OK, we've already heard what I believe are some unrealistic trade options for our team, and we'd all like to either increase our CAP availability, increase our number of draft picks, or both. Besides the name-brand guys like Fowler, Littleton, Brockers & Whitworth likely being lost to free agency or retirement, who would you be willing to sacrifice next year in order to bring more numbers & flexibility to the upcoming draft ?

Early this previous off-season I floated the name of Josh Reynolds as he is slated to become a 2021 free agent, that pretty much rose like a lead balloon, now I believe he'll play out his contract as we have fewer options. Nsimba Webster is likely to take the 5'th WR slot in place of the probably departing Mike Thomas as he hits free agency.

I've mentioned Havenstein as trade bait for 2020 earlier as he continued to play poorly, but it seems doubtful we would allow both Whitworth & Hav to depart simultaneously. My preference would be to keep Whitworth for one final season and trade Havenstein if we can acquire proper value. Both Evans & Brewer have had good moments filling in, and with a strong off/pre-season program could make them viable replacements. I'd also add Noteboom as a competitor here once he returns from injury should Whitworth be retained for another season. I would also name a 4'th potential player or reservist as I can't see getting through the 2020 draft without another OT being brought in fairly early in that draft.

My surprise trade bait ? Gerald Everett. Tyler Higbee has really stepped up his game, he's also pulling down some major CAP beginning in 2020 as his pay raise kicks in. Everett is among that group of 2021 potential future free agents with Ramsey, Kupp and John Johnson, and removing Everett from this money grab makes it easier to sign the other three. The Rams are not likely to use 12 personnel much more than we do now, not with our superior WR unit, so it really comes down to what McVay thinks of Mundt & Blanton moving forward.

Next on the list, Robey-Coleman & Troy Hill, both decent but inconsistent players. Like OT's Whitworth & Havenstein, we aren't likely to trade 2 almost starting CB's in the same time frame, although the two of them have substantial CAP hits, and we appear to have some potentially reasonable depth behind them. Robey-Coleman carries a $4.5mil. dollar CAP and has no dead money cost if traded, so he would be my first choice to move at this position.

So there you have it, my choice of 3 players that are up for trade and could garner anything between a 6'th & 3'rd rounder each. Who else, if anyone, do you guys have under consideration ?

Hey dudes.. I don't expect anyone to really be into this and thats ok. But I've decided to do a podcast thats faith based and targets men. Im a big believer in Jesus and Id like to connect with other guys on here that share the same faith. Im all about community and transparency that leads to discussion and such. thanks for taking the time to check it out.

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I remain in FULL football Sunday mode.



Nachos with chili, here. Some coconut shrimp.

Beer...

I’ll leave the mock drafts/off season plans to the experts, and look forward to reading every one of them.
Just figured I’d throw what I thought was a pretty important nugget regarding Franchise/Transition tags for this off season:

“The rules governing free agency could be different. We've written about this before, too, but if there's no new collective bargaining agreement in place by next March, 2020 becomes the "Final League Year."
That sounds very ominous but is actually a very real CBA term that carries with it some rule changes.

For example, in the Final League Year,
a team is allowed to use the franchise tag on one player and the transition tag on another (In other years, you can use only one or the other.)”

Happy mocking!!

Do we go with the back ups? Worse we will be is 8 and 8. May be see what's under the hood so to speak. Or does coach stay with the first unit and try and make a closing statement for next year. We open the new stadium next year and there is a bad taste in my mouth..... Need to rinse and start over? Tough to be where we always seem to be after two fun years. Go Rams.

Mike Silver is apparently the source so not sure that we should take this too seriously. We've all speculated that Wade would finally retire.

View: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2868070-report-rams-making-major-changes-to-sean-mcvays-coaching-staff


The Los Angeles Rams could have a much different look in their coaching staff next season.

According to a report from Michael Silver of NFL.com, "Multiple sources expect there to be a shakeup on Sean McVay's coaching staff, perhaps including veteran defensive coordinator Wade Phillips."

Silver added that there could be "significant turnover" in the team's personnel department, and that the roster could also see major changes, with veteran running back Todd Gurley a potential "cap casualty" and other players potentially "traded or released."

"I don't know exactly what's going to happen, but I'd expect some major changes around here in the next few months," a Rams veteran told Silver.

The report comes in the wake of the team's 34-31 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday. That moved Los Angeles to 8-7 on the season, knocking them out of postseason contention.

"I'm proud of the way we battled and fought, but I'm sick that we didn't come out with the result, and I'm sick that we won't be in the postseason," McVay told Silver. "Our season will end next week, and it's a sickening feeling—and one that will drive me... Every. Single. Freaking. Day... Until next season arrives, and we finally get to come out and take another swing."

For a Rams team that had reached the postseason in each of the previous two seasons and played in last year's Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, losing 13-3, the 2019 campaign was an absolute disappointment.

The Rams had a relatively quiet offseason after that Super Bowl loss, at least for a team that had made several splashy signings and trades during the McVay era. But they made their intent to return to the Super Bowl in October, trading first-round picks in 2020 and 2021 and a 2021 fourth-rounder to the Jacksonville Jaguars for star cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

It seems likely that far bigger changes are on the horizon for the team in 2020, especially considering the Rams find themselves in one of the toughest divisions in football. The 49ers and Seattle Seahawks are both legitimate Super Bowl contenders this year, and should be next year as well. And the Arizona Cardinals should only improve under young quarterback Kyler Murray.

There is work to be done in Los Angeles, and McVay knows it.
"I promise this will only serve to drive an absolute maniac in me to be better," he texted Silver.

Sunday Night Football: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Chicago Bears

NFL teams with different postseason outlooks but an unmistakable bond when it comes to coaching will be in the "Sunday Night Football" spotlight as the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Chicago Bears. The Chiefs (10-4) have already clinched the AFC West but still have a shot at a first-round bye. The Bears (7-7) were eliminated from playoff contention last week but can still finish with a winning record if they beat Kansas City on Sunday night and pick up a road win against Minnesota in Week 17.

There will be plenty of star power on the field as the Chiefs and Bears are set to be well represented in the upcoming Pro Bowl. Chicago has linebacker Khalil Mack, safety Eddie Jackson, and kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson. Kansas City has twice as many Pro Bowl reps in quarterback Patrick Mahomes, wide receiver Tyreek Hill, tight end Travis Kelce, defensive end Frank Clark, defensive tackle Chris Jones, and kick returner Mecole Hardman.

After the Bears lost to Green Bay last week there were reports that the NFL was considering "flexing" this game out of its prime-time slot. But that is not the case as the league believes that this matchup could still be worth watching. Perhaps it has something to do with the teams' coaching connection?

Kansas City at Chicago

Kickoff: Sunday, Dec. 22nd at 8:20 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Spread: Chiefs -6

Three Things to Watch

1. Teacher vs. student

With the Bears no longer in the playoff hunt, this is one of the most compelling storylines of this game, hence one of the reasons why it's probably still in this week's Sunday night slot. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid gave Bears head coach Matt Nagy his entry into the NFL after his career in the Arena Football League came to an end in 2008. In fact, before taking over the Bears job, Nagy had spent his entire coaching career working for Reid. Nagy began his coaching career as an intern and worked his way up to quality control coach when Reid was running the Philadelphia Eagles (2008-12). When Reid moved on to Kansas City, he took Nagy with him and promoted him to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2013-17).

This will be the first time in the regular season that they've faced off against one another (met in the preseason prior to the 2018 campaign). Will the student become the teacher? Or is Reid going to show Nagy he still has plenty to learn?

2. Signal-caller showdown

Lost in Lamar Jackson's record-setting season is the fact that Patrick Mahomes continues to show why he's become one of the NFL's top quarterbacks in a relatively short amount of time. Even though he missed two games and part of another due to a dislocated kneecap, Mahomes still ranks in the top 10 in passing yards (3,606), completion percentage (65.7), passer rating (106.2), and yards per pass attempt (8.5). He trails only Jackson in QBR and he's one of only four to average more than 300 passing yards per game this season. (Dak Prescott, Matthew Stafford, and Jameis Winston are the others.) He's not going to repeat as MVP but he continues to give opposing defenses headaches because of his combination of accuracy, efficiency, football IQ, and athleticism.

It's been an up and down season for the Bears' Mitchell Trubisky, and he's taken some of the blame for the team's issues. But over these last few weeks he's shown better consistency and some improvement. In Trubisky's last six games, he's completed 146 of his 229 pass attempts (63 percent) for 1,557 yards and 12 touchdowns. He's also added 126 rushing yards with another two scores for good measure. Chicago is just 3-3 during this stretch as turnovers remain somewhat of an issue and the offense just hasn't been consistent enough.

There's plenty of pressure on Trubisky considering he went No. 2 overall in the same draft that Mahomes and Deshaun Watson were taken eight and 10 picks later, respectively. But if Trubisky can continue to show strides on the field and be a part of a Bears victory over Mahomes' team on Sunday night, it will only help how fans view him and his outlook for the future.

3. Mack vs. Suggs

Kahlil Mack and Terrell Suggs are arguably two of the top pass rushers over the past several seasons. So it's only fitting that one of these defensive playmakers could potentially decide the outcome of Sunday's game. After the longtime Baltimore Raven was let go by the rebuilding Arizona Cardinals almost two weeks ago, the Chiefs wasted no time in claiming the seven-time Pro Bowler on waivers. He instantly upgrades their defense as Kansas City prepares to make another deep postseason run.

Mack, like Trubisky, has also felt the wrath of Bears fans during this trying season. And while his production has gone down in 2019, he's still a formidable threat to opposing offensive lines. If Mack can bring the pressure on Mahomes consistently that will only make the rest of the defense's job easier. Mack's playmaking ability is really needed right now with fellow linebackers Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan both on injured reserve and Pro Bowl defensive end Akiem Hicks still feeling the effects of a dislocated elbow that sidelined him for several games.

While neither Mack nor Suggs has put up big numbers individually this season, they have still combined for 79 tackles, 22 tackles for a loss, 13 sacks, 24 quarterback hits, and nine forced fumbles. It only takes one game for their presence to really be felt so you better believe they will have the offensive line's and supporting blockers' full attention whenever they are on the field.

Final Analysis

The teacher vs. student storyline makes for good TV, but the reality is Andy Reid's team has been considerably better than Matt Nagy's this season. Chicago is capable of beating any team on any given week but the Bears have struggled to get everyone clicking at the same time for the same game. Kansas City simply has too much firepower as Patrick Mahomes will make enough highlight-reel plays to make Chicago fans wonder "what if," as Mitchell Trubisky has a decent game but just can't match his counterpart in the big-play department. The Chiefs continue their march to the postseason while the Bears are resigned to the possibility of finishing with a losing record.

Prediction: Chiefs 28, Bears 21

Cameron DaSilva
2 hours ago


It was a stunning and humbling loss for the Rams on Saturday night, but it wasn’t all bad for the defending NFC champions. While the 34-31 defeat hurt and eliminated them from playoff contention, quite a few players did have strong performances.

Here are our studs and duds from the Rams’ Week 16 loss to the 49ers.

Studs

Tyler Higbee and Robert Woods
Higbee and Woods remain Jared Goff’s top targets in the passing game. Higbee caught nine passes for 104 yards on 11 targets, while Woods racked up 117 yards on eight catches (11 targets). No other player had more than four catches or 39 yards, as Higbee and Woods were the ones open most often – specifically on designed rollouts for Goff. Both pass-catchers had great performances, just as they have in recent weeks.

Aaron Donald
Donald once again commanded double-teams on most of his pass-rush reps, which is nothing new. Still, he recorded 1.5 sacks, two quarterback hits, and one tackle for loss. His sacks came at clutch moments, too, both in the second half. Donald has a huge impact each week for the Rams defense, drawing attention away from the other pass rushers.

Dante Fowler Jr.
Fowler is earning a big payday this offseason with his play in 2019. He’s up to 11.5 sacks on the year after adding 2.5 more on Saturday night, consistently getting to Jimmy Garoppolo off the edge. His speed is evident every week that he’s on the field and if the Rams can’t re-sign him this offseason, he’s going to be missed at outside linebacker in 2020.

Jalen Ramsey
Ramsey left the game briefly with a knee injury and was considered doubtful to return. He only missed a series, though, and was back out there in short order. He said afterwards that he was playing through pain and will get an MRI on his knee, but he still had a great performance. He picked off one pass and broke up another that was intercepted by Darious Williams, creating two interceptions for the Rams defense.
On the 46-yard pass to Emmanuel Sanders on the final drive of the game, Ramsey indicated the blown coverage was on Taylor Rapp. It was a bad play regardless of who was at fault, and cost the Rams a win.

Darious Williams
Williams was making his first start with the Rams and the coaches couldn’t have expected him to play much better than he did. He picked off one pass, deflected another and was in coverage on a high throw to Deebo Samuel, playing great coverage on the in-breaking route. For a player with as little experience as he has, he stepped up in a big way.

Duds

Taylor Rapp
Rapp hasn’t looked like a rookie this season, but he did on Saturday night. He missed an open-field tackle on Samuel’s touchdown in the second quarter, and on the 49ers’ game-winning drive, he blew a coverage that allowed Emmanuel Sanders to run free for 46 yards. George Kittle also had a big gain against Rapp in coverage, making this a night to forget for the rookie.

Todd Gurley
Gurley carried it 15 times, but he only gained 48 yards with a long run of 8 yards. He was also targeted twice by Goff, but neither of them were necessarily catchable. Besides his first touchdown run, Gurley looked slow through the hole and wasn’t breaking tackles. Picking up only 48 yards from scrimmage on 15 attempts is not what you come to expect from a star running back.

Bobby Evans
The rookie had one of his worst performances of the season against the 49ers, which isn’t much of a surprise considering the level of competition he faced. He struggled against Nick Bosa, nearly getting beat for a sack on Goff in the end zone. The pocket collapsed frequently on the right side when the Rams weren’t rolling Goff out, which was an issue.

Well, the season is officially over. I think we're all mad about how it ended. I almost have put a mock out a couple times, but I decided to hold off. As always, I'm not trying to guess what the Rams will do. That would be futile. Based on my knowledge of our schemes, tendencies, and philosophy, I'm going to say what I'd do if I were in the Rams' shoes.
Coaching
Replace DC Wade Phillips (retirement) with DC Dan Quinn

I'm making a couple assumptions here. First, I think Wade is going to choose retirement over being replaced.

Cut
S Eric Weddle

I wish I could cut him more than once. I'm so fed up with his performance.

Noteworthy Re-signs
K Greg Zuerlein
OT Andrew Whitworth

I am hopeful that Whit has another year left in him. If he doesn't, I'd target Cordy Glenn or Ty Nsekhe. Yes, we're letting Fowler and Littleton walk. I don't take pleasure in that, but we have to make hard decisions. Littleton's price tag is too high for me. I don't trust Fowler to live up to his contract based on his sparse track record. That might be a mistake, but it's my call. I think we land comp picks for both, which is important.

Free Agency

Christian Kirksey LB

Browns will almost certainly cut Kirksey after Mack Wilson stepped up and played well following Kirksey's injury. Kirksey has had some durability issues the past couple years, but Browns fans were really bummed when he got hurt this year. They said he was playing quite well. I think he's a great option for us for two reasons: (1) he'll be a cut who doesn't cost us a comp pick and (2) he'll be a relative bargain. Alec Ogletree is another player likely to be cut who would make sense for us (I know some of y'all weren't fans of his, but I think he could be a steal at the right price).


Quinton Jefferson DL

I'm a fan of Quinton Jefferson. I feel like he's always disruptive when we play the Seahawks, and it bothers me because he was on our practice squad a few years ago. I think he's a great bargain signing who can play different roles on the DL. I could see him breaking out with Donald taking up so much attention.

NFL Draft
Round 2 Pick #19 - David Woodward MLB Utah State
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Analysis: Woodward is a complete LB. He can cover, he can run sideline to sideline, and he can play through blocks as a run defender. When he hits players, they go down. Very productive LB at Utah State. Missed half the season due to injury and is highly underrated right now due to that.

Round 3 Pick #20 - Nick Harris C Washington
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Analysis: I did not want to like Harris because he's another small Center (like Brian Allen). But I couldn't help myself while watching his film. He's perfect for our scheme. Quick feet, phenomenal blocker on the move and second level, outstanding use of angles and positioning to create holes, and a great help blocker. A lot of starting experience and played both Center and Guard in college. I think he's a Day 1 starter here.

Round 3 Pick #41 - Josh Uche EDGE Michigan
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Analysis: Uche is a bit of a project, but his tools are off the charts. He's smooth and adept in coverage, which is surprising for an edge. But he also has crazy power for a guy who is only 6'2" 250. Explosive get-off with the ability to bull 330+ pound OTs into the QB's lap. Needs to develop more nuanced rush plans, better counters, and a go-to pass rush move, but he has so much potential because he has the speed to corner and the punch/power to bully OLs.

Round 4 Pick #19 - Antoine Winfield Jr. S Minnesota
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Analysis: Winfield is a smart football player with quality instincts and plenty of versatility as a safety. Despite being undersized, he hits very hard and is quite strong. Has some man cover and ball skills as a former CB. Shows no fear flying downhill and stick his nose in on running plays. Should be a special teams demon. Leader of Minnesota defense. Can get himself into trouble by being overaggressive on play action.

Round 6 Pick #19 - Jeff Thomas WR Miami
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Analysis: Thomas is an interesting player. Had some clashes with the coaching staffs at Miami. However, he's got unreal talent that was held back by the bad QB play. Fast, quick, body control, and explosive leaping ability. Great return man. Catches the ball well. He has a ton of potential in our scheme and can replace Natson as the returner. Kid just needs to keep his head screwed on straight.

Round 7 Pick #20 - Tyler Huntley QB Utah
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Analysis: Good athlete with a NFL caliber arm who played quite well in a scheme with a lot of pro style components. Has had some injury issues in college and is a bit undersized, but he makes sound decisions, takes care of the ball, and possesses good accuracy. I think he'd be a great developmental backup behind Goff. Athleticism adds a new dimension, he doesn't throw many INTs, and he thrived in college in a play-action heavy scheme.

Projected Starters
QB: Jared Goff
HB: Todd Gurley
XWR: Brandin Cooks
ZWR: Robert Woods
SLWR: Cooper Kupp
TE: Tyler Higbee
LT: Andrew Whitworth (might consider sliding him inside when Noteboom is healthy)
LG: Competition
C: Nick Harris
RG: David Edwards
RT: Rob Havenstein

SDE: Quinton Jefferson
NT: Greg Gaines
UT: Aaron Donald
LEO: Clay Matthews
WLB: Christian Kirksey
MLB: David Woodward
SLB: Samson Ebukam
LCB: Jalen Ramsey
RCB: Troy Hill
SLCB: Nickell Robey-Coleman v. David Long Jr.
FS: John Johnson III
SS: Taylor Rapp

K: Greg Zuerlein
P: Johnny Hekker
LS: Jake McQuaide
RS: Jeff Thomas

Straight and to the point question:
Do you think that McVay’s offensive scheme needs some new elements added in?

The reason I ask is because I see offenses like (ewww) Shannahan’s using different formations, using a full back, and just more unpredictable than ours. I’m no defensive guru by any means but when you, as a defensive coordinator, need to game plan against an offense that looks the exact same game in and game out, I’d imagine it would be easier than trying to game plan against one that shows you something different almost every series.

No first rounders for 2 more years. No cap room. Many needs. Status quo and maybe we are a Wild Card team at best. The offense needs a whole new Oline. We need to replace aging players on D. If we trade Donald we can fetch at least 2 firsts and maybe a 2nd. Plus free up tons of cap room. We also can unload Ramsey and get a first and 2nd maybe. These two are great names but as shown tonight they do not make the Rams a great defense. I love Donald and I like Ramsey but this team is not 2 great players. I dont want to go 9-7 next season

It is hard to believe that a team that just went to the Super Bowl last season could have so many issues going into this offseason! I hope McVay and Snead have some tricks up their sleeves! And, I hope those tricks work a lot better than the tricks they tried in tonight’s game!

I'm obviously not happy we lost but there's a lot of fight in this team. Some bad mistakes but some very good play. Anybody who can't see the positives and would rather vent thread it up go for it. Got no time for the negativity.

I know everyone wants to blame Rapp but similar things happen in games to every team.

Rams just are not good enough to overcome mistakes like that which good teams can. Rams are not a good team.

LB Troy Reeder seems like he is playing pretty well for the Rams Defense. Will/Can he be a key player for the Rams Defense in the future?

FOUR GAMES have to go the Rams way and that is pretty unlikely BUT as long as there is still a glimmer of hope I WILL BE HOPING!!!

I feel the team has been erratic in their game planning. One week it's a smart thought out plan like Seattle/NO and others like Cowboys/Ravens it's pathetic.

Wade needs a plan to stop Little and their running ability.

Sean needs to make sure to figure out a plan against their rush and secondary so Goff has time to throw and the WRs have time to get open.

And if GZ can't go we need to figure that out no blocked kicks and get some FG.

A
We all have seen it before so we all know it can be done so c'mon coaches let's create the best smothering D, and strong oline play.

What’s on your game day table?

Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots Prediction and Preview

The Buffalo Bills are seeking revenge and a division title when they travel to Foxboro on Sunday afternoon to take on their long-time rival New England Patriots. In Week 4, the Bills (10-4) fell at home to the Pats in a tough 16-10 loss with Matt Barkley at quarterback in the fourth quarter. With a win on Sunday and with another New England loss next week, the Bills would be celebrating their first division title since 1995. But Bills Mafia shouldn’t jump off their tailgate buses on to any unsuspecting folding tables with joy just yet -- let’s just celebrate making the playoffs for the second time in three seasons after a 17-year drought.

On the other hand, New England has already extended its own NFL record by securing an 11th straight postseason appearance after thrashing the Bengals last week, 34-13. Despite their 11-3 record, Pats fans are weary of an offense that has struggled immensely against teams with a pulse or a winning record. A win on Sunday against a tenacious Bills defense would calm the nerves, for at least one week, of the New England faithful. Surely an eleventh consecutive AFC East title would help too.

Buffalo at New England

Kickoff: Saturday, Dec. 21 at 4:30 p.m. ET
TV: NFL Network
Spread: Patriots -6.5

Three Things to Watch

1. Brady slipping

Father Time is and forever shall be undefeated. Despite his extraordinary life, Tom Brady is not exempt from time’s influence — no matter how many avocadoes he eats or Just For Men he uses in that near-perfect quaff. The fact is that Brady is 42 years old and it is starting to show, well, has been showing for some time now, actually. Since Week 5, Brady hasn’t had a game with a quarterback rating higher than 90, averaging a QBR of 79.9 the last nine games. In that same nine-game stretch, Brady has only thrown 11 touchdowns, completed 58 percent of his passes, averaged a measly 5.4 yards per attempt and 230 yards per game — all career lows.

But not all of the Patriots’ offensive woes fall on Brady’s golden shoulder. The New England offensive line has been injured and shuffled around all season long, not allowing the less-than-zippy Brady to make throws downfield we’re used to seeing. The loss of tight end Rob Gronkowski has also proven to be much more troublesome than many may have realized. Gronk’s ability to take the top off opposing defenses from the slot allowed for all of those classic underneath routes to smaller, possession receivers like Julian Edelman to work so well. This season, Brady simply does not have the weapons in his arsenal outside of Edelman. The closest wide receiver to Edelman statistically is Phillip Dorsett who has nearly 700 fewer yards, 90 fewer targets, and 62 fewer receptions.

With a shaky offensive line and a complete lack of skill position players, Brady’s declining skill set is exacerbated by the Patriots’ other flaws — something to keep an eye on against one of the league’s best pass defenses in Buffalo.

2. Bills’ rushing attack

You wouldn’t know it from looking at last week’s box score — 0.34 yards per carry against Pittsburgh — but the Bills’ ground game is the heartbeat of their offense. This season the Bills rank fifth in the NFL in rushing yards per game (134) and 10th in yards per carry (4.5). And they get it done with a somewhat unconventional three-pronged rushing attack that features quarterback Josh Allen (467 yards, 9 TDs) and the timeless Frank Gore (573, 2) as complementary pieces to the lead back, rookie Devin Singletary (729, 2).

After a slow rushing attack last week, the Bills face a Pats defense that was torched by Joe Mixon and the Bengals in Cincinnati. New England allowed Mixon to break off 5.4 yards per attempt for 136 yards total. How the Patriots handle the Bills Cerberus (it’s Greek, look it up) running attack could spell the difference between a divisional title or Wild Card Weekend game.

3. Josh Allen

Allen will not be mistaken for a premier NFL passer anytime soon. He currently ranks 24th in passing attempts per game (31.9) and 28th in passing yards per game (201.2). His season marks of 18 touchdowns and an 84.6 passer rating aren’t going to turn any heads either. But these median numbers don’t necessarily mean that he’s a bad passer or quarterback — he just won’t win you many games.

The Bills’ game plan on Sunday will likely be the same as it’s been all season: run first, run second, pass when needed. But Allen will still have to make the few throws he’s going to attempt count — especially against one of the NFL’s toughest passing defense. The Patriots rank first in QB rating allowed (57.4) and takeaways (36), while ranking second in passing yards allowed per game (170). Last week the Patriots’ secondary had four interceptions, the fourth time they’ve had as many in a single game this season.

How Allen can hurt the Pats is with his legs. He’s picked up nearly 40 first downs on foot and rushed for nine touchdowns. If the Pats take away the throws downfield, look for Allen to take off from the pocket. If Allen can keep the ball away from such an opportunistic New England defense, the Bills have to like their chances.

Final Analysis

Both of these teams are so stout defensively that this game very likely will come down to the play of the two starting quarterbacks. One is aging and waning (albeit ever so handsomely) and the other is spry yet raw. So what gives? It’s hard to bet against Brady and Belichick at home with another division title theirs for the taking.

Prediction: Patriots 20, Bills 18

Houston Texans vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Prediction and Preview
This game may not feature two playoff teams, but it'll be really intriguing when the Tampa Buccaneers host the Houston Texans on Saturday. These two teams have played just four times historically with Houston winning each of the last three. Back in 2015, the Texans won 19-9 at home as Ryan Mallett beat Jameis Winston, who had only one interception in the loss. The touchdowns went to Alfred Blue and DeAndre Hopkins, who is still playing very well for Houston at wide receiver.

The Texans (9-5) have to be feeling good after winning in Tennessee 24-21 last week. The victory put Houston atop the AFC South and pus them just one more win away from claiming the division. Deshaun Watson was solid, but more importantly, Houston was able to run the ball with some success as Carlos Hyde picked up 104 yards on the ground. The defense is still a massive question mark as the unit has allowed 20 or more points in three straight and four of the last five games since the Week 10 bye.

On the other side is Tampa Bay, who is 7-7 and has won four straight and five of six. Of course, Lamar Jackson is the most exciting player in the league, but Winston has to be up there as well in terms of not knowing what he will do. The signal-caller put up 458 passing yards last week in a 38-17 win over the Lions in Detroit. Tampa's defense has now given up 20 points or less three times this season. The Bucs have fared well against the AFC South this season, beating the Colts and Jaguars and losing to the Titans by just four points on the road.

Houston at Tampa Bay

Kickoff: Saturday, Dec. 21 at 1 p.m. ET
TV: NFL Network
Spread: Houston -3

Three Things to Watch

1. Intangibles

Just because there are two weeks left in the season, doesn't mean that there aren't intangibles to consider. This is the second straight road game for the Texans, who are smack dab in the middle of a Titans sandwich. Remember, this is the same Houston team that laid a massive egg against Denver at home and has played down to their competition at times. I don't think focus will be an issue, not with the AFC South title there for the taking, but I'm not a huge Bill O'Brien fan either. Tampa Bay is not playing like a team with no shot at the playoffs. The Buccaneers are back at home after a stretch of three of four on the road and have some momentum thanks to their four-game winning streak.

2. And you are?

Jameis Winston has been incredible the last two weeks, throwing for more than 900 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions. This came after the game against Jacksonville in which he had no TDs or INTs. The more impressive part of this is that he's losing weapons left and right, as Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are both out for Saturday. That's more than 2,000 receiving yards gone. Breshad Perriman now takes over as the No. 1 wide receiver with Justin Watson and Ish Hyman out of James Madison as some others who have a chance to step up. This is a prime chance for disappointing tight end O.J. Howard to show what's he got as well, but who knows with him. Houston's secondary is vulnerable and you know Winston is not afraid to sling it around.

3. Can either team run the ball?

Winston has had to throw it so much this season because Tampa Bay has not gotten much going on the ground. Peyton Barber’s 82 rushing yards back in Week 2 against Carolina qualifies as the team’s top showing this season. The Buccaneers are basically rotating him, Ronald Jones and Dare Ogunbowale out of the backfield, but none of them are standing out. Tampa Bay is 28th in the league in rushing offense (91.4 ypg) and is averaging 3.5 yards per carry.

Houston is seventh overall (130.9 ypg) but it’s more of a collaborative effort rather than just one man. Carlos Hyde had his third 100-yard rushing game of the season last week, which also put him over 1,000 for the season. Duke Johnson and Deshaun Watson also get their carries and each is averaging better than five yards per carry. The challenge could be finding running room against the Bucs’ defense. Tampa Bay is awful against the pass but No. 1 in the NFL vs. the run (73.3 ypg). Whichever team can establish itself on the ground should be well-positioned to win on Saturday.

Final Analysis

With a normal head coach and a focused team, this would be an easy selection for the Texans. As I mentioned above, I don't like Bill O'Brien and I think this team is too flaky. Houston has the advantage here and can sew up the AFC South with a victory and take a lot of the pressure off of next week's rematch with Tennessee. Still, Tampa Bay's hot right now and it doesn't matter how banged up their receiving corps is, Winston is going to throw the ball. I'll take the Buccaneers in a mild upset as the Texans make next week's game against the Titans even bigger.

Prediction: Bucs 27, Texans 23

Game Day Thread

The GDT is a live thread tradition here at ROD.

While we all get fired up watching the game, please remember our core principles; we always show respect for our team and each other.

Despite the emotional highs and lows watching a game, we will moderate this thread with that in mind, however please refrain from name calling. This applies to players, the Rams organization, and others.

This is the core rule of the GDT. Moderators are tasked to issue thread bans, at a minimum, to maintain this standard.

This is our team. Win or lose. Good days and bad. We are here for FUN, not to be dragged down.

A more loosely moderated atmosphere can be found in the chat room.

Go Rams!

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ROD Chat Room;

GAME DAY ROOM

No idea how reliable this dude is but Vinnie retweeted it. Wouldn’t be surprising at his age if he retires.

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What are your plans? The football line up is a good one!