the ball back down just 28-24 with the Chiefs' momentum instantly stalled.

Damien Williams' lost fumble during the regular season game against the Titans proved a turning point for the Chiefs, too. That turned into a 53-yard return for a touchdown as part of a razor-thin, 35-32 defeat that could have gone either way. The Chiefs also suffered through a botched snap on a field goal, then a block on one at the end that would have tied the game and forced it into overtime.

"We were too sloppy," Andy Reid said after that Titans game. "We were in position to close it, and we didn't get that done."

Playing at Arrowhead Stadium rather than the road will help this team settle in. But Mahomes, for all his spectacular play, has three interceptions in his last five games played. He'll need a turnover-free performance Sunday, as the Titans will look to jump on them in the first quarter.

X-Factor: Ryan Tannehill

Tannehill has been the forgotten man during Henry's ascendance to greatness for the Titans. His performance has been inconsistent at best during the playoffs: just 160 passing yards combined, a 51.7 percent completion rate, three touchdowns, and one interception through two games.

But Tannehill hasn't had to be great. He's simply had to manage the game with the Titans building early leads, allowing them to focus on the run. Tannehill and the Titans may not have that luxury this time around, however, the last time these two teams played, Tannehill stepped up with a back-and-forth battle that was close until the final seconds. Apart from a first-quarter fumble, he was brilliant, going 13-for-19 with two touchdowns that cemented his starting role with this team.

There's no reason to suggest, despite the last two games, Tannehill can't do that again. The question will be how much the Titans need Tannehill to succeed. A punch-for-punch battle with Mahomes will result in a Chiefs TKO, but a few big plays every now and then? Tannehill has shown (see: last week's 45-yard TD pass to Kalif Raymond) that he's capable of a contributing role.

Final Analysis

On paper, this setup seems absolutely perfect for Kansas City. The Chiefs are the second seed from the conference, they're playing at home, and they spent the second half of their AFC Divisional Round matchup scoring at will.

Problem is, Andy Reid has a history of taking the perfect playoff scenarios and suffering through a historic collapse. He's just 1-8 against the Titans all-time, including losing the last postseason game against them despite taking a 21-3 lead into halftime. Who was the star of that show? Derrick Henry. He averaged nearly seven yards per carry (6.8) on his way to putting up 156 rushing yards and a touchdown to lead the Titans to a 22-21 come-from-behind victory. Think of how much he's improved since then.

Now, if the Chiefs' defense shows up and stops Henry? The offense has shown it can score at will. I think an early lead from the Chiefs should force you to think carefully about betting on them in the second half. It could get ugly.

However, a second straight first-quarter collapse, giving the Titans an early lead, will allow them to control the game on the ground. If so, Reid and company will find themselves wondering what might have been... and Henry will write his own chapter in the NFL record books.

Prediction: Titans 27, Chiefs 24

By Michael Luciano | Jan 16 2020




The week of practices for the 2020 East-West Shrine Bowl have officially concluded, and NFL scouts now have books of info on some of the best prospects in the country ahead of Saturday's game. Several players saw their stocks tumble or remain right where they were after these last few days, but a select few dominated proceedings and have surely put themselves in line for boatloads of money at the pro level.


Winners
Nebraska DT Khalil Davis: Between Michigan State's Raequan Williams, Baylor's Bravvion Roy, and Arkansas' McTelvin Agim, defensive line was the best position group for this year's game. Davis reigned supreme this week, as NO ONE could handle the 308-pound lineman's rare combination of speed, power, and technique that helped him grab eight sacks in the Big Ten. Davis was the best and most consistent player in St. Petersburg, and it'll be a crime if he isn't picked by the end of the fifth round.

Ohio State WR Binjimen Victor: Competing with a loaded wide receiver group that included Juwan Johnson, Nick Westbrook, and Dezmon Patmon, Victor has shownoff the sticky hands, plus deep speed, and terrific route-running ability that made him one of Justin Fields' favorite targets at Ohio State. Provided the 6-4, 199-pound wideout can stay healthy, he'll make for an intriguing late-round pick or priority free agent.

FIU QB James Morgan: Mississippi State's Tommy Stevens was all over the place and Princeton's Kevin Davidson showed off his NFL arm, but Morgan was on another level. A prospect who started for parts of all four years at FIU, Morgan showed off one of the strongest arms in this draft class, with mobility, touch, and accuracy to all levels to boot. He also stayed late after practice to get extra reps in, checking some of the intangible boxes teams love to check off on QB prospects.

Charlotte EDGE Alex Highsmith: Highsmith just barely edged Michael Danna as the best pass rusher from this week. A guy who trailed only Chase Young in sacks going into the postseason, his stacked frame and relentless motor paired speed and refined technique made him unblockable for most tackles in his game. Don't be surprised if he's the highest-drafted player from this game after dominating in practice.

UCF CB Nevelle Clark: Clark, a 6-2, 190-pound corner originally from Miami, came into this week facing questions about how he would handle bigger receivers -- and he was excellent. At his size, there aren't many corners that showed his speed, ball skills, and ability to mirror on shorter routes. Clark was the best cornerback from either team, beating out players from schools like Michigan (Lavert Hill), Oklahoma (Parnell Motley) and Penn State (John Reid) for that honor.

TCU OG Cordell Iwagwu: Michigan's 362-pound Michael Onwenu came close, but Iwagwu was the best offensive lineman here. The likes of Roy, Davis, and Williams dominated most offensive lineman here, but Iwagwu was the only one to stand up to all of them. He could easily be a late-round selection after his week in St. Petersburg.

Illinois RB Reggie Corbin: Corbin was always going to draw a lot of attention, as the amount of former rugby stars with quads bigger than my waist that ripped off big run after big run despite a horrid passing offense in college are few and far between. Several big-name backs showed impressive explosion, but no one did it as consistently as Corbin. As an added bonus, he performed better than most expected he would in pass protection drills.

Berry WR Mason Kinsey: This game is a perfect chance for Division II guys to strut their stuff, and Kinsey earned high marks across the board. He showed versatility by playing outside as a receiver and returning punts, showcased sure hands, and was able to win 1v1 battles through consistently solid route-running and explosion. Berry College in Rome, Georgia isn't exactly UGA, but Kinsley showed enough to get his shot at the pros.

Some Good, Some Bad
Missouri QB Kelly Bryant: Bryant was the most hyped player at this game, and eventually shined through as the best of the West QBs. His arm strength, playmaking ability, and touch downfield were all pluses for him. However, his short-range accuracy wavered at times, and his elongated windup in his throwing motion needs to be tightened up before an NFL team can feel comfortable using a pick on him.

Oregon OG/OT Calvin Throckmorton: It was the best of times at guard for Throckmorton, and the worst of times at tackle. The former Duck simply couldn't handle any degree of speed on the outside, but his footwork, hand placement, and power shone at guard, where he was rarely, if ever, beaten in pass or run protection. The scouting community now has some clarity that Throckmorton, a first-team All-American according to some outlets, should only line up inside at the next level.

Fresno State LB Mykal Walker: 1v1 situations were embarrassing for Walker early on, as Reggie Corbin juking him out of his shoes was one of the hottest highlights of Day 1. Walker really turned things around, as the 6-3 linebacker that can play inside or outside was able to showcase the speed, ferocity, and nose for the football he was known for in college. Scouts weren't able to pull themselves away from Walker after Day 2.

West Virginia CB Keith Washington II: Unlike Walker, Washington's week got worse as it progressed. He started Day 1 with three terrific pass breakups in drills, perhaps showing off his ball skills, but the likes of Victor and Missouri's Johnathan Johnson quickly beat up on him, toasting him on double moves for some big gains over the next few days. Hopefully the scouts who left after Day 1 took a shine to him.

Navy WR Malcolm Perry: The former running back and triple-option quarterback has many of the finer points of wide receiver down already, as he is quick, gets open frequently, and can do downfield fairly well. However, he still struggles with catching the football. I don't need to tell you that dropping three passes in somewhat quick succession on Day 2 isn't going to earn you too high a grade from the scouts in attendance.

Losers
Utah QB Tyler Huntley: Huntley was probably the worst of the six quarterbacks here given his performance during the week. When he had time to step up, he made some nice throws. However, his arm strength is still lacking, his deep accuracy came and went, and he seemed to look for the checkdown more often than he ripped it down field. At 6-0 and 195, Huntley could have used a better week.

San Diego State CB Luq Barcoo: Who would have guessed the NCAA leader in interceptions would struggle? Too small to play safety at 175 pounds, Barcoo appeared much too slow to play corner, as Victor and Boise State's John Hightower ate him for lunch, constantly torching him on deep throws down the field. His speed will be key for his stock. If he fails to impress out wide, adding 20 pounds and going to safety might be his only option.

West Georgia DT Auzoyah Alufohai: The Division II star impressed on Day 1 after he bulldozed players with raw power, but his lack of refinement showed up after lineman finally wised up to his style of play. With no pass rush move or first step quickness to fall back on, Alufohai rarely ended up in the backfield as a pass rusher. The tools are there, but he'll need a LOT of fine-tuning before he's ready for the pros.

Arizona State OG Cohl Cabral: Cabral was outgunned for most of the week in St. Petersburg. Lacking length or any degree of strength to anchor in pass protection, the stronger defensive lineman (and, quite frankly, even the less strong ones) ate up the former Sun Devil, who should head straight to the gym and beef up if he wants any chance of sticking around on a pro team in any capacity.

if accurate, just WOW!



Bill Vinovich Named Super Bowl Referee, Despite Stain Of Infamous Missed Pass Interference In Saints-Rams
CBS Boston | Jan 15
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One might reasonably assume that any officials involved in any way with arguably the biggest blown call in NFL history would not be put in a position to officiate the highest-profile sporting event in the world for at least a year or two.
One would be wrong.
The NFL has tabbed referee Bill Vinovich to be the referee for Super Bowl LIV, according to Football Zebras. If that name doesn’t sound familiar, then you’re probably not a fan of the New Orleans Saints.
Vinovich was the referee at the Superdome last January when the officiating crew missed a clear and obvious case of pass interference committed by the Rams against the Saints.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jan/16/jrr-tolkiens-son-christopher-dies-aged-95

The man literally brought a lot of Tolkien's works to life, and he was an icon for everyone interested in fantasy. Rest in peace, Christopher Tolkien...

I mentioned in another thread about two years ago that my nephew had been drafted by the Brewers in the 20th round (6'3", 195lb, RHP). I saw him at Christmas and its his opinion that the National League will have designated hitters within the next two years. Has any body on this board heard anything to that effect?

NFL Championship Sunday: Ranking four offensive play-callers

Championship Sunday -- featuring Tennessee at Kansas City in the AFC title game and Green Bay at San Francisco on the NFC side -- isn't all about the players, though, especially at this stage of the season. So, what about the minds behind these offensive units?

Today, I'm examining and ranking the four offensive play-callers ahead of Sunday's matchups. Let's get to it!

1) Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers

Shanahan has come a long way from the days of being "Mike's son." He's now one of the most effective play-callers in the NFL, inserting his own flavor into this 49ers offense. His aim is to establish the run to set up play action and big pass plays, and it all starts with his personnel in the zone-run game, with three backs who are interchangeable (Tevin Coleman, Raheem Mostert and Matt Breida). Their common skills fit perfectly into Shanahan's vision, which creates mismatches against linebackers and gives his team the ability to get it done without a WR1 -- something San Francisco did for the first half of the season. It's not just that Shanahan employs effective zone-running concepts, but he implements so many counters off his base plays, making it hard for the defense to lock in on one person. His scheme also heavily relies on fullback Kyle Juszczyk and tight end George Kittle, whose excellent blocking allows plays to flow perfectly.

Then in the passing game, much like Sean McVay does with his offense, Shanahan does a great job of designing play-action concepts that create voids in the defense by using a lot of misdirection and adding wrinkles into conventional-looking formations and plays. It's a brilliant way of keeping the defense on its heels, scheming different counters and wrinkles for his run and pass plays each week. And the biggest factor is that, run or pass, everything looks the same, so the defense is never able to get an early bead on the action.

2) Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs

Reid is the ultimate smoke-and-mirrors play-caller because he throws in so many different formations and alignments, with guys zig-zagging all over the place. Defenses -- as well as everyone watching in the stands and on television -- rarely know what's coming. Reid's offense derives from his west coast past, but he's gotten away from that a little bit because of who he has at quarterback. Patrick Mahomes is the ultimate X-factor with his ability to go above the X's and O's on every play.

I have to give Reid props because he's had to grow as a play-caller over his 21 seasons as a head coach in the NFL, and it feels as if right now he understands that there's no need to run 15 plays on a drive. Rather, Reid is a "touchdown to checkdown" guy in the sense that he's looking to throw a touchdown on every single play he calls. If it's not a touchdown, then Mahomes can check down for a short gain. Unlike with many other NFL offenses, a 5-yard out is an afterthought to Reid. His offensive mindset is to rip the defense's throat out on every play, and that's what makes him the most dangerous play-caller in the league right now. It's like wide receiver Tyreek Hill said earlier this week, "I feel like nobody in the NFL can guard any of us." That has never felt truer than after last week's Divisional Round comeback win over the Houston Texans, in which the Chiefserased a 24-point deficit and ended up winning by 20. The offense stalled early on but continued to attack against the Texans' man coverage, scoring touchdowns on seven straight drives(!) en route to victory.

With Kansas City's offensive personnel and Reid's aggressive play-calling (K.C. uses play action on 33.4 percent of dropbacks, the highest figure in the NFL), the Chiefs are playing on a different level at just the right time.

3) Arthur Smith, Tennessee Titans

The Titans offensive coordinator has burst on the scene as a master in designing run plays. His scheme has nice packages that are simple and safe yet insanely effective. Everyone on the field and at home knows Derrick Henry is getting the ball 30 times a game, and defenses still can't stop him. The physical running back has averaged 188.5 rush yards per game in the playoffs with major success when running outside the tackles. According to Next Gen Stats, Henry leads the league in rush yards (1,330) and yards per carry (6.0) when rushing outside the tackles this season (including playoffs).

Smith's simplistic approach with formations and alignments reminds me of Seattle's defense during its Super Bowl run. The Seahawks ran Cover 3 on every play, but switched up their assignments to keep offenses guessing. Smith's offense doesn't have a lot of moving parts, but allows the quarterback to easily read defenses. This was the perfect unit for Ryan Tannehill to slide into midseason because he can decipher the defense, get through his reads and -- based on his experience -- trust himself to go to the right place with the ball. The Titans used play action on 31.7 percent of dropbacks this season, and this is an area in which Tannehill thrived since taking over as the starter. Including the playoffs, Tannehill is averaging 13.2 yards per attempt (1.2 yards more than any other QB) off play-action, while also leading the NFL in completion percentage (77.1) and passer rating (140.1), per Pro Football Focus.

Even though everyone knows Henry will be prominently involved, defenses still don't know what Tennessee's offense will throw at them. That's a tribute to Smith's play-calling.

4) Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers

I respect what LaFleur has done in his first year with Green Bay. He's implemented an effective Aaron Jones-led run game and a quick passing game to help take the pressure off Aaron Rodgers. This season, 44 percent of Rodgers' passes have been on quick throws (the ball comes out in 2.5 seconds or less), and he has completed 74.1 percent of those attempts. Both of these elements, along with LaFleur's creative play designs, have made it so Rodgers doesn't have to be heroic in every single game for the Packers to win (like he has in the past). And the Packers still run their fair share of play action, an area in which Rodgers consistently dominates.

LaFleur sits at the bottom in this list because Rodgers has proven to call plenty of audibles, one of which helped the Packers seal the win over Seattle last weekend. Rodgers' experience and ability to extend plays -- and often make something out of nothing -- give LaFleur some leeway when it comes to play-calling; although, this offense seems to have found the happy medium its been seeking for several years. At the end of the day, Rodgers' jersey is often clean. And hey, the Packers are one game away from the Super Bowl.

How Derrick Henry and the Titans Ran Away From the Rest of the NFL
It’s an offense that can be traced back to Ickey Woods more than 30 years ago. The basic philosophy: Run away from the mass of defenders. Now, behind Derrick Henry and first-year coordinator Arthur Smith, it has the Titans on the doorstep of the Super Bowl.

The godfather of wide zone football answers his cellphone and greets a stranger on the other end in a perfectly courteous Southern accent.

“I don’t know how much football you know, but I’ll assume you’re a good fan and you realize just basic premises,” he says, before launching right into an abridged version of a clinic that has been sought out by some of the most important names in the sport, from Urban Meyer and the Florida Gators to Asshole Face and the New Orleans Saints.

It won’t take long for Alex Gibbs, now 78 years old, to explain how we got to this moment in the 2019 NFL season, when the most dangerous nonquarterback remaining in the playoffs is a 6’ 3”, 240-pound running back who, despite reaching nearly 22 miles per hour at full sprint (at one point the fastest ball carrier in the NFL this season), has the slow-motion gait of a hobby jogger at your local public track and the body of a defensive end. Derrick Henry has rushed for 1,917 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. On average, every touch he makes nets more than five yards. More than 1,200 of those yards and 10 of those touchdowns have come from runs outside the tackle box.

On nearly 20 percent of the carries Henry takes outside of either of his tackles, he’s gaining more than 10 yards.

In short, if the original stewards of zone rushing were to have conjured a running back out of their wildest imagination to perfectly fit the most potent rushing scheme in football, they probably would have drawn up something similar to Henry. Likewise for a criminally underrated offensive line that paves his way. They work perfectly together in a scheme that Gibbs, a long-time offensive line coach, helped popularize as an answer to a question that had plagued him for years:

“No matter how you run the ball, the defense is going to collapse on you from both sides. So I said to myself, there has to be an easier way to do this outside of behemoths killing each other; cavalries charging straight into gunfire. I said there’s gotta be a better way to open up.”

And open up he did, by—get this—running away from the everyone else.

In an era of hypermodern offenses, Tennessee has laid the foundation for their deep playoff run in one of football’s most elemental principals. “Wide” or “outside” zone football, while employed by most teams as a slice of their offense, powers Tennessee’s attack, sets up a devastating suite of bootleg passes and, when combined with more contemporary presnap motion and movement, creates something truly maddening to stop. The rise of more athletic interior defensive linemen and practice restrictions for offensive linemen were thought to be the wide zone’s Achilles’ heel. Instead, the scheme, which most famously fueled two Super Bowl runs for Terrell Davis and the Denver Broncos in the late-1990s, could be used against Mike Shanahan’s own son, Kyle, if the 49ers and Titans happen to advance to the title game.

“That’s what they’re running, that’s the play that [Henry] runs,” says Gibbs (who referred to Henry alternately as “the big guy there” and “the massive human being.”) “Both ways, weak and strong. Every kind of motion. Every kind of formation and passes that look like they’re part of the run. They’re doing it well.”

Gibbs likes the word “puttering” and uses the relatively banal verb to describe the years of intense experimentation he’d gone through over nine jobs and 20 football seasons before his own hypotheses collided with a beautiful piece of running he unearthed on film.

A little more than 25 years ago, he stumbled upon some Bengals cutups from 1988—a breakthrough season when a rookie named Ickey Woods(6’ 2”, 235, and, according to Gibbs, a “humungous man”) finished ninth in rushing yards (1,066) and first in rushing touchdowns (15), and doing so with 185 fewer carries than that year’s rushing champion, Eric Dickerson. Woods led the league in yards per carry.

Cincinnati’s offensive line coach, Jim McNally, was overseeing a scheme that had Woods make a hard, directional sprint targeted five yards outside of the widest offensive lineman after receiving the handoff. By doing so, Woods more regularly avoided getting tackled by backside lineman—who couldn’t give chase laterally—solving what had long been Gibbs’s biggest curiosity: altering the straightforward, car-crash nature of most handoffs.

“That is the beginning, in my opinion,” he says. “I looked at that thing, saw that big Ickey Woods running so wide that the defense on the backside had no part of it.”

When Mike Shanahan entrusted Gibbs with developing the Broncos’ running game, Gibbs and the offensive staff adjusted McNally’s targets and settled on a hard sprint at the widest lineman, basically one yard outside of the tight end. The play accomplished a few things that flipped the advantage of a given running play toward the offense:

• By running downhill and to one side, a running back already builds up speed and momentum, so by the time they turn upfield they are better suited to at least fall forward and gain yardage but, at best, have the velocity to overpower a stationary defender waiting to make a tackle.

• By setting up the wide run, the back simply makes one upfield cut based on the available crease or has the option to continue widening the run. Either way, they are operating against a smaller number of potential tacklers who are already getting stretched out over the course of the run (the number of defenders could decrease further with the incorporation of bootleg passes, which can use the quarterback as a decoy to draw more defenders away from the ball).

• By running wide zone, you’re negating the potency of defensive line movement. On certain types of run plays, defensive linemen moving before the snap can cause issues with certain predetermined assignments. A wide zone play just asks that the linemen get to their gap and make one of a small number of blocks regardless of who is there.

• Because the play is fluid, there is no way a defense can key in on certain, more advantageous gaps for an offense and shut them down. The exact same play has the ability, on any snap, to end up in basically any space where the running back finds a crease.

“It just took off,” Gibbs says. “It made it sound like some genius thing came about, but it’s a bunch of guys somewhere back when, we had great success and took off in the running game everyone now uses.”

The Broncos led the league in rushing in 1996, had the best total offense in 1997, were second in rushing in 1998, second in total offense (and third in rushing) in 2000, third in total offense in 2002 and second in rushing in 2003. When Gibbs moved to the Falcons from 2004-06, the team led the league in rushing for all three seasons (having Michael Vick doesn’t hurt in that math, but Warrick Dunn had at least 1,000 yards and four-plus yards per carry each year).

The beauty of the play can sometimes mask the herculean lift undertaken by the offensive line. Those blockers to the play side have to reach their defenders and lead them down the yard marker like unwilling tango partners. The backside offensive linemen have to cut block their assignments, which is increasingly difficult because it can’t be practiced live due to the inherent danger incurred by the defender. Different drills, some which ask the linemen to go through the motions and then tap the defender’s calf to simulate the motion of cut blocking, can get a player part of the way there, but there is often no substitution for live game reps.

“You have to continually practice it to get the timing right,” Geoff Schwartz, a retired offensive lineman who played in several wide zone systems during his eight-year NFL career, says. “It’s tough, more of a rhythm play, which is why not a lot of guys do it.”

But, on the off chance you find yourself equipped with faster, leaner offensive linemen like the Titans do (especially one like free-agent prize Rodger Saffold, who was previously a centerpiece of the Rams’ wide zone plays) and the latitude to rehearse one of the most rigorously choreographed movements in football, the results can be terrifying for a defense trying to develop a counterstrike. Add in Henry and it borders on impossible.

“When you have it rolling like the Titans do, it’s one of the best possible play you can run,” Schwartz says.

Think of how many things had to go right on one side of the ball for the Titans to be here at this moment.

The Packers had to hire Matt LaFleur, opening up a vacancy at offensive coordinator. Mike Vrabel had to make the (initially unpopular, to many) choice of promoting tight ends coach to fill the void. That coach, because of his time with the tight ends, had an intimate knowledge of the offensive line’s skill set and knew they had the ability to shoulder this rhythmic blocking scheme for the long haul. He also happened to be a former offensive lineman who cut his teeth as a quality control assistant under Joe Gibbs (no relation to Alex) and spent time in the Washington D.C. area with an affection for the beauty of John Riggins and power football (deep breath). That tight ends coach happened to have Derrick Henry to plug in where Riggins left off.

But the coach also happened to be inspired by a certain brand of ancient Catholic scholar who was desperate to not leave a good idea behind, which meant that internships with zone-blocking masterminds like Mike Munchak cross pollinated with stints alongside pre-snap motion pioneers like Mike Mularkey and gigs with coaches like John Bunting, Ken Whisenhunt and LaFleur, who was riding the wave of more contemporary concepts.

“A lot of people talk about this as my offense,” Arthur Smith said before practice Thursday. “But I look at it like I look at sports in general. You have to fit to what you’ve got. It’s not going to be perfect in the NFL because there are so many things that can restrict you. Sure, if you go to a college program and you’re given time and you’re successful, you can mold the whole program and roster into what you want.

“Here, there are so many things that happen and happen quick. Injuries, salary cap, things are constantly changing. And maybe that’s where my mindset goes back to my Jesuit teaching in high school. Expand your thinking. It wasn’t something I learned from one person in particular; it was how I was raised, lessons learned over the years and I knew if I ever got a shot [at calling plays] I wasn’t going to be stubborn and say, ‘This is the only way to do it.’ I wanted to be flexible and adapt.”

Smith laughs when asked by a reporter if he knew how jealous he probably made other coaches, that this offense was where the adaptation led him: No. 3 rushing offense in football. No. 4 in play efficiency (6.1 yards per snap), with your top running back averaging more than 10 yards per screen pass. At a time when so many coaches desire a return to the will-breaking, gut punching, clock-draining offenses of their youth, Smith has actually attained a version of it by being open-minded (albeit with an underlying panache that may be equally as concerning for defensive coordinators and a deadly play-action game).

“It probably goes back to my background as an offensive lineman,” he says. “Plus, looking up to Joe Gibbs and thinking about Riggins running the ball, I mean, it’s cool. I’ve been very fortunate.”

Alex Gibbs says he has never met Smith—or at least doesn’t remember if he did. But in their approach to problem solving, both in the formulation of wide/outside zone and the implementation of it now, they seem fairly aligned.

Literally and figuratively, it all goes back to the question Gibbs asked himself a long time ago, when wanting more out of the ground game: “Why not run away from the masses?”

View: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2871727-von-miller-knows-what-super-bowl-momentum-looks-like-and-who-has-it-now

Von Miller Knows What Super Bowl Momentum Looks Like, and Who Has It Now

Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller is a Super Bowl MVP, an eight-time Pro Bowler, a seven-time All-Pro, a former Defensive Rookie of the Year and one of only a handful of players this season who matched up against all four current NFL playoff teams. One of the best defensive players of his generation, Miller's views of the NFL's final four matter.

In a conversation with B/R, Miller discussed the two conference championship games and broke down each team. First, he gave his overall impression of the clubs:

Green Bay Packers: "You can never, ever count out Aaron Rodgers."

Tennessee Titans: "They have the momentum, and sometimes momentum is the biggest thing in winning this time of the year."

Kansas City Chiefs: "They have the most talented team."

San Francisco 49ers: "They have the best team."

Though his views might lead one to assume what his Super Bowl pick is, his answer was interesting.

"If you had asked me all the way toward the beginning of the season, I would have said the 49ers," Miller explained. "But now I think the Titans."

Why the change of heart?

"It's about momentum," he said. "I've lived through that. When a team gets hot, they are hard to stop, even if the team they're playing is better."

Miller's point is that the Titans aren't just talented; they are surging, and we've seen this at every turn of their postseason. Momentum (and Derrick Henry) carried them past the New England Patriots. Momentum (and Derrick Henry) carried them past the Baltimore Ravens.

During the 2015 season, which ended with Denver in Super Bowl 50, the Broncos started 7-0, but then lost four of their next seven games. They stabilized things by winning their last two games of the regular season, beating the Cincinnati Bengals in overtime and the then-San Diego Chargers by seven.

Those two close wins energized the team, and it went into the playoffs with the momentum Miller referenced. They won their divisional round game against Pittsburgh 23-16, the AFC title game against New England 20-18 and finally, the Super Bowl, 24-10 over Cam Newton's Carolina Panthers.

"Once we got rolling, we didn't think any team could stop us," Miller said.

He believes the Titans feel that way now and it makes sense. After all, they have been playing essentially win-or-go-home contests for the past six weeks. To be fair, it's hard to argue the 49ers haven't also been building momentum, as their fight to get the No. 1 seed came down to the final week and the Minnesota Vikings proved little challenge to them in the divisional round.

But Miller knows when a team has a championship look to it, and in Tennessee, he sees it, especially in an offensive line that has allowed Henry to run for 377 yards in two playoff games.

"They are tough and have a lot of talent," Miller said of the Titans O-line. "And they're very disciplined."

Miller then added one last thought:

"Just remember that these are the playoffs. Anything can happen."

Packers coach Matt LaFleur has taken big steps since stint with Rams in 2017

The two young coaches were friends, close like brothers.

So in 2017, when Rams first-year coach Sean McVay and then-offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur talked plays, strategy and game plans, the conversations sometimes got spirited, even heated.

The exchanges benefited both, said Greg Olson, quarterbacks coach on that staff.

“He showed he wasn’t afraid to speak his opinion,” Olson, now the Oakland Raiders offensive coordinator, said of LaFleur. “He wasn’t a ‘yes’ man. He was willing to tell Sean, ‘You can do it this way but …’

“It wasn’t always a rosy marriage — which is what you have to have sometimes.”

McVay agreed.

“True loyalty is having the strength to tell people what they need to hear, not what they want to hear,” he said. “You need that. ... Matt was always very comfortable. That’s just who he is.”

LaFleur is now the coach of the Green Bay Packers. On Sunday, when his team plays the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game, he could become the sixth first-year coach in NFL history to guide his team to the Super Bowl, joining San Francisco’s George Seifert, the Baltimore Colts’ Don McCafferty, the Denver Broncos’ Red Miller, the Indianapolis Colts’ Jim Caldwell and the Oakland Raiders’ Bill Callahan. Seifert and McCafferty won.

LaFleur, 40, got his opportunity with the Packers after helping the Rams reach the playoffs in 2017, and then leaving in 2018 to become the Tennessee Titans’ offensive coordinator and play-caller.

LaFleur took over a Packers team that finished 6-9-1 in 2018 under former coach Mike McCarthy. With future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, LaFleur has guided the Packers to a 13-3 record and a divisional-round playoff victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

That puts LaFleur on the brink of possibly leading his team to the Super Bowl a year after McVay achieved the feat with the Rams.

“He was huge part of establishing the foundation of what we wanted to be,” McVay said.

LaFleur will be pitted against 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, a mentor for both he and McVay. Shanahan’s staff includes passing game coordinator Mike LaFleur, Matt’s younger brother. On Nov. 24, the 49ers defeated the Packers, 37-8.

LaFleur told reporters this week that the close relationships would not be a distraction.

“It’s just part of the business,” he said. “I think you get used to that and once the ball’s kicked off you’re not even thinking about that.”

LaFleur has been coaching in the NFL since 2008 but his season with the Rams, which included an NFC West title and the franchise’s first postseason appearance since 2004, played a major role in his ascent.

“He was the perfect thing for us — that we needed — that first year,” Rams quarterback Jared Goff said.

Shanahan, the Houston Texans’ offensive coordinator in 2008, gave LaFleur his first NFL job as a quality control coach.

Then LaFleur and McVay worked on the Washington Redskins staff with Shanahan, who was the Redskins offensive coordinator from 2010 to 2013.

When Shanahan became the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator in 2015, LaFleur was hired as quarterbacks coach. The next season, they helped the Falcons reach the Super Bowl and quarterback Matt Ryan was voted the NFL’s most valuable player.

After the Super Bowl, Shanahan left to become coach of the 49ers, and the Falcons bypassed LaFleur and hired Steve Sarkisian as offensive coordinator. Shanahan, an experienced play-caller, set up his 49ers staff without a coordinator.

McVay, also a play-caller, hired LaFleur to be part of his first staff, giving Goff a triumvirate of quarterback expertise in McVay, LaFleur and Olson.

McVay possesses “savant-type intelligence,” Olson said, but he leaned on LaFleur to help with the installation of the offense and game plans.

LaFleur also acted as “go-between” for Goff and McVay, the quarterback said.

“In that first year, when I was still learning the offense,” Goff said, “I could ask him some dumb questions and you wouldn’t feel stupid about it.”

On the field, Goff said, LaFleur pushed him. If he completed a pass, what could he have done to be quicker? How could he have moved better in the pocket? What if the ball was delivered farther in front of, and perhaps to the left of, a receiver?

“He made me such a better player challenging me in that way and really showing me what I’m capable of in certain instances,” said Goff, who earned the first of consecutive Pro Bowl selections in 2017.

After the season, LaFleur interviewed to become head coach of the Titans. Mike Vrabel got the job and hired LaFleur to be the offensive coordinator and play-caller.

“He said, ‘I just feel like I need I to get out on my own and I need to call plays,’ ” Olson said.

In 2018, the Titans finished 9-7. The offense ranked 25th in yards per game and 27th in scoring.

The Packers came calling anyway.

Dan Orlovsky, an NFL quarterback for 12 seasons, met LaFleur in 2009 when he played for the Texans. Orlovsky was in training camp with the Rams in 2017, and now works as an analyst for ESPN. He could see LaFleur’s maturity during his 2017 stint with the Rams. He said LaFleur’s ability to dissect game tape and design a game plan was never going to be an issue with the Packers.

“He’s becoming more of a play-caller, and the play-calling depends on flow of the game and feeling all that stuff,” Orlovsky said. “That’s the biggest area I’ve seen him grow.”

Now LaFleur has the Packers playing for a chance to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2010 season.

The Rams will be watching.

“He’s a great coach,” McVay said, “and I’m not surprised by what he’s doing.”

I'll dedicate this one to Les Snead as the trades will be plentiful, ... there's a fun madness to it as the team shifts gears under a new DC while McVay also hears another voice in his head from a new OC. As the Rams move into their brand spankingly new multi-billion dollar 9'th wonder of the world stadium, and Kroenke's legacy to Los Angeles, ... Snead/Demoff & McVay will deliver the goods by shaking up the roster for a decade of dominance.
Please accept this as just another in a long list of wishful thinking mocks ...

Re-Sign :

Greg Zuerlein
RFA's Donte Deayon & Morgan Fox
ERFA's John Kelly, John Carraway, Johnnie Mundt, Coleman Shelton, Jake Gervase
and all current Practice Squad members.

Free Agent acquisitions :

NT - Danny Shelton ($20.mil over 4 years)
ILB - Patrick Onwausor ($20.mil over 4 years)
RG - Brandon Scherff ($50.mil over 4 years)

Departing Free Agents :

Andrew Whitworth
Cory Littleton
Donte Fowler
Michael Brockers
Austin Blythe
Mike Thomas
Blake Bortles
Bryce Hager
Marqui Christian


Cuts :

S - Eric Weddle (4.25mil savings)
DT - Tanzel Smart
RB - Malcolm Brown (1.mil savings)


Trades :

Trade NRC - Save $4.5mil (To Texans for pick #153 in the 5'th)
Trade Everett - Save $1.mil (To NE for pick #87 in the 3'rd) Saves big on 2021 CAP
Tag & Trade Fowler to NYG for pick #36
Trade Down with Pittsburgh from #36 for #49, #101 (4'th) & #136 (5'th)


2020 NFL Draft * :

1) N/A
2a) #49 From Pitt - DE Kinney Willekes, Mi.St.
2b) #52 - OT Lucas Niang, TCU
3a) #84 - S Ashtyn Davis, Cal
3b) #87 From NE Trade - CB Jaylon Johnson, Ut
3c) Compensation Pick - ILB Malik Harrison, Oh.St.
4a) #101 From Pitt - C/OG Cesar Ruiz, Mi.
4b) #116 - RB AJ Dillon, B.C.
5a) #136 From Pitt - TE Colby Parkinson, Stan
5b) #153 From Texans - WR Denzel Mims, Baylor
6) #179 - WR Kadarius Toney, Fl
7) #211 - K Dominik Eberle, Ut.St.

Draft Class - $5.5mil.

Rams 2020 53 Roster :

OFFENSE (23)

QB :
Goff
Wolford

OL :
Scherff **
Noteboom
Niang *
Ruiz *
Edwards
Evans
Brewer
Corbett
Trewyn


RB's :
Gurley
Henderson
Dillon *

TE's :
Higbee
Mundt
Parkinson *


WR's :
Cooks
Woods
Kupp
Reynolds
Webster
Mims *


DEFENCE (27)

DL :
Donald
Danny Shelton**
Willekes *
Gaines
Joseph
Fox
Copeland

ILB's :
Patrick Onwausor **
Malik Harrison *
Patrick
Howard

OLB's :
Ebukam
Okoronkwo
Polite
Durham
Carraway
Matthews


CB's :
Ramsey
Long
Williams
Johnson *
Hill
Alexander or Deayon

Safeties :
Johnson
Rapp
Davis *
Gervase


Special Teams (3) :

Hekker
Zuerlein
McQuaide

Practice Squad :

RB - Kelly
ILB - Kiser or Reeder
C - B. Allen
S - Scott
TE - Blanton
DE - Lawler
CB/S - Alexander or Deayon
K - Dominik Eberle, Ut.St. *
QB - Kellen Mond, Tx A&M (UDFA)
WR - Kadarius Toney, Fl (UDFA) *



* Denotes drafted rookie
** Denotes newly acquired Free Agent