Why were Goff and Gurley both playing very late in the game when down by 29 points? Goff got hit hard late because of it. Why not play the 2nd string earlier? Also was Gurley the only RB available to play?

I'm not here to say the sky is falling, Goff is a Bust, McVay has been figured out, Wade is over the Hill, and both Lines have major deficiencies. Ok well the last one is very true... but, I think the Rams are in for some major changes this coming off-season. Not just on the roster but in the coaching room as well. Lets start with the Defense...

I like Wade, I think he's a good coach and has a great resume, but I feel the game has somewhat passed him by and he's being not flexible enough to adapt to what the NFL is throwing at him. Lets take yesterdays game for example. Dak threw for only 212 yards and 2 TD's but they ran for 263 yards. Yeah 263 yards, that's not a typo. Yet Reader was only on the field about 50% of the time yesterday. Why would I have a LB on the sideline with a run heavy offense? They clearly saw they could run on us and didn't get away from it. Why would we play Nickle defense 60% of the time yesterday when all they did was run the ball??? Why is Ramsey in zone when you brought him here to play against the other teams best WR m2m??? Why is Ramsey dropping off coverage when Cooper was going into the slot??? It's so confusing to me. Are in-game adjustments a thing of the past? Or am I just crazy?
I think this pretty much sums it up for Wade. That will make 4 blowouts this season, on a defense with players like Donald, Ramsey, Weddle, Brockers, Fowler, Littleton, and Mathews. Not to mention Rapp and Hill have been pretty good this season as well. It's really unacceptable with the talent and 5 first round players we have on this defense. Someone has to answer for it and I think it's time for Wade to hang it up.

With the players, I can see it's scheme and consistency, they do some things well and other things they don't. We lack mass at Dline and LB. We lack Discipline at OLB with Mathews and Fowler. With those glaring deficiencies teams are going to take notice and exploit it when they can. And it's exactly what we saw yesterday.
To add insult to injury we are going to be strapped for $$$ and draft picks for the next two seasons. Giving Goff, donald, gurely, and now Ramsey (coming soon) their bloated contracts it's not going to leave much for guys like LIttleton and Fowler (who I'd like to keep). So it's going to be tricky. Even if we retain Littleton and Fowler we would still have to fill the holes around them. If the Rams stick with the 3-4 scheme, they need a big body in the middle of that D. We'd have to dump players like Brockers and Smart, and hope we can find someone to play stopgap until we draft a suitable replacement. Mathews, is still a great pass rusher but the guy is very undisciplined and often hurts the Rams more than he helps. His play yesterday demonstrated that to the fullest extent.
And I feel Littleton is playing out of position, He's not a pure MLB more of a hybrid type of player. If anything he should be playing WILB or playing Rapps role when he's down in the box. He's a great cover LB but not so great against downhill runners.
The Rams are going to have their work cut out for them this offseason, With a tight cap, players contracts due, declining DC, and possible departures it's going to take all hands on deck to get this handled. That's not even taking into consideration if Wade hangs it up, do we stick with the 3-4 defense??? That's a whole other issue.

You guys still with me??? lol

Now lets talk offense.

Lets start with the Coach. It's obvious to myself and some others that McVay needs some help. This is the NFL and boy genius can't do it all on his own. Lets take a look into the past when he was first hired in 2017. The guy had a great ...no, he had a fantastic coaching staff on his side of the ball. Matt LaFleur, Greg Olson, Arron Kromer, Shane Waldorn, Skip Peete, and so on.
The guy had two OC's on his team helping coach up his young QB and offense and the rest is history. The Rams took the NFL by storm for the next two seasons and were being compared to the GSOT. However, that's where the fairy tail story ends. In the upcoming seasons he lost both of his OC's, QB coach, and assistants to other teams and replaced them with unproven assistants. The proof is in the pudding as they say, since then we have become one dimensional, predicable, and schematically inept.
In my opinion the only way the Rams get back to former glory or close to it is by hiring needed help in that coaches room. McVay is obviously having a hard time scheming with the help he has now. Again, lets look at yesterdays game for further analysis.
11-Personnel - McVay thought it would be a good idea to go back to what worked for him against Dallas last year by running a 3WR 2TE 1RB grouping for most of the game. Why on earth would you run this grouping with all the Injuries up front on Dallas's Defense??? With Recent success running different groupings of 12 or 22 personnel the Rams had success running the ball which opened up everything else. Somehow McVay thought he knew better...
Unless McVay brings in needed coaching help things will not change, they will actually get worse.

Players, can be tricky. I think we have some deficiencies on our Offensive Line but honestly I don't think it's as bad as some think. Again it's scheme, and not adjusting to what the other team is doing. Dallas attacked our Guard bubble which we have been running for the last month with success, and we saw nothing to counter that. No sweeps, No power running, No reverses, no Jet sweeps, and very little outside zone. So what gives??? If it's not working why are you still beating your head against the damn wall? It's frustrating to say the least.
Getting back to the players...Blythe is limited at Center, Edwards and Evans are both young but promising, Corbett looks pretty good so far, and Whit will probably retire after this season because I doubt he'll stay thru a partial rebuild of the offense.
Gurely, I dunno with him. Sure he looks good at times, and then other times it seems like his head is in the clouds. Dropping passes, running lazy routes, acting like he doesn't give a damn. Is he aware or something we are not? Is his time in a Rams uniform limited? Maybe we'll finally get some type of answer this off season and I hope the Rams make the right decision for the team, not for the player because he got paid enough to live his life anyway he wants to.

And Mr. Goff needs to step up. Plain and simple, the dude got lazy with all the early success. He was so used to WR's being open and having so much time to throw the ball he never learned to read a damn defense. Now he just throws it up hoping his guy will catch it without checking safety and LB positioning. It's frustrating to watch because he's done it in almost EVERY game this year. Even against Cincinnati in the 2nd half he threw what would been 2 bad INT's, because the Bengals knew exactly where he was going with the ball. Two words, Scheme and Goff. Good thing for the Rams the Bengals have paws for hands and dropped both of them. I only used the Bengals for reference, but look for yourself most of Goffs INT's have come in the 2nd half of games.
Look, I'm not calling Goff a bust, and I'm not calling for McVays job but these guys need to change their approach both in coaching and preparing for the games. Only way that's gonna happen is if they hire outside help to get some fresh eyes on these problems. It's a bummer because nothing was really done from last year when it came to our late season issues that has plagued us this year as well. Hopefully this is a learning experience for McVay and he makes the right decisions going forward.

I know it feels that way, again. Just like it did after the Ravens game.

Minnesota has two tough games left. My gut feeling is McVay will have the boys ready for the 49'ers.

Playoffs, here we come!!!! (Maybe, possibly, probably not, but hope is everything!)

Monday Night Football: Indianapolis Colts vs. New Orleans Saints

Teams looking to bounce back from discouraging losses finish out Week 15 in the NFL when the Indianapolis Colts face the New Orleans Saints in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on "Monday Night Football."

The Colts (6-7) limp into the Big Easy losers of five of their six most recent games. They have fallen from serious contenders to win the AFC South to a team that needs help to grab a wild-card berth. Last week, Indianapolis fell 38-35 to Tampa Bay on the road. The Colts were outgained 542-309 by the Buccaneers but led by 14 points in the third quarter thanks to four takeaways. Jameis Winston threw three interceptions but also finished the game with 456 passing yards and four touchdowns.

The Saints (10-3) have already clinched the NFC South title but ceded control of the overall top seed to San Francisco in a thrilling 48-46 loss in the Superdome. The fourth quarter alone featured 26 points as New Orleans took a one-point lead with less than one minute left on Drew Brees' fifth touchdown pass of the day, only to see the 49ers answer by marching the ball down the field to set up Robbie Gould's game-winning, 30-yard field goal as time expired.

Indianapolis at New Orleans

Kickoff: Monday, Dec. 16 at 8:15 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Spread: Saints -8.5

Three Things to Watch

1. Will the Colts be able to run against the depleted Saints' defensive line?

New Orleans has recently lost two key components of its defensive line. Sheldon Rankins and Marcus Davenport are gone for the rest of the season due to injury. Those losses hurt a defense that currently ranks fourth in the NFL against the run (94.2 ypg) and in rushing first downs (60) allowed.

Rankins missed the first three of the games this season due to his recovery from a torn Achilles he suffered in last year's playoffs. Last week, he was carted off after suffering what was later called a significant ankle injury. He was placed on injured reserve and will reportedly undergo surgery at some point. He finishes with 10 total tackles, two sacks, and five quarterback hits in 10 games.

Davenport had started every game this season before suffering a foot injury last week. He too was placed on IR and will undergo foot surgery for the second time in as many seasons. He had recorded 31 total tackles, six sacks, 16 QB hits, and three forced fumbles prior to the injury.

Indianapolis has made a renewed commitment to running the ball this season and it's paid off to some degree. The Colts are sixth in the league at 133.3 rushing yards per game and have picked up 103 first downs on the ground. The only team with more is the run-heavy Ravens led by MVP front-runner Lamar Jackson and former Saint Mark Ingram.

But Indianapolis has only averaged 4.4 yards per carry, which is good for 14th in the league, and 11 rushing touchdowns (tied for 16th). So while the volume has certainly been there (395 fifth-most carries) the production hasn't necessarily followed.

Marlon Mack leads the team with 900 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. He's been a chain-mover (55 first downs) and has yet to fumble, but he's also missed two games and parts of others because of a broken hand and an ankle injury. He will try to take advantage of the Saints' makeshift defensive line on Monday night.

2. Jacoby Brissett vs. Drew Brees

Following Andrew Luck's unexpected retirement in the preseason, Indianapolis turned to Brissett, who has been steady but not spectacular. He's averaging 208 passing yards per game and has just three 300-yard games, but he's done a good job with his decision-making with 18 touchdown passes and only six interceptions. He's also put up 167 yards and three touchdowns on the ground with three lost fumbles.

Part of the reason Brissett has not put up huge numbers through the air is because of injuries to his receiving corps. Top target T.Y. Hilton (calf) and rookie Parris Campbell (broken foot, on IR) have both played in just seven games and Pro Bowl tight end Eric Ebron also is done for the season after undergoing surgery on both of his ankles. Brissett doesn't have his full arsenal of weapons and it's starting to show in his numbers. Over the last six games, he's averaging 185 passing yards per game with a total of four touchdowns and three interceptions. Not surprisingly, the Colts are 2-4 during that stretch.

On the other side is Brees, who is coming off of his best game of the season in the close loss to San Francisco. Brees torched the NFL's No. 2-ranked defense for 349 yards and five touchdowns. He wasn't sacked by the 49ers' fearsome pass rush despite the Saints' offensive line dealing with various ailments. Now he faces an Indianapolis defense that ranks 22nd in the league against the pass (San Francisco is still No. 1) and just got lit up by Jameis Winston even though he threw three picks.

3. Can the Saints' defense protect a lead during the fourth quarter?

New Orleans' defense has buckled under pressure in the final 15 minutes of several games. Back in Week 1, Houston scored a go-ahead touchdown in a drive consisting of two plays and lasting 13 seconds. In Chicago in Week 7, the defense allowed the Bears to score two touchdowns in the last three minutes of the game. The Panthers drove for the tying touchdown with less than 10 minutes to go in Week 12. On Thanksgiving night in Atlanta, the Saints surrendered two touchdowns in a minute and a half late in the fourth quarter. However, New Orleans was still able to win all of these games, and only two of them (Texans and Panthers) required any sort of game-winning heroics from Brees and the offense.

But last week at home against San Francisco, the Saints finally paid the price for their fourth-quarter defensive breakdowns. Twice in the final frame, New Orleans scored to take a slim lead only to see the 49ers answer. And what's even more painful for Saints' fans is that their team went ahead 46-45 with 53 seconds remaining only to watch San Francisco go 63 yards in seven plays to set up Robbie Gould's game-winning, 30-yard field goal as the clock ran out.

Fortunately, Indianapolis' recent woes have included the fourth quarter. Over the last three games, the Colts have been outscored 31-0 in the final 15 minutes. That includes letting Tampa Bay blank them 10-0 to come from behind and win last week. So perhaps Indianapolis' sputtering offense is just what New Orleans' defense needs to find their resolve late in games, something that will certainly be tested come playoff time.

Final Analysis

The Colts' three-game losing streak has them in danger of completely falling out of playoff contention. Indianapolis has struggled on offense and not been able to make the plays necessary to win close games late. With the losses and injuries mounting, one has to question how much resolve the Colts still possess to keep fighting for a playoff spot.

The Saints wasted an outstanding performance by their offense last week at home in their battle with San Francisco for the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC. New Orleans' defense could not have played much worse than it did against the 49ers and now must move forward without two of its best defensive linemen. If the Saints wish to secure the first-round bye in the playoffs that comes with being one of the top two seeds, they cannot afford a second consecutive loss at home.

Prediction: Saints 30, Colts 20

Cameron DaSilva

1 hour ago
The Rams were embarrassed in Dallas on Sunday, getting blown out 44-21 by the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in one of the biggest games of Los Angeles’ season. They scored 14 of their 21 points in the final four minutes when the game was already out of reach, doing very little well on offense or defense.
As a result, our studs and duds are pretty lopsided. There weren’t many players who stood out for the right reasons, while several others had poor showings on a big stage in Arlington.

Studs

Tyler Higbee
Higbee once again stuffed the stat sheet, this time catching a career-high 12 passes with 111 yards receiving. He had a great 26-yard reception to set up the Rams’ first touchdown, once again on a designed rollout for Jared Goff where he sat down in the zone, coming wide open. A good portion of his production came when the game was already out of hand and the Rams padded the stats in garbage time, but it was another productive game for Higbee.

Darious Williams and Jalen Ramsey
Excluding Tavon Austin’s 59-yard touchdown, the Cowboys’ wide receivers combined for just three catches for 22 yards. Amari Cooper was held to only 19 yards on one catch, while Michael Gallup caught one pass for 6 yards. Williams and Ramsey played well enough to slow down the Cowboys’ wideouts, but Dak Prescott beat them in other ways with his backs and tight ends.


Duds

Jared Goff
Goff’s stat line doesn’t seem all that bad (284 yards, two touchdowns, one interception), but he was not very good. He missed Brandin Cooks, who was open on an out route on the first drive, and also underthrew receivers over the middle. His interception to Sean Lee was especially bad, and was a turning point in the game.

Todd Gurley
Gurley carried it 11 times for 20 yards, and although he had two touchdowns and a two-point conversion, he appeared to lack explosiveness out of the backfield and was indecisive in the hole. He was running with two hands on the ball often, too, which was surprising. He didn’t get any help from his offensive line, but Gurley didn’t make anyone miss, either.

Sean McVay
Ultimately, part of this loss falls on the coaches – beginning with McVay. The Rams looked unprepared, slow out of the gate and lacked effort on both sides of the ball, which typically falls on the coach. McVay has never had trouble getting his players ready, but that seemed like an issue on Sunday.

Dante Fowler Jr. and Clay Matthews
The Rams never got very close to Dak Prescott. Fowler had six tackles, but he never hit Prescott once and didn’t record any stops behind the line. Matthews also had six tackles and one for a loss, but as a pass rusher, he did very little. Overall, the pass rush was underwhelming and did nothing to help the rest of the defense.

Defensive line
When an opponent rushes for 267 yards, the defensive line deserves a lot of the blame. The defensive front was pushed off the line regularly and got no penetration against the Cowboys’ offensive line, which gave Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard big running lanes. Aaron Donald was even held in check as a pass rusher, while Sebastian Joseph-Day and Michael Brockers did very little against the run or pass, either.

No pun intended on the title, although maybe there should have been. Either way this season is about wrapped up now so wanted to take a quick spin through the offensive depth and see what it looks like. Here goes...

Key
Elite
Above Average
Average
Below Average / Unproven
Not Good Enough
Cut
(Cap hit or FA status for 2020 is in parenthesis)

Offense

WR: Kupp ($1.1M); Webster (ERFA)
WR: Woods ($9.1M); Reynolds ($.8M)
WR: Cooks ($16.8M with a potential out in 2021 that brings $13M cap hit); Thomas (UFA)

LT: Whitworth (UFA); Brewer ($.5M)
LG: Corbett ($1.1M); Noteboom ($.9M)
C: Blythe (UFA); Shelton (ERFA); Allen ($.8M)
RG: Edwards ($.6M); Demby ($.6M)
RT: Evans ($.8M); Havenstein ($7.8M, dead cap drops to $1.6M after 2020 season)

TE1: Higbee ($8.6M); Mundt (ERFA)
TE2: Everett ($1.9M); Blanton (ERFA)

QB: Goff ($36M); Bortles (UFA)
RB: Gurley ($17.2M); Brown ($1.1M); Henderson ($.9M)

Offensive summary:

Right out the gate it's clear that the slip in Cooks' play has hurt this team. Not only has his play completely degraded, but he is paid very well. Paired with him in the paid well but not producing at the level of previous season are Goff & Gurley. I realize some are going to disagree on where I ranked these guys on the key, but I think the OL deficiencies give both Goff (who needs to work on mechanics this offseason Jesus) and Gurley (who has dipped from an elite player to a plus runner) the benefit of the doubt, i.e. both will be above average IF the Rams fix the line.

Second thing that is noticeable is the lack of talent on the offensive line. Edwards & Evans might both become above average next season and I think at least one of them will, but for now they're average for roster planning purposes. Whit as above average is iffy, however he is still better than that midrange group so that's why he is in blue even though we all understand his UFA status and age make it difficult to think he is retained when the line needs more talent. Rams don't have draft capital to go get everything they need, so I would think they try to bring in a FA to settle this group down that isn't on the verge of his play dropping off a cliff (which is Whit's problem).

Now I know some will call me a hater with Brown being below average. But the deal here is he's not a guy we can count on as a primary backup. That's clear now after two seasons in a row and a sizable element in our struggles this season.

Offensive need list is as I see it...

1. (Starter) LT.
2. (Starter) C.
3. (Depth) RB.
4. (Depth) QB.

Curious how you guys are seeing things am I being a jerk here?

3 straight 100 yard games....

He broke some record I heard Aikman or someone mention... .but couldn't remember what it was exactly.

At least the Niners lost. Whoot Whoot. I am now a fan of whoever they play. Let the Niners get bumped in the wild card round.

Turned over to CBS in disgust...Cards laying 35 on the worthless Browns.

Up is down, down is up.

Down to 3...

@RamFanInPC
@Ramhusker
@Young Ram

Good luck!

What is on your spread today?

Sunday Night Football: Buffalo Bills vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers weren’t supposed to be in playoff contention this year. One team, the Bills, had embarked on what felt like their 50th rebuild in a reconstruction that never ends; they’ve made the postseason just once this century (2017). Meanwhile, the Steelers lost franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for the season in Week 2 and began this year 1-4.

Yet here we are with three weeks left in the NFL regular season, and these two teams are in position to be the AFC Wild Cards. Both organizations have done it in an unconventional way with young quarterbacks (Josh Allen, Devlin Hodges) stepping up and delivering on offense.

Overall, it’s their defenses that have carried both teams to the precipice of postseason play. The Bills allow just 16.3 points per game, second-best in the NFL to their division rival New England Patriots. The Steelers counter that with their league-best 33 takeaways, creating a plus-12 turnover margin that’s given their wounded offense a chance at success.

A victory for both these teams is pivotal in closing the deal on the playoffs. The Bills need this game to shore up a spot with a road trip to the Patriots scheduled for next week. A loss here, and they’re potentially staring at a 9-6 record with no victories against teams with winning records on their schedule. A must-win game against the Jets in Week 17 would suddenly feel like it’s far from a guarantee.

The Steelers’ road is nearly as daunting. They finish up with a road game against those Jets before traveling to Baltimore to face the AFC’s likely top seed. The hope is that the Ravens will have everything locked up by then but if not? And if the Ravens choose not to rest Lamar Jackson? A loss here could send the Steelers on a road to 9-7, which might not be enough to get through depending on tiebreakers.

Both teams clearly need a victory to feel secure about their chances. But only one will get to breathe a little easier after Sunday night. The Steelers have to hope history is on their side, since they've won 10 of the last 11 matchups. In fact, Buffalo hasn't won in Pittsburgh since the 1993 playoffs.

Buffalo at Pittsburgh

Kickoff: Sunday, Dec. 15 at 8:20 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Spread: Steelers -1.5

Three Things To Watch

1. Who will be available for the Steelers on offense?

The constant rotation of players in and out of the Steelers' lineup has really hurt the offense in a post-Roethlisberger world. It’s hard enough to go through multiple quarterbacks, from Big Ben to Mason Rudolph to third-stringer Devlin “Duck” Hodges, who will start under center for the third straight game. Hodges earned the role after doing a better job of hanging onto the ball than Rudolph; he has just two interceptions this season to nine for Rudolph, who threw four in a November loss to the Browns).

Somehow, the Steelers have won seven of eight games despite their best offensive players (Roethlisberger, JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Conner) sitting on the sidelines. Sadly, there’s no indication that any of them will be back at 100 percent for Sunday night. Smith-Schuster reinjured his knee in Thursday’s practice and is almost certainly out for the game. Conner, who practiced in full this week, is uncertain of how his shoulder problems will endure hard contact in game conditions.

That leaves a hodgepodge group of misfits led by wide receiver James Washington for Hodges to rely on. Washington had just the second 100-yard game for a Steelers receiver all season against the Browns two weeks ago and has the speed to get open for deep passes. His 18.0 yards per reception rank third in the AFC.

The question is who else will step up? Hodges nearly led the team in rushing last week with 34 yards. Jaylen Samuels has been nursing a groin injury and struggled to be effective during Conner’s absence. Tight end Vance McDonald, after a strong 2018, has been inconsistent this season and spent this week under the league’s concussion protocol. At this rate, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Steelers sign a man off the street before Sunday’s game, similar to how their in-state rival Philadelphia Eagles nearly suited up 40-year-old quarterback Josh McCown to play wide receiver after a flurry of injuries Monday night against the Giants.

That just won’t fly against this Bills defense. Minkah Fitzpatrick may honestly be the best offensive option for this Steelers team Sunday night. Fitzpatrick’s ability defensively to disrupt and cause a turnover is key. Without some help to set this offense up, they may be stuck on their own side of the field the entire night.

2. Can Josh Allen recover from a down week?

Allen has been a revelation this season for the Bills. With 17 touchdowns and just eight interceptions, he’s done a wonderful job of managing their offense while letting the playoff-caliber defense take care of the rest. It's a welcomed improvement after his 10-touchdown, 12-interception rookie campaign last year.

But the Ravens' top-five defense really flummoxed Allen during a 24-17 loss on Sunday. Allen was sacked a season-high six times, lost a fumble, threw for a season-low 146 yards, and completed just 43.6 percent of his passes. He started 1-for-7 and was unable to do much offensively until the 4th quarter. The Steelers’ defense is comparable, a unit that forced Lamar Jackson into three interceptions earlier this season. Jimmy Garropolo? He threw two picks of his own in what was the 49ers’ closest game during their 8-0 start.

How Allen handles this defense is key in what’s likely to be a low-scoring contest. He’s done a great job of bringing Devin Singletary into the fold, whose 258 rushing yards the last three games has finally pushed an aging Frank Gore back to the bench. But only Singletary won’t be enough. Receivers John Brown and Cole Beasley, both of whom were limited to less than 30 yards last week, have to get going. And Allen has to make sure he bounces back from what will almost certainly be one giveaway against the Steelers defense.

Here’s the good news for Bills fans: Allen hung in there last week and still steered an unlikely comeback effort in the fourth quarter. It may only take one solid offensive drive Sunday night to get the job done here.

3. A quick look at special teams

Quietly, kicker Chris Boswell has had one of his best seasons in the NFL for the Steelers. He has a 92.9 percent accuracy rate in what’s been an awful year for kickers; his 26 field goals made ranks tied for third in the NFL. More importantly, he’s perfect on extra points in a year where over half the league’s regular kickers have missed at least one — often at a crucial time in the game.

Buffalo’s Stephen Hauschka is no slouch either, though. After a rocky start, Hauschka has hit 10 of 11 field goals over the past four weeks, his only miss a 50-yarder against the Cowboys a few weeks ago. He’s hit on 26 of 28 extra points, and four of his six field goal misses this year have been from 50-plus, always risky business to begin with.

These two may be the most important people on the field with conditions at game time expected to be snowy and near freezing. Add in a 10-15 mph wind, typical for games at Heinz Field, and you’re looking at a low-scoring game where one blown kick either way makes the difference.

Final Analysis

The last time the Bills won in Pittsburgh, Frank Reich filled in at quarterback for injured future NFL Hall of Famer Jim Kelly. Josh Allen wasn’t even born yet. Clearly, it’s time for a new chapter in Bills' history, and this defense is ready to make a long list of new memories for a franchise that’s finally getting its act together. Mike Tomlin may be the strongest Coach of the Year candidate out there, but his Steelers can only be put together with smoke and mirrors on offense for so long. A top-tier defense should expose weaknesses that will come back to bite them against one of the conference’s better teams.

Prediction: Buffalo 17, Pittsburgh 13

Game Day Thread

The GDT is a live thread tradition here at ROD.

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

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

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

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

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

Go Rams!

———

ROD Chat Room;

GAME DAY ROOM

The Rams look alot better when they work quicker. I am not talking about the run to line after the previous play and snap the ball. I mean the Rams got into a pattern of seemingly alot of the time hiking the ball with one or two seconds left on the clock. Goff was overthinking the defense. And the offense always seemed stagnant in that scenario as well as not very productive.

Worse yet it is my theory the longer it takes to snap the the ball the more of an advantage the Defense has. Maybe it is a tell that becomes apparent by a lineman sitting in a stance too long I am not sure but lately we are playing faster and overall it has a better rhythmic feel to to the offense.

The offense seems crisper, sharper, the decision making feels more just like playing football and less precision. Maybe Jared is processing everything faster or the offenses philosophy has changed to a degree.

Whatevervitvis, please keep up this uptempo up it has been one of the keys to our offenses success.

Wins by both Los Angeles Teams tomorrow would be a GREAT Sunday!!!

Tyler Higbee has emerged as a big target for Rams quarterback Jared Goff

His recent highlight-reel exposure might have been a revelation for some, but the dynamic pass-catching ability Rams tight end Tyler Higbee displayed during consecutive 100-yard receiving performances was no surprise to others.

Bob Hudson helped develop it while coaching Higbee in high school in Florida. Jeff Brohm and Tyson Helton utilized it as coach and offensive coordinator at Western Kentucky.

And Rams star running back Todd Gurley has seen it during three-plus seasons as Higbee’s teammate.

“He’s been doing what he’s been doing at practice,” Gurley said. “He’s just doing it in a game now.”

The 6-foot-6, 255-pound Higbee could play a large role again Sunday when the Rams play the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. It is a must-win game for the Rams, who are 8-5 and chasing the Minnesota Vikings (9-4) for an NFC wild-card spot.

Higbee, 26, helped position the Rams for a possible run to the playoffs by producing career-best performances against the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks.

With tight end Gerald Everett sidelined because of a knee injury, coach and play-caller Sean McVay made Higbee one of quarterback Jared Goff’s primary targets. Higbee caught seven passes for 107 yards and a touchdown in the 34-7 victory over the Cardinals. He had seven receptions for 116 yards in a 28-12 victory over the Seahawks.

“It’s not any different than what we’ve seen in moments in games,” Rams tight ends coach Wes Phillips said. “He’s done that in spurts before but just now, having more opportunities, it’s really come out and shown.”

In the 26-23 NFC championship game victory over the New Orleans Saints last season, Higbee had four catches, including a third-quarter touchdown and two key receptions during the game-winning drive in overtime.

This season, Everett’s injury and McVay’s decision as of late to deploy personnel groups that include Higbee and tight end Johnny Mundt opened the door for Higbee to play more.

In the Rams’ first 11 games, for example, Higbee did not play more than 49 snaps. He played 72 against the Cardinals, and 68 against the Seahawks.

“He’s always been a confident player,” McVay said. “There’s, I think, a lot of confidence that he can draw from what he’s done over the last couple weeks.”

Higbee said his recent production was a product of three-plus seasons spent maturing into the multifaceted role required of NFL tight ends.

“I’ve grown over the years, but I’ve always had confidence in myself,” said Higbee, who has 40 catches for 435 yards and two touchdowns this season. “When it’s my time to go get it, I’ll go get it.”

Higbee first showed his pass-catching skill as a gangly, long-striding receiver at East Lake High in Tarpon Springs, Fla. He caught passes thrown high above his head, others inches off the turf. But attention from college recruiters was lukewarm for the then 190-pound Higbee.

“I was too skinny to play tight end, too slow to play receiver is what everyone was saying,” he said.

But after his senior season, during practices for a state all-star game, Hudson moved Higbee to tight end.

“That’s where you’re going to be, that’s where you’re going to make your living,” Hudson told Higbee.

Western Kentucky signed Higbee as a receiver, and he played for three head coaches — Willie Taggart, Bobby Petrino and Brohm — during five seasons in Bowling Green, Ky.

Higbee played receiver as a freshman and then redshirted as a sophomore. When Petrino took over in 2013, Higbee said the coach told him he was moving to tight end.

Two years later, despite sitting out several games because of a knee sprain, Higbee caught 38 passes for 563 yards and eight touchdowns.

“Fortunately for us we had what we thought was a future NFL tight end that could stretch the field vertically, that could run up the seam, that could run past linebackers and sometimes safeties,” said Brohm, now the coach at Purdue. “And he had the toughness to catch it” in the middle of the field.

Said Helton, now Western Kentucky’s head coach: “He was that guy that you could say you can do everything with.”

In the 2016 draft, the Rams traded up to choose Goff with the No. 1 pick. They selected Higbee three rounds later with the 110th. Higbee’s stock might have fallen because of a 2016 off-the-field incident outside a bar in Kentucky. In 2017, he pleaded guilty to second-degree assault under extreme emotional disturbance, agreed to be placed in a diversion program and reached a confidential restitution agreement with the victim, his attorney said at the time.

When Higbee reached his first training camp, he roomed with Goff and they have remained close friends.

“We like to play ‘Fortnite’ in our free time,” Goff said, referring to the popular online game. “I think in the offseason we’ll go play golf, we do a bunch of stuff together.”

Higbee caught 11 passes as rookie under former coach Jeff Fisher’s staff. His production under McVay more than doubled to 25 receptions in 2017, and 24 catches as the Rams advanced to the Super Bowl last season.

In September, Goff signed a $134-million extension that included a record $110 million in guarantees. Two days later, the Rams signed Higbee to a four-year, $29-million extension that included just over $15 million in guarantees, according to overthecap.com.

So the Goff-Higbee connection could continue through the 2023 season.

“I trust him as much as anybody,” Goff said, “and that’s why I feel comfortable throwing him the ball, and big credit to him why he’s had so much success.”

Game Preview: Playoff implications on the line for Rams, Cowboys in Week 15

The Rams (8-5) travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys (6-7) at AT&T Stadium on Sunday, with playoff implications on the line for both teams.

Dallas currently holds the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoff picture thanks to a head-to head tiebreaker with the Philadelphia Eagles, who moved into a share for first place in their division with their win over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football, while Los Angeles remains one game behind the Minnesota Vikings for the second wild card spot following a win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football.

To get you ready for the contest, theRams.com compiled a quick preview featuring who to watch, what to watch for on offense and defense for both the Rams and the Cowboys and three keys to victory for L.A.

Five players to watch

• Rams cornerback Troy Hill: He's been playing well as a starter and will likely draw productive second-year Cowboys receiver Michael Gallup as his assignment.
• Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey: Stopping Cowboys receiver Amari Cooper, whom Ramsey called "one of the most underrated receivers in the league," will his primary focus Sunday.
• Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper: So far, his best statistical performances of the season have come at home.
• Cowboys kicker Kai Forbath: He's the replacement for Brett Maher, who was cut earlier this week by the team.
• Rams running back Todd Gurley II: The Cowboys defense allows nearly 110 rushing yards per game, so it could be another opportunity for him to have a big performance similar to the last two weeks.

What to watch for…

On offense for the Rams

The offensive line.

So far, it has faced several of the league's top pass rushers and defensive lines over the last month, and it will get another strong test against Cowboys defensive ends Demarcus Lawrence and Robert Quinn, who have accounted for 14.5 of the team's 34 sacks on the season.

On offense for the Cowboys

Running back Ezekiel Elliott is the obvious choice given how well he's played since entering the league, but we'll go with quarterback Dak Prescott instead.

Yes, Prescott was a full participant in practice all week after spraining his left hand and injuring his right index finger in the Cowboys' loss to the Bears last week, but he told Dallas reporters he will be wearing tape on the right index finger. While it isn't the same as wearing a glove, it will be interesting to see whether that impacts the way he throws the ball on Sunday.

On defense for the Rams

The defensive line.

Dallas' offensive line has allowed a league-low 18 sacks this season and will perhaps be the strongest for L.A.'s group to date.

On defense for the Cowboys

Who steps up at linebacker.

With Leighton Vander Esch ruled out and Sean Lee questionable, the Cowboys could potentially be without two of their top four tacklers on Sunday. Leading tackler and middle linebacker Jaylon Smith is healthy, but it could be a challenge if Lee is also out.

Three keys to victory

1. Establish the run game: In light of where the Cowboys defense fares statistically against the run and the fact it could be down two starting linebackers, it doesn't seem like it would be too difficult for the Rams' offense to get Gurley going early.
2. Take some risks in the passing game: While Dallas has allowed the seventh-fewest passing yards per game this season, it also is tied with Detroit for fewest interception in the league with five. That's not suggesting Los Angeles should be one dimensional and test the Dallas secondary deep on every possession, but it might give L.A. quarterback Jared Goff more leeway to take those chances when they present themselves.
3. Limit Elliott and Cooper: An effective Elliott opens up play action in the passing game, which can lead to big plays from Cooper via Prescott.

49ers rule out six for Falcons game

The 49ers aren’t going to have a hard time turning in inactives on Sunday, as they’ve already ruled six players out for their game against the Falcons.

Some of those are long-term, as nose tackle D.J. Jones could be out for the year with an ankle injury, and defensive end Dee Ford is expected to miss four weeks with his hamstring issue.
Also out this week are cornerback Richard Sherman (hamstring), safety Jaquiski Tartt (rib), cornerback K’Waun Williams (concussion), and defensive tackle Jullian Taylor (elbow).

The 49ers have been hit by a ton of injuries lately, as they try to hang onto their one-game lead for the NFC West lead.

OK stream experts, can we get some links please. Looks like we get the Niners game up here. Thanks for any help.

Going to try a different approach here and stick to one facet of our big win vs Seattle, that being the run game. Reasons for this are many, from the fact that I can cover the important snaps from the run game in one sitting to the importance of the Rams' run game in their offensive resurgence. Note that we don't have a dominant run game yet, but it's solid and that alone has had enormous impact in the way McVay plays the different aspects of the offense against each other and the defense.

So to kick this off... First offensive play and Coach McVay goes to the ground game.

Situation:


Pre-snap:


At the snap we have the classic McVay jet motion with Woody:


At the handoff things look good. Defense mostly ignores the jet action. Note the push we already have from the right side in moving the LOS forward. Edwards assists Evans and is about to peel off and take on Wright. Blythe is pushed back about a yard however does a good job staying in front of his assignment:


As Gurley approaches the LOS he sees Wright filling. Edwards here is about to remove him from the play but Todd sees the hole with the cutback:


Beat later:


6 yard gain and successful run:

Havenstien full practice. Webster limited (hip). Pokes LB Sean Lee and Van Der Esch DNP.

Pokes 2 of their starting LB's out will be huge advantage for the Rams.

rams-wire.com