This is kind of obscure and of interest to just a few who had worked for Pacific Bell at Anaheim stadium. This picture is of the patch panel used for the Rams home games. It provided connections for landline phones to the locations listed. This is down in the basement of Anaheim Stadium (or whatever they are calling it now days).

I can't believe they haven't ripped this stuff out! It is very antiquated and should be in a museum. BTW, 4wire is a type of copper circuit that provided a data path. They are still in use today although fiber optics are slowly replacing them.

My real name is Leroy L. Denson, and my monniker across the internet has been LoyalRam across several platforms. I am going legit because I am trying to be known by my pen name (real name) with stories I am attempting to publish. It won't matter that much if I fail at what I am trying to do, but I aim at at higher things. Twitter and LinkIn will be revealed by my real name, and therefore I will sink or swim by my real name. I want to get a verified blue check mark with twitter, but we'll see if that happens.

I've never been more sure of anything. Here's why:

• I really think the Packers can win this game
• I want the Packers to win this (I never root for them normally)
• I also hate SF with a passion of a giant star

Therefore, this is bound to be a heartbreaking Whiner win. You folks, at least, should profit from it...

By Ben Linsey


Les Snead has built the Los Angeles Rams’ roster with reckless abandon in recent seasons, actively pursuing trades and wielding a generous wallet in contract negotiations at the expense of future flexibility. There is a certain allure to pushing all your chips into the center of the table and aggressively chasing wins right now. That approach to roster building nearly brought a Lombardi Trophy home to Los Angeles in Super Bowl LIII against the New England Patriots. The approach is not nearly as attractive when the losses begin to build, though. After being officially eliminated from the postseason with a Week 16 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the Rams are finding that out firsthand.

A season ending outside of postseason contention is shining a light on any and all deficiencies that Los Angeles has shown this season, including the fact that…

Jared Goff is paid like an elite quarterback, but he’s been far from it with this offensive line
It’s hard to talk about what is at the root of the Rams’ offensive struggles this season and not begin with the offensive line. That unit went from fifth in PFF pass-blocking grade in 2018 to 31st in 2019, ahead of only the makeshift group that protects Ryan Fitzpatrick in Miami. Every quarterback is affected by pressure. Some are affected more than others, and Goff can safely consider himself part of that “some.”

Throwing out his disastrous 2016 rookie season, Goff ranks sixth in PFF overall grade from a clean pocket (92.7) since 2017. Over that same stretch, his 45.9 grade under pressure ranks 20th. That is the second-highest rank difference of any quarterback in the sample, trailing only Matthew Stafford (fourth from clean pocket and 22nd when under pressure). The traditional numbers under pressure are even uglier. Goff’s completion rate on those throws of just 42.4% ranks 30th among 32 qualifiers. Those aren’t the types of numbers that you’re hoping for from your $134 million man at quarterback.

When Goff has time to stand tall and let it rip without defenders around his feet, it’s not hard to see why the Rams were willing to make him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL. He’ll have some lapses, but he’ll also make some of the best throws that you’ll see at the NFL level in those situations, which was the case for much of last year. Not only was he getting clean pockets, but he was getting extended clean pockets. That extra time was crucial for the brand of passing offense that Sean McVay and the Rams want to run.



In 2018, 66% of Goff’s dropbacks lasted 2.5 seconds or longer, the highest rate of any quarterback in the league. The Rams were able to hold up in protection for Goff and let the crossing and long-developing routes that they like to utilize, particularly off play action, develop. This season, that number is down to 54% (16th among quarterbacks). The poor pass protection up front has sped up Goff and hurt what the Rams did so well on offense a season ago.

It’s no coincidence that his career season in 2018 came when the Rams’ offensive line was a top-five pass-blocking unit. The Rams have paid Goff like one of the top quarterbacks in the league, and in order for that to be a reality right now, the Rams simply have to be better up front. Goff has not proven that he can overcome adverse conditions like other elite quarterbacks around the league (*cough* Russell Wilson *cough*). Since he’s who the Rams have hitched their wagons to, they’ll either have to work this offseason to ensure the conditions are closer to what he saw in 2018 or hope for improvement in Year 5. Either way, it’s not an ideal start for the Rams’ nine-figure investment.

The Rams are paying big-time money at suboptimal positions
It’s a shame that the running back position isn’t more valuable in the NFL. The players at the position are some of the most exciting and dynamic players in the game, and they take perhaps the most physical punishment of any position. The truth is that the skillset is largely replaceable, though, and their primary task – running the football – is driven by a host of other factors that are more important than the talent level of the running backs themselves, primarily game situation and run blocking.

The most valuable aspect of a running back’s game is the ability to make an impact in the passing game. Todd Gurley was outstanding in that regard in 2017, posting a receiving grade of 91.1 and 12.3 yards per reception (highest of any running back in the last three seasons with 50 or more receptions).

Since then, with the injury issues that he has dealt with, Gurley’s role as a receiver has taken a massive hit to the point that he has the lowest receiving grade of any running back in the NFL this season (32.4). Gurley is averaging just 0.51 receiving yards per route run (fourth-worst among running backs) and has dropped six passes (tied for second-most at the position). He has actually been pretty strong as a runner this season, but his complete lack of impact in the passing game makes his contract an albatross for the Rams moving forward.

To an extent, the same argument can be made for Aaron Donald‘s contract. It’s hard to fault the Rams’ for locking up Donald long-term. The guy is an absolute monster and has been the best player in the NFL, regardless of position, for several seasons now. His 268 pressures since the start of the 2017 season are 44 more than the next closest defender (Cameron Jordan) and 70 more than the next-closest interior defender (Fletcher Cox). He is a force that can-not be stopped.

He also wasn’t even the most valuable non-QB in his own division over the past three years heading into the 2019 season, because he doesn’t directly impact the most important aspect of defense: coverage.

It’s great to have great players, and Donald is undeniably great, just as Gurley was great before being slowed by injuries. He makes the Rams’ defense significantly better by commanding (and beating) double teams at a high rate. As great as it is to have players like Donald, this season for the Rams goes to show – just as the Chicago Bears’ and Khalil Mack’s season does – that elite pass-rushers just aren’t going to move the needle if their offense and passing game can’t get the job done on the other side of the football.

Three first-round picks for two players with career-worst seasons in 2019
The Rams have been no stranger to trading draft picks for proven NFL commodities, shipping multiple first-rounders out for Brandin Cooks and Jalen Ramsey in recent seasons while also working smaller deals for Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters, Dante Fowler Jr., etc. Focusing on the Cooks and Ramsey trades, three first-rounders in that short of a span is a lot of draft capital to give up for a non-quarterback, especially given the deficiencies we’ve seen from Goff that were touched on earlier. Both Cooks and Ramsey looked to be immediate high-impact players at high-impact positions, though.

Including last season with the Rams, Cooks earned a passer rating of 112.2 on his targets from 2014 to 2018, ranking fourth among wide receivers with 400 or more targets in that time frame. He was one of the premier field-stretchers in the NFL with speed to burn, and he had the best season of his career with Goff in 2018. He was one of the top-25 wide receivers in terms of PFF receiving grade in the NFL. Early returns were good.

2019 has been a different story for Cooks. He has posted career-lows in PFF overall grade, receiving yards per route run, passer rating when targeted, and nearly every receiving metric in the book. Cooks, along with the Rams’ offense as a whole, has failed to be impactful.

Meanwhile, their midseason acquisition –Ramsey – had been one of the top shutdown cornerbacks in the NFL since entering the league in 2016. From 2016 to 2018, Ramsey’s coverage grade of 90.4 ranked sixth among cornerbacks over that period, and he also ranked in the top six in completion rate allowed (52.9%) and passer rating allowed (71.6) among cornerbacks with 150 or more targets.

Like Cooks, the success of prior seasons for Ramsey didn’t carry over to this season. He has recorded career-lows in 2019 in PFF grade, completion percentage allowed, and passer rating allowed. His results with the Rams were better than his early-season results with the Jaguars, but Ramsey has still been outperformed by the man he replaced, Marcus Peters (for a considerably larger draft pick investment)

Both Peters and Ramsey began playing with their new teams in Week 7, and since that point, Peters has the fourth-highest coverage grade among cornerbacks while Ramsey sits at 26th. On the season as a whole, their ranks are fourth and 40th, respectively. When you trade two first-round draft picks for a player, you expect that to result in an immediate upgrade, and at least to this point, that hasn’t been the case for the Rams.

What options do the Rams have moving forward?
The lack of early return from the Ramsey trade is part of the larger issue that has made this season for the Rams so disappointing. The aggressiveness they showed in roster building demands immediate results, and those results didn’t come in 2019. Now, the Rams are limited in the ways that they can improve on this 8-7 team thanks to limited cap room (including an impending massive contract that they will owe to Ramsey) to go along with a barren stock of high draft selections.

They made their bed with the guys on the roster, and now they must lie in it. The talent is there for a Super Bowl run – we saw it less than a year ago – but the Rams have put themselves in a situation where they can no longer go big-game hunting with cap space or draft capital to improve the roster. They’re in a situation where they’re relying on improvement from their investments like Goff, Gurley, Cooks, Ramsey, and Rob Havenstein to consistently perform at the level they’ve shown they were capable of in the past. If that doesn’t happen, things aren’t going to get any better for the Rams in 2020, and there isn’t a whole lot of light at the end of the tunnel.

Why is dude still smiling?
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Functional dyspepsia (FD) occurs when your upper digestive tract shows symptoms of upset, pain, or early or prolonged fullness for a month or longer.

FD is the best guess what is going on with me.

In the last 6 months i've lost nearly 30lbs due to throwing up. Doesnt matter what i eat even if its a small amount i cant keep it down. I have a felony assault case pending against me and it is keeping me from moving down to Tampa(currently in Huntsville, Alabama) to be with my fiance. It is literally eating me alive and wondering if anyone has gone through this and what they have done to help stop it. The stress and anxiety is a lot to handle, any help is welcome.

*sorry for the serious shit.

We're gonna have to live through SF getting to the superbowl.
Ick.

As a kid about a million years back I was lead to believe that the evil weed would be my gateway drug to ruin. Nope.
I blame my conservative grandfather for introducing me to Brew 102 back in the early 60's prior to becoming a teenager. I didn't start smoking pot until I was 15, in 1967/68. That was also the same time I was entering high school, when mini skirts combined with cheap wine and beer were in a war for my soul. One of my best friends was a stock-boy at a local liquor store, and that meant cheap wine & beer was not only accessible, but 'cheaper' than one might imagine.
I wasn't the big drinker my friends were, but I definitely explored my options.
Now, sitting around here as an old retired guy, I get to examine my choices as a younger me, and there's very little I would change if I had it to do again.
Springing forward several decades, I have a neighbor, also retired, and we have a lot in common, ... Rams football, pot, social drinking, privately perving on the local women, good food, and hanging at the River. Once a week this devil mixes the very best Bloody Mary's i've ever tasted, and that always leads to a second. Other occasions often lead to a variety of Rum based cocktails or Margaritas with me usually at the controls, but this is more an evening or dinner routine. His wife is also involved in our shenanigans.
I don't mean for the title to sound like a complaint, it isn't, but these morning Bloody Mary's end any attempt to accomplish anything mildly productive for the remainder of the day. So how do I explain to my neighbor my conundrum ... that I badly want a third.

Don't Let the Tackle be Forgotten Ram's Bros....Currently tthe most exciting play in my life.

Cameron DaSilva
7 hours ago


When Sean McVay first became the Rams head coach in 2017, he made the wise decision to hire a proven defensive mind with Wade Phillips. Their 39-year age gap was the biggest in the NFL, but it showed McVay’s awareness and maturity.
Having been on the job for three years now, McVay is displaying another level of maturity with his latest hire. He’s replacing Phillips at defensive coordinator with 37-year-old Brandon Staley, an unexpected move, but one that does come with some risk.

Going from the safety of having a legend like Phillips to an unproven coach like Staley is a decision that shows McVay is taking more control of his staff, and ultimately, the team. Phillips had a firm grip of the defense and while he didn’t have the freedom to do whatever he chose on that side of the ball, McVay essentially handed him the keys and let him run the defense he always has.

Now with Staley taking over, McVay can put his fingers on the defense more than he could with Phillips. Staley has never been a defensive coordinator. He’s only been an NFL coach since 2017, only working as an outside linebackers coach.
Yes, he’s learned under Vic Fangio for the last three years, but Staley’s resume isn’t one that screams “defensive coordinator.” What this hire likely suggests is McVay having a bigger say in what defensive scheme the Rams run, how aggressive they are and how their approach will change from week to week.
That wasn’t the case with Phillips. The last three years, the Rams rarely varied their coverage or strategy from the norm on a weekly basis. They played a lot of zone coverage with Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters at cornerback, but when Jalen Ramsey and Troy Hill took over, it became a more man-heavy scheme.

Opposing coaches know Phillips’ scheme, considering he’s been running essentially the same 3-4, one-gap front for most of his career. But with Staley driving the bus on defense and McVay riding shotgun instead of sitting in the fourth row, the hope is that there will be an added level of unpredictability.
McVay is taking a chance with this move after letting Phillips control the defense for the last three years, but it shows he’s going to have more say on that side of the ball.

Cameron DaSilva
3 hours ago


The frequency with which Sean McVay utilized 11 personnel in 2018 was a complete outlier compared to the rest of the NFL. The Rams had three wide receivers, one tight end and one running back on the field 89% of the time that year, with the next-closest team using 11 personnel on 77% of their snaps (Packers).

This season, the Rams came back down to earth with their usage of 11 personnel, mixing things up far more than they did in 2018. According to Sharp Football Stats, the Rams used 11 personnel on only 73% of their snaps, tied for third-most in the NFL.

The grouping they used second-most was 12 personnel, which features one running back, two tight ends and two wide receivers. They utilized 12 personnel 21 percent of the time, or on 219 total plays.


Here’s a comparison of how often the Rams used 11 personnel in the last two years.

2018
Total: 89%
Pass: 94%
Run: 81%


2019
Total: 73%
Pass: 79%
Run: 58%


So why the huge shift in the usage of 11 personnel from 2018 to this past season? Part of it has to do with defenses starting to counter McVay’s offense toward the end of the 2018 season. The Bears and Patriots both figured out ways to counter the Rams’ wide-zone rushing attack and play-action passing game, stacking the box and using 6-1 fronts.
McVay adapted by using more formations with two tight ends on the field, getting more blockers along the line of scrimmage rather than spreading three receivers out wide. McVay also attributed it to preventing his wideouts from wearing down, considering they played nearly every snap in 2018 when healthy and available.

With how much the Rams’ receivers are asked to block, it can take a toll on their bodies over the course of a long season. Thus, a higher tight end usage with Tyler Higbee, Johnny Mundt and Gerald Everett.
It’s a good sign that McVay found a way to adapt to what defenses were showing him this season, but it wasn’t until late in the year that he began to utilize two tight ends more often. We’ll see if things change next season with Kevin O’Connell coming aboard as the offensive coordinator and Higbee emerging as a legitimate No. 1 tight end in December.

Too funny! Tannehill family photo!

by Bret Stuter

The LA Rams had been rather quiet on the injury front for a number of years. While there is always an injury or two to each NFL team, the Rams had found success in the NFL with an offensive line which remained in tact for the entire season. That was not the case in 2019. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The Rams offensive line injuries included: starting center Brian Allen MCL injury, guard Joseph Noteboom ACL/MCL injury, wide receiver Jojo Natson pulled hamstring, running back Darrell Henderson ankle, tackle Andrew Whitworth ankle, and center Austin Blythe ankle and shoulders.

On the defensive side of the ball, the list is even longer: linebacker Micah Kiser torn pectoral, defensive end Justin Lawler foot, linebacker John Caraway torn Achilles, strong safety John Johnson shoulder, linebacker Bryce Hager shoulder, inside linebacker Cory Littleton chest, defensive end Michael Brockers ankle, cornerback Troy Hill thumb, cornerback Jalen Ramsey knee, and free safety Eric Weddle torn meniscus knee.

On the mend
This offseason, Whitworth, Weddle, and Blythe had corrective surgeries. While Whitworth and Blythe are free agents, Weddle’s contract may need to be revisited this off-season to help the team remain under the NFL salary cap. Players who may not be medically cleared by the start of training camp include: Hill, Ramsey, and Weddle. Free agents who may not be cleared by the time training camp begins includes Littleton, Brockers, and Whitworth.

That’s a lot of rehabbing. But Reggie Scott, Senior Director of sports medicine and performance, is up to the task. Referring to the training room as the “Barber Shop”, Scott creates a center for recovery and performance enhancement for players.

The Sports Medicine group does this by focusing on the mind, body and spirit in the healing process. In Scott’s own words: “believe it or not, the body is probably the easiest part to rehab”. It’s not just physical therapy. It is designed to restore a player’s trust in their own body once more. And it works to eliminate the doubts which accompany each devastating body injury. Beyond that, sports medicine encompasses all body inputs. It covers hydration, nutrition, sleep, body fatigue, circulation, massage therapy and a host of disciplines which focus upon healing the athlete to the optimal level.

We’ve just covered the Data analytics, and now moved over to sports medicine. Why? Well the two are incredibly tightly related. Sports medicine focuses upon and records body inputs. Data analytics focuses upon and records performance outputs. Combine the two and now players and coaches can measure how much sleep, water, nutrition, pre game warmups, and playing minutes a player needs to perform their best on game day Sunday.

Head coach Sean McVay benefits greatly from the efforts of the teams Sports Medicine department. Now that he has hired two coordinators who are equally comfortable in working with sports medicine and big data, the team can make even more advances in that direction. Sometimes improving the team is adopting the latest and greatest advances in related fields. The Rams are ahead of that curve now.

Better than ever
Wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who fell to an ACL injury in 2018 and missed the Rams playoff run to Super Bowl 53, returned to health with a vengeance in 2019. Kupp led the receivers in catches (94), yards (1161), and touchdowns (10) this past season – all career bests.

Fans take it all for granted nowadays. But injuries had a history of ending an NFL player’s career not so long ago. Now the team relies upon Scott and his staff: Byron Cunningham, Tyler Williams, Mark Dydasco, Jacques McClendon, and Joey Blake to ensure that does not happen again.

It says quite a bit about the sports medicine department when the team suffers so many injuries and there is almost no concern about player’s losing playing ability afterwards. A strong sports medicine department gives a strong advantage to an NFL team

They're also interviewing a guy in the Vikings and Eagles FO for the GM job.

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Report: Julian Edelman arrested for misdemeanor vandalism

Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman has reportedly been arrested for vandalism after jumping on the hood of someone’s car.

Edelman was in Beverly Hills at around 9 p.m. on Saturday when he jumped onto a Mercedes and damaged it, according to TMZ.com. Someone in the area flagged down police officers, who arrested Edelman.

According to the report, Edelman, who had been drinking, was given a citation for misdemeanor vandalism and released.

Edelman reportedly needs knee and shoulder surgery this offseason.

NFC Divisional Playoff: Seattle Seahawks vs. Green Bay Packers
America's favorite football road warriors, the Seattle Seahawks will travel to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Round on Sunday night.

These two teams have had some fun playoff battles over the years as they last met in the postseason in the 2015 NFC Championship Game when the Seahawks knocked off Green Bay 28-22 in overtime. Thus, with Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers at the controls, the executives at FOX have to be salivating at the ratings potential of this matchup.

Seattle (12-5) went back east to Lincoln Financial Field last Sunday and took care of the Eagles 17-9 in the NFC Wild Card game. The Seahawks were without the entire left side of their offensive line as Duane Brown and Mike Iupati did not play. Joey Hunt was overmatched against Fletcher Cox all afternoon long, which is a problem that won't go away this week against the Packers. However, the offensive line did just enough to give Wilson time to make plays, holding the Eagles to one sack.

DK Metcalf set the rookie playoff record for most receiving yards in the Super Bowl era with 160 yards on seven catches plus a touchdown. The defensive line got after Carson Wentz, who had to leave the game in the first half after a controversial helmet-to-helmet hit by Jadeveon Clowney. Additionally, the Seahawks collected seven sacks among five players, which should give them a huge confidence boost moving forward into the showdown with Green Bay.

The Packers (13-3) entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the NFC after winning the NFC North. They closed the regular season up at Ford Field in Detroit and had to scratch and claw their way to a 23-20 win over the Lions to earn the first-round bye. It was a mix of clutch production on offense and timely defensive plays that propelled Green Bay to the ever-so-critical victory.

Running back Aaron Jones took a short pass over the middle from Rodgers and scampered for 31 yards to set the Packers up on the Detroit 20-yard line. Three plays later, Mason Crosby hit a walk-off, 33-yard field goal to seal the victory. Getting off the field on third down was a huge reason why the Green Bay defense was able to secure the win and stay fresh for four quarters; they only had to be on the field for 56 plays by holding the Lions to 3-of-12 third-down conversions.

NFC Divisional Playoff: Seattle at Green Bay

Kickoff: Sunday, Jan. 12 at 6:40 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Spread: Packers -4

Three Things to Watch

1. Line of scrimmage battle

The battle to see which defensive line could take over this game is going to be utterly fascinating to watch on Sunday. Seattle will need to come out and play like their hair is on fire and get the Packers offense off schedule right away. Jadeveon Clowney played well against the Eagles but is definitely not 100 percent. Poona Ford and Jarran Reed have a great opportunity to clog up the middle and force the Packers run game outside, which will set up Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright to have a big day tackle wise.

Za'Darius Smith has proven to be one of the best free-agent pickups of the offseason after the Packers stepped up and gave him a four-year, $66 million-dollar contract. Green Bay will be going up against a Seattle offensive line that finished 27th in Pro Football Focus' offensive line rankings at the end of the regular season. The Packers also have a big advantage in adjusted sack rate; they rank 12th in the NFL, and the Seahawks rank 24th. Nose tackle Kenny Clark also has the potential to be a big problem for Seattle to deal with as he should be able to dominate Seattle's beat-up line. Expect Green Bay to also turn edge rusher Preston Smith loose to try and generate extra pressure on Wilson to keep him hemmed in the pocket all night long.

2. Seahawks' wide receivers vs. Packers' secondary

When the Seattle offense has struggled through the air, it's been in large part due to the wide receivers' inability to create consistent separation. Moreover, when the passing game has clicked on all cylinders for the Seahawks, they have been tough for most defenses to stop. Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf will have the task of battling Green Bay's 14th-ranked pass defense on Sunday.

The forecast is going to be cold with a chance of snow showers which will challenge Seattle's receivers, as they don't play in the snow very often. Lockett will most likely be matched up with Jaire Alexander, and Metcalf should draw Kevin King most of the time. Even if the conditions won't be ideal, look for offensive coordinator to try and take advantage of Lockett's and Metcalf's speed by way of a couple of deep shots early. Wilson needs to make sure he puts the ball in the right place, however, as Alexander and King have combined for seven interceptions and 32 passes defended. Both finished in the top 10 in the league in the latter category and King's five picks tied him for fourth.

3. Playing complementary football

The Packers will need to stay patient with the running game on Sunday, especially if the snow starts to fall. Running backs have the advantage of knowing where they are going in snowy conditions, so Aaron Jones could become a very important weapon this week. Jones has had an outstanding season to date with more than 1,500 yards from scrimmage. The Seahawks have struggled a little bit against elite-level runners, most notably when Christian McCaffrey went off for 175 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in December. If Jones can get 20 quality touches, it'll set up Rodgers to go work in the passing game and keep the Seattle defense on its heels.

Generating a running game won't be easy for the Seahawks, but they need to try and get a little of one by giving more carries to Marshawn Lynch in this game to create a 50-50 balance between him and Travis Homer. A good target for the running game Sunday is to get to around 75 rushing yards from the duo. Creating a couple of turnovers on defense will be a huge piece of the puzzle for the Seahawks, as they will need to steal a possession or two early on in the game to keep the frenzied Lambeau faithful at bay. Winning the turnover battle will also take some pressure off the offense to have to consistently drive the football 75-80 yards for four quarters.

Final Analysis

Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers will battle each other like heavyweight championship-caliber boxers for four quarters, which should provide for pretty good theater for fans tuning into Fox for this game. Field position will also be an underrated key to this game for both teams. JK Scott (44.0 average, 29 punts inside the 20) and Michael Dickson (45.1, 34) have the ability to tilt the field quickly to give their teams valuable hidden yardage. Bottom line, the turnover battle will decide this one, and the Packers will create one extra takeaway to punch their ticket to the NFC Championship Game.

Prediction: Packers 20, Seahawks 16

AFC Divisional Playoff: Houston Texans vs. Kansas City Chiefs

It's Round Two between the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans, although there is a little bit more on the line this time as the two teams play for the chance to advance to the AFC Championship game.

Back on Oct. 13, Houston went into Arrowhead Stadium and beat the Chiefs 31-24 behind the arm of Deshaun Watson, who threw for 280 yards and a touchdown. Patrick Mahomes had the better statistical game with three touchdown passes and a slight edge in yards per attempt (7.8 vs. 6.7), but Kansas City's defense couldn't get the stop when it mattered.

Houston showed more of that offensive potential last week when the Texans spotted the Bills a 16-0 lead before they roared back for the 22-19 overtime victory. Watson had just five incompletions, and DeAndre Hopkins got busy in the second half when they needed him. Also of importance was the return of J.J. Watt who had one tackle and one sack. This team went 5-3 on the road this season, including that Week 6 win over the Chiefs.

The Chiefs closed the regular season with a flourish on a six-game winning streak, five of which came after a later bye week. As expected, the offense has been putting up good numbers, but it's the defense that has done a lot of the heavy lifting. We'll get into this later, as I'm not the biggest believer in the resurgence, but they've held their last five opponents to just 52 points combined.

AFC Divisional Playoff: Houston at Kansas City

Kickoff: Sunday, Jan. 12 at 3:05 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Spread: Kansas City -10

Three Things to Watch

1. Intangibles

For those who are familiar with my articles, this is the place where I talk about aspects related to scheduling — potential trap games, how often teams have been traveling lately, etc. It's the postseason, but there are still some things to consider. It'll be Kansas City's fourth home contest over their last six, and the last time they came off a bye week, the Chiefs put up 40 points on the Raiders. It's widely known how well Andy Reid teams play after a week off. On the other side, it's the Texans' third road game over their last five. I'm not that concerned about the scheduling spot considering they'll have a normal week to prepare for this one.

2. Is Kansas City's defense for real?

As mentioned above, the Chiefs' defense has been putting up some good numbers. They rank in the top 10 in scoring defense (7th), passing defense (8th), and turnovers (10th). What I'm focused on, though, are the opponents that they beat recently. The Raiders, Patriots, Broncos, Bears, and Chargers don't have elite offenses, so it's not surprising to see some sort of success by the D. Now, I'm not completely running down the unit because the late addition of Terrell Suggs has paid off already. The former Raven has three tackles and a sack in two games for Kansas City, and he is a nice addition to the unit with Chris Jones and Frank Clark accounting for 17 sacks. I'll be interested to see how they perform against the Texans who are no slouch on offense.

3. Will Fuller Play?

The Houston offense is just so much better when Will Fuller V is on the field. It's harder to double up DeAndre Hopkins when there's another weapon on the field, and the Texans only squeaked by the Bills last week with Fuller sidelined due to a groin injury. Injuries have prevented Fuller, Hopkins, and Kenny Stills from consistently practicing together during the week, which makes building chemistry with Deshaun Watson harder. Fuller is averaging 13.7 yards per catch with three touchdowns this season, but that is only in 11 contests. Kansas City's secondary can be exploited, but watch Fuller's status to see if he can make a difference on Sunday.

Final Analysis

Vegas has Houston as a double-digit underdog in this one, and you can see why. Kansas City's hot and well-rested after the week off. The Texans needed every little bit of effort to beat the Bills last week in overtime. There's also the albatross of having to overcome Bill O'Brien as head coach. Still, I think this one is a bit closer then people expect. Patrick Mahomes will certainly put up points on a beatable Houston secondary, but I think Watson will be able to get his as well. Give me the home team in a closer than expected game.

Prediction: Chiefs 33, Texans 31

What a stud he has become, always a strong dude, but just needed a veteran leadership that Sullivan & Whitworth brought. Now he is at the highlight of his career !!

Just curious what other Rams Fans thoughts are of the Rams 2019 Draft Picks now that they have completed their Rookie season?

Didn’t get to see too much of their playing time but it does seem to me that Taylor Rapp was definitely a HOMERUN (Or, Should I be saying TOUCHDOWN?!) and I thought a few of the other picks showed some promise!

But, I am definitely interested in seeing other opinions by Fans who are much more knowledgeable than I am and have seen much more of the Rams Rookies than me!

Making poutine to go with the Vikings Niners game.

Hoagie sandwiches tonight.

With tamales and chili tomorrow.

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I searched union, deal and a few other things and couldn't find the thread though I'm sure we had one going. I'm not a fan of 17 games unless the 17th is a neutral site game for every team there can't be uneven home and away games in this league. And even that I'm not a fan of because it's likely travel to Mexico or London for every team.

Sean McVay is betting on himself and he better be every bit the genius we all hope he is. For three years he surrounded himself with the most experienced, accomplished coaches available to him. Our coach wisely took the humble approach and checked both his ego and penchant for micro-management to build a team of leaders who effectively won far more games than they lost...together.

Nevertheless, although he couldn’t publicly admit it, McVay is terrible at one thing. He sucks at hiding his emotions the moment someone helplessly makes mistakes he wouldn’t make himself. Ultimately, wins and losses are his responsibility and that is not lost on him. Deferring to someone else’s judgement is healthy as long as that judgement is sound. Bones had relative autonomy with the ST unit, but Sean could hide neither his surprise nor his displeasure with the failed fake in the last game. While he felt his failure to overcome the obstacles to offensive success in the Super Bowl and throughout 2019, it was a different feeling not being able to openly meddle with the defense against the Bucs, Ravens, and Cowboys. So he took a couple weeks to decide, and firmly took the reigns himself.

This, of course, is an enormous gamble. Coach will diplomatically continue to praise the exploits of every member of the organization and absorb every failure as his own. But as is the case in all things...actions speak louder than words. If the intent was to hand ultimate control of a unit to someone else, one would hire an alpha with a deep, obvious resume. If one implicitly trusts another to develop their current body of work, they will be retained at all costs. There is a different dynamic in store for the Rams in 2020. Instead of the head coach meting suggestions to his assistants and accepting their decisions, Sean McVay looks for all the world today as a coach that wants things done in the manner he approves. He has assumed far greater control of the entire scope of the game day operation. Preparation will always be a collaborative effort, but no plan will be set without the head coach’s personal stamp of approval.

This will make the next season extremely unpredictable, not only to us fans, but more importantly, to opposing teams. An assessment of the new coaches will reveal a premium of mental agility and flexibility. There will be a familiarity with the concepts of the past but a focus on the solutions for the future. There will be no doubt going forward of what Sean McVay wants from his team. It will be clear in what they actually do in the next decade.

All of the spreads are pretty strong this weekend in favor of the home teams / top seeds.

Who is your upset pick, and why?

For me, I think the AFC home teams are the strongest locks... so I’d have to pick on the NFC side, I think.

Seahawks

I think Seattle is the weakest remaining team, but not sure GB is the scariest match-up. I am having a real hard time buying Green Bay this year. That said, GB should win this one.

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