I can NOT believe I am saying this BUT tonight I will be a SEAHAWKS Fan! ONLY, Because I want the Vikings to lose to up the Rams chances (As small as they might be) to make the Playoffs this season!!! It really HURTS me to be saying this!

To all -

With a season that, to this point anyway, has fallen short of expectations… we have been assessing our culture and approach to moderation.

People say RamsONDEMAND is a homer board and we embrace that! We love our team. Nobody shits on our team! Nobody.

Plus… this is supposed to be fun, so let’s make sure our community is set up to be just that.

With PrimeTime stepping away, and no return planned despite our efforts, we are adding 2 moderators to RamsONDEMAND; @RhodyRams and @Dodgersrf

Rhody has been a part time bookie and we’ve had him on our team in the background for many years. He was unable to join our moderation team until recently. We are happy he has changed his mind!

Dodgers too has been working with us informally since 2016 to join the Admin team. He was our #2 choice when we added @mojo. LOL in all seriousness we go that far back but elected to add just one at that time… mojo just so happened to be someone we knew since grade school.

Both Rhody and Dodgers share the same cultural vision we strive to cultivate at ROD. They are here to have fun.

Not knowing how these announcements might be interpreted, we don’t “pick favorite members” to be moderators... we start down these roads many years in advance getting people involved with ROD. Done right, you don’t notice a difference from member to moderator.

With these changes, we have also added a “nudge based” warning system. This 1pt warning is our approach to steering the culture where we need it. You may see an increased use of that feature in the coming weeks. These warnings will not receive a response from moderation. They are steering in nature. If you receive one, we are steering... So, steer and move on.

Thank you, everyone!

Cheers, CGI and your Admin Team

Sunday Night Football: New England Patriots vs. Houston Texans

For the fifth straight year, the New England Patriots and Houston Texans will meet in the regular season on "Sunday Night Football." The Patriots (10-1) are fresh off a grind-it-out 13-9 win over the Cowboys last Sunday in which New England's defense held the NFL's top-ranked scoring offense without a touchdown in wet and windy Gillette Stadium. The Pats are tops in the AFC East (surprise!) and currently hold the No. 1 overall seed in the conference.

The Texans (7-4) are coming off the biggest win of their season, knocking off division rival Indianapolis, 20-17, on "Thursday Night Football." The win gives the Texans a full game lead over the Colts and Titans this week, and puts them in the driver's seat for a second consecutive AFC South title.

New England at Houston

Kickoff: Sunday, Dec. 1 at 8:20 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Spread: Patriots -3.5

Three Things to Watch

1. New England's pass defense

The Patriots' defense has only allowed 14 or more points in a game once this season — three weeks ago when Lamar Jackson and the Ravens put up 37 points in New England's lone loss of the year. Deshaun Watson is the closest thing to Jackson that the Pats will see the rest of the regular season, but don't expect a repeat of what happened against Baltimore.

Statistically speaking, the Patriots' pass defense is hands-down the best in the league, ranking first in first downs allowed through the air (24 percent), average completion yards allowed (5.4), interceptions (20), touchdown passes allowed (4), third-down conversions (19 percent), and second in passing yards allowed per game (256). Schematically speaking, the Pats are better than anyone else at taking an offense's best weapons away, as evidenced by Amari Cooper being held reception-less last week thanks to amazing man-to-man coverage by cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

With wide receiver Will Fuller limited due to a lingering hamstring issue, Watson is more likely to focus on targeting DeAndre Hopkins in the short-to-mid-range passing game as opposed to downfield if Fuller were 100 percent. This plays perfectly into Bill Belichick's hands. Hopefully, Fuller is ready to go and we see a fully loaded Texans' offense against the Patriots' stout D.

2. Can Patriots' offense find its rhythm?

Lucky for New England's offense, it hasn't needed to score a ton of points to win games this season thanks to their impenetrable defense. While the Pats currently rank fifth in the league in scoring offense, that's mostly due to a rather easy first half of their schedule (Washington, Jets twice, Dolphins, Browns, Giants). The last three weeks, Tom Brady and company have averaged just 16.6 points against teams with stronger defenses (Ravens, Eagles, Cowboys).

Sunday night, the Pats have an opportunity to right the ship as they face a Texans defense that has been limited by injuries all season long, especially in the secondary and with the loss of J.J. Watt. Since losing Watt a few weeks ago, the Texans have dropped from the NFL's second-best run defense (84 ypg) to 17th (108). While the Patriots are still a pass-first offense, their running game has shown signs of life with the return of tackle Isaiah Wynn. Against Dallas, running back Sony Michel was able to find somewhat of a groove, picking up 85 yards on 20 carries in nasty conditions as the Patriots surpassed the 100-yard mark as a team for just the fourth time this season.

If the Pats can find a way to establish a ground game, that would take the pressure off a noticeably regressed Brady and battered offensive line that has been struggling with pass protection all season. In the last three games, Brady has just two touchdown passes and a passer rating of 72.8. While some of that falls on Brady's natural regression (I mean, he's 42) and his O-line, it should also be pointed out that the Patriots simply do not have a ton of uber-talented offensive weapons outside of Julian Edelman.

Sunday night could be a perfect opportunity for Brady and his offense to find their old form against a wounded and fledgling Texans defense.

3. Texans' 3-headed rushing attack

Three weeks ago, the Ravens provided the Texans with the blueprint for beating the Patriots — run the football and run it a lot. Of Baltimore's 65 offensive plays against New England, 41 were designed runs as the Ravens amassed 210 yards and three touchdowns on the ground in the 17-point win.

The Texans are likely the only other team in the NFL that can match what Baltimore can do offensively — at least personnel-wise. Houston's leading rusher, Carlos Hyde (836 yards, 4,8 avg., 4 TDs) is the same type of power back as Mark Ingram (115 yards, TD vs. NE) and Watson (301 yds., 5 TDs) is almost as dynamic of a runner as Jackson (2 rushing TDs vs. NE). Watson's ability to run should give head coach Bill O'Brien plenty of opportunities to keep New England's defense guessing with several different read-option looks. The Texans also have third-down specialist Duke Johnson to add as another running-game wrinkle.

Final Analysis

While this matchup seems favorable on paper for the Texans from an offensive standpoint, we've all learned to never bet against Bill Belichick by now, right? Especially against his own former coaches? Right? Right. Look for the Belichick-led defense to dial up a ton of different blitzes to keep Deshaun Watson in the pocket and under pressure all night long. I like New England in a close, low-scoring tilt.

Prediction: Patriots 20, Texans 18

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

Thought there was some good, balanced perspective in this article. Doesn’t sugarcoat the problems but isn’t doom-n-gloom either.

Yes, Rams have made aggressive investments in their star players. Yes, they need those star players to play up to their contracts.

Rams definitely have challenges ahead— limited cap space and limited draft capital. But McVay and the FO are solid, and with a good offseason they *could* get back to championship form.

Sorry to not have participated in this thread the last few weeks. Been working a lot and closing on a house. Life is good. That said I hope all my ROD friends had a very great and Happy Thanksgiving with yours! Cheers!

I'm doing a simple 8 quart slow cooker of chili. Green Bell peppers, onions, fresh smashed garlic, and many spices in it (including Jay's Ghost pepper). Plus, some lil smokies with hot sauce, using Franks as a base but will heat it up.. Have some Nathan dogs for chili dogs, and fries (baked) for chili cheese fries. Got some very hot deviled eggs too.. lol I was gonna do a bird, but burned out on that since Thanksgiving.

I would like to hear what ya all are doing. Peace and GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO RAMS! We need this game badly now..

Our leaders need to earn their money and dominate. This team has a lot of stars on the team so start acting like it.

Same goes for McVay, Wade and Komer.

We want to have a remote chance of getting into the playoffs our leaders must show all the teams we about to face why they are the best. No more rolling over. I would never post this type of thread if I didn't believe we should win each and every game.

Time for Jared, AD, Ramsey, Gurley and our outstanding receivers and McVay to take the team on their backs and crush everyone in their way. No more offensive slump back to 30 ppg + same with our Defense getting gashed in the run game like Baltimore did.

Time man the F*uck up!

A lot of this board is blaming the lack of passing on the Oline- but they have been pretty good for awhile now (in pass pro). Here are some metrics in reference to some of the false statements that seem to have become factual with so many people.

1. Goff gets sacked a lot - Out of all the quarterbacks that have started all 11 games Goff is sacked the 3rd least in the NFL.
2. Well duh, sacks don't tell the entire story he is hurried a lot - out of all the qbs that have started all 11 games he is tied for the 7th fewest hurries.
3. He just doesn't have time with the bad oline out of all qbs in the nfl he is tied for the 2nd most time in the pocket to throw.
4. But Goff gets sacked few times because he throws it away a lot - out of all 11 game starting quarterback he has the least throw-aways in the NFL.
5. Well Goff is accurate and can make all the throws Goff has the worst on target % in the nfl of all starting quarterbacks.
6. McVay has him trying to throw long routes and needs to get it out quicker - out of 19 qbs that have played every gamehe ranks 11th in avg distance per target.


I still have hope for Goff and have seen him get it done in the past - even be great at times. Before the last few weeks I was more on board that he was not the #1 reason the offense is struggling. I don't think the O-line is good, but when I looked at the numbers and then was going back and watching some old games.
Goff is more to blame than I originally thought.

That being said, we have some easier defenses to go against (and still one really good one) so hopefully he can start slinging it around again and get his mojo back, because right now he isn't seeing the field and playing with confidence.

Opposing View: Cardinals' Kingsbury set to coach against McVay after nearly joining Rams' staff last winter

Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury almost shared the same NFL sideline as Rams head coach Sean McVay.

Last December, Kingsbury was weighing USC's offensive coordinator job against a consultant role with the Rams. He ultimately chose USC over the Rams – before departing for the Cardinals a little over a month later – but admitted he was "very close" to taking the consulting job with McVay.

"I mean, he's done a phenomenal job," Kingsbury told reporters this week. "Phenomenal person. One of the brightest minds in football. To be able to learn under him and see how he operates day-to-day, and be a part of that, was definitely appealing.

"I've known him a few years now, and just the way he handles himself, it hasn't changed a bit with all the success, all the great things he has (done). The way he treats people is first-class and I have a great appreciation for that."

Nearly a year later, Kingsbury and McVay will instead be coaching on opposite sides of the field when Arizona hosts Los Angeles on Sunday at State Farm Stadium.

The two first connected through a friend of Kingsbury's who played for McVay while McVay was on the Florida Tuskers coaching staff in the now-defunct United Football League (UFL).

“It was crazy because (my friend) told me, ‘This guy is going to be a star in coaching,'" Kingsbury said. "I’m like, ‘yeah, right. He was like tight ends coach for the Orlando Tuskers [Florida Tuskers in 2009].’ I was like, ‘Good luck, buddy.’ But he was right. You get around (McVay), you talk to the guy, he’s phenomenal as a person, as a coach. He can talk some football, now."

Kingsbury said the two didn't really have time to talk much when their time in Los Angeles overlapped last winter, given Kingsbury had to be out on the road recruiting for USC and McVay was busy with the final month of the regular season. Kingsbury said it would've been "huge" to work under McVay.

Although that never came to fruition, McVay still played a big role in helping Kingsbury get looks from the NFL.

"His success that he’s had, he gave a lot of young offensive coaches a lot of opportunities," Kingsbury said. "And then I know people that had asked Sean about me, he spoke very highly of me."

McVay continues to be a resource for Kingsbury even with both of them coaching in the same division in the NFL, though between the two of them have occurred less often during the season given those circumstances.

"Anything that I needed once I got the job – questions, thoughts, giving real advice – he was great," Kingsbury said on a conference call with Rams beat writers this week. "That’s just the type of person that he is – those of you that have been around him (know)."

Kingsbury is grateful for how instrumental McVay's own success paved the way for him to get a chance with the Cardinals. He also continues to wish McVay success – with one small exception.

"I wouldn’t have this job if it weren’t for him, obviously, and his success that he’s having," Kingsbury said. "I understand that and have a ton of respect for him, and I’m always pulling for him. Except when they play us."

What else the Cardinals are saying about the Rams...

"We'll have to match their intensity." – Kingsbury

Speaking to Arizona media for the last time before facing the Rams, Kingsbury indicated he expects the Rams to respond accordingly after their Monday Night Football loss to the Ravens in Week 12. So too, does QB Kyler Murray.

"No matter what happened last game, we've got to come (ready) to play," Murray said Wednesday.

"I'm not interested (in seeing what he can do against me)." – Murray on Rams DT Aaron Donald.

Asked that question based on what he's seen on film, Murray joked he wasn't looking to find out. Murray also said Donald is a special player and "one of the best to do it already."

Game Preview: Rams travel to Cardinals for Week 13

The Rams (6-5) travel to Arizona this weekend to take on the Cardinals (3-7-1) at 1:05 p.m. PT Sunday at State Farm Stadium in the first of two meetings between both clubs in the month of December.

Los Angeles is looking to move to 7-1 overall in NFC West road games under head coach Sean McVay, while both teams are seeking their first divisional win of the season.

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 Cardinals and three keys to victory for L.A.

Five players to watch

• Rams LB Cory Littleton: One of the NFL's best inside linebackers when it comes to tackling and coverage this season, he figures to play an important role in trying to limit Cardinals QB Kyler Murray with how Murray uses his legs to create plays as a runner and a passer.
• Rams S Taylor Rapp: Similar to Littleton, Rapp's short area quickness and tackling ability will be a critical component to keeping Murray and the big plays by the Cardinals' passing attack to a minimum.
• Cardinals QB Kyler Murray: He's a big part of the Cardinals offense and presents challenges for the Rams' secondary and front seven.
• Cardinals MLB Jordan Hicks: Arizona signing the former Philadelphia Eagle this offseason came with some risk, as he tore his achilles in 2017 and miss four games with a calf injury in 2018. So far, though, it's paid off – he's played in all 11 of the Cardinals' games and currently leads the team in interceptions (3) and total tackles (110).
• Rams QB Jared Goff: The Cardinals' defense allows the most passing yards per game, which means Sunday could be a good opportunity for him to find a rhythm.

What to watch for…

On offense for the Rams

Primarily the current starting offensive line combination and their progress. With starting right tackle Rob Havenstein (knee) missing his third straight game, rookie Bobby Evans will get another opportunity to show what he can do.

On offense for the Cardinals

It was mentioned in this week's early preview, but how Arizona chooses to deploy its three running backs with Kenyan Drake, David Johnson and Chase Edmonds all available for the first time since it traded for Drake.

Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury said it's his job to figure out a way to use all three on Sunday, but it is unclear what that will look like since this the first game the trio will play together.

On defense for the Rams

Whether CB Jalen Ramsey shadows WR Larry Fitzgerald the entire game or travels with different receivers.

Cardinals wide receiver Christian Kirk shares the team lead in touchdowns (3) with Fitzgerald, and he's not too far behind in other categories. Fitzgerald has a team-high 55 receptions for 593 yards, while Kirk is second with 46 for 508.

In a broader sense, the general approach from L.A.'s defense with Murray throwing his 14 touchdowns to eight different receivers.

On defense for the Cardinals

Similar to the Rams, who they choose to assign CB Patrick Peterson to.

According to Pro Football Focus, Peterson has lined up out wide on 293 of his 376 snaps this season, compared to 36 in the slot.

Three keys to victory

1. Contain Murray: Like Jackson, he's going to make plays, but it will be critical to prevent the explosive ones, especially in the passing game.
2. Stop the run: Tying into one of the things to watch for the Cardinals' offense, Arizona has four legitimate rushing threats between Murray, Drake, Johnson and Edmonds that L.A. has to prepare for.
3. Take some shots in the passing game: For as much talent as Arizona's secondary has, they still allow a league-high 297.5 passing yards per game this season.

Has it surprised any of you at the virtual disappearance of our young rookie? I thought I was seeing signs of an emergence, but now, not so sure. Curious how we acquire tools and then don’t find a way to employ them. I will and still give coach McVay the benefit of a doubt, and I’m trying to understand our offensive gurus mind, but he is the genius, and I am not..what say you? Are you surprised by Henderson’s disappearance? Is he hurt??

The greatest Defensive End and Defensive Tackle in NFL history.

They didn’t even need to have any other nominees.

congrats to @BonifayRam for correctly predicting last weeks blowout loss to the Ravens.

as we move on to week 12..the Rams are fighting an uphill battle for the playoffs and need every W they can get. Can they emerge from the desert with a win over Kyler Murray and the Cardinals? Let's see those predictions.

and GO !!!

Cost Ole Miss a chance to tie or win the game.
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Yeah, minor player who is on IR but have been waiting for this to rear its ugly head. At least the NFL isn't screwing around and suspended for more than a season. Course, being a no name player it wasn't hard for them to do I'm sure. See what happens when a bigger name gets caught.... or a ref.

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I’ve been thinking a lot about this.

I’ve been watching the rams since 95 when they first came to St.Louis. I haven’t missed a televised game in over 20 years. I’ve dealt with the highs of the greatest show on earth, to 15 years of suck...to losing my team to another city, back to the high...and now the in between, the part where we could go one of two directions.

Are you prepared for potentially another shitty 10 years? We aren’t exactly built for long term success, we don’t have the pics or money. No one can question the loyalty I’ve had....but as I think about it, I honestly don’t know if I can handle it. I would probably stop watching football. Idk

Has anyone else thought of this?

Disclaimer—for all you asshats that love to be dramatic. I’m not saying they are going to suck. I’m just asking a hypothetical. My god, I made a comment about how Peters has been a stud since leaving and didn’t think we would win and the people giving me the “difference of opinion” shit was funny. I don’t need that again. Bringing down my ratings!

Anyone into this back then? I was. I took a ton of photos.

It was so cool. You could see it easily with the naked eye for more than a year. Was REALLY cool!

A Look Back at Comet Hale-Bopp

At any particular time, a half-dozen or more comets are visible with a good-sized amateur telescope. But a bright comet is a once-in-a-decade event at best, and a Great Comet, one that grows bright enough to capture wide attention, is rarer still. Recently there have been two Great Comets visible to observers in the southern hemisphere, Comet McNaught in 2007 and Comet Lovejoy in 2011. But it’s been a long drought for stargazers in the northern hemisphere, where no spectacular comet has been seen since 1997 when the mighty Comet C/1995 O1, better known as Comet Hale-Bopp, barreled in from the outer solar system and put on one of the most watched celestial shows in modern history.

Like most newly-observed comets, Hale-Bopp was discovered by accident. On the night of July 23, 1995, the astronomer Alan Hale was visually tracking fainter comets using a telescope in his driveway at his home in New Mexico when he noticed an unexpected smudge near the globular cluster M70 in the constellation Sagittarius. The constellation is chock-a-block with fuzzy deep-sky objects, so Hale took care to make sure the new object was indeed uncharted, and he watched it move against the background stars during the night. Satisfied he had found something interesting, he followed astronomical protocol and sent an email with the position and motion of the object to Brian Marsden at the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams at Harvard, the official center for tracking and announcing transient astronomical events such as comets.

On the same night, Marsden was surprised to receive not an email but an old-fashioned telegram. It came from the amateur stargazer Thomas Bopp in Arizona. Bopp, an auto parts manager who didn’t own a telescope, was out with friends touring Sagittarius with a homemade 17.5″ Dobsonian when he watched the globular cluster M70 drift out of the field of view of the stationary telescope and watched the comet drift in. He also confirmed it was an uncharted object and contacted Western Union to send the word to Harvard. The next morning, the comet was announced to the world.

Astronomers suspected right away that Hale-Bopp was a big one. It had a brightness of magnitude 10.5 when it was discovered by Hale and Bopp between the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn. That’s extremely bright for such a distant comet. Comet Halley, by comparison, was 100 times (five full magnitudes) fainter at the same distance. The new comet also had a resolvable coma which suggested a large and active nucleus. It turned out the nucleus had a diameter of some 60 km, more than six times as large as the nucleus of Halley.

Comet Hale-Bopp followed fast on the tail of another Great Comet, the splendid Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake), which reached peak brightness in 1996. But astronomers were cautious to declare that Hale-Bopp would be an even more spectacular object. They didn’t want to oversell the object and foster disappointment if the comet fizzled.

But the comet did brighten, spectacularly so, during the last months of 1996 and into 1997. It was visible to the unaided eye for an astonishing 18 months, from May 1996 to December 1997, and in March and April of 1997 outshone nearly every star in the sky. It was easily visible even from urban skies and sported its now-famous double tail that stretched 40° across the sky. Even the Great Comet of 1811, a spectacular sight by all accounts, remained visible to the naked eye for just 9 months.

Hale-Bopp made its closest approach to Earth on March 22, 1997 at a distance of 1.32 astronomical units (about 200 million kilometers) and its closest approach to the Sun on April 1, 1997.

This Great Comet of 1997 was perhaps the most observed comet in history by amateur stargazers and by the general public. Scientists did their part, too, and closely examined this immense comet for months and years as it passed Earth and moved again towards the outer solar system. Among the discoveries made by the professionals:

• Dust grains in the unusually dense coma were among the smallest ever observed around any comet
• The comet had a high ratio of deuterium (heavy hydrogen) to regular hydrogen, much higher than the ratio observed in Earth’s oceans, which suggested not all water on Earth came from cometary impacts, and that the comet formed at a temperature of about 25 K in the outer reaches of the early solar system.
• A large abundance of organic molecules was found in the gas and dust of the coma, suggesting the comet, and all comets, might contain the building blocks of simple biologically active molecules
• By observing jets of material ejected by the comet’s nucleus, astronomers measured the rotation rate of the nucleus to be a little less than 12 hours
• In addition to the blue ion tail that pointed away from the Sun, and the white dust tail that followed the orbit of the comet, a third and much fainter tail consisting of neutral sodium atoms extended more than 50 million kilometers from the nucleus between the two brighter tails

Astronomers also found that Comet Hale-Bopp had been this way before, roughly about 4,200 years ago in 2215 B.C. Ancient Egyptian records do indeed indicate a bright “hairy star” may have appeared in the sky at that time. This ancient visit may have been the comet’s first approach to the inner solar system from the distant Oort Cloud. On its most recent visit, the comet’s orbital period was shortened by a gravitational interaction with Jupiter. It will come again to the inner solar system some 2,530 years from now in the year 4525 A.D.

Amazingly, the comet is still visible in very large telescopes. It will likely fade to an unobservable 30th magnitude by 2020.

When will the next Great Comet arrive? No one knows, but it’s been a long drought, at least for us observers north of the equator. The odds suggest it won’t be too much longer.

Note: If you really want to walk down memory lane with Comet Hale-Bopp, have a look at a comprehensive image archive of the comet at this link. This webpage was so popular in 1997 that it received more than a million page views on a single day and clogged the nascent internet.

Rams Pro Football Focus tidbits heading into Week 13

Pro Football Focus (PFF) has a team of more than 300 staffers evaluating every NFL play from the Hall of Fame game to the Super Bowl. After each game, players, as well as each team's offensive, defensive and special teams units, are graded on a scale of 0 to 100; the closer a player or unit is to 100, the better. A full explanation of their evaluation process can be found here for additional context.

Here's a look at some of the noteworthy Rams-centric assessments leading into Week 13.

WOODS GRADES OUT WELL IN RETURN

After being inactive in Week 11 due to a personal issue, Rams WR Robert Woods returned to the team and posted one of his best performances of the season.

The former USC standout posted an overall offense grade of 75.5 and a receiving grade of 77.0 against the Ravens Monday Night, each the second-highest mark in a single game this season in their respective category.

Statistically, he registered six catches for a game-high 97 yards. Including Monday night, he's had at least five catches and at least 80 receiving yards in three of his last four games.

DONALD STILL DOMINANT

Double- and triple-teams haven't done much to slow down Rams DT Aaron Donald in eyes of PFF.

Donald has the highest overall defense grade and pass rush grade and shares highest overall run defense grade out of 188 interior defensive linemen evaluated by the scouting service this season.

Though his streak of games with at least one sack ended at five, he's posted a pass rush grade of 90.0 or higher in six out of Los Angeles' last seven games. PFF considers a grade of 90 or better elite.

WHITWORTH HOLDS DOWN LEFT SIDE OF OFFENSIVE LINE

Rams LT Andrew Whitworth finished with a pass-blocking grade of 91.0, his highest in a game this season. Additionally, he hasn't allowed a sack or QB hit in each of his last five games.

Another dual threat test awaits Rams defense in Cardinals QB Kyler Murray

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The Rams' defense will face its second dynamic, playmaking quarterback in as many weeks when they take on Kyler Murray and the Cardinals on Sunday in Arizona.

Just because Murray and the Ravens' Lamar Jackson have similar athletic profiles, however, doesn't mean their approaches as players and within their own offensive systems are identical, giving Los Angeles a different test to prepare for this weekend.

"It's going to be another challenge, especially with the quarterback being as versatile as he is," Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. "He doesn't run as many designed runs, certainly, but he does take off with the football and has great speed."

McVay said he's been impressed with how the Cardinals have utilized Murray as a runner, as well as Murray's acceleration and feel for manipulating defensive traffic to avoid taking hits.

"Then, some of the things that you see with just his ability to change the launch point, his ability to speed it up, make all those different types of throws in the pocket, out of the pocket," McVay said. "It’s been really impressive in how good of a job he’s done of taking care of the football."

According to Rams safety Eric Weddle, when Murray takes off to run, it's often to still throw the ball. Once Jackson sees a lane, he's taking off and running. When Murray does take off running, he tends to slide in the open field to avoid contact while Jackson takes on contact.

Schematically, the Ravens have molded their offense around Jackson to produce the NFL's No. 1 rushing attack this season. The Cardinals, in contrast, were going to be a pass-heavy team regardless of who their quarterback was, according to Weddle. However, with Murray running a similar offense at Oklahoma, it helps capitalize on what he does well.

"They want to air it out, they want to throw the ball," Weddle said. "They're the most 10 personnel, which is one running back for four rope receivers, they'll do that 30 to 40 percent of the game, which which you very rarely see. When they do that, they just want to throw the ball. So they're doing that because he can throw it and they're good at it."

Weddle knows what lies ahead.

"He's playing outstanding football," Weddle said. "We've got a tough challenge ahead of us."

Seeing as how the opponent is so similar and all...

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Pretty sure.

Its bad enough we have to deal with getting crushed Monday night. The leaves, like the bats are so annoying I won't put myself through it. Like Halloween I just will wait till their gone. Let me quess, snowflakes falling for Christmas ?